Over the last 2 decades I've bought every guitar I ever wanted. And found out which neck profiles are perfect for my hands. Now I am selling the guitars that don't have my preferred neck, no matter how much I love the guitar. The neck is more important than the look or pickups or other factors. With the right neck, it feels part of me and that's the guitar I want to play the most.
“More wood is often better.” Jonathan, straight faced then busts out laughing half a second later. I had to hit the pause button twice cause I was laughing so hard. I’m pretty sure this is pretty close to what would have happened if Beavis and Butthead graduated from high school. And that’s why I love y’all. “Hey, Beavis, he said more wood,”
My main guitar since the 90s was a 1976-1979 Epiphone Scroll SC-550. I fell in love with the wizard-like profile of the neck. So thin and nice which is amazingly comfortable for a small woman. It seems unusual for guitars of that time to have that thin of a neck. Is it?
Not sure if it is an anomaly or not… I’ve had a few Les Paul custom‘s from the 70s that had very thin necks. Congratulations to you for having a main guitar for such a length of time… wish I could do that.
Every thin neck i've had ends up cramping my hand after playing for 30mins. I have found the fret board radius is just as import as the neck shape as well. My favorite neck shape is the PRS Pattern neck. the 10 inch radius feels amazing for thumb over playing, chording, and leads. perfect. (for me). I've also found that the thicker necks are more stable through the seasons and require less adjustment.
I couldn't agree more. My favorite shape is the USACG fatback, which is a C, but 1" deep the whole way. It feels huge for the first 30 seconds, then it just feels incredibly comfortable. Your comment about the radius is great as well - my favorite is (again) the USACG 10"-16" compound. I love PRS too. My Hollowbody has the wide-fat.
Is Pattern the same thing as wide/fat? I fell in love with one parlor sized PRS acoustic that I saw online that the spec sheet says has a wide/fat neck and I'm thinking of ordering it, but I'm really afraid the neck will be too fat for my liking. In my 25 years of playing I only played on thinner necks. One time I tried an Epiphone that had a fat neck and I absolutely hated it. It felt really weird and uncomfortable. Do you perhaps know how fat PRS necks are compared to say Jackson or ESP necks?
I have a strat with a Deep C and tbh i hate it most of the time because its too big. I have a Tele from the Mod shop and its neck is too small, so Im gonna try the modern C and hopefully its a good in between
im using c shape strat 9.5 radius but wanna buy 59 custom shop strat it sayin large c shape 9.5 radiuea ,never tried large c i wonder how big diffrence
My problem is I’m a violinist first, which is like, your hand barely touches. So I have no frame of reference as to how much of my hand should be touching the guitar neck. I’ve read your palm should never touch, which I’m used to. But beyond that? Don’t know. I don’t have a Fender, but my guitar’s neck depth is 0.87" at the first fret and 0.94" at the 12th fret. So… “large C” in Fender terminology?
It does sound like a large C there and there are so many different techniques on the hand position that it really comes down to comfort. If you play classically you would probably have your thumb based on the back of the neck. If you play more modern you will have the tumblebug reach around the board...so many options. I play in a hybrid style so its even more confusing! Thanks a ton for sharing Victoria!
The Fender Artist guitars seem to feature quite a few modified 'V' shape. I have that on my Baja 50's Tele and it's such a comfortable, reassuring shape. Fits the hand so well.
I always said I’d never play an SG because of the neck. a few days ago played one for the first time now I have one coming in the mail. Felt like heaven.
As I’ve gotten older I find the fingerboard side of the neck matters a lot more than the back. A weird neck shape used to be a distraction but now it’s something I appreciate and affects how I play
Every shape is the best shape! I have a bunch of guitars and I’m happy that all of them have a completely different neck profile, because that’s one of the most important things to give them their own unique character. And I play differently on all of them, but that’s exactly why I love them so much. 😊
Bonus comment… my fav neck carve is either a 60’s oval C on my 63 tele with .83 at the first and .90 at the twelfth ORRRR a 63 strat with .87 at the first and .97 at the twelfth
I often wonder why Fender doesn't just bring back the original early Oval C. It's a way better thicker feel, because the rounding hits the hand pocket, and if not glossed, it will play well as the modern C, but not cramp the hand. It's like they're Sadists... lol
@@caiusmadison2996 it’s crazy! That should be their standard neck carve in my opinion. You can find it on the American original series telecaster. Check one out. I’d love to hear what ya think when ya do.
Warn to almost the wood is what I’m after. You guys are 13 year olds at times, it is heroic!! Recently there is nothing I look forward to more every day than your ramblings….thanks for making the effort. I totally relate fellas - keep shining.
I think Wayne and Garth entered our bodies for a minute here. My apologies but sincere thanks for sticking with us and having a laugh along the way as well!
I have a squire tele with a “slim” or “modern” c and I hate it honestly. My hand cramps or gets sore after 15, 20 mins of playing. I really want to replace it with a v or u shape neck.
Well I thought it was a soft V, but after I stopped by the shop yesterday and bought my first CS, it’s definitely the ‘59 Esquire C. If you are in the market for a custom shop, do yourself a favor and go to Casino Guitars. Baxter was so nice it was unreal, he even walked me to my car when I was done and showed me old venues where SRV played years ago. By far the best shop I’ve been in
I'm partial to the v shape necks. I have a American vintage 56 strat that I'm pretty sure has a 10/56. A 57 custom shop strat with a soft v that does feel heftier than a 10/56. And a clapton strat with the clapton v that definitely has a harder v but feels smaller than my other v necks.
I agree. The first Les Paul I got was a '99 Classic because of the price. I knew nothing about it. But, I got so used to it that when I finally tried other Les Pauls, I couldn't get used to it.
I got massive hands... massive as in wide, with comically normal (but broken) fingers... Never did like the "shredder" necks, though a Gibson "slim taper" is pretty skookum, but a good fat neck is killer for mashing power chords with.
