Flat or radius board on an ACG?

[Brother Jones]

I'm speccing my new Krell five with Alan now and am seriously unsure as to whether or not to ask for a 20" radius fingerboard or a flat one.

The flat board on my fretless ACG feels great, but the five will be fretted. I'm used to Fender boards, having played mostly Jazzes for 30 years.

Any advice or experiences to share?

Thanks

[franzbassist]

If flat feels great on the fretless, I'm not sure there's any reason to worry about a radius on the fretted.

[Cameronj279]

All I can really say is my experience with my 5 string fretted ACG (with flat board). I like it and will no doubt get the same on any other ACG I end up buying.

[Woodinblack]

I find the flat board on my ACG slows me down a bit over the slightly curved one on the ibanez. if I specced one today, it would be rounded.

[Sibob]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1450213390' post='2930684']
I find the flat board on my ACG slows me down a bit over the slightly curved one on the ibanez. if I specced one today, it would be rounded.
[/quote]

Interested to know why you think/feel the flat board slows you down?

Cheers
Si

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1450217887' post='2930737']
Interested to know why you think/feel the flat board slows you down?
[/quote]

I don't know, I just find it slower to play, seems like more work skipping over strings, which I think is down to a flat board. But I haven't got a curved neck that is the same (as nothing is quite the same) to compare it with. Maybe it is the width of the neck too, I am not sure though, as I don't find the G&L L2500 very fast either, which is obviously curved, but that is I believe because the neck is a lot deeper.

I love the sound of it, and playing it, its just I can play other basses faster.

To be honest I don't think you would go wrong with either, just if it was me I would pick a slight curve

edit:

thinking about it - I think the dingwall had a flat fingerboard, and that wasn't slow, but again it is hard to compare

Edited December 15, 2015 by Woodinblack

[ead]

I have some of each and genuinely just don't notice the difference anymore. I'd go flat personally though.

[dincz]

I'd expect a 20" radius board to be barely disinguishable from flat.

[Dood]

I do a fair amount of string bending and have found that a flatter board stops full bends from chocking early - but that said, I've a 20" radius which is fine - my Fenders with a much lower radius figure choke badly, especially up the dusty end of the neck. You'll never get a minor 3rd bend out of them!!

[Billy Apple]

Aren't flat boards one of Alan's things? When in Rome and all that.

[paul h]

I've always liked flat boards...nothing you won't get used in a few hours:)

[Kev]

[quote name='dincz' timestamp='1450294232' post='2931499']
I'd expect a 20" radius board to be barely disinguishable from flat.
[/quote]

This.

To be honest, I don't notice too much of a difference at all really, but certainly a 20" board will feel very similar. Far more noticeable will be the Asymmetric carve!

[Kev]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1450220806' post='2930771']
thinking about it - I think the dingwall had a flat fingerboard, and that wasn't slow, but again it is hard to compare
[/quote]

It would have been a custom spec if so, no Dingwall boards are flat as standard, most of the higher end ones have a compound radius, which is really nice.

[Dread Bass]

I love the flat radius personally and am totally used to it now.

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='Kev' timestamp='1450301837' post='2931587']
It would have been a custom spec if so, no Dingwall boards are flat as standard, most of the higher end ones have a compound radius, which is really nice.
[/quote]

Yes, thats true. Its a while since I sold it, it was very wide but very shallow, couldn't remember if it was flat or not.

[quote name='Dread Bass' timestamp='1450305440' post='2931617']
I love the flat radius personally and am totally used to it now.
[/quote]

can you have a flat radius?

[linear]

[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1450308617' post='2931664']
can you have a flat radius?
[/quote]

A flat board has a radius that tends to infinity.

[BassBunny]

I've got 2xACG's one of each type of board. Can't tell the difference but I play the one with a flat board most.

[Schnozzalee]

If you were talking about a guitar I'd understand - There's a huge difference in play ability between a vintage 7.25" radius and a modern 12", but on a bass...Where's the difficulty? It wouldn't matter either way.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Schnozzalee