Smith Bass Fingerboard Radius

[Brian Hewett]

I'm curious about how the fingerboard radius is created on a Smith bass. Is it done by hand or has a special machine been setup to create the radius? Has the method changed over time?

Thanks in advance for your time!

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Brian Hewett

I'm curious about how the fingerboard radius is created on a Smith bass. Is it done by hand or has a special machine been setup to create the radius? Has the method changed over time?

Thanks in advance for your time!

We have custom made radius cutters for our Shaper and handmade vacuum jigs to hold the boards as they are shaped. After they are glued on the neck they get re-sanded by hand with radius blocks to true up any movement that occurs in the week or two (or more) between the machining and gluing of the parts and the final carving work in which the fingerboard is done last just before the final sanding and fretting.