After getting used to my strat's neck for years, (modern D) I played a custom shop tele with a U shape and here I am researching necks. Since I'm stoned I'll try and detail that special "something" i felt playing it. First off the chunkier neck sang. The bends felt so natural and the vibrato resonated through the wood. I thought my purchase of an ultra strat would be my last stop but dammit, now I want options lol
Does anyone have an opinion on the Fender Mod Shop. Custom shop is too pricey for me and I’m not enamored with the production models. Does anyone own one? How did it work out? Looking at teles by the way.
I can tell you that I do prefer a V, a Clapton is tiny to me. And I do prefer a larger C as well. Felt a ‘59 Les Paul once, and also thought that was small. So where do I belong? Is a 10/56 big enough?
What Would my 57' reissue strat be? D shape? Soft v? What about an 81 les paul d shape aswell? My jimmy page has a oval c 7.25 i like it. I perfer certain neck shapes for certain guitars
I really used to think Ibanez was the standard for speed and comfort. 😅 I even just bought a new Artcore based upon this idea. I live with a tremor disorder from exposure in the military and comfort tends to be point number one when purchasing a new guitar. I recently acquired a Dean ml79 and the V neck is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever played. I’m now looking at some of Fenders options with the V neck. I’m thinking the EOB. 😊 12:57
I got to a point when I was doin a lot of fly in dates and Nashville work that I only ever could carry 2 guitars and a pedalboard at most on most gigs …. Then after a couple years I not only burned thru those frets …. I realized I had such a hard time adapting to my other guitars Then I started forcing myself to play all of them Even now I force myself to change guitars (not just for tuning purposes) but also for sound and feel …. It is real that every guitar does something different and they all feel diff, but we get used to what we use the most. Now I can pick up just about anything and get to know it. And use it
I buy warmoths. Last one I got was a 59 contour that I shaved some of the underside of the neck like the wolf gang assemetrical contour. I did it while neck and strings were on guitar and taped off butt and headstock. Fits like a glove.... but more vintage and bigger than a Wolfgang or SRV.
On a Strat, Eric Johnson's 57 style soft V neck shape and 12" fretboard combo. On Tele, the Hotrod 50 and 60 D shape necks, with compound radius 7.25 -> 12". I always find that neck shape and the fretboard radius interact in my head when it comes to "comfort". And yet, I have a bunch of Godins that work too, just not as well.
my 1st Les Paul, a 70s MIJ had a slim taper neck, like a 60s i guess. I thought id like that better, since i dont have particularly larger hands or long fingers. I was wrong, fat is where its at. Not that i dont like that neck, just not as much
I just got a used Warmoth thin line Tele with a deep v 1" neck and I love it. My CV tele always seemed small but it played well enough for the last 12 years. Now I know better.
There's a lot more to necks than thickness and back carve. Nut width, fingerboard radius and fret size all contribute, too, with varying significance. A neck is the sum of all its specs...including wood type and finish. I would argue the type of truss rod comes into play too, with regard to balance. I prefer a heel-adjust rod pretty much whenever possible. I feel it puts the heaviest part of the rod closest to the body, eliminating neck dive and balance issues. Heavy tuners (Sperzels, for ex) can contribute to neck dive and balance also, to a lesser degree.
I grew up playing Jackson’s and Charvels. I really tried to get into fenders. I thought I liked the neck on some, but thought I didn’t like the strings, then I thought it might be the scale, then I thought it might be the frets, then I realized it’s the radius. 12 and up for me. I’m curious to try some of the weirder necks like Strandberg.
I have an '83 Washburn Force 3 that has a V shape for the first 4 or 5 frets and then rounds out to more of a C the rest of the way. Feels really good. Not much published about these, but I think they were MIJ....... very well built and the pickups sound very good....
I'm 6'6" have big hands and have been playing for close to 40 years. I never used to pay much attention to the shape, or size of a neck, but one neck shape always made me hate their guitars. Those are Epiphone's flat, wide u necks! They dig into the area between my thumb, and forefinger, and I can't play them. One year ago next week was when I truly noticed for the first time how great a neck can feel when I took delivery of the 2020 Epiphone 59 RI, and my Eastman SB59. Not huge, but the perfectly rolled edges, and larger C shape make them the most comfortable feeling necks I've ever played. I was happily surprised when I took measurements and they're almost identical! Thanks for your time! Keith in...... Provo, Utah?
What's there not to get? It's an option for people who like skinny necks on their acoustic. Someone who mainly plays electric may spring for one becsuer they're closer to what they usually play. You really couldn't get that?
I just bought my first 335, a custom shop 59 reissue and it has the absolute perfect neck shape for my hands and I have tried a bunch of different necks on other guitars but to me the profile on this 335 is perfection. Btw, just started watching you guys's videos recently and this is probably my new favorite guitar channel.
My first guitar was a '54 Strat with a fat deep "U". My second was Gibson Byrdland. 30 years later, I played Japan made Fender Strat with a '57 hard "V" neck. I was poor and could not afford it. I can afford it now, but haven't found one again.
Anything over a 10" radius & I do like the modern "C" shape. Unfortunately we live in the digital age and the majority of newer guitars aren't available in my local Long & McQuade in Canada. They have to be ordered. I'd prefer to feel the guitar and plat it before I order & buy it.
@@zeusapollo8688 I live in Canada & they're made in Quebec, Canada. They're always available at Canada's "Guitar Center" called Long & McQuade. They're also available on the Sweetwater website.
The most different guitar neck I have is a Brian May Guitar. Love my chunky Les Paul neck, but I don't have issues playing a range of necks. Not sure if it helped, but I began on a classical (i.e., flat fretboard) before progressing. Hard to talk about necks without also talking about radius.
Yes!! The Brian May Guitar’s neck depth is 0.87" at the first fret and 0.94" at the 12th fret, which doesn’t seem strange. But combined with the larger nut width? She’s a strange beast. (But she’s my strange beast!)
Found at timestamp 2:28 what I came here for as I consider trading an American Tele for an prestige RG. I never reach my thumb around since I started as a bassist
For electric? 50s U Tele. For acoustic? The big Gretsch U from the Rancher. For bass? 51 U P bass, 57 Full C P bass, and 55 soft V P bass in that order. On bass that's all I'll play.
