Fretboard Fall Away Explained
When a guitar string is struck above the soundhole, the string vibrates just like a soundwave, all the way up the string to the nut, losing energy as it goes. This means that the string’s vibrational pattern is the most pronounced near the soundhole, making a completely straight neck prone to buzz in the upper register of the fretboard.
The Illustration below shows a typical rotation pattern for a forcibly struck acoustic guitar string.
To compensate for the strings wide rotational pattern, fall away is milled into the end of the fretboard, or, accounted for when the instrument’s frets are leveled. The fall away keeps the frets out of the way of the string’s rotational pattern.
Once the proper amount of relief is added, the guitar will ring out clearly all the way up and down the fretboard, given the proper setup. When sighting the neck from the headstock, the fall away may look like there is a hump at the tongue of the fretboard. This is perfectly normal and the perceived hump (fall away) actually reduces the chance of fret buzz.
Helpful Links
How To Setup Your Electric Guitar Part 1: Adjusting the Truss Rod
How To Setup Your Electric Guitar Part 2: Setting Action
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