I love that attention to detail as far as mailing the necks

Thin D all day long, my hands are small, and I have a large palm to short finger ratio so having a think neck like a Wizard is my go to, I like the more pronounced edges of a D or U rather than a c as it helps to position my thumb is a more natural position

My favorite neck profile has always been the typical Charvel/Jackson neck, which I suppose could best be described closer to a 'D' than a 'C'. Other key Specs are a 14"-16" Compound Radius Neck, 1 11/16ths Nut, .775 at the 1st Fret, .880 at the 12th Fret. This provides a "Fast, Thin" Neck, where the spine of the neck becomes flatter on the higher frets where you do most of your big guitar solos, and a bit more rounded down where you would be doing larger (greater number of strings being fretted) chord shapes. Also, the width of the fretboard plays a HUGE role in how any neck shape feels in the hand. Many players attribute a 'baseball bat' neck feel to the rounder neck profiles - where the shoulder is quite apparent before it begins to taper in - when in many cases what is creating the chunky feel is actually the width of the fretboard. When comparing any Letter Shape Neck Profile, be sure you are talking Apples to Apples, and not, Apples to Oranges, by measuring your Nut, 1st fret, and 12th fret width dimensions, in addition to the profile letter shape.

Another super informative video!

Most comfortable neck I’ve ever held is on my 1970s Kay. The centre thickness is an inch, but rather than an equal curvature, from about the 9th fret down to the nut, it is a hybrid soft V. And opposite to most hybrid Vs, it has the shoulder shaved down on the top side (low E side) rather than the bottom side. The edges are also nicely rolled. Until I actually measured the neck, I always assumed it was somewhat medium/smallish, but that 1 inch thickness technically puts it in “baseball bat thickness” territory, although you’d never know it by feeling it.

slightly asymmetrical -c for sure after looking at your diagram, of which my guitars fit my exact ergonomics and handling, good video

As a player, I prefer an "asymmetrical C" shape. I arrived at this conclusion by many years of playing and discovering that the treble side of necks consistently felt too thick and any type of "corner" felt particularly uncomfortable to me. After hearing that EVH used an asymmetrical neck, and may have pioneered the design, I decided to mod my Strat neck. I liked the results, and also modded a Classical guitar with similar good results. I've since read that SRV used an asymmetrical neck, but I don't know for how long. I think neck shape preferences are highly subjective and are as individual as our hands. Still, many electric guitarists seem to like thinner necks, and satin finishes for speed, and it's easy to understand how "corners" anywhere could present problems depending on playing style.

@ErikZmusic

Жыл бұрын

This 100%. After 25+ years of playing I started to find I found thin necks uncomfortable since my hand needed something to anchor on to, but then thick necks almost had too much meat. Then I got an EVH Wolfgang with an asymmetrical neck and it simply fit my hand perfectly. Just enough meat in the low strings to allow my hand to anchor, and thin enough on the other side to to make fretting effortless. It's almost contoured to your hand. I just ordered a replacement neck for my tele with the same asymmetrical neck, and again... it was like a glove. Just fit perfectly. I don't think I can ever go back.

I love my Soft V necks, also like traditional, 70's Fender C

I like the “Standard Thin” neck profile of a Warmoth neck. Also like their compound radius fingerboard.

When I was just 14/ 15 years old & only starting out on my Journey ( aged 67 years now ) of playing Guitar I was lucky enough to be dating a Girl who's Father was a Jazz Piano / organ player & she secretly loaned me an old Guitar that had belonged to a friend of his & he " Never played wouldn't miss it " .. I did not know then what a thing of Beauty it was V neck ( no truss rod ) an ebony fretboard with a moveable bridge ( which had left a mark on the lovely tobacco & Black vaulted finish ) & an adjustable tailpiece. It was made in Kalamazoo by a firm C.S.I .. & was one of the nicest guitar's I have ever played .. Back then I had no idea of just how precious it was I just loved it . Sadly the girl ( who looked like the 60's Biba Poster ) & her father did not stay in Town for long & I had to return the Guitar & At the time I was really not sure which I missed the most .. Lol .. But as my Final answer I would have to say that the Radius & width of the neck is more important to me .. Different tool's for different Job's .. Jimmy Page's Telecaster would be my preference for most things & My Epiphone Casino or my Gibson D.C. re-issue the Les Paul Junior as it was called back in the Selmer Day's .. I love Big Strat's for Slide & My G series Takamine was my perfect Acoustic ( B4 I let an inexperienced wannabe Luthier at it ) But the Biggest Mistake I ever made was Trading in my Ibanez Musician prototype .. which had a Zero fret & 24 fret neck plus it was a Bolt on neck & was a one off .. I guess the neck would have been a Slim C shape .. But Oh how you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone .. At the time I longed for a Strat' Silly Boy oh well ... Anyway I have around 20 or more guitar's at this time & I use a lot for different Tuning's & Slide etc .. I have done some work on some of the cheaper one's over the last few years which has given me a profound respect for the true Master Luthier's & I also have realised the limit's of my skill's / aptitude ? . Most of my guitars are just cheap 2nd hand Pawn shop & I do hope to be able to find another Gr8 Guitar to play in my Autumn / Winter year's .. .. I love the film's you make & hope to be doing Bizness with you soon .. Cheer's .. From an old Scot's / Irish Muso living in the Backwoods of Rural Englande .. No reply needed .