I need to go to a big enough store that has one of everything so I can try them all out. I'd really like to put together a Warmoth partscaster, but want to be 100% certain before I drop that kind of money on a neck
The wormouth body to a fender c shape neck. I just built one from swamp ash quilt maple body out of eddievegas stash. Like having custom nitro body. Natural finish. The neck I using 2001 amercian standard neck. Mojo rene martinez tex pickups. I finally have what dreamt my guitar strat should look and feel like. I suggest you go for your partcaster!
I would like to see a neck with flat sides down it like if the profile was the shape of half a stop sign but with more sides. Seems like it could guide you up from lower stings to higher stings and up the neck as well. Has this been done before?
Interesting thought. I’m wondering if this would be more advantageous to those who play with a “less thumb over” technique? It would have to be super subtle.
@@JiminTennessee The more I consider it, I realize that it's somewhat of a mirror of the stringed side of the neck. yeah what I'm proposing here would be subtle but noticeable.
That is an interesting approach and it may have been tried but not mass produced to any extent. If not I would say go for it with a neck to see how that actually feels:)
Interesting. I started as a kid and played whatever my dad had or what he got for me. After I got pretty good my dad got me a 1991 LP classic. I still own it. It’s a great playing and beautiful guitar but man it has a crazy thin neck for an LP. It was all I knew until many years ago I played an LP with a 50s neck profile and I like it so much more. I have average size hands I think but I like how the neck fills up my hand, helps with bends. I feel like the classic leaves this gap and it’s just not for me. But I keep that one for sentimental reasons.
for my strat and tele , i have bought the allparts lindy frailin necks , it's an u shape kinda neck but then tweaked by lindy to a more kinda off v shape , if you love chuncky maple necks these are perfect necks for you're tle or strat , i personally will never change to another neck anymore .
Can anyone tell me what the LP Std 50s is closest to? I have one and a Traditional that’s even a wee bit bigger( in my mind at least) but honestly when I ordered it in( the New Std 50s) I was expecting it to be …. Big(ger) so like I’m thinking R8 is maybe bigger? I’m looking for a bigger LP neck is my point. I have a couple 60s style necks. I can hardly play them anymore. So R8?
Started my recent search for an offset body with modern C with a large radius fret board and wound up buying a Tele with a U and 7.25 radius. So it goes.
I think that I can get along with les paul and strat neck profiles. I also like the shape of neck on my yamaha acoustic. On guitars I do not think of that, but on bass, the neck profile and fretboard radius makes or breaks my friendship with that instrument. The only guitar I cannot play is classical because it has 52mm nut and necks are too massive but I would likr to have a nylon string too.
Great video! I bought a few Japanese Fenders, Gibson and Epiphones. I also modded all the guitars, and now I feel like neck is the most important thing, not only the shape of the neck, but also when shaping tones. I hate thin neck in general because it doesn't seem to absorb enough tone and the feel. It never feels juicy enough.. I wish I could have some custom shop guitars to compare with, but they are too expensive for me...
Thank you S O. Some of the production (non custom ) pieces have those larger necks. Check out the Fender American Original 50's style tele. They have a bit of chunk to em. And some fo the affordable FSR Japanese Strats have some big ones as well.
I mostly play Fenders. About 10 years ago I wanted to step out and get a humbucking Gibson. I played a friend’s SG and hated the way the neck and body were raked. Then I played a Les Paul Standard but didn’t like it. Finally I tried a Les Paul Traditional and once I had that baseball bat of a neck in my hands I realized I had found an incredible guitar…especially for rhythm. Still play Fenders.
My favorite is a Fender 60’s oval C. I tried a Gibson rounded C I didn’t like it, it didn’t seem like it should be too big I think the shoulders on that neck might be hefty? I’ve never played a big Fender U but I probably wouldn’t like that either. I like the Gretsch U necks, but the one I have is from 2017 so I don’t know if that’s smaller than the older ones.
The early 80’s Kramer Baretta was shaped after a 63/64 strat I sold one than was a tad too thin but still have another neck that is delightful. My favourite neck jumps between my 51 V Esquire, 50 massive C Broadcaster and my Collings I35.
The best necks I've ever played were on Kramers. They just nailed it as far as my hand goes. I have big hands so a chunky neck doesn't bother me and I like a bit of chunk because it feels like I have something in my hands. Thin necks just feel weird, and as Phil McKnight put it about Ibanez's Wizard necks, "It's like [playing] a line of saltines glued together." The weirdest neck was one of those necks that's cut like the Nike swoosh, thin on one side and thick on the other, but I did play one that was like a soft V on top and a C on the bottom, and that was kinda cool. I wonder if therapists turn tan imagining the Hawaiian vacation home they could afford if Baxter ever walked into their office?
I went through alot of guitars over the pandemic. I sold my Mockingbird I had had since I was 16 in 2019 because I felt like it wasn't the guitar for me anymore but of course when the pandemic hit I was guitarless. I decided to buy on spec because I felt like I had disposable money for the first time in my life and bought a Dipinto Galaxie, totally breaking out of the mold of anything I ever had before. It was really pretty and I enjoyed it for a few months before it became acceptable to meet up to play music in a band setting again. Thats when I realized the pickups weren't the right tone for me, so I got a semihollow Gretsch. Played a couple shows and realized I like some gain so I had to get rid of that. Bought a cheap Epi SG off facebook and it felt great but I felt like it couldn't be the one. I mean it was $200, it can't be good enough right? So I bought a Kramer, hated where the knob was so I got a Jackson V, hated how small the body felt. Tried to get the best of both worlds with a Jackson Soloist but hated the way the binding caused me to fret out. Finally decided to go to the store and just play everything like I was blindfolded and ended up with an Epiphone LP 59 standard outfit. When I first picked it up I was telling myself I was just going to try it to rule it out but once I started playing it I realized a little heft in the palm isn't a bad thing. I know I lost alot of money overall but I learned my lesson the hard way. Try it all!
