@@alrazitube I think you would have to try a few guitars necks because sometimes width is important but also thickness. I have played schecter, fender, jackson, charvel, kiesel, strandberg, ESP, and ibanez but out of all these options I have liked ibanez the most and jackson as a second pick.
Been playing for 50 years and the most important thing I've learned is that the neck IS the guitar, when it comes to how good you will sound. That's why Warmoth is the best thing that has happened to guitars. Most people buy guitars for the LOOK (bad idea) or the REPUTATION (bad). Put 70% of your cash into the neck and 29% into pickups...1% left for the body. Get a custom neck with great pickups and put it on any cheapo body and you will sound good, if you can level the frets and set it up right. Most of my guitars have $700 necks and $300 pickups, matched up with $40 bodies that I get at garage sales. Don't waste 20 years (like I did) listening to all the other talk. It's the NECK ! ...and then the pick ups...and a decent tube amp. If you listen to that, you'll save LOTS of money and time, running around in circles, being disappointed and eventually having the light bulb come on...20 years late.
I am you! Especially when you realise what works for you is not necessarily what you want/dream of. I played a strat C Shape 9.5 I Rosewood medium jumbos from ‘95. It plays great but I always struggled a bit with certain thinks and never paid to much attention to the gear part of things. You reckon you buy a good brand and you’ll be fine. For from it. In the old days Popular guitar manufacturers made instruments for players these day the produce instruments for customers. I ended up getting a fifties Tele V 7,25 Maple for nothing. Put a refret on it with the original small vintage skinny frets and new pickups and everything else which isn’t expensive at all. This neck plays like butter and has so much sustain that even unplugged it leads the ears. That’s probably why some refer the notes come naturally with vintage instruments. I bout the same for my strat and actually laughing, the playability was never bad but no it’s grotesque. I have so much control and comfort. The Neck is very important it will define your progress. It’s beneficial to know how your instruments work and what options you have in terms of set up, action and so on. It’s for a reason pros touring with their trusted guitar tec.
Wow, your response is what I need to hear. I’ve been on keyboards for 40+ yrs and now starting on guitar…at my age my fingers are not overly huge but the pads on my fingers are. I go to the big box guitar store each week looking around and I said to myself: why don’t they have sample necks not attached to a guitar? A friend gave me an early 90’s Yamaha Strat to learn on…it’s in beautiful condition. I really like the almost flat fretboard and natural wood feel on the neck but I need a tad more spacing between strings-many thanks!
i wish there was a standard way of measuring a person's hand and then having neck recommendations from manufacturers based on that measurement. It sure would eliminate a lot of the trial and error.
No kidding Bob. I have little stubby's for fingers. My palm isn't as small. Trying to figure out what neck to buy to compliment the sweet Tele body I just bought for the first guitar I am about to create.
This is a really important topic that is almost never discussed. You can watch hundreds of UA-cam videos comparing one guitar to another, and they almost never talk about the neck, and how it actually feels to play the guitar. Personally for me, if the neck is not comfortable, I could care less about the rest of the guitar. A guitar can be a tremendous value...sound amazing...look great...and be very well made, but if the neck does not have the correct thickness, profile, radius and fret wire, it will still be miserable to play! When I was a teenager back in 1976, I worked all summer and saved up to purchase a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom. It was a beautiful guitar, but I never was comfortable with it. I was in a band with a friend that had a Fender Strat. Over time I found myself switching guitars with him as the Fender was so much more comfortable to me. Fast forward 42 years. I have played a lot of different guitars and Fenders always feel best to me and my particular physical structure. But it even goes beyond the Fender 25.5" scale length. For example, I do not like the thin modern C-Shape neck profile on most new Fender guitars. I just recently sold two Fender American Deluxe Strats due to their neck thickness and profile. Case in point. A few years ago I was in a guitar store and had the opportunity to play a bunch of Fender guitars. Two guitars that I really wanted to play back to back were there. The first was a SRV Artist Series Strat...and the second was a John Mayer Artist Series Strat. When it comes to the neck on these two guitars, they have the same fret wire, scale length, nut width and so on. The differences are the neck profile, thickness, radius and the finish on the back of the neck. The bottom line is that these two guitars were so different, they felt like they were two different designs from two different companies. The SRV Strat with the thick offset oval and 12" radius felt amazing to me! The JM Strat, with its slightly larger C-Shape and 9.5 radius felt terrible in my hands. If I would have played both of these guitars with my eyes closed, I would have thought one of the guitars cost five to seven times as much as the other one. In reality, they both were about the same price, and shared many of the same quality parts. The difference was in the neck size and shape! I found your video while researching Warmoth builds with their SRV profile neck...or just purchase a Fender SRV Strat. On paper, the Warmoth modern neck with compound radius in a SRV profile sounds like the ticket, but that is a lot of money for something that I have never tried. Great video! Hopefully more people will view it going forward.
Hi Doug! Thanks for you kind comment. I’m glad to find another person who feels the way I do about this topic. Something so critical to an instrument but something that never used to be part of the conversation versatile when buying. Regarding your thoughts on the warmoth products I like you took a leap a few times trying different neck specs to see what I might like. Firstly let me say that my experience with Warmoth was good in terms of the build quality and delivery time. I did get hit with significant fees as the item came across the border to Canada. Something that surprised me as I though a product manufactured in the USA would not be affected due to our free trade agreement. I think it cost me about 120 dollars in taxes, duties and brokerage. It made the cost of the necks pretty high. The other thing is like you say, you can’t try before you buy and personally I feel you need to be able to spend some time with a guitar to really know and that’s hard to do in a single visit to the store. I would love to hear what you decide to do and get your feedback on how it worked out for you. I’m also glad you found the video helpful. I plan to make more. Would love to have you as a subscriber if you’re inclined. It’s great to have folks who like to contribute their experiences as well. I’ve been playing for over 35 year and I am still learning every day! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
Hi Lucas...Just subscribed. I am thinking I would like to attend a guitar show and see if I could try out multiple SRV Strats back to back to find "The One" LOL...and maybe a good deal if possible.
Hey Doug ! Thanks for subscribing! It means a lot. Please keep me posted on your hunt for “the one” and let me know what you find. Would love to see a video on it. I have never tried the SRV strat. I probably should do that! Thanks again!! I’m trying to build my channel and hopefully offer content that others find useful. I’d like to create a little community of like minded players and enthusiasts to share ideas and experiences. I’ve been making videos in earnest for a few months now and have had some great chats like this along the way! Cheers!!
perhaps people got obsessed with the hendrix hands on the neck and hence forth this gush of horrible modern fast c profiles .Im soon to pull the trigger on a warmouth fat neck for one or both of my fenders ..Wildwood guitars is the only web sight that actually tells neck thickness for all guitars .perhaps a mass attack of emails could wake up fender and gibson on this topic .It is truly ridiculous how much they don't tell us in relation to how much they charge us .
I remember the days when there were mom and pop music stores who sold quality made in USA guitars and you could feel them and try them before buying, now you have to do 6 months of research online and take a leap of faith
Yeah it’s pretty sad really. Also when you look at the prices today too....to me it’s crazy how expensive some of these things are. Thanks for your comment. Cheers.
Yes, I have had this discussion so much lately as it pisses me off. I purchased a guitar 16 years ago and stuck it in the gig bag and just fixed it up. I couldn't even go out and buy some damn strings locally. Even freaking Guitar Center here is a small hole in the wall and nothing like it was. Dead inside unlike 16 years ago. Now it is all online and for musical instruments it has always been to go pick them up one by one without looking at price and see what chooses you. You can't do that with online purchases, and Amazon jumped my ass last year for having six returns within a year (they were DOA) but I found out Amazon doesn't want you to return items as it costs so much to them. I hate Bezos especially since the pandemic (he literally could give all 876k employees a 150k USD bonus and would still have the same wealth he had prior to it). Now that the last stimulus checks went out the day they announced it was hitting everything in my cart went up 8-20%. The Internet was a very bad thing.