@HighlineGuitars

Жыл бұрын

"No reply needed," but you're going to get one. What an awesome story. I started out building guitars in an effort to make the perfect instrument. However, your comment shows why this is an unrealistic goal. Perfection differs from one player to another and that is a good thing. These days, I realize players will either bond with an instrument, like you did with that C.S.I. V neck, or they won't. No big deal. Maybe that's why there are so many guitars in pawn shops or being traded every day. It's part of the process of searching for that perfect instrument. I firmly believe there's a guitar for every player and a player for every guitar. Thanks, and cheers!

I've always loved the Fender "Modern-C" shaped necks; in the last 10 years I haven't found a neck shape that suits me better as it is so versatile and comfortable. I can comfortably play jazz, funk, pop, blues and country literally all day. I used to prefer a thin "D" shaped neck for metal shredding (think Ibanez S). The old school fender "C" is way too much neck for me. Thanks for all your content -- this channel is totally invaluable!

@TheHumbuckerboy

Жыл бұрын

Over the last few days I have been visiting the Fender Mod Shop where there are a variety of necks to choose from. One option is a Modern C neck with a large headstock but I am wondering if a Deep C neck would suit me better ? I am concerned that a modern C may be too thin .

I like a nice round C shape at the nut, then gradually into a thinner D shape. I find it makes grabbing chords below the 5th fret more comfortable & leads on the higher frets are easier to play than a normal C shape. I have an EBMM Axis & that has an asymmetric neck with the bottom of neck is shaved down. It was copied from a neck that EVH really liked. Surprisingly it’s very comfortable to play. Feels a little different but it’s still plays great & you get completely used to it fast. It also has a 1 5/8 width at the nut, which makes it feel thinner to me, but it still feels good to grab below the 5th fret.

I like something between a c and D. I enjoy playing just about everything, so a flatter C shape works well for my multi style of playing.

I was listening to an interview with James Santiago. He was describing his hunt for the perfect sunburst 50s strat. One came into Norm's one day and it was "the one". all the other 50s Stratocaster that he had tried out had something wrong with him that turned him off. This one however, he felt like he had to buy so he sold a bunch of things made his wife really mad, and as it turns out one of his favorite things about the guitar is the feeling of the 10/56 neck. As in a profile fender produced for a short time starting in October 1956. I have always played on it cheap Chinese Stratocaster with a really skinny neck so I just ordered a custom 10/56 profile from musikraft. I hope it ends up being a good investment.

The two profiles a like the most are big F’s boatneck and Eric Johnson profiles. Both are rather thick but feel much thinner than the measured thickness suggests. Boatneck is one inch thick soft V everywhere and EJ starts a soft V at the first frets but evolves pretty soon into big C. The key here is the shape of relatively thin shoulders and rounded fretboard edges. Those two factors make a thick neck feel comfortable and easy to play. I like how solid and stable those thick neck are. I also love the vintage Fender string spacing which puts the E strings pretty near to the fretboard edges. There is no that feeling os the fretboard edges blocking your access to the strings like some unnecessary broad fretboards have. To make it work you have to pay extra attention to the fret end shape and string alignment.

I'm definitely a "D" guy myself, for bass. More vertical surface near the E-side edge of the fretboard helps my thumb better counter-push the index finger when fretting the E string.

My favorite, I would assume is a C shape. The most comfortable I have found is the early 60's Gibson neck. I also found this similar comfort on the Fender Stevie Ray Vaugh re-issues. To me a lot of that feel is how the neck is round over for the fret board and the fret board radius

Thanks!

@HighlineGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Hey thanks Devin! I really appreciate the tip. I hope my videos will inspire, educate and entertain you. Have a great day, night, and so on!

I do find I prefer medium to thicker necks. I have minor cramping issues on ultrafast thin necks. I have short fingers but my favorite playing bass has a thickness of 1" from nut to 15th fret. One of my next builds will be rounded trapezoidal shape similar to a Rick Toone Orchid bass.

flat D personally. I would play an old nylon and its what I'm used to, it also scales well for 9 strings

For me, the modern elliptical shape used on Suhr Moderns feels the best. I find that it feels fast while providing a touch more on the edges for comfort. I seem to be landing around .780 to .790 at fret 1, which is like a goldilocks size--not too thin, but not too thick.

