Flat Fingerboard Radius

[pete.young]

Is there a relationship between string spacing too?

I like a wider spacing for 5-string basses, and my TRB5P is the most comfortable 5-er I've ever played - it has a flat neck, a wide string spacing and an almost flat fingerboard (23"). I dont' know the radius of my Bass Collection (how can you measure it?) but that's pretty wide and flat too.
Conversely I moved on my G&L2500 because the string spacing was too narrow and the fingerboard/neck too round and radiused.

[henry norton]

[quote name='Spoombung' post='1090741' date='Jan 15 2011, 07:48 PM']The Wal people used to give that as a reason for making their big, fat, uncomfortable, chunky necks. I found that such a perplexing idea and it had me scratching my head.

I always think if you need to play a series of notes you should move your hand into a position to access them (whether it's 'correct' or not). I don't think the design of the neck should 'educate' the hand as such.[/quote]
Well if it wasn't for pioneering musicians sticking two fingers up at the 'proper technique', music wouldn't mean anything like what it does today. It does seem a bit of a strange excuse too - it's like saying "only formally trained professionals need apply".

I think most players are more adaptable than they think, but trying a new neck shape or board radius for 5 minutes in a shop won't give even the most intuitive player time to get used to it. It takes time but we can get used to just about any shape.

[noelk27]

[quote name='pete.young' post='1090856' date='Jan 15 2011, 08:44 PM']I like a wider spacing for 5-string basses, and my TRB5P is the most comfortable 5-er I've ever played - it has a flat neck, a wide string spacing and an almost flat fingerboard (23") ... Conversely I moved on my G&L2500 because the string spacing was too narrow and the fingerboard/neck too round and radiused.[/quote]
I've tried - with three different TRB five-strings - to get along with the wider neck, but keep going back to the BB5000 because there's more curvature in the neck and touchboard, and the string spacing is tighter. Then again, after a Columbus Precision copy, my first quality bass was an Aria Pro II SB - 45mm nut width, 16mm string spacing, and a U profiled neck - so that may explain why I gravitate to tighter string spacing.

[Chris2112]

I'm quite happy with either. My Kubicki has a radiused board, which is complemented by it having radiused pickups, which strikes me as excellent engineering. My ACG has a flat board matched with an asymmetrical neck and on that bass, I couldn't imagine it being any other way. It definitely feels instantly natural in your hand.

perhaps the "quirkiest" neck I've had was on my Status Stealth 6 string. It was flat on the board, and a massive flat "D" shape on the back. Very usable but not traditional in the slightest.

[dfl3tch3r]

Here's the actual reasoning for 'Flat' as opposed to radius fingerboards.

On both Classical and Flamenco guitars the most important hand in terms of accuracy (not much in it, granted!) has to be the plucking hand. Classical pieces use a lot of position 1 and position 2 (Fretting Hand) playing which involves a lot of open strings. The plucking hand has to overcome some very technical and intricate plucking patterns. The 'Christ knows' how old concept of a flat fingerboard means the bridge and therefore the strings are flat (Level) at the plucking hand end and assure more accuracy. A radius board on an electric bass would imply a radius setting at the saddles which in turn makes for harder work and compensation for the plucking hand. In todays modern bass playing with players like Matt Garrison, Damien Erskine and Victor Wooten, to name a few, the plucking hand is playing some very intricate patterns so it's easy to see how a flat fingerboard can be a huge advantage as opposed to a radius board, which is probably more to suited to lead guitar making barr chords easier at the fretting hand. As bass players we don't play a lot of barr chords but we do have to pluck some fairly complex patterns. Just have a listen to Damien Erskine's playing to see what I'm talking about.