COMPOUND RADIUS FRETBOARD

Conceived by the Warmoth brothers, the compound fretboard starts from the nut with a radius of 10 inches (the same as with most common Floyd fretboards) and then gradually flattens to 16 inches at the 22nd (or 24th) fret.

This unique feature gives the musician a comfortable radius in the first positions where rhythms and arpeggios are performed, a medium radius in the middle positions for two-handed techniques, and a very flat radius in the high register for a very low action and bending capable of two and a half tones bending without buzzing.

Compound radius.

Compound radius vs constant radius

Due to its geometrical structure (I'll spare the complicated math formula), compound radius is the only one to make the strings mirror the same neck relief, thus allowing perfect neck adjustment.

This does not happen on constant radius fretboards, where the width of the fretboard changes along its length, but the radius under it remains the same. Indeed, if we adjust a constant radiused fretboard for a perfect relief (light up-bow) using the outer strings as a reference (high E), this will cause the inner strings (A and D) to mirror a straighter fretboard.

Galeazzo Frudua

As a luthier and guitar making and repair teacher, since 1988 he has built making more than 350 boutique guitars and basses priced from 2,900 to 5,600 Euros and repaired and customized thousands of stringed instruments. His instruments and amplifiers are used by flagship artists, such as Chick Corea, Peter Gabriel, Ennio Morricone, Carl Verheyen. He owns two YouTube channels—where he teaches music—that count up to 40 millions views and almost 200.000 subscribers.