I’m a guitar player that play many style from chordal solo jazz, country blues with a lot bends, fusion shred, classical, and more. And I play equally acoustic, nylon as well. I actually the neck profile, but width and the string spacing are the character of different guitar in each music style. It gives specific technique a unique feeling that we should take a advantage of. For example, when playing classical and jazz solo style, a D shape with mid thickness is the best, because most of the time my thumb is located on the center of the neck and it is easy to bar index finger and stretch. This hand position is mainly used for lower to middle part of the neck. But for more bending skills, thumb fretting and finger rolling like Frank Gambale, it is necessary to put the thumb towards the upper side of the neck. So maybe a subtle asymmetric V shape is preferred. This technique is mainly used for middle to high part of the neck. Also if playing high note like 17th or 19th fret. Personally tend to put thumb outside my other 4 finger’s fretting area. It could be at center or lower side of the neck. So I can make my thumb as a navigation to move my finger position up or down the neck several frets, without jumping too much which is necessary for lower fret positions. Therefore a thinner C shape is great. This technique is used mainly for super high part of the neck. As a baritone guitar and bass player also, I find I don’t like stretch on the low fret of those extended scale length. I do a lot stretch on higher fret which gives me large intervallic ideas and interesting arpeggios, but not for low note. It Will Hurt you!! So I like play low riffs like bass player do, which is grab the neck like holding a bat and use the bigger muscle. So the neck should not be even a little thicker. As conclusion, if there “must” be a perfect neck profile for me personally, it may be like this. D shape for low part of the neck, asymmetric V shape in the middle, and gradually change to thin C shape on higher part. If there is extended fret, relative thicker U shape is good. It is a little bit odd to have a neck being thinner when move to the higher part, instead traditional one is the opposite considering the physical strength. But this design is more ergonomic for me.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. This is an interesting video, but I was hoping for more practical information regarding trends between a guitarist’s playing style, hand size, fretting hand position (etc.) and the preferred neck shape that correspond to that musician. However, I understand that since you are a builder it’s more efficient to directly ask the customer what they prefer rather than analyze their playing style and suggest certain neck profiles. I predict many musicians develop muscle memory using neck shapes that are less than ideal for their playing style, and those musicians are reluctant to change.

Well I'm playing both a classical guitar and several electric ones. When you learn with a classic teacher you really learn having your thumb on the back side of the neck and having it flat actually helps so for that kind of playing a D or U is better than a C or V. But when building electric guitars I still mostly use C shape. I've tried a composite C D neck too. C in the first frets where you'll mostly play open chords and D on upper frets for playing solos. It actually feels quite good.

@TheSilence1

6 ай бұрын

I was going to say something similar. When I first started teaching myself guitar in the 90's I picked up a book called Guitar for Dummies. The author taught classical guitar, and as a result I really prefered the classical hand position and neck angle, even when I was strumming along to my favorite grunge songs. And the D shape neck is ideal for that. But when I tried strapping my guitar up to play standing up, my friends laughed at how high the guitar sat on my chest. They all had their guitars hanging low by their belt line. When you are playing like that you can't help but wrap your thumb around the fret board, and the C shape is perfect for that. The one problem, and it's a major one, is that playing with the guitar slung low like that forces your wrist to be bent all the time and is a quick way to developing crippling tendonitis.

The only neck that feels good in my old hands is a v-shaped neck. I assemble guitars for my own use from pre-made unfinished bodies and necks. Whatever neck I buy I end up sanding down the shoulders and making it into a V shape with a little bit of width at the bottom of the V so it's not a sharp point. I prefer the neck depth to be 1 inch all the way along but if the neck is thinner than that I still sand it down to a V shape and it makes it feel fuller even though it has not gotten any more thickness. Thanks for doing this video.

I have small hands but long fingers, and a wizard neck makes my hand cramp up, and finger's get tied up in knots a fuller c shape I can adapt too, but a d, shape is more comfortable a d better still, then comes the surprise the 1find best for me is a v, I have gone out and bought inexpensive guitars with chunky necks and sanded a pronounced v into it, then softened it, but as you said at the start, assimetrical for me is amazing! I draw lines on the neck and use a block with foam on 1 side, but use the back the flat wood side then soften with the foam side draw some more lines and take it from there! a fat u at the nut by the 3rd it's more v by the 12th it's a soft v, with more off the treble side!

All my electric guitars have a medium thin C shape. I use all bolt on, which makes it easy to swap around if someone wanted to. But what I think I'd like is asymmetric, thinner on the bass side, thicker on the treble side. The symmetric C always feels like there's a little too much in the crook of my thumb, and I often fret with my thumb, both E and A strings.

I recently built an experimental guitar with what I call extreme d which is the d shape with the level of fatness to the contour. I found it to be ok for rythum but excellent for lead and speed .

I have a strat that had narrow short frets and I hated the neck. Switched the frets to Dunlop 6100 and now it feels amazing. I think it's C-shape, but not very thick.

3mm asymmetrical C-Shape on almost all my necks . Great feel and play-ability

Wish I had the opportunity to try different necks like you provided your prior customers. I mainly have all C shapes with fretboard radius of 9.2, 12, and a compound 10-14. Would really like to try others to see what I like best.

I have tried to start a thread on The Gear Page concerning neck back profile, neck thickness and neck width. There have been very few replies to my inquiry. It seems that players have accepted that Gibson, Fender and Martin know what is best. Because of muscle cramps at the base of my left thumb, I make my necks just under 1" thick from body to nut. I I use an asymmetrical V shape. I first noticed this on SRV and EVH neck profiles. I often play with a thumbpick and all 4 fingers on my right hand. 1 3/4" wide at the nut. I have medium large hands, so this works for me. A lot of interesting comments from all Thanks

currently I like U shape from esp japan. its thickness is around 21 mm. But most esp fans always say U shape in esp is different from one model to another. And when I look at neck shape illustration in this video, I think it’s different from what I feel when playing my guitar.