Fantastic video and I'm embarrassed to say that it has taken me decades to realize just how important this is to understanding what guitars will work for you and why others won't.
My first guitar was a '62 Strat which my dad bought for me in '65. I played that guitar or years and got used to it. Anything else I played usually felt "different". When I started playing professionally, I needed a different guitar and settled on a '71Gibson SG, which worked well for me. I got used to the feel of that guitar over the years and anything else just felt "different". I never understood why at that time. I played a friend's '61 SG and that guitar was amazing! I could play things I couldn't on my 71 SG. It was super comfortable and the tone was VERY different than the '71 SG. It was very hard to analyze all of that during the 60s and 70s ... not as difficult now when all of the specs available on all of the necks. I do prefer ebony as a fretboard wood on my electrics and acoustics. If you are lucky enough to find that perfect guitar for your hands ... early on ... your playing could evolve to its highest potential.
This is the video I needed, I'm a bass player learning guitar & learning all the nuances that go with it. Just jumped into the neck rabbit hole recently, & see it is priority number one.
I purchased a EVH Wolfgang and it is blissful for playing !! Great neck shape and size and whole kit with the one minor exception I prefer the 24” scale . They do make one but it is expensive
Lucas, I just came across your channel while researching information on guitar necks. As I responded to JH below, I don’t understand why guitar stores don’t have necks not attached to a guitar so a person can get an objective feel of the neck w/o the enticement of a name, body aesthetics, etc…thank you immensely for this info…shopping for guitars is a deep and expensive rabbit hole…peace.
Thank you for the kind words. Certainly the internet has really changed things in this regard. When I was kid learning to play I had no clue about this stuff. Frankly, I don’t think many of us really did. Luckily now, people have more information and it’s a bit easier to find out what you really like. Glad you found the video helpful and thanks for taking time to watch and share you’re feedback. All the best !!
Thanks for this video, it's something that is not that much discussed when buying a guitar. While I prefer a neck with a decent amount of chunky on it, I don't like the nut width any more than 1 11/16", and I refuse a neck that is 1 5/8", the nut width is too small, and hangs up chord changes. What I would recommend is that the first thing you do when trying out a guitar, hold the neck at the first fret as if you are getting ready to play. If the webbing of your hand touches the neck, and it continues to do so when you fret the strings there, that's a good indicator you have a neck profile that fits your hand. To a classical or jazz player, neck profiles may not mean as much, because they are taught not to grasp the neck as they play, just to have only their thumb there, but nut width would come more into the equation with that kind of technique. Then again, other players could care less, they just get the guitar and play it, because it can do other things for them. Jimi Hendrix was one such player. If you have ever seen closeups of his fretting hand as he played, and he had big hands with long, spindly fingers, most of his Strats had the then Fender factory standard of 1 5/8" nut width, which didn't stop him from getting the sounds he wanted. Back then, obviously, you had to take what you got from the factory, as the aftermarket guitar parts industry for consumer use was just wishful thinking for the most part, not really coming into being until the late 70's.
Very nicely done, and great information. I'm shopping for a guitar after playing only bass for a number of years. As a big guy, with large hands I've only been aware of nut width, so this was very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for this. I find that flatter radius necks are a pain for me to play, whereas on a rounder radius neck my fingers feel more relaxed and im a bit faster. However i think that playing a flatter radius neck for so long allowed me to build a nice foundation of strength in my hand and wrist from chord progressions
I have a nice collection of guitars, with a pretty nice selection of different necks of course. But my hands down favorite is my 61 Strat reissue with the 7.25 radius. I have no problem hitting notes, and doing bends, but I learned to play back in the early 70s
Took a ton of good notes. As a mechanical engineer everything you took time to give a short but concise explanation of was very helpful in understanding how each piece works and what to look out for when searching for your very personal musical instrument. Thanks much
I recently bought a $229 Kramer guitar that plays so much better than my $1100 Charvel. To my instructor that didn't make any sense because, indeed, the electronics in the Charvel are superior to most guitars but I realized, when I got home my Kramer guitar plays better because of the way it grips in my hand, the thicker, chunkier C shaped neck allows me to play faster and have better control.
I shattered my shoulder and arm on my fretting hand. I was advised that a 24.75 12 inch radius would be sufficient to recuperate on. I have never touched one, but I bought one but my hand stretch is 8.25 inches from thumb tip to pinky stretch like measuring for gloves. As soon as I started my hand went numb dead asleep. The neck is riding on a nerve. I was digging through the closet and found an old Silvertone Strat that the frets had turned green. I strummed F CG and it doesn’t hurt at all . I took it to Marlers in Park Hills and to the dude (lol) who has done all my work. It had a beautiful 3 tone burst. I thought well maybe it isn’t bad… it’s made of Plywood and it has a 3 ply pickguard but the inside on e isn’t shielding like I’d hoped. Dime sized pots and some shielding paint here and there. But it has a 9.5 fretboard radius and the key. A C shaped neck. I hope I can recuperate and get my mojo working. I want a Vintage Classic II 1961 Strat if my playing gets better. it has a medium C neck tall jumbo frets and a 7.25 radius. I fucked up my Shoulder and all below, but working is all I can do , I have a torn Labrum and a surgeon won’t do anything because I am 62 and retired from being a crash test dummy who threw 100 lb boxes around for far too long. I’m hoping. Oh and the bull about legato and bends choking is propaganda to sell over priced LesPauls and S Redneck mullet guitars. Watch Rory Gallagher and David Gilmour on their 61 Strats Shredding and bending 3 strings to 2 steps up while sweep picking. Carlos Santana could do it too on his Tele 7.25.
Great video in explanation... If you like your action 1/16 of an inch at about the 17th fret or 1/16 of an inch at the last fret.. WHEN YOU BEND UP AT THE HIGHER REGISTERS ANYTHING LOWER THAN A 12 INCH RADIUS IT WILL CHOKE OUT IF YOU ARE A BIG BENDER... Me personally The Sweet spot for building guitars if you never want to have to worry about choking a string out no matter your action WOULD BE A 14 INCH RADIUS.. as a guitar builder, amplifier builder, guitar player, the 30 years that is what my research has told me.... Painstaking experiments over and over again.. ;)
I just wanted to send a quick THANK YOU for posting this video. I learned more from you in this 12 minute video than I learned from ALL Guitar Center “Guitar guys” from over a dozen stores, spanning from 2009 to now. Very cool explanations!
Dear Lucas... Your information is so accurate and I fully agree with you.... Just seems you skipped an important issue.... I really want to ask you something that is critical for me.... I am used to flat 12 radius D shape jackson soloist Chris Broderick signature which is designed for speed shredding and I am so comfortable with that one .. thing is that I also want to buy a fender strat but 99% are modern C which for me is too thick I can not play fast Malmsteen style with those... What happened is that I gave a try to a couple Squier guitars and those have what manufacturer decided to use for improving speed in the 2000s: a C shape but thinner and thus making it the best of the best so comfortable to play at high speed... And that is the reason why I can't still buy a fender strat because I really can't play those modern C comfortably.... I wished you also talk about neck thickness (not only shapes) and I'd like to ask you if you know about a fender strat model thay is as comfortable as the squiers in terms of thickness... Thank you very much for your patience and comments... And congrats!
Love your videos. Excellent information. Just to clarify, the radius is the distance from the edge to the center of a circle. So a 7 inch radius neck has the curvature of a 14 inch circle.
Very useful, thanks a lot! Took me years to figure, how much all of these „neck parameters“ actually affect my playing and which neck decisions feel most comfortable to me.