Hand size, finger length, finger girth, all have a match in finger board radius, width and neck contour. Say you have big hands, but shorter stubby thick fingers. A thick C contour, with a 7 1/4 radius and medium width should be fairly comfortable. If you have big hand and long medium slender finger (Eric Clapton), that V neck and 9.5 radius are gonna be great. Small hands spider long fingers like Vai and that wizard thin neck profile with flat wider fingerboard is gonna fit well.
I have a question. Having just bought my perfect guitar (a reverend double agent OG, it's magnificent. When I'm gone they can stick it in the box with me) How do I get you tube to stop giving me 5 guitar review a day - which I will still watch - without unsubscribing from half of my favourite folks?
A friend bought a '62 reissue Fender Strat with the "C" neck many years ago. As soon as a played it I knew that was the one for me. I recently bought an Epiphone Junior with the baseball bat neck, and I kind of love it also.
12:17 Yes, 100% ! At last! I was waiting through the whole video :-) I'm playing the wrong room here but I love the Jem/Wizard neck with a flatter radius... (and also the Modern-C)
You guys are hilarious and I learned more about necks. I have a Brian Moore 8.13 which gives me everything I need tonally but the neck is a bit too small for my big Goony Goo-goo hands. Not sure if it's the shape or radius. I just know that it's not a comfy as my Strat or Les Paul. These videos are really helpful to me so keep them coming. And BTW, the last joke about Radius is my next video so thanks! LOL...
I used to have a “Dean from Hell” that had a V shaped neck. It’s the only guitar I’ve played with that type of neck and I absolutely loved it. Now I just play baseball bat necks
My Dean I bought in high school had the same shape and it is always an at home feeling. The Fender 50s soft V style necks feel similar. I built a tele with that neck shape too.
I can play most necks, except for the super thin ones like Wizard necks. Those hurt my hand for some reason. The neck I like the most is probably the modern C.
I played a Charvel strat neck for many years. Thin and wide. Now, I'm all about the super fat C or the big boat neck on a Fender style bolt on. Gibsons are different for me. I like the 59' LP shape a lot. But I have a 61' spec 335 with the slim taper. It's great for that guitar. I would never change it even if I could.
Been playing a PRS SE Tremonti for a few years now, and recently tried a Fender player tele. It felt like i was playing on a baseball bat, even though that neck isn't considered fat. It was horrible for me, but i guess that what you get for having girly hands
I’m to the point where the dimensions of the neck are more important than the shape. Of course, how it feels is still king, but I’ve moved toward a medium thickness neck. Used to be all about the 10/56, now it’s more C or V with 0.820” - 0.850” thickness at fret 1 with a taper of 0.100” - 0.150” to fret 12. If I’m in the market and buying online and the dimensions don’t fall in those numbers, there’s not point in buying. Actually prefer the 7.25” or 7.25” - 9.5” compound also.
Over the last 2 decades I've bought every guitar I ever wanted. And found out which neck profiles are perfect for my hands. Now I am selling the guitars that don't have my preferred neck, no matter how much I love the guitar. The neck is more important than the look or pickups or other factors. With the right neck, it feels part of me and that's the guitar I want to play the most.
I’ve been getting into just buying a lot of aftermarket necks. Way cheaper than a whole guitar.
“More wood is often better.” Jonathan, straight faced then busts out laughing half a second later. I had to hit the pause button twice cause I was laughing so hard. I’m pretty sure this is pretty close to what would have happened if Beavis and Butthead graduated from high school. And that’s why I love y’all. “Hey, Beavis, he said more wood,”
Gosh we really need to grow up...but it is so hard when we spend so much time together and are both of below average intelligence:)
Reach around 🤣
@@CasinoGuitars- Huh huh, he said hard!
🤘
the 52 soft V and 56 medium V are my favorite neck shapes. Thin necks tend to make my arthritis flare up.
I've been looking into fatter necks for that reason too
That's a fantastic Jar-Jar impression.
Read comments before watching, see this comment, instantly like the video!
I know and he sounded just like him too!!!
Agreed! Astounding Jar-Jar impression!
Love watching these videos, first thing I do when I get to work in the morning!
My main guitar since the 90s was a 1976-1979 Epiphone Scroll SC-550. I fell in love with the wizard-like profile of the neck. So thin and nice which is amazingly comfortable for a small woman. It seems unusual for guitars of that time to have that thin of a neck. Is it?
Not sure if it is an anomaly or not… I’ve had a few Les Paul custom‘s from the 70s that had very thin necks. Congratulations to you for having a main guitar for such a length of time… wish I could do that.
@@dangolguitartech Interesting! Thank you.
Every thin neck i've had ends up cramping my hand after playing for 30mins. I have found the fret board radius is just as import as the neck shape as well. My favorite neck shape is the PRS Pattern neck. the 10 inch radius feels amazing for thumb over playing, chording, and leads. perfect. (for me). I've also found that the thicker necks are more stable through the seasons and require less adjustment.
I'm having the same problem with my 335, loved the smaller necks when I was starting out. I prefer more meat on the table now.
I couldn't agree more. My favorite shape is the USACG fatback, which is a C, but 1" deep the whole way. It feels huge for the first 30 seconds, then it just feels incredibly comfortable. Your comment about the radius is great as well - my favorite is (again) the USACG 10"-16" compound. I love PRS too. My Hollowbody has the wide-fat.
@@srinip the most important part of any guitar is the neck. When you find one that you bond with, you have found paradise.
Is Pattern the same thing as wide/fat? I fell in love with one parlor sized PRS acoustic that I saw online that the spec sheet says has a wide/fat neck and I'm thinking of ordering it, but I'm really afraid the neck will be too fat for my liking. In my 25 years of playing I only played on thinner necks. One time I tried an Epiphone that had a fat neck and I absolutely hated it. It felt really weird and uncomfortable. Do you perhaps know how fat PRS necks are compared to say Jackson or ESP necks?