It's easy to adjust to most neck profile shapes for me. Only part of your thumb is resting on the back of the neck. A different fretboard radius and nut width are harder to adjust to. Going from an electric guitar to a classical guitar, I am slower and fretting bar chords is a bit harder.

Bass player here. I have always liked the sound of punk/metal p bass, simple lines, all controls fully open, played with a pick, full speed, full power, slightly going into overdrive. Somehow it felt natural to keep the bass slightly lower on myself and therefore the left hand thumb would slightly go over the fretboard - so narrower nut on a thicker neck would be preferred. I didn't have the money for a Fender, plus the Precision neck doesn't really fit that description. The basses I played all had "modern C shape", some were thinner, narrower, wider, thicker... the one I liked the most was U shape of a cheap Jazz Bass copy my girlfriend bought me, I replaced the neck pickup with p bass pickup and that was it for awhile. Later on I bought a '94 p bass with a Fender logo in the front and small Squier logo in the back. It has 40mm nut (a bit narrower) and asymmetrical C shape (thicker under A string) and that's it. As time went by, I learned to play other stuff, learned to enjoy other sounds and styles, the bass went a bit up on me, I started to use controls, the thumb went a bit behind the neck, I found that neck profile most pleasing. I still like that U shape and dislike thin/wide/flat necks.

I have been playing for many years and got into building so that I could own a guitar that doesn't look like a toy on my 6'8 self. I make my necks offset C ( near the headstock ) & V shaped ( near the body ) and about as thick as the middle section of a baseball bat cut in half for my big hands. All of it is to support my thumb when playing lead.

I've been wanting to build a guitar for a long time (it's on my list - I'll get to it eventually) but whenever I think about it, this inevitably pops up in my brain. I have big hands, but short fingers. Try as I might, I cannot do a Hendrix style chord (the C shape in the CAGED system) and effectively fret the low string with my thumb on any guitar I currently own. I was thinking of making necks for one of my cheap guitars and experimenting with the shapes and sizes. I also feel that I would need to play a neck for a period of time before making the decision if I like it or not. Just holding on to a section of a neck wouldn't quite give the full story.

Soft C. It causes less stress in the hand muscles and allow for fast playing as well as repetitive exhausting movements.

Always preferred a nice chunky C like 74/75 SGs or a thin U.. 23 and been jamming since I was 7. I’ve found personally I like the thickness in center for my hands cramp more the thinner it gets due to my hand positioning. Best way I can describe it is make a hitchhiker’s thumb(nice and bent back) then rotate/point just your thumb at yourself and loosen your fist to imagine an invisible soda can in it. The way my thumb sits with larger hands beads the low friction of consistent curve unlike how the “D” shape is more flat, with the thick center so it feels more comfortable and less cramp inducing

I prefer V shaped necks. As primarily a 20's/30's blues fingerstyle guitar player that frets the 6th string often with my thumb, I find the V shape really helps in that regard.

I've been enjoying asymmetrical mult-contour necks lately. What I mean by that is that the profile itself is asymmetrical in that the apex of the C or D is more to the treble or bass side, but also that the lower frets have a different contour than the upper frets. I'll usually use a slightly "fatter" shape below fret 5, just to give that comfortable "grab the neck and play some chords" feel that people enjoy when they pick up a vintage gibson or fender, but beyond fret 5 I'll flatten it out a bit to help facilitate "proper" fret hand engagement that shredders tend to prefer. Beyond that, I find that experimenting with the thickness of the fretboard itself actually lends a lot more to how a neck "feels" than the neck shape itself, in so far as a players idea of "thick" or "thin".

@HighlineGuitars

Жыл бұрын

Good point about fretboard thickness.

As a seated, "thumb behind the neck" player, I really like the flatter feel of a D shape. Preferences have a lot to do with playing style.

I have short fingers, but I like my 78 strat neck. I'm going to build a neck but thinking of making it a bit different on the bass side so my thumb maybe easier to dampen strings.

thin neck like from ibanez is like a sport car, making me wanna go fast all the time. while thicker neck give me more support and sustain.

​Wizard baby! JK..not a fanboy but I do love a thin neck. 😀🤗. Best Regards and looking forward to the show!

Deep V - Hard V - very very difficult to get these days. Every thing is a C, D or soft V. I have a hitchhikers thumb (bends 90 degrees back). The pronounced V allows so much better purchase for my thumb when bending and vibrato while bent. I don’t have huge hands or very long fingers - the Hard V also helps me gain purchase (more comfortable) with my thumb on the E string. Picked up a Warmouth boatneck which I intend to sand down when I get time. I also want a profile that scales from narrower diameter at 1 st fret and gains width to the 12th. As much as I know what I want - only one of my guitars has what I think is a perfect neck - National Steel Delphi - but obviously not an electric :). Hope this helps. So frustrated with the lack of diversity in neck profiles at this time. Now, the fender custom shop would make one for me I’m sure - but I don’t feel like paying 7k plus for a fake relic.

