Playing fast and fingerboard radius

[cool9]

Was wondering if very fast playing/picking is easier on flatter fingerboard vs. slightly rounded fingerboard. My action (Mighty Mite neck) is set up for a slightly curved fingerboard (9.5"-11") and I find if I try playing fast across the strings (ie. from 4th to 1st stings) I need to slightly adjust the height of my picking hand and I end up missing some notes. I notice that lots of fast players (Andy James, Jeff Loomis, Petrucci, Vai, George Lynch, etc.) prefer a flatter fingerboard (13"-16"). I know Satriani prefers a 9.8" radius but he utilizes a little more legato than thrash players do.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Do you mean that your fretboard has a compound or conical radius that progresses from 9.5"r to 11"r? Or, are you saying that the fretboard's radius is somewhere between 9.5" and 11"? Usually, most fretboards are one r measurement from one end to the other, though compound and conical radius fretboards do exist- and can be quite excellent!

 

ANYWAY, in general, many players do find flatter (larger) radius fretboards to be better for faster lead playing, with more uniformity across the fretbaord from string to string. And there's less likelihood of bent-notes buzzing against upper-frets or "fretting-out" than on curvier, rounder, smaller radius fretboards.

 

Warmoth's 10"r to 16"r compound-radius fretboards are an excellent all-around solution, too good to be called a "compromise"; easy chording in the lower registers, great fleet-fingered feel in the middle and higher positions, and easy bending without string-buzz against the frets.

[Guitarzan]

I will still occasionaly miss notes on those high strings, but it doesn't seem to any specific radius that is the problem for me. I suspect my hand position to be the problem. Lately I have been using a Dava metal tipped pick which I have been allowing more tip to extend out past my finger tips . I also hve been paying attention to not holding my hand so static on the bridge allowing my picking hand to have a better pivotpoint for each string I attack and not just the low notes.

Basically I allow my hand to float a little more and get away from my palm muting position.

It has been working pretty good.

I personally have had so many different guitars and there are some that are easier to play on in regards to radius and setup. But I have been able to be more accurate by adjusting me.

 

[harvey]

I think I read that Petrucci's latest signature MM has a 20 inch radius!

 

I'm not fast, but I do love my warmoth compound radius neck on my frankenstrat...(I'm sure I've mentioned this before )

 

 

[russclan]

My G & L and Gibson are both 12, and my Wolfgang Special is compound, 12 - 16. There isn't anything that I can't play on any of the three compared to the other two, but the Wolfgang is the easiest of the three to play...but that may have more to do with its overall length being a bit shorter. But, I can see where it might be a little harder to pick fast on a rounder fretboard, where the strings match the curvature. Since alternate picking is largely up and down in a straight line, with more curve to the strings you have to add a bit more "in and out" to the up and down motion.