Had the same problem with thin necks
I have a strat with a Deep C and tbh i hate it most of the time because its too big. I have a Tele from the Mod shop and its neck is too small, so Im gonna try the modern C and hopefully its a good in between
I have small hands so what is the best neck shape for someone that has a problem with their reach around?
im using c shape strat 9.5 radius but wanna buy 59 custom shop strat it sayin large c shape 9.5 radiuea ,never tried large c i wonder how big diffrence
My problem is I’m a violinist first, which is like, your hand barely touches. So I have no frame of reference as to how much of my hand should be touching the guitar neck. I’ve read your palm should never touch, which I’m used to. But beyond that? Don’t know.
I don’t have a Fender, but my guitar’s neck depth is 0.87" at the first fret and 0.94" at the 12th fret. So… “large C” in Fender terminology?
It does sound like a large C there and there are so many different techniques on the hand position that it really comes down to comfort. If you play classically you would probably have your thumb based on the back of the neck. If you play more modern you will have the tumblebug reach around the board...so many options. I play in a hybrid style so its even more confusing!
Thanks a ton for sharing Victoria!
The Fender Artist guitars seem to feature quite a few modified 'V' shape. I have that on my Baja 50's Tele and it's such a comfortable, reassuring shape. Fits the hand so well.
Those V's are great! I love em:)
I love the neck on my Baja 50's tele. I want it on every guitar.
I always said I’d never play an SG because of the neck. a few days ago played one for the first time now I have one coming in the mail. Felt like heaven.
That is fantastic!
Just don't let go.
As I’ve gotten older I find the fingerboard side of the neck matters a lot more than the back. A weird neck shape used to be a distraction but now it’s something I appreciate and affects how I play
I like that story and I have a similar approach to new neck carves...I really look forward to them!
Yup
Every shape is the best shape!
I have a bunch of guitars and I’m happy that all of them have a completely different neck profile, because that’s one of the most important things to give them their own unique character. And I play differently on all of them, but that’s exactly why I love them so much. 😊
Hey guys, what became of the Gretsch Rancher that used to hang on the wall?
She's still there, just move around every now and then:)
I was playing a resonator with a hard V neck the other week. I really liked it.
Bonus comment… my fav neck carve is either a 60’s oval C on my 63 tele with .83 at the first and .90 at the twelfth ORRRR a 63 strat with .87 at the first and .97 at the twelfth
I often wonder why Fender doesn't just bring back the original early Oval C. It's a way better thicker feel, because the rounding hits the hand pocket, and if not glossed, it will play well as the modern C, but not cramp the hand. It's like they're Sadists... lol
@@caiusmadison2996 it’s crazy! That should be their standard neck carve in my opinion. You can find it on the American original series telecaster. Check one out. I’d love to hear what ya think when ya do.
Warn to almost the wood is what I’m after. You guys are 13 year olds at times, it is heroic!! Recently there is nothing I look forward to more every day than your ramblings….thanks for making the effort. I totally relate fellas - keep shining.
I think Wayne and Garth entered our bodies for a minute here. My apologies but sincere thanks for sticking with us and having a laugh along the way as well!
@@CasinoGuitars no apologies needed. It’s was a riot. Kinda like a fart in church. Can’t help but laugh. It’s too easy 👍
I have a squire tele with a “slim” or “modern” c and I hate it honestly. My hand cramps or gets sore after 15, 20 mins of playing. I really want to replace it with a v or u shape neck.
I have a Gibson SG from the early 70s that has a neck with the narrow nut width of 1 9/16 inches.
I love it so much.
My 68' SG is the best playing guitar I've ever played.
Well I thought it was a soft V, but after I stopped by the shop yesterday and bought my first CS, it’s definitely the ‘59 Esquire C. If you are in the market for a custom shop, do yourself a favor and go to Casino Guitars. Baxter was so nice it was unreal, he even walked me to my car when I was done and showed me old venues where SRV played years ago. By far the best shop I’ve been in
Congrats buddy! That’s awesome, hope that custom shop is doing well. Keep on rocking 🤘🙂
I'm partial to the v shape necks. I have a American vintage 56 strat that I'm pretty sure has a 10/56. A 57 custom shop strat with a soft v that does feel heftier than a 10/56. And a clapton strat with the clapton v that definitely has a harder v but feels smaller than my other v necks.
Played a blond hardtail 56 strat back in the 90's.
Had a pretty large boat neck.
I think it wound up in onenof the Rolling Stones collections.
I’m a fan of the Gibson slim-taper. Modern C is okay too.
Yeah same. I love the modern C with thinner strings
I think most of the SGs have this, and I love it. Fender's Deep C is pretty nice as well.
I agree. The first Les Paul I got was a '99 Classic because of the price. I knew nothing about it. But, I got so used to it that when I finally tried other Les Pauls, I couldn't get used to it.
The asymmetrical slim taper on the sg modern is so comfortable that it actually makes me play better. Fits the hand perfectly!
I got massive hands... massive as in wide, with comically normal (but broken) fingers... Never did like the "shredder" necks, though a Gibson "slim taper" is pretty skookum, but a good fat neck is killer for mashing power chords with.
It sounds like you have the hands of a Norse God! Keep those power chords coming!!!
After getting used to my strat's neck for years, (modern D) I played a custom shop tele with a U shape and here I am researching necks. Since I'm stoned I'll try and detail that special "something" i felt playing it. First off the chunkier neck sang. The bends felt so natural and the vibrato resonated through the wood. I thought my purchase of an ultra strat would be my last stop but dammit, now I want options lol
Replacing the neck of my 97 Fender American Std strat. Suggestions for a replacement neck? Looking at Fender, Warmoth..
I love you guys, & the other kid from your other neck video. You're informative but so funny. X
Does anyone have an opinion on the Fender Mod Shop. Custom shop is too pricey for me and I’m not enamored with the production models. Does anyone own one? How did it work out? Looking at teles by the way.
Hey guys! Just wanted to say thanks! Thanks for all your content! I feel comfortable being a not normal guy now!
We just got home from Myrtle Beach. Passed the Southern Pines area in the middle of the night.