I prefer different neck shapes for different playing styles. I like a slightly flat C shape for chording in the lower register, and more of a thin D for power chords and upper register lead playing. I do have a soft spot for a medium to medium thick U contour on a Tele, but not quite like a full on boat (think Broadcaster or Nocaster). I have never been a V fan, as they just don’t feel natural to me. The slightly flat C is comfortable to me to really wrap my hand around for chording. I have a Gibson LP Tribute that I took a bit of meat off the back of the neck (approximately 0.75 mm) by adding a flatter back and taking a bit off the shoulders to leave it still feeling mostly rounded. It is super comfortable for me in the cowboy chord area. I like my thin and slightly rounder D contours for power chording and upper register leads. I have a 2000 Ibanez S520 and a 2010 Ibanez RG7321 that fit this profile. I had to rework the RG to fit this, as it came stock with a really flat D with meaty shoulders. These are my go to hard rock and metal guitars. My medium thin U soft spot comes from my favorite Tele neck profiles. It makes certain lead styles in the lower register really comfortable for me. Another factor for me is fretboard radius paired with the profile. The flatter the profile, the flatter I like the radius, and vice versa. I guess if I could build my ideal neck, it would have a C/U profile at the nut and work towards a C/D near the 15th or so fret with a compound 10-16” radius board. I’m also a fan of medium jumbo frets. I have a lot of time on all types of fret sizes, but medium jumbo is my sweet spot. Tall, but not too wide. In the end, my preferences are just that; my preferences. If it works for you, run with it. If you read this all the way through, I apologize for a short novel. The combination of multiple factors can make of break a neck for me with certain applications. I guess I have contoured my playing around the necks more than made the necks work for me.

I am a fan of c necks. They are kind of a good all rounder, they just feel a lot more comfortable for me to grip than D’s. I kind of think D’s are great for shreddy lead work and V’s are good for enforcing a good thumb arch, so great practice . But C’s imo are just the most comfortable to hold.

I have a preference for C shape, but a little fatter than the Fender shape. I use my thumb quite a lot on the E string, so a fatter neck makes that somewhat easier. I have a 71 Gibson which is thin, narrow and D shaped and it’s great for jazz lines, but bad for chording.

As soon as you said I Hope I earn your subscription. I clicked it talking about something that is near. And dear of course, you get the subscription. Rather watch this guitar, players picking each other apart and talking. S***, , this is helpful. This is productive, I'm all in.❤

I like a chunky soft V on Fenders about the same depth as my Gibsons and Heritage. About a .88 ish 1st fret a little more at 12th maybe .98 ish or a bit thinner. I like V on fenders with the same depth as Gibsons because I thumb over on fenders and do fendery things. Thats why I have both. But the thicker neck fills up the palm as you said, to stop cramping and pain from playing 37years and blue collar working mans hands, im sure you know what Im saying. Fat necks thin strings, is the key to longevity as I get older.

A big C, or ‘59 Les Paul shape is best for me. PRS Pattern Vintage. I don’t like asymmetrical necks. I can get on with a U or Soft V but don’t like thin. Even the Fender Modern C is a bit too thin. I did find the Ritchie Kotzen Tele neck felt great. Massive U. But I did cramp up playing that with a lot of barre chords. The latest Silver Sky neck is perfect.

I am a fairly heavy-handed, fairly basic player, and my general preference is for a fuller C shape. But more important to me is the width of the neck up to the 10th/12th fret, and the way the fingerboard & fret ends feel. Any sense of a sharp edge here puts me right off the instrument. I’ve never tried an asymmetrical neck but can understand why this might be more comfortable, perhaps in particular with a very technical soloist-type player..

I really enjoy C necks and PRS's pattern vintage (I guess U meets V ) since it's asymmetrical. I love feeling the chunkiness with my thumb and upper palm but having the room on the pinky side of my hand be free. If that makes sense.

Cool topic. I think that one thing people get wrong is that they think every neck with a C shape is identical, but they definitely aren't. I have an American Strat neck and a Mighty Mite Strat neck and they're both "C shaped" but they feel pretty different. I think the Mighty Mite is thinner. My favorite neck personally is the PRS pattern thin. A lot of players like a chunkier neck. Opinions are all over the map. Having different neck blank shapes is a fantastic idea!

I prefer flat D shape necks. The Ibanez Super Wizard neck has my favorite neck shape. I agree that C shapes, and the "Modern C" shape in particular, are the most universal, though.

I've gotten used to the thin U shape from LTD guitars but I can get along with D and C without much issue. I prefer thinner necks so as long as it's not chunky I like U C and D. I don't like super flat necks or v conturs. they feel weird to me. I go back and forth between my thumb on the back of the nenck and wrapping it around so I need some roundness on the contour

@BayAreaBrenner

Жыл бұрын

Same here on the ESP thin U. Something rounded, without squared off “shoulders” like a D you’d find on a Kiesel or Ibanez. Ended up having to sell both of my Kiesels as a result.

