standard or conical radius on bass ???

[nick-p]

hi folks, first entry for me, be gentle !!.. nearly finished my bolt on jazz bass neck. given it a 10 inch radius the whole length, not happy with my results using a radius block so i made myself a router jig to do an accurate job [ router runs on parallel rails ].. now here is my problem..
do i need to make a conical shape or is it ok to just go to a 10 inch radius the whole length without compensating for the nut end being an inch narrower than the heel end ?..once i fret the board, wouldn't  the strings choke or frets buzz when string bending ? [ especially on the outer [ E and G ]  strings ??..  anyone know how fender do it on jazz bass necks ??... nick

[Donald A. Fortune]

Seems like a 10 inch radious is a bit much, I make mine with a 16, 20, or flat.
just my 2 cents--
Peace, Donald

[nick-p]

hi donald, do you go "cone" profile or simply the same radius for the entire length ?..

[Donald A. Fortune]

Hi Nick- I use the same radious for the entire length of the board- hope this helps you out.
Peace, Donald

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

Usually they are made with the same radius all neck long, but a conical shape often leads to better results. Try whatever you want, it's highly probable that if it's your first neck (is it?), it won't make of it a good one or a bad one : there are much more important steps that require more attention.

[nick-p]

hi there donald and pierre, your words of wisdom greatly appreciated. thanks.
not my first neck pierre but certainly my first radiused board. previously only dealt with through-neck bass with flat fingerboard. i just borrowed a mexican fretless jazz neck and have noted that the radius appears to be either 9.5" or 10". it has not been shaped in a conical way either.... same radius all the way along [ made obvious by the way the board is actually thicker at the nut end ] . nick

[Pierre-Antoine Roiron]

OK, you're an experienced one!
To me the radius is one of the parameters you decide when building or customizing a neck. It depends on the playing, the likes of the player in terms of ergonomics and the thickness available for the fingerboard. The vintage way is a 9.5" constant radius, the modern way is a compound radius of a more or less conical shape. But you can make it flat if you like.
On a bass guitar, most of the time string bending is rare for most of the players and is not a matter of concern for the radius' choice. Moreover, string height is big enough that string interference with the a cylindrical fingerboard's generatrix is not likely to occur, whereas on a guitar it is a real pain.