Guitar radius gauges for measuring fingerboard and nutsaddle radius. Just click on the icons, download the files and print them on your 3d printer. Buy stewmac understring radius gauge tool, set of 9, standard width for guitar setup, stainless steel. Typically when examining a bass guitar, the fretboard radius will be narrower towards the nut of the guitar and wider towards the front pickup at the botton of the neck.
Tags stl radius guitar wedge guitar neck radius gauge. I wish i had these tools years ago, it would had made choosing guitar necks much easier. A heavier gauge of string will put more pressure on the neck of the guitar while a lighter gauge will put less stress on the neck. Sure the aesthetics are what may first catch ones eye, but in our experience it is the feel that gives a player that got to have it syndrome. Free radius gauges and their many uses haze guitars. Text guitar, tool, wedge, gauge, radius, violin maker, lutherie. Standard tension and high tension rubber fretpads are included with every capo. Fretboard radius explained weve found over the years that feel is what really draws a player to a certain guitar. Guitar understring radius gauges by printbit thingiverse. Set of 9 luthier tools understring radius gauge for guitar and bass setup ntec. Luckily, you can download, print and cut out a free neck radius gauge. At times we need to know the radius of our guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i have made a couple. Available as a pdf, png or svg template for editing.
All kinds of electric guitar, electric bass, acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, electric box guitar fretboard measured in radians, and radians to adjust. Actually, the correct terminology would be either fretboard or fingerboard radius and the actual neck shape and size should be called neck profile. At times we need to know the radius of our guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i have made a couple before and they are easy and acurate. Its used for bridge types that adjusts every string independently like fender strat tremolos. The fingerboard radius is the measure of the arc of the fingerboard across its width. Intonation should be checked every time you change strings. String radius from the top or bottom of strings haze guitars. A good way to visualize this is to imagine that the arc of your fretboard is part of a large circle as shown below. For use on bolt on neck angles and in acoustic guitar saddle slots and nut slots on all guitars. Download, trace them onto a sheet of plastic and youll have all the radii. If you do any guitar work, you need a set to measure the fingerboard radius and set the radius of the. Free radius gauges sign up for a completely free set of printable radius gauges. Tremolo stopperstabilizer fenderfloyd rose style bridges. What does the term neck radius mean, relative to my guitar.
Check in a few different positions along the neck to make sure your neck is the same radius or that it compoundschanges radius consistently. This is a tool used for evening the string heights with the curve radius of your fretboard. Tools for measuring your fretboard radius pic heavy. The radius of your bridge saddles should be slightly flatter than the radius of the neck. Very easy to use for setting correct action on guitar saddles and to find out the gauge of the guitar neck,would recommend this product and seller thankyou.
I used the stew mac understring radius gauge to adjust the string height on. These precision cut shims are very handy and make repairs and setups quick and easy. Download the free printable radius gauge for guitar necks. I show you how i go about adjusting a stratocaster style guitar bridge with a drill bit feeler gauge and a free radius gauge template. Free guitar neck radius gauge answered at times we need to know the radius of our guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i have made a couple before and they are easy and acurate. Your search for guitar fret radius gauge 1,919 printable 3d models.
If you change the gauge of strings that you use this can have an adverse effect on your intonation. Easy steps for electric guitar neck measurements for nut width, neck. Tele elites were offered with a 12 radius in 1983 and american standards have always been made with 9. Tools for measuring your fretboard radius pic heavy i wanted to measure some fretboard radii on my guitars and here is what i used.
I used the stew mac understring radius gauge to adjust the string height on my fender am. Select the neck pickup if available, and roll the tone all the way off. Dreamtop set mit 9 untersaiten radius gauge luthier werkzeug fur. Hi folks, at times we need to know the radius of or guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i have made a couple before and they are easy and acurate. How to adjust a guitar bridge with diy radius gauges. I didnt have the need for a set of metal radius gauges and for quickie onetime use i made these accurate templates. If the octave is sharp, adjust the saddle away from the neck. Typically, the larger the number measuring the fretboard face, the wider the radius. Gfs guitar necks and bodies for stratocasters and telecasters.
If you are unsure of the shape, look at the neck back contours drawings on the usa custom guitars site. Conversely, the smaller the number, the smaller the radius. Thing details thing files apps comments makes collections remixes. Another thing you can do with it is to do the gauge radius and make the whole thing about 14 wide follow same radius on bottom edgeto use as a guide to use as an understring radius gauge for setting bridge radius. After first i used the 14 which was the wrong one but i figured out later i should use the 9.
If you look closely at the neck of you guitar, youll notice a slight arch between the high and low e strings. Shaping a guitar neck with files and scrapers duration. Eyeballing this subtle change is next to impossible. Put your nose up against the very bottom of the body, by the bridge, and look down the strings towards the nut. The neck radius may explain why you like it so much. Use the request total from seller link if you think the shipping cost is incorrectly calculated. If youre still in two minds about fretboard radius gauge and are thinking about choosing a similar product, aliexpress is a great place to compare prices and sellers. Radius gauges usually come in a set so if youre not sure which one to use, try a few and pick the one that best matches the arc of your fretboard. The adjustment for this lies with the truss rod, which leads us to the. These come in the most popular guitar fingerboard radii and make it easy to measure the fingerboard, nut, saddle, and fretwire radius. I was looking to buy a cheap set but these are free and should do the trick. Well help you to work out whether its worth paying extra for a highend version or whether youre getting just as good a. Find the radius gauge that matches the arc or radius of your neck.