Thanks Lucas ! just beginning a journey into making a PartsCaster Tele. I needed more info on every aspect You touched on, Thanks again , Very Helpful.
For anyone with big hands like me, the J Mascis Jazzmaster is thick, yet comfortable in my hands. Highly recommend you try one. Contrastly, i also have 2 Mexican Standard strats with modern C profiles. These are thin necks. I find them uncomfortable.
Taller (like 6105, Nash guitars use these) or "jumbo" (6100) frets are useful if you want to lighten up your touch as you won't press down as hard which can help with good intonation while playing. If you get really into bending strings a lot they can be helpful for that. Wider, lower (6150) seem to find good use for many shreders as they seems to work for legato as well as having enough height for other techniques . Truly vintage frets are tiny and I personally found that I didn't really like them even though I like touching the fingerboard. Great video here in explaining several important neck related matters. many thanks.
Thank you for making this video. A bunch of other videos say hand size doesn't matter and to just tough it out. I would rather spend more money on a bespoke guitar that I enjoy playing instead of "toughing it out" and hating playing. Thank you so much!
Pau Fero is the best compromise for Rosewood. Also a wood that I have used is "French Lilac." Very beautiful and very dense and hard when grown in the Northern Climes with cooler environment.
Thanks for the info, I been having a hard time looking for the perfect neck for me because I have small hands, with your info it makes me more knowledgeable in what I'm looking for, Thanks again
I have a custom shop fender strat with a 12” radius. It baffles me why it’s such an uncommon thing. Everyone that plays that guitar falls in love. It feels like it plays itself sometimes
I kind of like the larger scale length so I can visualize where the notes are because it is easier to do so if there's a larger difference in the space between the frets. Each section of the keyboard will look a little different.
I have a 2021 Fender Professional ll Strat with a maple neck and I find it extremely comfortable. I believe it is a modern Fender profile and the fret board is extremely smooth or silky. It also comes with the 9 gauge strings which are easy to bend.
This is really interesting, thank you. I'm looking to treat myself to a new guitar for my 50th this year. Last year I had major surgery to remove a spinal cord tumour which has left me without feeling in my left hand. I can use my forefinger and middle finger okay but I've shifted to playing more open tunings with more emphasis on the right hand rhythm. Left hand comfort is really important though as my hand gets fatigued quickly. I had my eyes on a telecaster but with all this helpful information I'll be trying lots of different types now.
Hi David! Thanks for taking time to stop by and comment. You have my deepest sympathy regarding the loss of feeling in your hand. Must be tough for sure! Thank you for sharing. Have you considered slide guitar as well? I'm a Derek Trucks fan. He can make it sing so nice! Cheers!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar thanks so much for replying. It's been a tough year but it's been fun too trying new things. I've been practicing slide a lot and listening to loads of Muddy Waters and Son House. I've not listened to Derek Trucks so will definitely have a listen. It's opened up a whole new genre for me. I would have loved to have seen the likes of John Lee Hooker and Howlin Wolf live!
AS middle aged beginner in his 3d year of guitar i just started to have preference due to the fact that i have only tried a few guitars. I enjoy well done guitars honestly, I know it sounds simplistic but, at least for me, the radius is not that influent but there is a huge difference if the quality isn't there. For example a fender player, while it does the job its not comparable to the underrated performer, the feel of the fingerboard in rosewood that it isn't as dry, how it feels under your hands its very different. I would say that a good fretwork with a well oiled fretboard is more important than the radius. Also I found that the thickness and the shape of the neck plays a huge role compared to the radius. I still need to try out 7.25 but so far from 9.5 to 14 it all works well for me. I also prefer thicker necks on my main guitar which is a Stratocaster 25.5, i can actually feel more vibrations on the wood while I play and I like it.
Let's not forget the NUT width, for those with larger hands, as personally, I found a lot of the standard nut width sizes from most manufacturers (being 141 to 143mm), was far to small, and interfered in muting other open strings etc... (in other words not enough space between the strings...) I have found a guitar manufacture called: Big Lou guitars, which are reasonably priced, and made in the States, that are very well made, and cover a veriety of designs... Perfect NUT width for me at 1and7/8ths inches, or 2inches, or ecen 2and 1/8th inches for really big hands... Just bloody perfect ..... NO matter how good thwe guitar, it's no good if you are forever battling to play it, as it's just too small nearer the nut to play clean chords etc....
That’s why I traded my Mexican EVH wolfgang special, nut width is too narrow for me. I traded it for a 91 American Standard Strat, has a 43mm nut width
I played a new les paul standard with that new "sticky" rosewood. It was one of the finest necks ever, but that porous rosewood felt like playing on sand paper.
Hey great video btw man, cheers for that. I've recently picked guitar again.. haven't played in 10 yrs or so and i have a guitar my brother bought for me when I sick a few yrs back.. it really helped to pass the time, as I was bedridden for awhile but its old and still plays but I need to update if I'm to continue on a regular basis. I went into a shop, bout a month ago and i walked back out after having a little look and play, not really knowing what i was looking for. But now thnx to this video, I have a much better understanding of what I might want now.. so again, thnx for this man.
Hey Curtis. You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful. I really appreciate that you took time to say that. I’m also glad you’re getting back into playing. Thanks so much!
I owned a Mexican Strat, Lake Placid with a Rosewood fretboard for many years. It was my only electric. I’m a 3 or 4 on a scale of serious guitar player. These days a 1-2. One time I got to play a very new Gibson Les Paul and in that 15 minutes was the best I’ve ever played. ANY guitar. To me it was like sitting in and taking a Ferrari or Lamborghini a few laps around the track after driving a used mini-van for the previous 20 years. My hands are above average and my fingers are long. I always struggled with many chords on the Strat, but on the LP it was like 🧈 butter. And I always considered myself a Fender guy. 🤷🏼♂️ 🤷🏻
I haven't been playing long but know what you mean about the neck shape and radius,ive got the guitar bug and purchased a 2008 fender usa strat an Ibanez rg521 and a vintage v100 lemon drop .I find for whatever reason the vintage guitar suits me perfectly ,it plays so easily.im thinking about selling the Ibanez and possibly trying to find a different neck with a 12" radius for the strat.if youre buying your first guitar my advice is go to a store and try playing a few chords on different guitars before purchasing!
Hey Billy. Sorry I missed your comment last week. If you are looking for a different neck for your strat Warmoth has some options but also there are some stock Fender Strat models that feature 12" radius. Make sure you take your time and check the frets too. Different fret sizes and shapes can totally change the feel for you. Good luck in your quest and let us know what you eventually settle on. Cheers!
I want to experiment with different kinds of Woods on the fretboard & neck backing. I want 3 woods on the fret board suited better for low, middle & high tones, with very strong neck backs that are NOT reactive to temperature fluctuations. Thicker on the neck ends & thinner on the neck base for high notes. I’m thinking Hemp neck backs might be better, Hemp doesn’t react to temperature easily & vents off heat very well. Then there are vast improvements that can be made in caring for the vibration waves created by the strings through the entire instrument, especially in the body. The neck also has a lot of rich tone waves running through it that are not being harnessed & related to the electrical pick up systems, magnetic electro sensitive truss rods could help cure that effectively, easily & efficiently. Wave generation strength points & material timber reverb needs to be better cared for along with the timber effects with the waves, shapes & total materials used in relation to how the waves are traveling through different kinds of materials, and cleanly being picked up by the coils. I think better pick up systems are needed to relay the natural tones the metals make & also amplifying Systems. We need to think & research on the Quantum Level & study & Develop Better in how Vibrational Resonate Frequencies travel through different kinds of materials. How well those vibrations relate, Are sensed, & match secondarily & beyond that, effects how strong, fervent & powerfully intriguing the tones, sounds & effects are coming out of amplifier & P. A. Systems.
