Excellent explanation!

0:38 wow guys, Chris shaved his beard just to ask for our support and THEN grew it back to finish the video! that shows dedication... give this man a like and buy something from his shop! seriously though, I love this channel, its awesome :)

@geoffedwards189

8 ай бұрын

Observant! 🤣😂🤣

Hey Chris, I was wondering if you'd thought about potentially doing a luthier quick tip video on how to measure/determine neck angle when making a set neck guitar from scratch.

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/X5iXtcGkYbPWctY.htmlsi=zvzhO_TwyH1GXDer

All good observations and advice. 👍When I purchased my first electric guitar, a Strat, I didn't know much about fretboard radius. Over time, I come to appreciate several interrelated factors that I didn't appreciate at the time: Round wound vs Flat wound strings; Wound vs Plain 3rd string; Pole piece heights are typically radiused to be compatible with the Fretboard Radius; if the fretboard is significantly re-radiused (typically flattened), the middle strings are going to be farther away from non-adjustable Pole pieces, and the will decrease their volume and may affect the tone as well.

Well said. Technique is the main determining factor. I have a couple of guitars that sound mediocre at best in my hands. But they sound magnificent in the hands of a good player.

I've been building electrics from kits for about 4 years now, and I used to think that the electronics do it all, with help from wood selection. I gave no thought to fret radius or string height outside of playability. But it does make sense that the radius also contributes to the overall tonal output of the sound on a solid body. Great video and thanks for the great info!! BTW, after 4 years, I out wood selection and electronics selection on an equal stand, and in so doing, have heard a notable improvement in my builds!!

Thanks!

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

Amd thank you, Bob. I hope my videos will continue to inform and inspire.

I totally agree, player technique is the most important.

Hi Chris... So the i sound like me is a fact! its very simple.. touch is a huge aspect in tone, i personaly like a 20" as i can get a super low action , but that doesnt stop me playing SRV and realy giving it some welly.. EVH,, would still sound like evh on my 20" neck,, a good pickup may help? but attitude and attack will give you more than any pickup ever will. A Motogp bike will stay in the pits without a rider.. if you get what im saying.. I think the art of using a guitar and its controls, simply pass some players.. roll the Vol off, play light.. use the room.. feel the touch.. if you get me Love your channel.. im on there every lunch time picking ups tips

This is an interesting concept and a lot comes to mind. As someone just starting to build guitars I often mimic the specs of well know mfgs like PRS… So if they a 12” radius there must be a reason and that must be what people want? But I should really be thinking of what kind of music/style is this guitar intended for a jazz master, shredder… The other thing that comes to mind is if you are just learning to play based on your favorite musician and don’t a have style of your own then there may actually reason to buy a guitar with the same specs to get you one step closer to achieving that “same” tone. Good video as always, thanks.

When string action is too low for the particular guitar, the strings are unable to vibrate with full amplitude, so they loose the lower frequencies. However, increaing action affects the playability the bad way. The bigger fretboard radius and compound radius fretboards being combined with the proper bridge radius allow to set the strings lower to the frets without having too much string buzz and losing the lower frequencies.

I think string height has an effect on your tone. On how strong you can strum, sustain and definition. I personally don't like high action but I always think of what would SteveRay say 😂😂. I'm sure that if you gave him a shredder Jem with 011's and low action he wouldn't be happy and his tone wouldn't be the same (plugged or not) 😅 Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us 🍻🍻

high action on the treble strings gets the fretted strings much closer to the pickups than the other open strings. when you play a note it drowns out unwanted noise! especially if you get the pickup height set a bit low. yngwie malmsteen secret

Technique is key. Cables. Can you do a video on that? Would love to learn your thoughts.

@timwrigley54

8 ай бұрын

I'd like to see the cables one too. Apart from the cheapest rubbish that sometimes gets included with a pedal or some such I've never noticed a difference. I've never liked or understood coiled cables vs a straight one. Maybe I'll missing out. I have a few audiophile friends who claim such things make a massive difference but seem to struggle when blind testing or refuse to do it. I know I don't have great ears so interested to hear others views

It's pretty much true. I love a flat fretboard. When I get a 14" radius style guitar, I can move a lot faster. I get used guitars quite often, and occasionally they have have high frets. That definitely contributes to the tone. The strings are dead is some areas. I picked up a StewMac fret kisser that let's me tackle any gnarly frets.

String height on bass is so critical.