@dejavoodoo7204

Жыл бұрын

i got surprised by a thin U on an LTD Viper, very impressive. (KZreadr Agufish compares them to some 70's gibson necks,...and the new Adam Jones signature custom has very similar neck specks.)

@dejavoodoo7204

Жыл бұрын

*incredibly important point being that some of us players spend as much time with our thumbs behind the neck for leads and bar chord support.

@ZL1LoVeR

Жыл бұрын

I’m the same. The thin U Ltd neck feels like home 😊 I like C shape necks as well

@theharvardyard2356

Жыл бұрын

Exact same from me, the LTD neck is the perfect compromise for those who constantly switch between thumb behind and thumb over top of the neck, it feels great in both positions

I have big palms and shorter fingers. I would love to have one that was thicker on low E and thinner on high e. Just guessing that would give me easier access to fretboard

I just got a Squier classic Vibe 50s strat.. and it plays like a dream and was contemplating the Ventura ii version that comes with a v-shaped neck. I've never laid my grubby mitts on a Ventura, or a v-shaped neck, maybe one of you folks can enlighten me.. 🙏

Trapezoid. 3 facets. 10mm wide flat spine over the truss rod, then straight to the edge of the fretboard. Smallest possible cross-sectional area in a non-concave profile. And non-concave profiles have sharper edge angles (see Crimson's fluted neck experiment). Smaller cross-sectional area = greater reach around capability. Asymmetric and diagonal spine (a la Strandberg) profiles are not thickest at the truss rod, and therefore must have larger cross-sectional areas than a trapezoid. I also thickness my necks to about 20mm (including the fretboard) along the entire length - even the heel. Heel joints are triangular, 40mm wide and 90mm long, and use two neck screws with 40mm or 50mm spacing. For more conventional builds, I'll just use an Ibanez replacement neck (shallow C, 14.7" radius, about 19mm thick just below the nut - including the fretboard). Been playing since 1979 and building as a hobby since 2019. Probably done about 100 mods/builds in that time. Perhaps 2 dozen of those are trapezoid neck profiles. Most of my builds these days are trapezoid profiles. By comparison, traditional profiles just feel so fat and clunky.

Thin D Wizard with jumbo stainless steel frets, light strings, smooth, unfinished wood like finish. No friction anywhere. You need a light touch. It feels like flying or skiing. My hand does not cramp up but I have small hands, so maybe that helps. I did my time on baseball bat necks with high action and 11's. Good way to learn but no thanks if I don't have to.

I play left hand guitars only, Ovation necks are a very comfortable profile for me. Maybe they are a shallow C shape - the sides seem to start out as more sloped in, rather than from perpendicular to the fretboard. My Martin has a nice neck, I have a 12 string acoustic that feels fat which is fine. I have 4 lefty guitars that I regularly play; you are not gonna find a lefthand guitar laying around at a friend's house that you can just pick up and check out unless you're a righty, basically. If lefties wanna play a style of decent guitar, they need to buy it first. Hard-pressed to find a quality left hand guitar at b&m guitar shops. I would really enjoy trying other left hand players instruments & feel different neck styles but, we lefties are few & far between. I buy guitars online, hope for the best & it has worked out okay for the most part. Not to whine but, a fact of life is that little opportunity exists for a lefty to try multiple types of guitars in the way that it exists for righties. It's okay though, righties is just alright with me! 🙃

I prefer a U like my '51 CS Nocaster or a fat D like my 2007 R6. A C will work if it's deep enough. I have big mitts and need some girth to play comfortably. Shredder necks are a nonstarter.

I like the C shape

As a player I have played guitars with just about every neck shape there is. I actually own several different guitars with a different shape on each. I think the style of music played and experience level come into play. I myself have pretty big hands so it can be hard to find the happy medium. I don't like the D or U shape because they are not very comfortable to me. That said if I'm playing alot of chugging bar chord stuff that's what I pick up. My go to all around preference is a C shape. If I'm playing fast with alot of scales I like a V shape. To me the C shape is a good combination of all the shapes.

It's a difficult subject to be sure about, but I like my U-shaped telecaster necks. Full, but without a lot of shoulder? I've got three. They all are somewhat different. A 52 AVRI and two James Burton Standards. And then: Does the guitar work as a whole? You might love the neck, but you also have to consider the sum of its parts. I also like little to no taper, as on the JB Standards. I don't like a neck to be thinner when I'm in first position. Hope I make some sense.

I prefer a C shape neck. When string bending, I can really grab the neck and dig in. I play Rock amd Blues, so D shapes feel shallow to me. They seem to be more for speed players.

As a player. Thin V or "Fast neck"

This was good. I acutally have huge hands and fingers, so I need advice on which kind of neck that I might feel more comfortable as well as radius and fret size. Does it make general sense that for someone with large hands and fingers to typically feel more comfortable with a "U" shaped neck, say at least a 9.5" radius, with medium jumbo frets?

I find D shaped necks to be too thin from the 7th fret down to the nut, I need a C shape at least to fill my palm and allow me to fret chords more comfortably.