I always just strum the open strings and put my Ear on the Back of the body to hear the Guitars true Tone !! Many of my Schecter guitars have a body that Sustains for over 30 seconds, and the Tone of the tone of the wood is very Sweet .. I Usually replace the Pickups and The Schecter SLS FR Sustainiac made In Indonesia is a sweet Guitar
I have an acoustic guitar with a mahogany neck and a Rosewood fingerboard w/12 inch radius and it is a pleasure to play it and 2 electric guitars with Rosewood fingerboard as well. I have considered buying a strat with a maple fingerboard but haven't purchased it yet. Still on the fence on that one.
Hey David. My preference is Rosewood as well. I don't mind maple but given the choice I would always opt for Rosewood. I prefer the feel and tone from those strats. All my favorite Strat guys use Rosewood too for some reason. Cheers!
I started learning guitar about a year ago (I'll be 50 next year). I bought a strat for my first guitar. The guitar is nice, but the strings feel too close together and the frets too far apart. Wondering if going with a guitar with a shorter scale length and wider nut width would be better. Need to go to my local guitar store and try some out.
Great information, thanks! I’ve always preferred action just a tad higher than some players. Not high, exactly, but not literally hovering a hair above the fret. I’m fairly heavy handed on my chords, so I get too much buzz when it’s too low. And it feels weird, almost too easy to fret a note. Lol
I have a 1995 us stratt the neck is normal till8/9fett then the neck is carved thinner thickening up again around 13th which is never been explainable. Wickedly comfortable
This is most definitely an important topic to include when considering which guitar to purchase. Primarily I'm a vocalist (lead) and a trombone player in a blues rock group but about 3 years ago I started learning guitar and bought my first electric...PRS semi-hollowbody SE and I love it! Recently though I wanted a single coil guitar so I started trying some out. I was leaning towards a Mexican model in the Vintera Series and the 50's model had a 7.25" radius with a U shape that you could really feel fill the palm of your hand! I actually thought it felt awesome but the finish was high gloss poly...yuck! Sticky as all get out! I don't understand why so many maker's do that??!! Satin finishes all the way! Then I tried the new Performer Series American made Tele with Satin finish, 9.5 radius with a modern C shape...I was sold! Happened to be during some great sales and I got a Tele Performer with the Penny copper finish and maple fretboard for under $1k!!! To be honest though even at normal price at $1150 it's not a bad price for an American Tele imo. Especially with the new Yosemite pickups and Grease Tone pot circuit. I did a lot of side by side with Vintera, Performer, Player and even the Squire Classic Vibe and was surprised by the differences in the feel of the neck as well as the sound. Really happy I did that before buying. There's no substitute for being able to put it in your hands and play imo. Considering the price of the Roadworn Vintera Mexican Tele's that run $900, it's not that much more to get a Performer American made and the difference I felt was drastic! You can literally feel the difference in fit and finish. Anyway I have to give props to Fender for this new series and making a nicer guitar a bit more attainable. I also played the Pro ii next to a Performer and I didn't feel or hear enough differences to justify the price, so for anybody considering an American Tele or Strat I'd encourage you to take a look at the Performer Series. Thanks for your informative video!
Hey Spencer. Congrats on your new axe! That’s awesome! Thanks as well for sharing some great insight. Your comments could really help someone who’s also shopping for a new axe. Cheers!!!!
Subscribed. Best neck explanation yet! I love my 12” 60s Baja & G LP necks. The 50s Baja 9 1/2” is ok. I have small hands. Plus left is severely battered due to osteoarthritis & trapezium removal. I’m always hunting for more comfort. 👍🏼
Thanks Matt. I appreciate the support! Glad to hear your powering through what must be quite difficult circumstances. Have you tried a rounder radius with rolled fingerboard edges? Personally, as I get older I'm finding that to be much more comfortable for me. Guitars are like shoes. Some fit great others not so much :)
Lucas Crossley Guitar Hi. My trouble is I’m kinda hooked, or was on 1950s. Unfortunately they come with fat necks. My guitars are all low to middle range prices. So ya don’t really get a great choice in necks. A nice soft C, I love. I love a 12” for string bending. If I had the cash. I’d 100% have fender & Gibson make me custom made guitars lol. On your advice, I’ll definitely look into the rolled. Thank you. 👍🏼
@@mattsmart705 Oh man, wouldn't it be awesome to be able to call both of those companies and say , please make this for me? I think we all feel that way! Cheers!!
I am very particular or fussy in selecting a guitar. I really love a small radius fretboard like my former 80's Fender Strat or my current early 80's B.C. Rich. I don't like the feel of most guitars. I need that small radius fretboard and they seem hard to find these days! I am curious if there are any advantages of having a slim neck compared to a chunky "D" shaped neck? I assume that it is just a comfort thing eh?
Enjoyed the content which is rarely discussed. Thanks. Especially for people brand new to guitar. Companies always advertise how easy it is to play & how fast it is. People with small hands are discussed but rarely people with fat fingers or not so skinny fingers. These guitars with very narrow frets and nuts, make it very difficult for a new player, who is trying to learn chord shapes. Trying to fit 3 fingers in the same fret with 3 adjacent strings so close together, is practically impossible and discouraging to new players. Your fingers will touch the adjacent string as there is physically no room for all 3 fingers in the same fret on 3 adjacent strings. You can go to classical guitars with 2 plus inch nuts, which they say is better to learn on but then it is more difficult to reach certain notes because the strings are farther apart. Then they say electric guitars are easier to play because the action is lower. But then again the nut is narrow and you're back to square one. Challenge for you; since you have researched the neck shapes, scale length and nut width and your experience with all types of guitars over the years. New players DO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE to even ask a question yet as the are still in the dark about this and just want a guitar they can learn on and progress on. Even Fusion guitars, still have narrow nuts. Regardless of brand, which guitar, in your opinion, would you recommend for a brand new player who finds it almost impossible to reach over strings and hit the string on the fingertips precisely, on frets that are too narrow in width and whose nut diameter, puts the strings far too close together to be able to play accurately within the specified tempo of the song, let alone changing chords, when they have to be perfectly transitioned as to not buzz or touch adjacent strings. Is there such a guitar even produced or do we just.......take up "piano" or just start up a lawn mowing business? (Just - Joking !!!) Thanks for your insights and sharing your knowledge. I would be interested in your final opinion and most new players will thank you for it. The angst and frustration of buying your dream guitar that sounds perfectly to you, but in reality does not fit your fingers and you are unable to play it. Definitely a "stab" to the heart!
