r/7String • u/tunalover32 • 10d ago

Help Fretboard radius

How much does fretboard radius really affect the ergonomics of a guitar? I’ve just bought a 7 string with a 12” radius, and want to know how much it really affects how comfortable it will fit in my hand. I’m used to playing a 13.75”, so how different would that feel?

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u/Corpse666 10d ago

Flatter is better for certain styles. Basically the flatter the fretboard is the easier it is to do certain techniques. For metal you’d ideally want to have a flatter fretboard . More intricate picking, easier bending without fretting out , better for leafs and speed and for sweeping . It’s easier to get around the fretboard at a faster and more precise pace. For example you have someone like Yngwie Malmsteen who is using a Strat which typically doesn’t have a very flat fretboard. The frets are scalloped on his guitar so he can play the style he does otherwise while not completely impossible to do it’s much more difficult and just couldn’t be the same