I own a fair number of guitars (and HAVE owned several multiples of what I currently have), and ultimately lean toward what necks approaching what Warmoth calls the "'59 Roundback". I'm not a huge fan of Fender's "Modern C", though Fender throws that term around to describe necks that are pretty different depending on the country of origin and the model. But basically, I like a medium-thick neck. Whether it's a C, D, U or V is less important to me than the basic thickness at the 1st fret, which I like to see at around .85". I hate Ibanez Wizard necks (.75" at the 1st fret), and while I'm not a fan of the 1" Fender boatneck, I'd rather the latter than the former.

I find C-style and asymmetrical shapes to be comfortable, but I also find that they encourage me to play poor technique of the "wrap-around thumb" style. It's comfy for my hand, but I'm also not able to move around the neck as fluidly, and my fourth finger is nearly useless. I find that D-style shapes force me to do the right thing and put my thumb on the back of the neck, which produces a cleaner tone and better technique-it really liberates my fourth finger to be much more active, and I can play complex chords that I can't do with a wrap-around thumb technique. But in order to play a D-style neck, I have to raise the whole guitar higher up on my body in order for my wrist to be flexible enough to get my thumb on the back of the neck.

I've been playing guitar for 30+ years. In that time, I have played a LOT of "c" necks. A LOT.... I'd even go as far as to say that I have ONLY played "c" and "d" necks. I've not run across a "u" or a "v", yet. But, out of the hundreds, maybe thousands, of different guitars I've played, 90% of them were "c". I thought that was my preference... For almost 30 years... Then I got an Ibanez... Instantly, my ability improved and hand cramping stopped! I love the look of a Les Paul, but love to play my Ibanez RG more! Slim "d" forever, here!

@Riverdeepnwide

Жыл бұрын

Jymmi this is fascinating to me because I found the Slim D or Wide Thin shape the most cramp inducing and fatiguing for my fretting hand. It must have something to do with each player uniquely approaches fretting and positioning. I certainly don’t doubt your experience and appreciate how you’ve expressed it thanks man!

@JymmiPhreek

Жыл бұрын

@@Riverdeepnwide I'm probably also a special case as I have a degenerative nerve disease that affects my hands. I wouldn't classify me as "typical" guitarist. I would imagine my experience is highly influenced by my CMT.

@matthewkitchens5796

8 ай бұрын

Usually all c d's love to meet a y . I was born as a c but I've always felt like I was a wide d. on the inside. Sorry, bad joke. Any How I agree with you

@matthewkitchens5796

8 ай бұрын

I was born as c but I've always felt like a big old d . But then I've found out I'm y . I'm having a correct of surgery i'm going to become a thin line

I tend to like a chunky C shape neck because I have big hands. I'm also not a shredder so I'm not looking to fly around the neck at Mach 1. Those are the 2 main contributors to neck preference , I believe. Size of you mitts and the and the style of your playing.

@stephenhookings1985

Жыл бұрын

Same here. SX Strats and Teles work for me. But for basis seem to be going towards D. Helps with stretching and is super comfortable. What i am working on, delayed cos i am playing more with electronics, is a neck profile copier. The idea is to attempt reprofile a Harley Benton neck to be more like one I like. If it breaks then no big deal

Peoples hands are vastly different. I like to shape my own neck, an asmetrical D-C, E-e. I also like it flatter higher up on the neck because hand angle changes there. If I were commissioning a build, I would want to be there on neck shaping day, or order it bigger, so I can shape it myself. The purpose of commissioning a build is to get what you can't find otherwise.

I build my guitars with a straight v shape with a flat bottom. I play fingerstyle. This allows me to remove as much as possible and give me a very good tactile feel of the neck. When I played this hape originally I went back and recut the necks on all of my personal players. It's been well received by others... And not

Not sure how it translate to actual playing...but, I picked up a strat with a "soft-V" (Jimmy Vaughn I believe), and it was the most comfortable neck I've ever felt on any guitar. Now....I have NO idea how that translates to playing, but in terms of fitting my hand, it was like a glove, and even when cupping your hand as-if you're holding a guitar neck, a V-type of shape makes a lot of sense, providing that the shape doesn't protrude too deep into the pocket of your hand. My two cents...

As a guitar Player and now builder I realize that guitar necks are kind of like shoe sizes one size does not fit all .through my own experience I prefer making my neck to my own hand size not everybody has the same size hands or fingers so different folks are going to like different strokes…. Keep on rockin

I usually like a C shaped neck. But I think something that filled my hand a little more would be nice. A U shape is too far. Nut width is also important. My favorite guitar has a nut width only about 1mm wider than my #2. I wouldn't have thought such a small amount would make such a difference. But it does.

Is there a shape that supports using bar chords better? I have large hands and they cramp when practicing bar chords. Gibson necks feel better than Fender because they are wider. Obviously the more you play the stronger your muscles become. Just curious how much neck shape impacts this kind of pkaying.

I tried an Ibanez Wizard 3(?) once and it didn't even feel like a guitar to me, I guess whatever you learn on it's what your preference is going to be, which for most people is a C shape.