Hi SJ Guy. First of all, thank you for taking time to share your thoughts here. You have obviously given this some serious thought. One sentence you wrote really stood out for me and that is "almost impossible to reach over strings and hit the string on the fingertips precisely" The reason I keyed on this particular piece of information is because it's really quite common among the beginners that I have taught in the past. It tends to be less to do with the size of ones hand and more to do with just sticking to it until this awkwardness becomes smooth. If you are brand new to guitar then there are some exercises you can do on the guitar to train your brain into making these otherwise foreign maneuvers. I've taught kids as young as 8 or 9. Certainly their hands are quite small. It's the old 10,000 hour rule. Eventually it will come to you with time, effort and patience. Of course don't overdue it either. For me, when I started I used to work on 2 to 3 chords at a time. I would choose 2 or 3 chords that sound nice together. Say, G and C add9 for example. There's very little movement required to change from a G chord to a C add9 chord. You only have to move 2 fingers while the other two stay rooted on the 3rd fret of the High E (G note) and the 3rd fret of the B (D note) I would just practice this over and over and try to create some rhythm with the right hand. Once I could smoothly change from one chord to the other in time with the beat I would add another or choose different chords. Regarding the perfect guitar recommendation I'm not sure there really is one. There's just so many variables and they are all quite personal. I don't however, recommend starting with an acoustic. The tension required to bring the strings to pitch (versus electric) means that it's much harder to press the strings to the fret. Also, the set ups tend to not be as good especially on a budget acoustic. This means you could really struggle to fret the chords (especially bar chords) AND you could have intonation issues which would make the chords you are trying to form sound out of tune. For me, I recommend that a beginner buy a budget version of the kind of guitar that your heroes play. If your here is Jimi Hendrix get a squire strat. If it's Slash get an Epihone Les Paul and go from there. After all, its supposed to be fun. Just my two cents. I wish you the best of luck. It's a life long pursuit and no matter how good you get you will always find something you didn't know. Cheers!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar Thank You for sharing your insights, recommendations and encouragement. Your "2 cents" is worth a million dollars to all new guitar players. As a side note, I did try a low budget classical guitar and the setup was awful and tuners kept slipping out of tune and 1 string had the nut cut too deeply. A wrong path to go down, but you chalk it to experience and move on. I did find 1 new solution that I find very beneficial in learning guitar notes & chords and that is the "Jamstik". It tracks your fingers on the fret board by pressure & laser light and tells you if you are hitting other strings, not pressing hard enough and if you are hitting the chord correctly in real time. Just what the doctor ordered.! Great learning tool and has fun games to learn notes and chords on the neck while playing via Apps & Bluetooth. You might want to check it out just for fun. Another great learning tool for all guitarists. Also found an unbelievable " finger style guitarist" from Sweden"Gabriella Quevedo" and she posted her videos on UA-cam. "gabriella9797" She is self taught, doesn't read music and would practice on her fathers guitar when they went shopping. She plays songs across all genres and has written some on her own. UNBELIEVABLE to see how good she was at 12 years old, compared to present 22 years old. I urge all your subscribers to listen to all the songs she arranged & plays. Ex; Clapton, Beatles, Elvis, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Elton John, Aerosmith, Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson, ABBA and check out her playing "Classical Gas". WOW!!!# A lesson in; "Perserverance" an unbelievable talent. Thanks Again and I did subscribe to your channel & clicked the bell. Wish you well with a "Silver UA-cam Plaque."
@@sjguy1099 Hi SJ! I will check out the Jam Stick for sure. I have heard of it but I don't know much about it. Certainly these days we have more tools than ever to help us. When I was a kid learning you had to really learn to use your ear. Press Play, Stop and Rewind alot lol. I will look at the guitarist you recommend as well. There are so many wonderful Heavy Wood style players. Don Ross is one I really listened to a lot. I love how they use alternate tunings and create such full and rich arrangements. It's a very cool style. Is that your listening preference? When pursuing guitar who do you admire which guitarists inspire you? Thanks so much for the sub too! I am hoping to upload a new video shorty. It's almost done. Darn day job lol!! Cheers
Thanks for clarifying. I’m looking for the perfect neck for me. Having played rosewood necks for years, I’m really keen to try out a maple neck. Thinking about getting a Telecaster, but I prefer P90’s hum buck for the neck. I love Gibson guitars, but unfortunately they are a bit heavy. Thanks again for helpful information 👌
Great video, over the years I came to realise I like a 1 5/8 nut width way better than 1 11/16 I also liked 7.25 radius but could go up to 12 to get lower action with less choking. I also learnt I dislike compound radius. I prefer large stainless steel frets like Dunlop 6100 SS. also prefer tru-oil or no finish on the neck, hate thick poly necks. dont mind a mild scallop either, similar to high frets for getting a good grip on the string.
My personal wish would be (and for others) find a guitar you love firstly, tone etc feel, then it would be amazing to have that guitar with different radius necks so you chose which is best, then again this whole things is a rabbit hole alright with many variables
I like to play all of my guitars !! My Schecter guitars are all Made in South Korea, Ibanez Artcore. It's a 335 style semi-hollow body , A Corona California Fender Strat, A Japanese Made Squire Strat with a set of ESP Single coil pickups a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Studio ....... I have no problem playing any Scale Length of neck and any Style neck Shape but I prefer thin necks
Alder body and rosewood fretboard on a Strat is a specific formula that many stick to. Personally I've found neither wood to my liking, and prefer LP's with mahogany or T's with swamp ash bodies. Poplar works fine for S type and roasted or rock maple is my neck wood preference with matching slab fretboards. Alder sounds dull to me, and rosewood deadens also. For bright guitars they work fine. For warm, fat tones, mahogany neck and body is hard to beat. Ebony boards are my second preference to maple.
Very informative.Could you please spend a little more time to explain radius,intonation/string height and numbers concerning radius; does 12" radius mean fat and thick or a thin , slim neck? Thank you for tackling this problem. The guitar may be a work of exceptional art but I cannot use it if the neck kills & shreds my hands,wrists,and fingers !!!!
Hey Joseph. The radius of the neck has no affect on the thickness of the neck, only the curvature of the fingerboard. The neck Contour or Neck Profile is more of an indicator of thickness and that can vary widely. I would go to Warmoth's website and look at the neck shapes they have there. They do a pretty good job of explaining the differences. Here's a link to the profiles - www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/BackContours.aspx
Longer scale length offers more real estate in the upper register and flatter radius offers the ability to go lower if you want to, (I don’t). Width of the finger board has a lot to do the playability as do es the profile. Also shorter scales allows for heavier strings and lighter strings work well on longer scales. String spacing is also a big factor on playability. I like a little more space 11/32 between but none of these prevent you from adapting 😂
When you talk about neck radius, I initially thought you were going to talk about, the back of the neck, how wrong was I. maybe you should have specified which part of the neck you were talking about.
For me, I like a rounder radius for slide. I find it easier to control specifically which strings I’m hitting with the slide. But, I’m not slide guru at all lol. Watch Derek Trucks. Incredible player and he’s using a Gibson SG (predominately) and that has a relatively flat 12” radius. I think like most things, it’s a matter of preference. You will likely want heavier gauge strings and slightly higher action but again, it’s all preference which is learned through experimentation. Cheers!!
What is the actual truth about Gibson vs Fender necks? Which one is thicker and wider? I was under the impression that Gibsons were always wider, flatter and thicker, and the Fenders were narrower, thinner and slightly more rounded as discussed on the fingerboard...?
It varies widely from model to model. Take the new Gender Ultra for example. It has a compound radius. There are Fenders with 12" , 9.5", 7.25 etc....Gibsons as far as I know are always 12"
Currently spec'ing out a Warmoth neck, and would like to hear feedback from anybody that's played their standard 10-16" compound rad, and their slim shape.
I have had a couple of necks with that profile. Though I also had a narrow nut width as well. The necks I had were conversion necks so from 25.5 to 24 3/4. The problem with buying a neck this way is no matter what anyone says you won’t know until you try it. For me, I would go to a guitar store. Try everything you can get your hands on and make note about what you like. If the sales people can’t tell you the specs write down the model and search online. Honestly there are soooooo many options these days it can be a bit overwhelming. It’s a process of trial and error. You might not like it but at least you’ll know for next time. Cheers.
How would you go about getting a custom neck for small hands for an es-175ish type of guitar? I'm 5'11, yet my damn hands are not only tiny, but I also have thin fingers. The neck controls me. Not the other way around.
Hi Lothar, I would check out Warmoth. They have a lot of standard designs but can do whatever you want including a custom build. If you're looking at something with a Gibson flavour I would start withthe Hombre www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Warmoth/Neck/Hombre/Default.aspx
Hi Lucas, thanks for these videos. Very informative. I have a question: is the early 70s C shaped strat neck (found mainly on the Vintera 70s strat) likely to uncomfortable for someone with smaller hands? I am considering purchasing one online and have no way of knowing how they will feel. Should I not take such a chance?