Jackson's "Speed Neck" profile with their 12-16 compound radius fretboard is probably my favorite guitar neck and radius of all-time 👍
Wuss gud Johnathan! Its Sheem The drummer who use to jam with you @ Free worship
I can tell you that I do prefer a V, a Clapton is tiny to me. And I do prefer a larger C as well. Felt a ‘59 Les Paul once, and also thought that was small. So where do I belong? Is a 10/56 big enough?
I like a thin C neck with fretboard radius of about 12"
A nice place to play fast there!
Holy Crow!! I came for the neck shapes and left convinced he IS the voice actor for Jar Jar Binks!!
What Would my 57' reissue strat be? D shape? Soft v? What about an 81 les paul d shape aswell? My jimmy page has a oval c 7.25 i like it. I perfer certain neck shapes for certain guitars
with my limited exposer to necks... my fav is Gretsch Thin "U" on the Streamliners.
Warmoth 59 round back, but the key is to get the 1 5/8 nut width. This combination has a nice comfortable roundness without feeling overly girthy.
I used to work at McFadyen Music! Which McFadyen are you referring to? I worked for Van Sachs in Charlotte.
I really used to think Ibanez was the standard for speed and comfort. 😅 I even just bought a new Artcore based upon this idea. I live with a tremor disorder from exposure in the military and comfort tends to be point number one when purchasing a new guitar.
I recently acquired a Dean ml79 and the V neck is the most comfortable thing I’ve ever played. I’m now looking at some of Fenders options with the V neck. I’m thinking the EOB. 😊 12:57
I got to a point when I was doin a lot of fly in dates and Nashville work that I only ever could carry 2 guitars and a pedalboard at most on most gigs …. Then after a couple years I not only burned thru those frets …. I realized I had such a hard time adapting to my other guitars
Then I started forcing myself to play all of them
Even now I force myself to change guitars (not just for tuning purposes) but also for sound and feel …. It is real that every guitar does something different and they all feel diff, but we get used to what we use the most. Now I can pick up just about anything and get to know it. And use it
I buy warmoths.
Last one I got was a 59 contour that I shaved some of the underside of the neck like the wolf gang assemetrical contour.
I did it while neck and strings were on guitar and taped off butt and headstock.
Fits like a glove.... but more vintage and bigger than a Wolfgang or SRV.
Very nice!
On a Strat, Eric Johnson's 57 style soft V neck shape and 12" fretboard combo.
On Tele, the Hotrod 50 and 60 D shape necks, with compound radius 7.25 -> 12". I always find that neck shape and the fretboard radius interact in my head when it comes to "comfort".
And yet, I have a bunch of Godins that work too, just not as well.
I also like whatever's v is on the Clapton sig. That's a very nice guitar that not a lot of people talk about.
my 1st Les Paul, a 70s MIJ had a slim taper neck, like a 60s i guess. I thought id like that better, since i dont have particularly larger hands or long fingers. I was wrong, fat is where its at. Not that i dont like that neck, just not as much
Funny how we end up liking the big ones later on. Great hearing from you Steve and hope all is well up there!
I haven't played enough necks shapes to say I have a favorite, but I do like that each of my guitars are different.
I found the perfect neck for me on my 83 Dan Smith era Fender Strat. The 2 knob version. 12" radius and a V. It's perfect for me
I just got a used Warmoth thin line Tele with a deep v 1" neck and I love it. My CV tele always seemed small but it played well enough for the last 12 years. Now I know better.
There's a lot more to necks than thickness and back carve. Nut width, fingerboard radius and fret size all contribute, too, with varying significance. A neck is the sum of all its specs...including wood type and finish. I would argue the type of truss rod comes into play too, with regard to balance. I prefer a heel-adjust rod pretty much whenever possible. I feel it puts the heaviest part of the rod closest to the body, eliminating neck dive and balance issues. Heavy tuners (Sperzels, for ex) can contribute to neck dive and balance also, to a lesser degree.
I grew up playing Jackson’s and Charvels. I really tried to get into fenders. I thought I liked the neck on some, but thought I didn’t like the strings, then I thought it might be the scale, then I thought it might be the frets, then I realized it’s the radius. 12 and up for me. I’m curious to try some of the weirder necks like Strandberg.
That is a very cool journey story and makes a ton of sense!
I have an '83 Washburn Force 3 that has a V shape for the first 4 or 5 frets and then rounds out to more of a C the rest of the way. Feels really good. Not much published about these, but I think they were MIJ....... very well built and the pickups sound very good....
I'm 6'6" have big hands and have been playing for close to 40 years. I never used to pay much attention to the shape, or size of a neck, but one neck shape always made me hate their guitars. Those are Epiphone's flat, wide u necks! They dig into the area between my thumb, and forefinger, and I can't play them. One year ago next week was when I truly noticed for the first time how great a neck can feel when I took delivery of the 2020 Epiphone 59 RI, and my Eastman SB59. Not huge, but the perfectly rolled edges, and larger C shape make them the most comfortable feeling necks I've ever played. I was happily surprised when I took measurements and they're almost identical! Thanks for your time!
Keith in...... Provo, Utah?
The only thing I don't really get is acoustic guitars with necks that feel like electrics.
What's there not to get? It's an option for people who like skinny necks on their acoustic. Someone who mainly plays electric may spring for one becsuer they're closer to what they usually play. You really couldn't get that?
I just bought my first 335, a custom shop 59 reissue and it has the absolute perfect neck shape for my hands and I have tried a bunch of different necks on other guitars but to me the profile on this 335 is perfection. Btw, just started watching you guys's videos recently and this is probably my new favorite guitar channel.
My first guitar was a '54 Strat with a fat deep "U". My second was Gibson Byrdland. 30 years later, I played Japan made Fender Strat with a '57 hard "V" neck.
I was poor and could not afford it. I can afford it now, but haven't found one again.
Where does the Martin modified low oval fit into this? Is it pretty slim?
Probably the best bromance on UA-cam
Two stoned dudes talking about stuff and guitar necks. I like it.