As a builder, I use a D shape on my guitars. Most people that try one of mine they are surprised at what a D neck feels like.To the 5th fret I use a C neck and then it changes to the D. V neck feel like a 1930 Gibson acoustic. I don't do commissions anymore. People think the since I'm in my garage they can get a custom model for dirt cheap. I'm more expensive than most....you come to me, I don't come to you. Howard Dumble's method works well.

On an electric guitar always a flatten D shape. On a Classical or Bass the C shape. Flamenco guitar a flatten D. And honestly never played a U or V neck (but now I'm curious) Happy Building ✌😎🎸

I was taught to hold the guitar neck between my fingers and thumb, not the palm of my hand. I have never had cramp. I make guitar necks with a D profile because: 1) it is quicker, because I remove less wood 2) the neck is stronger, because I remove less wood 3) as a result of (2) I don't need a truss rod, so I don't route a channel in the neck, which reinforces (2)

U shape for me, kind of medium thick. I have carpal tunnel in my left hand, and that style is much less likely to make my hand go numb. Thinner necks can become painful, really thick ones (think 58 les paul) cause me to go numb after maybe 20 minutes, d-shape is downright uncomfortable. But yes, I do own guitars with all these profiles. My favorite acoustic is a v, but that has more to do with its tone and overall playability.

Is the Fender 50's soft V with 7.25 radius the thickest Strat neck they make? I'm looking for a thick neck because I have really big hands.

My favorite guitar is a 79 stratocaster that is slightly V shaped. I have quite small hands and play alot with my thumb on the 6th string. Other shapes is a little bit harder for me.

ibanez sa neck. Don't know what shape it is, but I prefer it.

I have 2 Yamaha 5 stringer's and a 4 string Specter bass. I'm guessing these are classified as D shaped or are they C? I'd like to try a V though.

When it comes to my preference, I like modern C neck because I like to have my thumb on the low E and this enables me not to play thel barre chord in traditional manner and I do a lot of open cowboy chords, so I like rounder radius of the fretboard. I cannot stand the deep and wide neck , and flat fingerboard of a classical guitar. When it comes to basses, I like the 45mm nut 18mm string spacing 5 string, slightly flatter C, but I do not like D shape because it is too flat and has the shoulders that are too wide.

V neck all the way.

What neck shape do you recommend for us short sausage fingers? I've always wanted a pros thoughts on this.

@HighlineGuitars

Жыл бұрын

In my opinion, what matters the most is the strength of the muscles in you hand rather than the length and girth of you fingers. The strength of you hand muscles will dictate the shape that works best based on whether and how fast your hand starts to cramp when playing. It's very different for everyone.

C shape all the way. I'm all for boomer bends and heavy vibrato and the C shape just makes it very comfortable for this style of playing.

As a builder it doesn't matter, if it is typical profile (C, D, U). Only I am feel constrained when I make V shaped guitar neck. I'm bass player but I can play a little on the guitar. So this neck feel really uncomfortable when I took it in my hands. It isn't good profile for rhythm players. But client was really satisfied. But it is not good way to speak about one of parameters of the neck, because in my opinion there is three parameters, which have influence on others. Radius, neck width and profile. I write from the bass player world, so I don't account with strings bending (small radius - fret buzz, flat one - trouble with catch strings above under fingertips). I think the most critical is a distance, which your fingers must travel for tone. If I play Jazz bass style neck with narrow nut and more D than C shape and 7.25" radius I feel almost same as I play on P style neck with C shape and 9.5 radius. So I try to look on necks like the one piece (system) where one variables have influence on others. And my personal preference? I'm 5-string guy. And there I have one preferable parameters combinations. 1.875" nut, medium slightly asymmetric C shape, 12-20" radius, 19mm spacing. I like it as a player and as a builder. I feel comfortable with that neck (I have smaller hands for man). As a builder there is one super feature :D This neck is on the top side of common width. And there is no much space for tweaking the profile. Thickness on 1st and 12th can't much vary a lot (+/- 1mm) and the profile too due to player comfort. Building a 4 strings necks are most challenging for me.

I prefer a modern C on found on Telecasters. Strangely the modern C on my strats doesn't quite feel the same. I don't know why. I had a D on a Warmoth Telecaster neck for a few years. I had ordered a C but it obviously wasn't a C. While I could play it fine I never really liked it. I recorded with it for about 2 years but finally sold it. Different manufacturers have the same name for the shapes but they aren't the same. I have had a couple of modern C Mighty Mite neck that play fine but they feel smaller than a Fender neck. There are other things that come into play. The rolling of the edge is very important to me. Even more important than the radius.

Dude what is that guitar in his hand that is cool looking

@HighlineGuitars

8 ай бұрын

I made that one a while back.

Ibanez Wiozzard 2 necks, so D shaped, I guess..

just get a guitar that stays in tune and keep playing it and it won't matter what the contour of the neck. if you are distracted by the contour then you need to just keep playing until it doesn't matter anymore. it's not a spaceship.

V shape all day everyday. Also 50s tele necks. Im not sure, I think they are U or deep V Shaped.

Slim D