Learned alot from ya, thanks. Off subject but, as far as winding coils, do you have any tricks for setting up my wire to keep from breaking? No matter how i rig it, eventually it breaks, driving me farther into insanity, haha. Thanks

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

Without knowing your set up or technique, I can't off any suggestions.

Is better to have top body wood on electric guitar or top neck wood...for quality of tone sustain harmonic structure

What would your thoughts on matching your pole radius with the string radius with equal distance from the low E and high E on the bridge pickup be?

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

My only thought is that it all depends on what you hope to achieve.

So, a 10" radius should allow for a lower action potential than a 9.5" radius. Although it might be a minuscule difference. And would smaller or thinner frets also allow for lower action potentials?

@HighlineGuitars

5 ай бұрын

You can achieve low action with any radius and any size of fret wire. How well it will work depends on how well the set up is done and the playing style of the guitarist.

Hi Chris. Was you that said in one of your videos that there is no ideal string height and in order to maximise sustain the string height should be as high as the player finds it comfortable?

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

I've made so many videos, I don't remember.

@nunocarmona

8 ай бұрын

@@HighlineGuitars 👍. But do you agree with this approach?

@geoffedwards189

8 ай бұрын

I know you were asking Chris this not me, but I am in my 60's and played on and off all my life. In my younger days it was all about low string "action" and getting them as low as you could. The older I get, the higher my strings get. I can't quantify how much it affects tone and sustain, but I do know that sometimes it just "feels" better lifting the strings a bit. Too low and your big bends on E and B will fret out of course, especially on a tightly curved fretboard, or your fingers will slip over the top of the string. Too high and your fingers can slip underneath. So giving my opinion that you didn't ask for ..lol.. I agree 100% with the approach you describe! BTW, I haven't played on stage since my teens, so make of this what you will! Best wishes. 😊 EDIT: I am talking about electric, Acoustic I still like my strings as low as possible without them buzzing when I play below the 12th fret. Any higher than that I don't really care.

I found the fretboard radius that's the easiest for me to play and just pretend it has better tone

@geoffedwards189

8 ай бұрын

At last, someone who admits it! Like the pedals we have that are the prettiest. They sound the best right? Or the ones we paid the most for. Or any guitar that has Gibson or Fender on the headstock. Damn they sound good! ..lol.. You made me laugh out loud when I read your post. Soooo true! Best wishes

Can you just cut the fret slots directly into the neck and not use traditional fret board?

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

Sure.

Love your videos, but your theme music is too loud.

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

It's what You Tube recommends and they supplied the music, so...

@picksalot1

8 ай бұрын

@@HighlineGuitars It's significantly louder than your video narration, so I mute it at the beginning and end of your videos. I don't notice that big a difference on other KZread videos.

@y007p3

8 ай бұрын

@@picksalot1that’s weird because it’s the precise opposite on my phone

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

@@picksalot1 No it isn't the decible reading of the music is slightly lower than the narration.

@grahamturner9021

8 ай бұрын

@picksalot1 -- I normally do the same thing. I got caught sleeping this time, and almost jumped out of my chair. :)

I get confused when people talk about large and small radius. People use it differently. Correctly speaking, a 7" radius is smaller than a 12". However it is more severe, more pronounced, which makes some people say it is larger. Just another thing for us guitar players to think about. Lucky drum skins are all flat! 🤣😂🤣 Just kidding you guys!

Fretboard radius has absolutely nothing to do with tone. In fact, small radiuses make the guitar more difficult to play... Causing the left and right hand to do extra gymnastics to navigate. In my 50 years of playing guitar, I've never met anyone that can tell the difference between a 7", 9", 12" or 15" radius neck, weather by feel or tone. Not sure why electric guitars were built with a radius, but they should all be flat just like classical guitars. Action, up to a certain point can affect tone, but should be set as low as possible. Flat radius and low action will give you the best possible playing conditions, and therefore the best tone. 😊

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

Your comment doesn't make any sense. You said fretboard radius has nothing to do with tone, then your last sentence says it does.

@mikebozik

8 ай бұрын

​@@HighlineGuitars Actually, I said no radius... flat.

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

@@mikebozik but that still means it affects tone!!!

@mikebozik

8 ай бұрын

Well if you consider flat to be a radius, I guess mathematically it is an infinite radius, then yes. To me flat means no radius. I see it as a binary decision, one or zero, flat or radius.

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

@@mikebozik why did you write “flat radius?”