What bridge radius with a 10-16 compound radius neck

[LoxFL]

I got my first compound radius neck today, all my other necks are straight 9.5, and realize I dont know what radius to make the bridge. Can someone explain to me what radius I should make my vintage 3 barrel Tele bridge when using a 10-16 compound radius neck.

 

[stratamania]

About 18" but if you have adjustable height saddles you just adjust them to where it looks right for height for each string and the radius takes care of itself.

 

[LoxFL]

About 18" but if you have adjustable height saddles you just adjust them to where it looks right for height for each string and the radius takes care of itself.

Dumb question so excuss me but if I set the bridge to 18 which is much flatter then 10 wont the strings in the middle like lets say the D and G be too low up around the 1-5 frets since the radius up there is 10 and more round?

Maybe I am overthinking this/

 

[BigSteve22]

Doesn't work that way. Picture a vertical section cut out of a cone. Radius gets progressively larger as you move away from the origin, but everything still lines up nicely.

 

[Seamas]

About 18" but if you have adjustable height saddles you just adjust them to where it looks right for height for each string and the radius takes care of itself.

Dumb question so excuss me but if I set the bridge to 18 which is much flatter then 10 wont the strings in the middle like lets say the D and G be too low up around the 1-5 frets since the radius up there is 10 and more round?

Maybe I am overthinking this/

Think more in terms of a section of a cone and the string is running (sort of) parallel to the edge of the cone.  The bridge will be conforming to (a section) the wider end of the cone, while the nut is conforming to a more narrow end of the cone.

18'' radius at the bridge should be fine, and even going to 20" would only be a 10% difference from 18.

 

[LoxFL]

About 18" but if you have adjustable height saddles you just adjust them to where it looks right for height for each string and the radius takes care of itself.

Dumb question so excuss me but if I set the bridge to 18 which is much flatter then 10 wont the strings in the middle like lets say the D and G be too low up around the 1-5 frets since the radius up there is 10 and more round?

Maybe I am overthinking this/

Think more in terms of a section of a cone and the string is running (sort of) parallel to the edge of the cone.  The bridge will be conforming to (a section) the wider end of the cone, while the nut is conforming to a more narrow end of the cone.

18'' radius at the bridge should be fine, and even going to 20" would only be a 10% difference from 18.

ah thank you both I get it now. I will start with 18 and see if I can get close to 20

 

[Strat Avenger]

Ridiculous.
You don't adjust the "radius" of a bridge unless it's a Floyd Rose style.
Adjust the bridge saddle height to achieve the desired string height @ the 12th fret. Typically 1/16" to 5/64".
Do this after the neck relief has been adjusted.

 

[aarontunes]

Dumb question so excuss me but if I set the bridge to 18 which is much flatter then 10 wont the strings in the middle like lets say the D and G be too low up around the 1-5 frets since the radius up there is 10 and more round?

Maybe I am overthinking this/

All the responses about imagining your fretboard to be a section of a cone are correct. In essence, the fretboard is a small surface section of a very large cone.

What your question here seems to indicate is that you aren't also thinking of the strings as being part of a cone too.

If the radius is 18" or 20" at the saddles, that doesn't mean it's gonna stay that way all the way to the nut. In fact, it won't because ideally the nut will be cut at a 10" radius. As a result, the changing radius of the strings will perfectly "echo" the changing radius of the fretboard along its entire length.

That's all in theory. In reality it doesn't have to be so precise. You're gonna be fine, even if all your measurements aren't NASA certified.

 

[stratamania]

This might help visualize how it works.

A compound radius neck is actually a progressive radius rather than a series of steps.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeXkvwmH0ts[/youtube]

 

[Rick]

Just do a normal set up.

 

[LoxFL]

found this great page about 10-16 compound radius and set up

https://hazeguitars.com/blog/compound-radius-setup

 

[Strat Avenger]

People are making this far more complicated than it needs to be.
If your bridge has individually adjustable saddles (unlike the Floyd Rose), just set your string height like you would any straight radius neck. Industry standard is typically measured at the 12th fret. Fender used to spec it at the 17th. Not sure if they still do or not.

 

[fdesalvo]

I’ve got two floyded warmoths with CR fretboards. The saddles end up between 18”/19” and my action is crazy low. 

 

[LoxFL]

Well to close the loop on this I set my bridge radius to 20 and its perfect. I love the way it feels compared to a straight 9.5. I think I am a 10-16 compound radius guy from here on out.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Well to close the loop on this I set my bridge radius to 20 and its perfect. I love the way it feels compared to a straight 9.5. I think I am a 10-16 compound radius guy from here on out.

How did you do that? With a radius gauge?

 

[Logrinn]

Well to close the loop on this I set my bridge radius to 20 and its perfect.

Good it worked out for you.
But imho I think this whole thing was overthinking it to the extreme. Sure, setting the string height at the bridge saddles based on a certain fretboard radius can give a good result (if you have the tools for it), but as - Stratamania said - just adjusting each saddle until the action for that string feels good, will take care of any ”radius”.
In fact, what’s to say that you shouldn’t have a 16” radius on the low E, A and d strings and a 20” radius on the high g, b and e1 strings. Ie not an even circle radius, but the way violin bridges are cut*. This too would take care of it self if one would just adjust each saddle until optimum result is achieved.

*

 

[LoxFL]

Well to close the loop on this I set my bridge radius to 20 and its perfect. I love the way it feels compared to a straight 9.5. I think I am a 10-16 compound radius guy from here on out.

How did you do that? With a radius gauge?

Yes I have a set like this

 

[pirate]

I saw this thread when doing my first setup last night with a compound neck, and basically set the high and low e strings to a height I liked, then the other strings off that and when I measured, it seemed to be in between 16 and 20 (Mine doesn't do 18) but while I'm new at this, if the strings heights are good for YOU, then they are good, right?

 

[BigSteve22]

....I think this whole thing was overthinking it to the extreme.....just adjusting each saddle until the action for that string feels good, will take care of any ”radius”.

Yeah, I'm sure a pro might disagree with this, but that's exactly how I do it. Set each string to where it doesn't buzz when played, and the radius just sorta sets itself. And if you think about it, heavier strings, tuned to a lower pitch, on the bass side, are going to need a little more height above the fret board than the treble side strings will need. Even accounting for the fact that the radius gauge measures off the bottom of the string, and therefore adds a little height on the bass side, if setting a low action, the increase in vibrational amplitude needs to be adjusted for . On the other hand, if you like a higher action where fret buzz isn't going to be a problem, a radius gauge might just be the way to go.

Either way, as long as you're happy, and you're satisfied with the way it plays, that's all that really matters!

 

[Ninja00151]

Dumb question so excuss me but if I set the bridge to 18 which is much flatter then 10 wont the strings in the middle like lets say the D and G be too low up around the 1-5 frets since the radius up there is 10 and more round?

Maybe I am overthinking this/

All the responses about imagining your fretboard to be a section of a cone are correct. In essence, the fretboard is a small surface section of a very large cone.

What your question here seems to indicate is that you aren't also thinking of the strings as being part of a cone too.

If the radius is 18" or 20" at the saddles, that doesn't mean it's gonna stay that way all the way to the nut. In fact, it won't because ideally the nut will be cut at a 10" radius. As a result, the changing radius of the strings will perfectly "echo" the changing radius of the fretboard along its entire length.

That's all in theory. In reality it doesn't have to be so precise. You're gonna be fine, even if all your measurements aren't NASA certified.

That actually sparked a curiosity. I thought I saw on the "Neck Dept Tour" video of the nut slots being CNC'd. Do all necks get a standard slot radius?