Hi Tanay. Thank you for your question. Be aware if you choose to buy a guitar online you most likely will have to do a full set up. Truss Rod, Intonation and action could need adjustment and if you're not comfortable with those things it's possible you might not get the best possible experience. It's a little like buying clothes without trying them on :). Further, I have 0 experience with the Vintera so I can't speak for the neck feel. For me, my 77 neck contour doesn't feel much different than the other guitars I own. I don't have big hands either. If you can't get to a store you could consider looking for a second hand guitar. This way, if it isn't a great fit for you you can resell it and you should get most of your money back. You could join the Stratocaster Players Facebook page and if you find a guitar most people there are really good at identifying real guitars versus fakes and can help you determine an appropriate value for the guitar you are considering. For me, I like to try before I buy. I hope that helps and best of luck with your purchase. Let us know what you decide to do. Cheers!
Great video Lucas! My hands are a bit smaller. I bought a Tele Player series with 9.5 Fingerboard radius. I tend to wrap my thumb around the neck to help mute notes when Im doing that SRV style muting (strumming but only hitting a single note at a time) Whenever I do this for too long of a period, it totally wrecks my wrist. I suspect because of the radius my wrist would be more strained using this technique with a tele vs getting a Gibson with a 12" radius. I like to play blues and funk. I love the tone of Fenders but dont think they are very accomodating for my hands. Is there a guitar you would suggest?
Thanks Scott. I love my Les Paul for that reason. I find it less of a struggle to play though I do use heavier strings on it than on my strats and tele these days. Gibson Pleks all of their guitars so the set up is excellent. I do find that the stop bar tail piece is usually set too high in store though but that's an easy fix. I also prefer their bridge design because the entire thing can be raised or lowered together keeping the string height just right where as with a strat you have to adjust every saddle individually. It's a good ideal to have a radius gauge when doing that. For me I like the 60's slim taper neck. It feels perfect. The only downside is that it wont sound like a strat. I do love the tone but I prefer strat tone.
Just last week I played a 7.25 vintera strat and it felt absolutely incredible in my hands. I am not a shredder so the choking worries won't affect me. Will be buying soon. Have been playing 30 years and never experienced it. I like playing 12 bar blues shuffle blues and trying to play SRV style. Would this suggest that I have small hands? I tend to play 9th grey down to 1st with open scales at the e. I am baffled and having constant thoughts about it. Ready to trade up my epiphone les paul and les paul custom as well as my taylor acoustic. The only caveat is that the 7.25 seems to come on vintera only. Cannot afford custom shop but these new fenders are incredible for the money. Thanks for the video....
Many variations of 50s strats have the 7.25 neck radius. Don't know if you'd mind the used market but MIj, CIj, MIM all have models that may fit what you're looking for.
Fyi the radius is half the circumference of the circle you mention. So its not a 7.5 inch circle. It's a 15 inch circle and half of that ie the radius of the complete 15 inch circle is 7.5.
I think you mean to say the radius is half the diameter, not half the circumference. C= 2*pi*r So a circle with a 7.5" radius has a 15" diameter, and a 47.12" circumference. Cheers. :)
OK very informative I have a 65 strat neck with a narrow neck A stamp on the heel I hear it's sorta rare but not unheard of I'm trying to figure what type of bridge would be best Normal bridge is too wide w some roll off Thanks Good demo
As A complete novice and beginner I brought the fender CD60 v3 acoustic and it had a C shape Neck and I found it too small for my long fingers and large hands my fingers were getting cramped when playing chords and couldn’t produce a clean sound ,as a tall bloke at 6 foot five I’m thinking of getting a Epiphone casino instead which has a 60s c neck is that the same as the fenders cd 60 v3 neck ? Also I like the look of the epiphone es 335 aswell which has rounded c neck what is the difference between them ?, as I need to get one that feels right so it can make me a better player
I have large hands as well and the modern “c” neck on my Tele doesn’t cut it for me. I will be swapping it for a new neck, a fat “c” from Allparts. The new neck will also be finished in nitrocellulose instead of sticky polyethylene.
I have short stubby fingers and struggle to reach some cords (currently learning ) was looking here to see if a shorter neck will help me with that or not?
I’ve been looking to buy a fender Classic 60s series Stratocaster. I have recently found out that the radius is 7 1/4 and I was wondering does it fret out a lot when bending or is that just something people say. (Mark Knopfler seems to do it alright)
He and a lot of others. Certainly you will not be able to get the action as low as a guitar with a flatter radius. Whether or not that matters will really depend on you, the style you play and the set up of the guitar you buy. It's all about personal preference and comfort. When in doubt try before you buy. Cheers!
Hey Lucas, just subscribed. Thanks for the video it was very informative. I new to guitar and have been playing for about 2 months. I have RSA arthritis and was wonder if you had a suggestion on what kind of fret board etc. would be easier on my hands for playing? I read a no radius would be helpful and I'm guessing by your video maybe a shorter length like 24 3/4. I would appreciate your recommendation so I can go and try out some other guitars. I have a Brad Paisley tele, Love it! I just picked up a used Epiphone Les Paul standard pro. Tele feels better on my hands. I also have a Yamaha FS820 Acoustic, which is decent on my hands. Thanks!
Hi James! Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the guitar playing community! I think choosing a comfortable guitar neck is a very personal decision. It's a little like finding a comfortable pair of jeans. What's comfortable for me might not be so for you. What I would recommend is playing as many different guitars as you can and use this new found knowledge to zero in on what's comfortable for you. Ask the sales person at the store when you find something comfortable about the specifications and make note. For me three days I'm loving a vintage 7.25 radius with a 25.5" scale. It just feels so comfortable for me. Also, you string guage and set up will play a huge part in the overall experience. For beginners I recommend lighter guage strings. It makes the act of fretting a lot easier on the fingers. Just my two cents. The fun part is exploring and finding what's right for you! Thanks again for subscribing and taking time to comment. Cheers!!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar Thank your for your time and advice, i appreciate your knowledge and experience. I'll do just that, looks like another trip to guitar center. Thanks!
1:13 Scale Length
2:41 Fingerboard radius
5:14 Neck shape
6:45 fingerboard material
8:48 Nut width
9:21 Conversion Necks
9:45 scalloped neck
10:31 Fret Material and Size
Thanks John!
So is fret height not here? (the only thing I'm looking for)
Not all heroes wear capes... Thx!
What about neck width at pickup side? Specifically for big hands/ fingers
@@alrazitube I think you would have to try a few guitars necks because sometimes width is important but also thickness. I have played schecter, fender, jackson, charvel, kiesel, strandberg, ESP, and ibanez but out of all these options I have liked ibanez the most and jackson as a second pick.
Been playing for 50 years and the most important thing I've learned is that the neck IS the guitar, when it comes to how good you will sound. That's why Warmoth is the best thing that has happened to guitars. Most people buy guitars for the LOOK (bad idea) or the REPUTATION (bad). Put 70% of your cash into the neck and 29% into pickups...1% left for the body. Get a custom neck with great pickups and put it on any cheapo body and you will sound good, if you can level the frets and set it up right. Most of my guitars have $700 necks and $300 pickups, matched up with $40 bodies that I get at garage sales. Don't waste 20 years (like I did) listening to all the other talk. It's the NECK ! ...and then the pick ups...and a decent tube amp. If you listen to that, you'll save LOTS of money and time, running around in circles, being disappointed and eventually having the light bulb come on...20 years late.
Well said!
I am you! Especially when you realise what works for you is not necessarily what you want/dream of. I played a strat C Shape 9.5 I Rosewood medium jumbos from ‘95. It plays great but I always struggled a bit with certain thinks and never paid to much attention to the gear part of things. You reckon you buy a good brand and you’ll be fine. For from it. In the old days Popular guitar manufacturers made instruments for players these day the produce instruments for customers.
