Fretboard radius opinion on Agile 7s and 8s?

[kslight]

How do you guys like the radius of the Agile 7s and 8s? To me 15" seems a bit excessive on a longer scale guitar, like it would be quite difficult for chording with small hands...does anyone else feel this way? I have never played an Agile 7 or 8 so this is just speculation, and I realize I could order custom to get a different radius (which I am ordering a custom 7, but not by the same definition as a "regular" 7 string, more of a bass VI style guitar with an extra high string)...just wanted to know how existing owners felt about it.

On my Agile Argus (30" scale bass VI style 6 string) I find the 13.7" radius less comfortable to play chords with near the first fret, using 25-95s for standard E-E (octave down) bass VI tuning. My Schecter Hellcat VI (approximately same configuration) uses a 12" radius and it is definitely more comfortable, but still not as easy as I'd like...a "real" Fender Bass VI uses a 7.25" radius which I think would be too curvy, so I'm thinking about my custom 7 with a 10" radius.

Any thoughts?

 

[Hollowway]

Personally, I think the radius is great. I think a 10" would be very difficult to deal with because of the action requirements. At least for me. That being said, I don't do a lot of "full" chords. usually just 2-4 string pieces. If you do order custom, I'd look into a progressive radius, like Jackson style, and do 10-16 or something along those lines.

 

[vansinn]

Haven't played an Agile yet. I'd want a compound 16"-to-flat board, and if not possible, an 18" radius.
To me, a radiused board is purely for making barre's a wee Bit easier.
As a shredder, a fully flat board is my preferred for low-action solo works and especially for doing deep bends without strings freting out.

 

[Hollowway]

Haven't played an Agile yet. I'd want a compound 16"-to-flat board, and if not possible, an 18" radius.
To me, a radiused board is purely for making barre's a wee Bit easier.
As a shredder, a fully flat board is my preferred for low-action solo works and especially for doing deep bends without strings freting out.

Yeah, me too. I'd prefer a flat radius, as I (personally) don't find a radiused FB much easier to fret on than a flat one, but WAY harder to shred on. What's curious is how few alternatives we, who want flat FBs, have. Esp since it's easier to make them!

 

[vansinn]

Well, WRT flat boards, lemme put it this way: things like sweeps are really easy on my Samick semi-classic cutaway, setup with with superhigh tension low-action nylon/composites, even though it's a pretty cheapo thing.
Barre's aren't so easy on the flat board, but this has to be partly disregarded due to more width and hence larger perpendicular distance to cover for one lousy finger, plus the very different action/feel than that of an electric.

My main 6'er has ~16" radius, and is nicely easy for playing most anything.
Even though it's a modest 16", a flat or compound radius would allow even lower action without fretting out.

 

[Sponge]

On the Rondo site the 13.7 radius is mentioned as an advantage for fast play. I don't have mitt sized hands and Kurt recommended 13.7 in emails. It is very comfortable on the Intrepid and going with the 13.7 radius again.

 

[kslight]

On the Rondo site the 13.7 radius is mentioned as an advantage for fast play. I don't have mitt sized hands and Kurt recommended 13.7 in emails. It is very comfortable on the Intrepid and going with the 13.7 radius again.

I agree that a 13.7" radius might be better for "fast play" and fine on a 25.5" or 24.75" scale (for my feel) but I find it tough on a 30" scale with bass strings, because to me the advantage of a bass VI style instrument is not soloing or super fast leads (yeah you can do it but if that's what you play there are many better options out there) but for chords (versus trying to play chords on a regular bass).

But as I asked about 7 and 8 strings...do you find chords tough to play towards the first fret? I guess I'm just trying to imagine how my hands would approach this style of instrument...it's not like I can try an Agile 8 string in a store.

 

[Sponge]

I agree that a 13.7" radius might be better for "fast play" and fine on a 25.5" or 24.75" scale (for my feel) but I find it tough on a 30" scale with bass strings, because to me the advantage of a bass VI style instrument is not soloing or super fast leads (yeah you can do it but if that's what you play there are many better options out there) but for chords (versus trying to play chords on a regular bass).

But as I asked about 7 and 8 strings...do you find chords tough to play towards the first fret? I guess I'm just trying to imagine how my hands would approach this style of instrument...it's not like I can try an Agile 8 string in a store.

I'm experimenting with an open tuning and the barre chords are not a problem., however, getting used to frets in different positions made me clumsy at first... baby steps before running. Might be different for someone with very large mitt-like hands?

As a lefty, I don't get to try out much either, but so far so good, no
complaints with Agile. Hope this helps.