Measuring Neck Radius

[JeradP]

I was playing my beloved Drive (cheapo off brand guitar) neck'd Squier Bullet and was thinking how much I love it. It'd like to know how to measure the radius on it in case I ever want to buy a neck in the future. It's the best playing neck I've ever felt. I know nothing of vintage radius, 7.5, 9.5, etc, so how do I go about measuring? Is it a method similar to fitting clothes, where you use a measuring tape or a string? Forgive my complete ignorance/ borderline idiocy on the subject

[davenumber2]

Someone on here once posted some templates that you could print out and laminate to match up to your neck radius. Not sure who it was. It may come up somewhere in a search.

EDIT...Found it.

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguar...s%20Gauges.pdf

[JeradP]

Originally Posted by davenumber2

Someone on here once posted some templates that you could print out and laminate to match up to your neck radius. Not sure who it was. It may come up somewhere in a search.

I honestly didn't even do a search, I figured I was stupid for asking in the first place. Thanks, I'll try and find it.

[beep.click]

This is from Pickguardian:

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguar...s%20Gauges.pdf

[JeradP]

Originally Posted by beep.click

This is from Pickguardian:

http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguar...s%20Gauges.pdf

Thanks! Now, can you help me learn to use it?

[davenumber2]

Cut it out and put it to your fretboard with the strings off. Whichever one matches exactly, that is your radius.

[JeradP]

Originally Posted by davenumber2

Cut it out and put it to your fretboard with the strings off. Whichever one matches exactly, that is your radius.

Ok, thanks a lot. The neck is pretty thin, wide, and the fretboard seems flat. What would you take a guess at it being?

[davenumber2]

Neck width and thickness doesn't play into measuring radius. Radius is the curvature of the actual fretboard. If it's flat I'd guess 12" because it's a common one but there is really no way to know without measuring.

[JeradP]

Originally Posted by davenumber2

Neck width and thickness doesn't play into measuring radius. Radius is the curvature of the actual fretboard. If it's flat I'd guess 12" because it's a common one but there is really no way to know without measuring.

I have a LOT to learn about guitar necks I see. I guess I didn't know radius meant just hte fretboard. How do they measure the neck/ neck shape? I know my CV50 Tele has a C shape with a 95 radius because I just looked it up. This neck is thinner, my guess is a D shape, but that's just an educated guess

[megafiddle]

You really need to use the gauge. Notice how similar all the different radii look. It's
almost impossible to guess. And there is pretty much no practical way to make some
type of measurement with ruler, caliper, etc. A gauge is standard way to measure.
If you do print it out, make sure the 1" bar actually measures 1" on your printout.
Then just cut them out very carefully and see which one fits best.

*** edited ***
Oh, you are looking for neck shape?
Some manufacterer's publish diagrams of the neck profiles. If you can find
the diagrams, you can usually tell which one you have. There are cross-section
views, as if you cut through the neck and were looking at the cut end.

[Colt W. Knight]

If you got one of these


You can press it against the fretboard, with the strings on, and get a raius measurement. And just hold it up agains a piece of paper with known radii.

You can also measure the exact contour on the back of the neck.

Its a super handy tool, I use a lot in recreating guitar necks.

[JeradP]

Is there a recommended fret to set the printed template on or doesn't it matter?

[megafiddle]

If the fretboard is uniform (cylindrical) radius, then the radius will be the same
all along the neck. Most are. It's best to measure at the body end of the neck
though, because there will be a wider section of neck in contact with the gauge.
The neck is widest at the body end.
The radius is measured on the fretboard itself, not on top of a fret.

[vinman]

if it's worth $25 to you, check this out.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Me...us_Gauges.html

[varakeef]

Originally Posted by megafiddle

The radius is measured on the fretboard itself, not on top of a fret.

That doesn't really matter me thinks. If a fret is one millimeter high, you'll get a radius of 7.28" instead of 7.25" which is insifficant difference. (Since typically radiuses are like 7.25, 9.5, 12 or 16 inches.)

[pennylandmusic]

Originally Posted by JeradP

I was playing my beloved Drive (cheapo off brand guitar) neck'd Squier Bullet and was thinking how much I love it. It'd like to know how to measure the radius on it in case I ever want to buy a neck in the future. It's the best playing neck I've ever felt. I know nothing of vintage radius, 7.5, 9.5, etc, so how do I go about measuring? Is it a method similar to fitting clothes, where you use a measuring tape or a string? Forgive my complete ignorance/ borderline idiocy on the subject

There's an easy way by making a simple jig at home and using a Vernier Calliper. If you email me on pete@pennylandmusic.com, I'll send you a Powerpoint slide telling you exactly how to do it. Pete.

[megafiddle]

Originally Posted by varakeef

That doesn't really matter me thinks. If a fret is one millimeter high, you'll get a radius of 7.28" instead of 7.25" which is insifficant difference. (Since typically radiuses are like 7.25, 9.5, 12 or 16 inches.)

That's true. There is no practical difference between the fretboard and fret-top radius due to the fret height.
As long as the fret is completely seated and the fret-top radius wasn't flattened because of some leveling work,
the fret top works just as well. And that's often the case.

Technically thou, I believe radius refers to the fretboard.