Oct 27, 2010 neck radius fender custom shop fender duration. April 8, 2014 if you do any guitar work, you need a set to measure the fingerboard radius and set the radius of the bridge. If youre going to be doing this regularly, it might be worth buying a good set but my free, downloadable, radius gauges will definitely do the trick for a while. Guitars commonly have a compound radius, meaning the curvature changes from the nut to the end of the fingerboard. Setting action using a radius gauge under the strings. Neck check guitar repair tools, luthier tools supplies. To achieve a perfect fit, the thalia capo comes with multiple interchangable fretpads so that you can match the fretboard radius of your specific instrument. Pros and cons of 12 neck radius fender stratocaster. How to adjust a guitar bridge with diy radius gauges youtube. Metric string action gauge pdf download conwayligh. Set of 2 radius gauges for luthier measuring neck fret radius high quality. I was trying to do this adjustment by feel and eye, and lets just say i needed these gauges. Method 3 aligns the tops of the strings to the fingerboard radius. The contour is the basic shape of the back of the neck, such as a c, u, soft v, etc.
Print them, cut them out, and youve got one of the handiest tools in your guitar or bass setup toolkit. Combined shipping we do combine orders to lower shipping costs for our customers. Click here if you are unsure of your guitar s radius. The specs on guitar center and musicians friend for the epiphone les paul standard just say slimtapered neck profile, so im guessing its sort of like a thin vshaped neck. Just paste them to a piece of card a cereal box works fine and cut them out.
Free guitar neck radius gauge hi folks, at times we need to know the radius of or guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i have made a couple before and they are easy and acurate. Before we start, you can download a printable set of radius gauges for freesies if you like. Guitar neck notched straight edge luthier tools kit understring radius gauge set. I had a need to check a fretboard radius after removing the strings. Find great deals on ebay for radius gauges and radius gauge set. Obtain accurate measurements of your instruments fretboard radius using the bottom radius of the gauge. Basically, by offering a guitar with two humbuckers, a flatter radius and probably even a standard dark brown walnut finish, fender was hoping to attract some les paul players. Use them to measure fret board radius, saddle radius nut radius accurately and check your work as you smooth or shape a fingerboard or frets. The measure of the curvature of the top of the fretboard from edge to edge is often incorrectly referred to as the neck radius. Guitar radius gauges how to use with free download slideshare.
Neck radius gauge instructions 1 print out on a card stock check the 1 block for accuracy. I grew up playing very flat radius guitars like gibsons, gretsches, danosilvertones, epiphones and the like. Tools free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Jul 23, 2012 the contour is the basic shape of the back of the neck, such as a c, u, soft v, etc. Remove or loosen the strings and use your radius gauge on the fingerboard. I thought itd be useful to go into a bit more detail about that particular job and to look at some of the other ways a radius gauge can be not just.
Also use them for profiling an acoustic bridge saddle and setting the string heights on an electric guitar bridge. If you want to buy cheap luthier tools, choose luthier tools from. The bottom radius can also be used to set pickup polepiece height to the string radius. Radius gauges usually come in a set so if youre not sure which one to use. You dont have to look too closely at most electric guitar and bass fingerboards to see that few if any of them are truly flat. This can change the natural bow of the neck causing a change in string length. Press down with normal playing pressure at the 12th fret octave. Radius gauges for a beginner learning to do setups the. Radius gauges for a beginner learning to do setups discussion in guitars in general started by rabbuhl, jan 14, 2011. Guitar radius gauges for measuring fingerboard and nutsaddle. Click here if you are unsure of your guitars radius.
Use the top radius of this gauge to determine the proper height adjustment for the bridge saddles. Download either the postscript or pdf version of this paper and print it. Pros and cons of 12 neck radius fender stratocaster guitar. If the intonation is off, the guitar will likely be more and more out of tune as you progress up the neck, or it may not tune well. Radius gauges for a beginner learning to do setups the gear. These gauges helped me 1 figure out the radius on my guitar, and 2 set the correct radius so that i could get the action low without buzz and choking out notes while bending.
Guitar radius gauges quickly find the curvature of a fingerboard or bridge with the set of radius gauges. Free printable radius gauges the acoustic guitar forum. Intonation is critical to your guitars ability to play, and stay, in tune. Guitar radius gauges for measuring fingerboard and nut. The following table lists common fretboard radii used by major manufacturer. It endeavors to provide the products that you want, offering the best bang for your buck. A simple tool to help you get your guitar playing its best.
Made with ash, poplar, and paulownia and in many different finishes including sunburst, butterscotch, vintage cream, gloss black, white, mint green, surf green, red and amber. Guitar radius gauges how to use with free download. If you do any guitar work, you need a set to measure the fingerboard radius and set the radius of the bridge. You will need a special gauge to determine the guitar neck radius the curve of the fingerboard. A set of radius gauges should form part of the toolkit of anyone doing any sort of guitar setup. Sign up for a completely free set of printable radius gauges. Simple and easy tool to check your guitar neck radius. The fingerboard radius is the measure of that curvature. Mar 26, 2018 2 laminate optional, but highly recommended wg1 hilo welding gage measures internal alignment free guitar neck radius gauge.