Thread: Guitar - 400 /430mm Radius fret level block

hmmm i think scrap that idea (didnt know how to delete this thread :P) .. i did some more reading on the web and it appears its more favourable with an ibanez neck and some discipline (even planing) its better to use a 1inch thick leveller (level steel beam or hardwood or something similar).. i would need the exact radius block 430mm or 400mm and if anything would use this AFTER leveling with the straight flat bar

any comments on that?

You can make your own two foot long and longer timber radiussed sanding blocks to any radius using a safe-t- planer.
I did a tutorial on it over at Projectguitar.com about three years back.

If you're after cheap then you'll have to make them yourself. Others may have the machinery but it'll end up costing you.

Originally Posted by oz tradie

You can make your own two foot long and longer timber radiussed sanding blocks to any radius using a safe-t- planer.
I did a tutorial on it over at Projectguitar.com about three years back.

If you're after cheap then you'll have to make them yourself. Others may have the machinery but it'll end up costing you.

thanks stu.. ill check out projectguitar.. i forgot about that website too :P

Here you go.................http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/in...howtopic=25182

Thanks stu, I found that very informative, three gold stars and an elephant stamp for you .

kindest regards

Wal

Originally Posted by oz tradie

Here you go.................http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/in...howtopic=25182

yes awesome!!!!, id rather attempt that than have to buy something thats not quite right .. so saying that .. lets say i have a neck that i cant find specs on the radius.. what would be the best way to obtain this from the neck? .. i assume the fret height runs parallel to the fingerboard? or are they suppose to run in allignment with the bridge radius? ..

ok now im confusing myself.. for an example. I have 2 ibanez necks from different era's one is 400mm and one is 430mm as ive mentioned.. now if BOTH have the same Ibanez Edge bridge .. how does that work if the bridge radius is the same for all edge models yet the necks are slightly difference .. or is it a much to muchness kinda thing... im guessing this is why a radius sanding block isnt recommended for an ibanez neck for this reason? and somehow its best to level the frets to match the strings all the way around ..

bahhhhhh i dunno what im on about .. :P

Originally Posted by gbx78

yes awesome!!!!, id rather attempt that than have to buy something thats not quite right .. so saying that .. lets say i have a neck that i cant find specs on the radius.. what would be the best way to obtain this from the neck? .. i assume the fret height runs parallel to the fingerboard? or are they suppose to run in allignment with the bridge radius? ..

ok now im confusing myself.. for an example. I have 2 ibanez necks from different era's one is 400mm and one is 430mm as ive mentioned.. now if BOTH have the same Ibanez Edge bridge .. how does that work if the bridge radius is the same for all edge models yet the necks are slightly difference .. or is it a much to muchness kinda thing... im guessing this is why a radius sanding block isnt recommended for an ibanez neck for this reason? and somehow its best to level the frets to match the strings all the way around ..

bahhhhhh i dunno what im on about .. :P

now i just need to buy the tools to make one .. UNLESS .. someone wants to make a couple for me? hehe

Originally Posted by gbx78

yes awesome!!!!, id rather attempt that than have to buy something thats not quite right .. so saying that .. lets say i have a neck that i cant find specs on the radius.. what would be the best way to obtain this from the neck? .. i assume the fret height runs parallel to the fingerboard? or are they suppose to run in allignment with the bridge radius? ..

ok now im confusing myself.. for an example. I have 2 ibanez necks from different era's one is 400mm and one is 430mm as ive mentioned.. now if BOTH have the same Ibanez Edge bridge .. how does that work if the bridge radius is the same for all edge models yet the necks are slightly difference .. or is it a much to muchness kinda thing... im guessing this is why a radius sanding block isnt recommended for an ibanez neck for this reason? and somehow its best to level the frets to match the strings all the way around ..

bahhhhhh i dunno what im on about .. :P

Now you know the dark secret of the mass produced guitar market!

Most of the time your bridge is nothing like the radius of your neck. As the neck is tapered, and you have a set radius on top, then as it gets wider, the actual amount of fretboard you are taking off is getting bigger. So which point do you base it all from.

This link explains it much better than me...
http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Neck...undradius.html

So what do you do? You make the best fit that you can.

When I bought my Jackson clone many, many years ago it had a 16" radius(400mm) and a flat bridge (floyd original) I used some shim steel and cut out shims to raise the centre saddles a little. This allowed me to raise the centre strings and thereby lower the whole bridge accordingly, and this improved the action out of sight..

Originally Posted by mongrel

Now you know the dark secret of the mass produced guitar market!

Most of the time your bridge is nothing like the radius of your neck. As the neck is tapered, and you have a set radius on top, then as it gets wider, the actual amount of fretboard you are taking off is getting bigger. So which point do you base it all from.

This link explains it much better than me...
http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Neck...undradius.html

So what do you do? You make the best fit that you can.

When I bought my Jackson clone many, many years ago it had a 16" radius(400mm) and a flat bridge (floyd original) I used some shim steel and cut out shims to raise the centre saddles a little. This allowed me to raise the centre strings and thereby lower the whole bridge accordingly, and this improved the action out of sight..

no actually u explained it well. Ill check the link out but thats pretty much what i was trying to get at... wow i never thought to put shims to raise saddles.. interesting idea..

ive payed someone before to setup my guitar and WOW yes it was awesome low and perfect to play.. my issue is at the time (ages) ago cost me 300!!!.. now over the years thanks to ebay and pawnshops (secondhand shops!!! hehe) ive collected bargains (price wise) of ibanez RG's and a few USA BC Rich gunslingers which is why im trying to learn to do it myself.. which by right i should!!

thanks

For a fairly modest outlay Stewmac have a good setup kit available, and an excellent setup book. The way the dollar is at the moment (80.6 cents US) its not a bad time to look at stew mac. Its not a bad site to look at for ideas on how to do things (reverse engineer some of their tool designs and you get an idea of what they ar trying to achieve...)

I once, a few years ago had a guy who was really only just learning to play, and he bought in his axe, nothing really special, think it was a $500 BC rich) and he, right or wrong wanted the action set up at 3/64 all over the neck.

OMG

Thats fine, as long as you have a compound radius fretboard and know how to play. Something that low is a feather touch playing. think Joe satriani, or Marty friedman. Give it a moderate strum and it rattles like a snare drum

Action is very personal and depends more on your playing style than anything. If you dig in and play hard and aggressive then a low action may not be for you. vis-a-ve (?) if you have a light touch then a high action just makes fretting that bit harder...

anyhow, have a look around and see what you come up with