Wait, backwards fretboard radius?

[alex9152]

So I just got a JS30KV, as I said in the "Your first Jackson/Charvel" thread. I knew it was in beat-up condition, but my heart sank when I saw the fretboard radius was backwards when I checked it up when I got home. The theory behind the compound radius is to make chording comfortable and upper-fret bends not fret out, right? So getting it backwards is the worst of both worlds!

Near bridge, quite round:


Near nut, noticeably flatter:


Any support is out of the question, because I got it used. What do I do now?

[RobRR]

Um, wow thats definetly a first man... I... I dont even know how that could have possibly happenned! I would send it back to whoever you bought it from, thats pretty messed up!

[alex9152]

Um, wow thats definetly a first man... I... I dont even know how that could have possibly happenned! I would send it back to whoever you bought it from, thats pretty messed up!

Thing here is, I bought it from an old friend so he could pay for the microKorg he wants. It would be lousy of me to demand a refund from him.

It's not a complete dud - I like the Jackson neck profile and the tune-o-matic's saddles having a lower profile not sticking into my hand when I palm mute.

[VitaminG]

I can't account for it - maybe it's an optical illusion caused by the frets being closer further up the neck - but I just checked around 5 of mine and noticed the same effect. And they all play great.

The age of these guitars vary by about 20 years. So either they've been doing them wrong for a very long time, or they are fine and it's just an illusion. alex, can you get your hands on a radius gauge? That would tell you for sure. The alternative is to make your own. Scribe a circle with a 16" radius on a piece of paper, cut it out and hold it on the fretboard to confirm its radius

[alex9152]

I can't account for it - maybe it's an optical illusion caused by the frets being closer further up the neck - but I just checked around 5 of mine and noticed the same effect. And they all play great.

The age of these guitars vary by about 20 years. So either they've been doing them wrong for a very long time, or they are fine and it's just an illusion. alex, can you get your hands on a radius gauge? That would tell you for sure. The alternative is to make your own. Scribe a circle with a 16" radius on a piece of paper, cut it out and hold it on the fretboard to confirm its radius

Do you observe the same effect on non-compound-radius guitars? Then again, it's getting late for me, so I'm probably seeing things. If so, I just made a fool of myself.

I'll make the makeshift gauges you suggested since I can't get real ones: 16", and 12" for the lower frets. Tomorrow, though.

[Rich#6]

Your camera angles are different to make it look that way.
Looks like you need to steel wool those frets, kinda dirty and green.

[Twitch]

If it is indeed backwards, Im sure Jackson would like to know about it. Thats a severe defect in craftsmanship.

[VitaminG]

If it is indeed backwards, Im sure Jackson would like to know about it. Thats a severe defect in craftsmanship.

I know, right? And on every one of my Jacksons & Charvels!!!

[alex9152]

I have new pictures, bigger, so I'm linking to them.

At the first fret, the 16" gauge-cutout fits nearly perfectly:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g273/alex9152/IMG_4649.jpg

At the last fret, the fret drops away from the radius gauge, meaning it's more curved:

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g273/alex9152/IMG_4647.jpg

[VitaminG]

don't measure it on the frets - look at how much fretwear there is on that first picture. The top of that fret is so flat it's almost concave

Put the gauge on the fretboard - it's not going to change no matter how much fretwear

[alex9152]

don't measure it on the frets - look at how much fretwear there is on that first picture. The top of that fret is so flat it's almost concave

Put the gauge on the fretboard - it's not going to change no matter how much fretwear

...You're right. The 16" rocks more at the 1st than the 24th, and the 12" shows more of a gap at the middle when placed . Even as crude as these are, they showed some accuracy.. In other words, it's not backwards.

It was all an illusion. The frets were more worn near the nut, the bottom end is wider and the corners were beat in giving the illusion of roundness there, and I suck at photography.

Thanks for reassuring me that my guitar is not defective. Looking at my other guitars, I saw this illusion even worse.

[VitaminG]

glad to hear it, man. Now go play that thing!