Some binding / rosette questions

[tippie53]

no that all sands up and cleans up

[Coach]

I have 35' radius on my top braces. I'm wondering if I should bother to radius the upper traverse brace. Does the radius strenghten that area? I think it complicated the fretboard fit on my previous builds.

[B. Howard]

I have 35' radius on my top braces. I'm wondering if I should bother to radius the upper traverse brace. Does the radius strenghten that area? I think it complicated the fretboard fit on my previous builds.

I radius mine. I do think it strengthens the upper bout. It also helps me with my neck set angle by pitching the fret board extension at about the proper angle.

[Coach]

Hey guys. I've sanded a 16' radius on my fretboard. There so little curvature on there as compared to my factory guitars, I'm wondering if i understand this wrong. It's almost flat, hardly noticable.

I presume the 16' radius should be equivalet to a circle 16' in diameter rather than the 16' radius of a circle (which is a 32' diameter circle).

[johnnparchem]

Hey guys. I've sanded a 16' radius on my fretboard. There so little curvature on there as compared to my factory guitars, I'm wondering if i understand this wrong. It's almost flat, hardly noticable.

I presume the 16' radius should be equivalet to a circle 16' in diameter rather than the 16' radius of a circle (which is a 32' diameter circle).

16 inches is what you probably wanted and is in the typical range of fingerboard radii.

[Coach]

Well well. That my aha moment for the year.

[rienk]

... presume the 16' radius should be equivalet to a circle 16' in diameter rather than the 16' radius of a circle (which is a 32' diameter circle).

Uhmmm.... doesn't 16" Radius mean exactly that? not 16" diameter, or 32" radius...

[Coach]

Any of you guys use EIR bridge plates? I have a piece 2.4mm thick. What affect on the tone does it have? Pros and cons vs maple?

[Darryl Young]

What wood to use for bridge plate material is an interesting discussion and I don't think there is broad agreement (only my opinion). I think you want a material on the hard side so it's more difficult for the string ball to indent/damage (I've seen the end of the string above the wrap imbedded in the bridge plate instead of the ball tight against the bridge plate). Once you have something hard, how much stiffness it adds to the top is a function of how thick you leave it and the footprint of the bridge plate so it's not just a property of the material.

Another property you probably want is wood that isn't prone to splitting.

Some folks think that low dampening is important......but maple is not low dampening.

On Martins, many prefer the sound of maple bridge plates.......but is that because the top is already on the stiff side and the rosewood adds more stiffness and the maple less? Also, some rosewood plates were very large so stiffened a large area of the top. I would guess most think rosewoods add more "brightness". Some folks think that on a large guitar (like a dreadnaught) which tend to be bass dominated (and can be boomy sounding), adding a rosewood plate helps balance the sound or at least adds complexity and interest to the sound. On smaller bodies they may use a maple plate. So I'm usure there is a consensus when it comes to wood selection for a bridgeplate.

With that said, hard maple is traditional and probably a safe choice. If you go with a rosewood, you might want something harder the EIR (though EIR is likely as hard/harder than maple I'm guessing) or with less dampening (depending on why you've chosen EIR).

IIRC, Al Carruth uses persimmon bridge plates. I think he focuses more on a material that is hard and doesn't split.......and the weight and stiffness the combination of bridge and bridge plate add to the top (my perception).

[Coach]

Thanks Darryl. I also have walnut. Not sure if it's harder / softer than the maple I have. My top dimensions are .100 inch thick, .260 inch slightly scalloped braces. It's a EIR sitka dread.