Anything over a 10" radius & I do like the modern "C" shape. Unfortunately we live in the digital age and the majority of newer guitars aren't available in my local Long & McQuade in Canada. They have to be ordered. I'd prefer to feel the guitar and plat it before I order & buy it.
Can you find godin easily? Beautiful stuff
@@zeusapollo8688 I live in Canada & they're made in Quebec, Canada. They're always available at Canada's "Guitar Center" called Long & McQuade. They're also available on the Sweetwater website.
The video is quintessential Casino Guitars! I loved it 😍
What ever neck was on my Big Apple Strat was the best. And my new Squire Strat thing with p-90s is very, very nice. I also love the necks on Ovations.
The most different guitar neck I have is a Brian May Guitar.
Love my chunky Les Paul neck, but I don't have issues playing a range of necks.
Not sure if it helped, but I began on a classical (i.e., flat fretboard) before progressing.
Hard to talk about necks without also talking about radius.
Yes!! The Brian May Guitar’s neck depth is 0.87" at the first fret and 0.94" at the 12th fret, which doesn’t seem strange. But combined with the larger nut width? She’s a strange beast. (But she’s my strange beast!)
Found at timestamp 2:28 what I came here for as I consider trading an American Tele for an prestige RG. I never reach my thumb around since I started as a bassist
For electric? 50s U Tele. For acoustic? The big Gretsch U from the Rancher. For bass? 51 U P bass, 57 Full C P bass, and 55 soft V P bass in that order. On bass that's all I'll play.
I need to go to a big enough store that has one of everything so I can try them all out.
I'd really like to put together a Warmoth partscaster, but want to be 100% certain before I drop that kind of money on a neck
The wormouth body to a fender c shape neck. I just built one from swamp ash quilt maple body out of eddievegas stash. Like having custom nitro body. Natural finish. The neck I using 2001 amercian standard neck. Mojo rene martinez tex pickups. I finally have what dreamt my guitar strat should look and feel like. I suggest you go for your partcaster!
Great channel, you guys make me laugh. Great Gungan impersonation. 😆 I wanna try a V neck now, seems crazy.
I would like to see a neck with flat sides down it like if the profile was the shape of half a stop sign but with more sides. Seems like it could guide you up from lower stings to higher stings and up the neck as well. Has this been done before?
Interesting thought. I’m wondering if this would be more advantageous to those who play with a “less thumb over” technique? It would have to be super subtle.
@@JiminTennessee The more I consider it, I realize that it's somewhat of a mirror of the stringed side of the neck. yeah what I'm proposing here would be subtle but noticeable.
That is an interesting approach and it may have been tried but not mass produced to any extent. If not I would say go for it with a neck to see how that actually feels:)
Interesting. I started as a kid and played whatever my dad had or what he got for me. After I got pretty good my dad got me a 1991 LP classic. I still own it. It’s a great playing and beautiful guitar but man it has a crazy thin neck for an LP. It was all I knew until many years ago I played an LP with a 50s neck profile and I like it so much more. I have average size hands I think but I like how the neck fills up my hand, helps with bends. I feel like the classic leaves this gap and it’s just not for me. But I keep that one for sentimental reasons.
for my strat and tele , i have bought the allparts lindy frailin necks , it's an u shape kinda neck but then tweaked by lindy to a more kinda off v shape , if you love chuncky maple necks these are perfect necks for you're tle or strat , i personally will never change to another neck anymore .
Can anyone tell me what the LP Std 50s is closest to? I have one and a Traditional that’s even a wee bit bigger( in my mind at least) but honestly when I ordered it in( the New Std 50s) I was expecting it to be …. Big(ger) so like I’m thinking R8 is maybe bigger? I’m looking for a bigger LP neck is my point. I have a couple 60s style necks. I can hardly play them anymore. So R8?
For me the Fender 10/56 is the GOAT. Also love the 57 Soft V, EJ Strat, 65 AVRI, American Professional, and Baja Tele. All on the larger size.
Started my recent search for an offset body with modern C with a large radius fret board and wound up buying a Tele with a U and 7.25 radius. So it goes.
PRS wide thin is the best neck I ve played and I have Les Paul 50s Ibanez Jem Ibanez Prestije and Fenders
I remember McFadden’s music in Fayetteville. Lol. I went there when I was stationed at Bragg back in the day. It was next to the hooters. Lol
I think that I can get along with les paul and strat neck profiles. I also like the shape of neck on my yamaha acoustic. On guitars I do not think of that, but on bass, the neck profile and fretboard radius makes or breaks my friendship with that instrument. The only guitar I cannot play is classical because it has 52mm nut and necks are too massive but I would likr to have a nylon string too.
Great video! I bought a few Japanese Fenders, Gibson and Epiphones. I also modded all the guitars, and now I feel like neck is the most important thing, not only the shape of the neck, but also when shaping tones. I hate thin neck in general because it doesn't seem to absorb enough tone and the feel. It never feels juicy enough..
I wish I could have some custom shop guitars to compare with, but they are too expensive for me...
Thank you S O. Some of the production (non custom ) pieces have those larger necks. Check out the Fender American Original 50's style tele. They have a bit of chunk to em. And some fo the affordable FSR Japanese Strats have some big ones as well.
U is the best for me. Big hands and long fingers and my first guitar was a flamenco style acoustic.
I mostly play Fenders. About 10 years ago I wanted to step out and get a humbucking Gibson. I played a friend’s SG and hated the way the neck and body were raked. Then I played a Les Paul Standard but didn’t like it. Finally I tried a Les Paul Traditional and once I had that baseball bat of a neck in my hands I realized I had found an incredible guitar…especially for rhythm. Still play Fenders.
Great story and journey there with the necks. It really does take the trip to find what' right for you!
my Tele looks like a 5 neck. It's good for me because I have smaller hands. I hate trying to play a Les Paul
My favorite is a Fender 60’s oval C. I tried a Gibson rounded C I didn’t like it, it didn’t seem like it should be too big I think the shoulders on that neck might be hefty? I’ve never played a big Fender U but I probably wouldn’t like that either. I like the Gretsch U necks, but the one I have is from 2017 so I don’t know if that’s smaller than the older ones.