I ended up getting a fifties Tele V 7,25 Maple for nothing. Put a refret on it with the original small vintage skinny frets and new pickups and everything else which isn’t expensive at all.
This neck plays like butter and has so much sustain that even unplugged it leads the ears.
That’s probably why some refer the notes come naturally with vintage instruments.
I bout the same for my strat and actually laughing, the playability was never bad but no it’s grotesque. I have so much control and comfort. The Neck is very important it will define your progress. It’s beneficial to know how your instruments work and what options you have in terms of set up, action and so on. It’s for a reason pros touring with their trusted guitar tec.
45 years for me, and I couldn't agree more. 👍
Wow, your response is what I need to hear. I’ve been on keyboards for 40+ yrs and now starting on guitar…at my age my fingers are not overly huge but the pads on my fingers are. I go to the big box guitar store each week looking around and I said to myself: why don’t they have sample necks not attached to a guitar? A friend gave me an early 90’s Yamaha Strat to learn on…it’s in beautiful condition. I really like the almost flat fretboard and natural wood feel on the neck but I need a tad more spacing between strings-many thanks!
💯🎯
i wish there was a standard way of measuring a person's hand and then having neck recommendations from manufacturers based on that measurement. It sure would eliminate a lot of the trial and error.
Bandana Dee Isaac is
well Bob there is away, it is one of the valuable services that a luthier can provide
And probably even a lot of money.
No kidding Bob. I have little stubby's for fingers. My palm isn't as small. Trying to figure out what neck to buy to compliment the sweet Tele body I just bought for the first guitar I am about to create.
@@2817well What type of neck did you end up going with. In the same type of situation. Chubby fingers right here on 👋
This is a really important topic that is almost never discussed. You can watch hundreds of UA-cam videos comparing one guitar to another, and they almost never talk about the neck, and how it actually feels to play the guitar. Personally for me, if the neck is not comfortable, I could care less about the rest of the guitar. A guitar can be a tremendous value...sound amazing...look great...and be very well made, but if the neck does not have the correct thickness, profile, radius and fret wire, it will still be miserable to play!
When I was a teenager back in 1976, I worked all summer and saved up to purchase a 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom. It was a beautiful guitar, but I never was comfortable with it. I was in a band with a friend that had a Fender Strat. Over time I found myself switching guitars with him as the Fender was so much more comfortable to me.
Fast forward 42 years. I have played a lot of different guitars and Fenders always feel best to me and my particular physical structure. But it even goes beyond the Fender 25.5" scale length. For example, I do not like the thin modern C-Shape neck profile on most new Fender guitars. I just recently sold two Fender American Deluxe Strats due to their neck thickness and profile.
Case in point. A few years ago I was in a guitar store and had the opportunity to play a bunch of Fender guitars. Two guitars that I really wanted to play back to back were there. The first was a SRV Artist Series Strat...and the second was a John Mayer Artist Series Strat. When it comes to the neck on these two guitars, they have the same fret wire, scale length, nut width and so on. The differences are the neck profile, thickness, radius and the finish on the back of the neck.
The bottom line is that these two guitars were so different, they felt like they were two different designs from two different companies. The SRV Strat with the thick offset oval and 12" radius felt amazing to me! The JM Strat, with its slightly larger C-Shape and 9.5 radius felt terrible in my hands. If I would have played both of these guitars with my eyes closed, I would have thought one of the guitars cost five to seven times as much as the other one. In reality, they both were about the same price, and shared many of the same quality parts. The difference was in the neck size and shape!
I found your video while researching Warmoth builds with their SRV profile neck...or just purchase a Fender SRV Strat. On paper, the Warmoth modern neck with compound radius in a SRV profile sounds like the ticket, but that is a lot of money for something that I have never tried. Great video! Hopefully more people will view it going forward.
Hi Doug! Thanks for you kind comment. I’m glad to find another person who feels the way I do about this topic. Something so critical to an instrument but something that never used to be part of the conversation versatile when buying. Regarding your thoughts on the warmoth products I like you took a leap a few times trying different neck specs to see what I might like. Firstly let me say that my experience with Warmoth was good in terms of the build quality and delivery time. I did get hit with significant fees as the item came across the border to Canada. Something that surprised me as I though a product manufactured in the USA would not be affected due to our free trade agreement. I think it cost me about 120 dollars in taxes, duties and brokerage. It made the cost of the necks pretty high. The other thing is like you say, you can’t try before you buy and personally I feel you need to be able to spend some time with a guitar to really know and that’s hard to do in a single visit to the store. I would love to hear what you decide to do and get your feedback on how it worked out for you. I’m also glad you found the video helpful. I plan to make more. Would love
to have you as a subscriber if you’re inclined. It’s great to have folks who like to contribute their experiences as well. I’ve been playing for over 35 year and I am still learning every day! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
Hi Lucas...Just subscribed. I am thinking I would like to attend a guitar show and see if I could try out multiple SRV Strats back to back to find "The One" LOL...and maybe a good deal if possible.
Hey Doug ! Thanks for subscribing! It means a lot. Please keep me posted on your hunt for “the one” and let me know what you find. Would love to see a video on it. I have never tried the SRV strat. I probably should do that! Thanks again!! I’m trying to build my channel and hopefully offer content that others find useful. I’d like to create a little community of like minded players and enthusiasts to share ideas and experiences. I’ve been making videos in earnest for a few months now and have had some great chats like this along the way! Cheers!!
perhaps people got obsessed with the hendrix hands on the neck and hence forth this gush of horrible modern fast c profiles .Im soon to pull the trigger on a warmouth fat neck for one or both of my fenders ..Wildwood guitars is the only web sight that actually tells neck thickness for all guitars .perhaps a mass attack of emails could wake up fender and gibson on this topic .It is truly ridiculous how much they don't tell us in relation to how much they charge us .
i dont think ive seen a guitar comparison video where they didnt talk about all of that, atleast good guitar guys and gals will go over these points
I remember the days when there were mom and pop music stores who sold quality made in USA guitars and you could feel them and try them before buying, now you have to do 6 months of research online and take a leap of faith
Yeah it’s pretty sad really. Also when you look at the prices today too....to me it’s crazy how expensive some of these things are. Thanks for your comment. Cheers.
Yes, I have had this discussion so much lately as it pisses me off. I purchased a guitar 16 years ago and stuck it in the gig bag and just fixed it up. I couldn't even go out and buy some damn strings locally. Even freaking Guitar Center here is a small hole in the wall and nothing like it was. Dead inside unlike 16 years ago. Now it is all online and for musical instruments it has always been to go pick them up one by one without looking at price and see what chooses you. You can't do that with online purchases, and Amazon jumped my ass last year for having six returns within a year (they were DOA) but I found out Amazon doesn't want you to return items as it costs so much to them. I hate Bezos especially since the pandemic (he literally could give all 876k employees a 150k USD bonus and would still have the same wealth he had prior to it). Now that the last stimulus checks went out the day they announced it was hitting everything in my cart went up 8-20%.
The Internet was a very bad thing.
Those were great days I remember as well. 🇺🇸
Fantastic video and I'm embarrassed to say that it has taken me decades to realize just how important this is to understanding what guitars will work for you and why others won't.
Took me time too so dont feel bad :) thanks for checking out the video.
