The stewmac Understring Radius Gauges are top notch

[WarmothRules]

Got got these and they work great I up my peavey with the 12" one which is what the neck is and it never played this good, took about 5-10 minutes to do, I highly recommend these for people who have individual saddles I set my warmoth up with the 16" for the compound radius.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fretting_tools:_Fret,_fingerboard_preparation/Understring_Radius_Gauges.html

 

[-CB-]

Why not just cut your own using some cardboard and a compass?

 

[WarmothRules]

Why not just cut your own using some cardboard and a compass?

Don't own a compass

 

[-CB-]

The Egyptians used a Sharpie pen on the end of mono filament!

 

[neilium]

I could make my own, but the stewmac ones are nice. Stainless steel, doncha know.

 

[Alfang]

along this same line sorta, if a Warmoth neck is 10" radius at the nut, and 16" at the 22nd? what should the radius at the bridge be set to?

I'm thinking that theres an imaginary fretboard from 22nd all the way up to the bridge, and it's getting flatter all the way.

 

[-CB-]

you could always do the math on that.....

its basic trig and geometery

 

[dudesweet157]

The radius with a Warmoth neck at the bridge is just about 18.5 inches.  However, with a bridge that has individual saddles, it's easy enough to jsut set up each string one at a time.  I could see how this would be helpful with a bridge like a TOM or Floyd Rose where you have to shim/notch the saddles to get the correct radius, but for individual saddles, I'll pass.

 

[Alfang]

why do the math ? when someone else has already figured it out, thanks dudesweet

 

[reddart]

I've been wondering about the compound radius and a 12in radius bridge too, so I did the math...a 12 in radius will be 0.0152" higher at the middle than an 18.5" radius (if the circles meet at both E strings), which would mean ~0.0076" higher action at the 12 fret (ignoring neck curve). This is not a very significant difference, especially since the difference will decrease as you move out from the center of the bridge to the strings...you might only notice it if you set up with really low action.

Short answer: close enough for rock and roll.

 

[dudesweet157]

I've been wondering about the compound radius and a 12in radius bridge too, so I did the math...a 12 in radius will be 0.0152" higher at the middle than an 18.5" radius (if the circles meet at both E strings), which would mean ~0.0076" higher action at the 12 fret (ignoring neck curve). This is not a very significant difference, especially since the difference will decrease as you move out from the center of the bridge to the strings...you might only notice it if you set up with really low action.

Short answer: close enough for rock and roll.

I know the difference is minute, but I really could feel a difference between the strings before I cut the slots lower.  It felt MUCH higher on the 2 center strings than on the 2 outside strings, especially above the 12 fret.  I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but cutting them lower DID make it feel better, to me at least.

 

[reddart]

I've been wondering about the compound radius and a 12in radius bridge too, so I did the math...a 12 in radius will be 0.0152" higher at the middle than an 18.5" radius (if the circles meet at both E strings), which would mean ~0.0076" higher action at the 12 fret (ignoring neck curve). This is not a very significant difference, especially since the difference will decrease as you move out from the center of the bridge to the strings...you might only notice it if you set up with really low action.

Short answer: close enough for rock and roll.

I know the difference is minute, but I really could feel a difference between the strings before I cut the slots lower.  It felt MUCH higher on the 2 center strings than on the 2 outside strings, especially above the 12 fret.  I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but cutting them lower DID make it feel better, to me at least.

Well, maybe I'm just speaking more for myself...I usually have pretty high action though, or maybe I'm not that sensitive to action.. That being said, It certainly won't hurt to make the bridge the correct radius, especially if you can feel the difference.  I might just do it myself with my upcoming build.

 

[reddart]

OK,  I did the math again...

to make a 12"radius bridge into an 18.5" radius, (get some callipers) and grind the 3&4 sting sadles down 0.0146", and the 2&5 saddles down 0.0095”. This assumes a 0.4124" string spacing, or 2.062" E to E. You might want to confirm that the starting bridge is truly 12" while you're at it.

 

[WarmothRules]

OK,  I did the math again...

to make a 12"radius bridge into an 18.5" radius, (get some callipers) and grind the 3&4 sting sadles down 0.0146", and the 2&5 saddles down 0.0095”. This assumes a 0.4124" string spacing, or 2.062" E to E. You might want to confirm that the starting bridge is truly 12" while you're at it.

Well it's a 12" on my peavey predator, the action rules. I put 10-46 strings cause the nines felt way to slinky now that the action is right, I have it set to a medium action. Low action causes buzzing. It's plays insanely good now. I take it back it's not all about the compound radius. My next warmoth is going to be a strait 16".

 

[groovydude]

I never bothered with the math.  I simply capoed the first fret, then adjusted the individual saddles (or filed the notches) to where the bottoms of the individual strings were the same distance from the top of the 22nd or 24th fret.  This causes the compound radius to continue flattening towards the bridge.

Plus no chance for a mistake in the math.  :sign13:

 

[reddart]

I never bothered with the math.  I simply capoed the first fret, then adjusted the individual saddles (or filed the notches) to where the bottoms of the individual strings were the same distance from the top of the 22nd or 24th fret.  This causes the compound radius to continue flattening towards the bridge.

Plus no chance for a mistake in the math.  :sign13:

That will certainly work, but I would be able to measure the saddle dimension more precisely than the fret to string distance.

Double check the math, it's fine  :toothy12: (measure twice, cut once)

 

[WarmothRules]

I never bothered with the math.  I simply capoed the first fret, then adjusted the individual saddles (or filed the notches) to where the bottoms of the individual strings were the same distance from the top of the 22nd or 24th fret.  This causes the compound radius to continue flattening towards the bridge.

Plus no chance for a mistake in the math.   :sign13:

That will certainly work, but I would be able to measure the saddle dimension more precisely than the fret to string distance.

Double check the math, it's fine  :toothy12: (measure twice, cut once)

Wouldn't it make the most sense to set up your bridge at the radius your neck is where your hand is most of the time? For me I hang out around on average between the 5 and 9th frets so I'd assume 12" radius would be best? I have it at 16" now maybe I need to change it.