Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Radiused Fretboard vs. Flat Fret board

#12

Finally, the voice of reason! :wink:

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#13

I think this conversation is over. :laughing:

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#14

Thanks you guys. I guess ,if it was good enough for Earl, it SHOULD be good enough for me.:crazy_face:

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#15

When in doubt, just copy what Earl played. :smile:

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#16

Easier said than done…:upside_down_face:

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#17

I just received a Nechville Classic with radiused board this week, recorded my banjo lesson on it this week. I have banjos that may sound better but none that play/feel better.

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#18

Yes, @BanjoBen, I just saw the video and thought, “hey, that’s my banjo—sort of.” Nice to hear the potential built into the Nechville Classic. Someday I hope to get similar sounds out of mine. Looking forward to meeting you and your family next week!

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#19

Glad this board is already on here. I’m looking to purchase an f-style mandolin from the store near the end of the year. Currently play an oval hole A style with a flat fretboard. I just want to know one thing about radiused fret boards, in your experience with professional musicians would you say most use a mandolin with a radiused fretboard or one without? I noticed most the mandolins in the store are radiused. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos about the pros and cons and figure it won’t be a hard adjustment but just wanted to know what trend u noticed with the majority of mandolin players now.

#20

Hi James, radiused boards seem to be the norm in bluegrass mandolins… I have one of each and enjoy them both. The flat neck is thick, and the radiused one is more dainty, They are certainly a different feel, but I like them both.

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#21

Cool, thanks for the reply @Mike_R :ok_hand:t4:
I like my flat fretboard just fine, just not wanting to put a good amount of money into the radiused without a little input. I’ve only held one that was radiused once and didn’t know much about mandolin then. It felt like I was pushing the strings off the fretboard. I think that will be an easy adjustment though, just changing where I apply pressure on my fingers. Seems like the flat boards u press more and the round boards are more of a grab-type pressure if that makes sense. What would u say as far as how your fret hand has to adjust? Since u have experience with both.

#22

There are not any conscious changes I make. There is a difference in feel.

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#23

I think the radiused is way to go. If you’re looking to invest in a really really nice one, I’m considering selling my Rattlesnake.

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#24

Who builds a Rattlesnake banjo?

Mike

#25

It’s a mandolin, built by Olin Davis who has since stopped building. Most notably played by Casey Campbell, the guy in the middle here:

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#26

Haha I wish!! I checked my pockets and all I found was an old gum wrapper and a Weigles receipt. I should have put the word invest in quotation marks…“invest”. Under 2k to keep my marriage in tact, haha. But for sure will be getting one from the BBStore.

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#27

Well Bela plays a radiused fretboard so… I played flat boards for years and had several Nechvilles with the co.pound radiused boards and in my opinion the radiused ones are the way to go no questions asked. I am going to have a radiused board done on my Crafters of Tennessee as soon as I can. They just feel way more comfy

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#28

Hi @rsirl72 Rick welcome to @BanjoBen 's Forum. I don’t have an opinion either way. All my banjo’s have flat fretboards. No plans to add to my collection. I wish you well with your new purchase. I hope all goes well for you.

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#29

I have a flat fretboard on my travel/parlor Music City Belle banjo built by Dave Dillard. It has a short scale neck and 10” openback pot. It hangs in our sitting room, so I play it the most (real handy). But I have radiused fretboards on a Nechville (with a resonator—my bluegrass banjo) and a 12” openback Ome. They are more comfortable to play, but not enough to shy me away from flat fretboards.

#30

Bela indeed plays a radiused fretboard…but not all the time.
I once heard (maybe a Bela interview ?) the radiused fretboard is a nod to guitar players, where the radiused fretboard is much more common, and thereby more suited to playing jazz. When you need to make weird jazz chords on a banjo, the radiused fretboard is the one of choice. If you want bluegrass slides & bends, perhaps the flat fretboard should be your choice.
Sooner or later, everything becomes a function of budget.

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#31

Why not go the whole hog

1 Like