Right on Dave. Those guys at Fender seemed to have nailed it back in the day:)
The modern C thumb reach around I love it!
The early 80’s Kramer Baretta was shaped after a 63/64 strat I sold one than was a tad too thin but still have another neck that is delightful.
My favourite neck jumps between my 51 V Esquire, 50 massive C Broadcaster and my Collings I35.
The best necks I've ever played were on Kramers. They just nailed it as far as my hand goes. I have big hands so a chunky neck doesn't bother me and I like a bit of chunk because it feels like I have something in my hands. Thin necks just feel weird, and as Phil McKnight put it about Ibanez's Wizard necks, "It's like [playing] a line of saltines glued together."
The weirdest neck was one of those necks that's cut like the Nike swoosh, thin on one side and thick on the other, but I did play one that was like a soft V on top and a C on the bottom, and that was kinda cool.
I wonder if therapists turn tan imagining the Hawaiian vacation home they could afford if Baxter ever walked into their office?
I like the Gibson 60’s Slim Taper, If Fender I can use a Modern C or even their Deep C.
Great choices all!
I went through alot of guitars over the pandemic. I sold my Mockingbird I had had since I was 16 in 2019 because I felt like it wasn't the guitar for me anymore but of course when the pandemic hit I was guitarless. I decided to buy on spec because I felt like I had disposable money for the first time in my life and bought a Dipinto Galaxie, totally breaking out of the mold of anything I ever had before. It was really pretty and I enjoyed it for a few months before it became acceptable to meet up to play music in a band setting again. Thats when I realized the pickups weren't the right tone for me, so I got a semihollow Gretsch. Played a couple shows and realized I like some gain so I had to get rid of that. Bought a cheap Epi SG off facebook and it felt great but I felt like it couldn't be the one. I mean it was $200, it can't be good enough right? So I bought a Kramer, hated where the knob was so I got a Jackson V, hated how small the body felt. Tried to get the best of both worlds with a Jackson Soloist but hated the way the binding caused me to fret out. Finally decided to go to the store and just play everything like I was blindfolded and ended up with an Epiphone LP 59 standard outfit. When I first picked it up I was telling myself I was just going to try it to rule it out but once I started playing it I realized a little heft in the palm isn't a bad thing. I know I lost alot of money overall but I learned my lesson the hard way. Try it all!
A Ernie Ball thin neck with a flat 20” radius fret board. Or a vintage Fender 60’s C- neck, also the Fender V-necks are cool too.
FWIW, I had a Peavey Classic 30 in the early 90s and it sounded great.
Hand size, finger length, finger girth, all have a match in finger board radius, width and neck contour. Say you have big hands, but shorter stubby thick fingers. A thick C contour, with a 7 1/4 radius and medium width should be fairly comfortable. If you have big hand and long medium slender finger (Eric Clapton), that V neck and 9.5 radius are gonna be great. Small hands spider long fingers like Vai and that wizard thin neck profile with flat wider fingerboard is gonna fit well.
That is a pretty perfect road map for a comfy neck!
@@CasinoGuitars I just wish all the other signature guitars offered as many neck profiles as Les Paul's. 😄
I have a question. Having just bought my perfect guitar (a reverend double agent OG, it's magnificent. When I'm gone they can stick it in the box with me) How do I get you tube to stop giving me 5 guitar review a day - which I will still watch - without unsubscribing from half of my favourite folks?
Try leaving the graphic up a little longer next time. Almost every time I was trying to read it, it would disappear after about 4 seconds.
A friend bought a '62 reissue Fender Strat with the "C" neck many years ago. As soon as a played it I knew that was the one for me. I recently bought an Epiphone Junior with the baseball bat neck, and I kind of love it also.
12:17 Yes, 100% ! At last! I was waiting through the whole video :-) I'm playing the wrong room here but I love the Jem/Wizard neck with a flatter radius... (and also the Modern-C)
You guys are hilarious and I learned more about necks. I have a Brian Moore 8.13 which gives me everything I need tonally but the neck is a bit too small for my big Goony Goo-goo hands. Not sure if it's the shape or radius. I just know that it's not a comfy as my Strat or Les Paul. These videos are really helpful to me so keep them coming. And BTW, the last joke about Radius is my next video so thanks! LOL...
I used to have a “Dean from Hell” that had a V shaped neck. It’s the only guitar I’ve played with that type of neck and I absolutely loved it. Now I just play baseball bat necks
Let's play ball! I love a baseball bat.
My Dean I bought in high school had the same shape and it is always an at home feeling. The Fender 50s soft V style necks feel similar. I built a tele with that neck shape too.
I can play most necks, except for the super thin ones like Wizard necks. Those hurt my hand for some reason.
The neck I like the most is probably the modern C.
That may be the winner for most!
My ES-335 ‘59 reissue is .88” at the first fret and 1.00” at the 12th. It’s quite comfortable but I do have secret desire to try the ‘58 neck.
Damn. She thicc.
I played a Charvel strat neck for many years. Thin and wide. Now, I'm all about the super fat C or the big boat neck on a Fender style bolt on. Gibsons are different for me. I like the 59' LP shape a lot. But I have a 61' spec 335 with the slim taper. It's great for that guitar. I would never change it even if I could.
Funny how different lines can work with a different neck carve. I am the same way:)
Been playing a PRS SE Tremonti for a few years now, and recently tried a Fender player tele. It felt like i was playing on a baseball bat, even though that neck isn't considered fat. It was horrible for me, but i guess that what you get for having girly hands
I’m to the point where the dimensions of the neck are more important than the shape. Of course, how it feels is still king, but I’ve moved toward a medium thickness neck. Used to be all about the 10/56, now it’s more C or V with 0.820” - 0.850” thickness at fret 1 with a taper of 0.100” - 0.150” to fret 12.
If I’m in the market and buying online and the dimensions don’t fall in those numbers, there’s not point in buying. Actually prefer the 7.25” or 7.25” - 9.5” compound also.
Funny how those things can really make or break the guitar...and yes to that radius, that is my favorite as well!