My first guitar was a '62 Strat which my dad bought for me in '65. I played that guitar or years and got used to it. Anything else I played usually felt "different". When I started playing professionally, I needed a different guitar and settled on a '71Gibson SG, which worked well for me. I got used to the feel of that guitar over the years and anything else just felt "different". I never understood why at that time. I played a friend's '61 SG and that guitar was amazing! I could play things I couldn't on my 71 SG. It was super comfortable and the tone was VERY different than the '71 SG. It was very hard to analyze all of that during the 60s and 70s ... not as difficult now when all of the specs available on all of the necks. I do prefer ebony as a fretboard wood on my electrics and acoustics. If you are lucky enough to find that perfect guitar for your hands ... early on ... your playing could evolve to its highest potential.
What the neck is finished with, or not finished with, makes a huge difference as well.
Definitely. I prefer the satin. So smooth.
@@theelfking904 yup, satin all the way. Anything else just grips to my hand like a crappy pool cue.
This is the video I needed, I'm a bass player learning guitar & learning all the nuances that go with it. Just jumped into the neck rabbit hole recently, & see it is priority number one.
Awesome! Glad to be of help. Thanks for watching and commenting. Cheers!!
I love rosewood. Its perfectly comfortable to my fretting fingers.
You must have little frets. I can't even feel the wood.
I've been playing guitar for over 20 years and never knew a lot of what your shared. Thanks!
You’re very welcome! The thing I love about guitar is the pursuit. I’m always learning too! Cheers!!
I purchased a EVH Wolfgang and it is blissful for playing !! Great neck shape and size and whole kit with the one minor exception I prefer the 24” scale . They do make one but it is expensive
Lucas, I just came across your channel while researching information on guitar necks. As I responded to JH below, I don’t understand why guitar stores don’t have necks not attached to a guitar so a person can get an objective feel of the neck w/o the enticement of a name, body aesthetics, etc…thank you immensely for this info…shopping for guitars is a deep and expensive rabbit hole…peace.
Thank you for the kind words. Certainly the internet has really changed things in this regard. When I was kid learning to play I had no clue about this stuff. Frankly, I don’t think many of us really did. Luckily now, people have more information and it’s a bit easier to find out what you really like. Glad you found the video helpful and thanks for taking time to watch and share you’re feedback.
All the best !!
Thanks for this video, it's something that is not that much discussed when buying a guitar. While I prefer a neck with a decent amount of chunky on it, I don't like the nut width any more than 1 11/16", and I refuse a neck that is 1 5/8", the nut width is too small, and hangs up chord changes. What I would recommend is that the first thing you do when trying out a guitar, hold the neck at the first fret as if you are getting ready to play. If the webbing of your hand touches the neck, and it continues to do so when you fret the strings there, that's a good indicator you have a neck profile that fits your hand. To a classical or jazz player, neck profiles may not mean as much, because they are taught not to grasp the neck as they play, just to have only their thumb there, but nut width would come more into the equation with that kind of technique. Then again, other players could care less, they just get the guitar and play it, because it can do other things for them. Jimi Hendrix was one such player. If you have ever seen closeups of his fretting hand as he played, and he had big hands with long, spindly fingers, most of his Strats had the then Fender factory standard of 1 5/8" nut width, which didn't stop him from getting the sounds he wanted. Back then, obviously, you had to take what you got from the factory, as the aftermarket guitar parts industry for consumer use was just wishful thinking for the most part, not really coming into being until the late 70's.
Very nicely done, and great information. I'm shopping for a guitar after playing only bass for a number of years. As a big guy, with large hands I've only been aware of nut width, so this was very helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for this. I find that flatter radius necks are a pain for me to play, whereas on a rounder radius neck my fingers feel more relaxed and im a bit faster. However i think that playing a flatter radius neck for so long allowed me to build a nice foundation of strength in my hand and wrist from chord progressions
I feel the same way.
You need to do a version for acoustic guitars, which are far more difficult to play and where these dimensions are even more critical.
Very comprehensive and accessible! For me it's all about the look (maple!), everything else I can adapt to and *hopefully* learn to enjoy/appreciate
I have a nice collection of guitars, with a pretty nice selection of different necks of course. But my hands down favorite is my 61 Strat reissue with the 7.25 radius. I have no problem hitting notes, and doing bends, but I learned to play back in the early 70s
Took a ton of good notes. As a mechanical engineer everything you took time to give a short but concise explanation of was very helpful in understanding how each piece works and what to look out for when searching for your very personal musical instrument. Thanks much
Happy to hear that it was helpful. Cheers!!
I recently bought a $229 Kramer guitar that plays so much better than my $1100 Charvel. To my instructor that didn't make any sense because, indeed, the electronics in the Charvel are superior to most guitars but I realized, when I got home my Kramer guitar plays better because of the way it grips in my hand, the thicker, chunkier C shaped neck allows me to play faster and have better control.
I shattered my shoulder and arm on my fretting hand. I was advised that a 24.75 12 inch radius would be sufficient to recuperate on. I have never touched one, but I bought one but my hand stretch is 8.25 inches from thumb tip to pinky stretch like measuring for gloves. As soon as I started my hand went numb dead asleep. The neck is riding on a nerve. I was digging through the closet and found an old Silvertone Strat that the frets had turned green. I strummed F CG and it doesn’t hurt at all . I took it to Marlers in Park Hills and to the dude (lol) who has done all my work. It had a beautiful 3 tone burst. I thought well maybe it isn’t bad… it’s made of Plywood and it has a 3 ply pickguard but the inside on e isn’t shielding like I’d hoped. Dime sized pots and some shielding paint here and there. But it has a 9.5 fretboard radius and the key. A C shaped neck. I hope I can recuperate and get my mojo working. I want a Vintage Classic II 1961 Strat if my playing gets better. it has a medium C neck tall jumbo frets and a 7.25 radius. I fucked up my Shoulder and all below, but working is all I can do , I have a torn Labrum and a surgeon won’t do anything because I am 62 and retired from being a crash test dummy who threw 100 lb boxes around for far too long. I’m hoping. Oh and the bull about legato and bends choking is propaganda to sell over priced LesPauls and S Redneck mullet guitars. Watch Rory Gallagher and David Gilmour on their 61 Strats Shredding and bending 3 strings to 2 steps up while sweep picking. Carlos Santana could do it too on his Tele 7.25.
Great video in explanation...
If you like your action 1/16 of an inch at about the 17th fret or 1/16 of an inch at the last fret.. WHEN YOU BEND UP AT THE HIGHER REGISTERS ANYTHING LOWER THAN A 12 INCH RADIUS IT WILL CHOKE OUT IF YOU ARE A BIG BENDER...
Me personally The Sweet spot for building guitars if you never want to have to worry about choking a string out no matter your action WOULD BE A 14 INCH RADIUS.. as a guitar builder, amplifier builder, guitar player, the 30 years that is what my research has told me.... Painstaking experiments over and over again..
;)
I was gifted my first guitar on Christmas so I have no idea what I prefer yet. Thanks for the info.
That's awesome Rob! Welcome to the journey my friend!
I just wanted to send a quick THANK YOU for posting this video. I learned more from you in this 12 minute video than I learned from ALL Guitar Center “Guitar guys” from over a dozen stores, spanning from 2009 to now. Very cool explanations!
Thank you Thomas. I’m so glad it was helpful and I really appreciate your kind comment :) Have a great day!
Dear Lucas... Your information is so accurate and I fully agree with you.... Just seems you skipped an important issue.... I really want to ask you something that is critical for me.... I am used to flat 12 radius D shape jackson soloist Chris Broderick signature which is designed for speed shredding and I am so comfortable with that one .. thing is that I also want to buy a fender strat but 99% are modern C which for me is too thick I can not play fast Malmsteen style with those... What happened is that I gave a try to a couple Squier guitars and those have what manufacturer decided to use for improving speed in the 2000s: a C shape but thinner and thus making it the best of the best so comfortable to play at high speed... And that is the reason why I can't still buy a fender strat because I really can't play those modern C comfortably.... I wished you also talk about neck thickness (not only shapes) and I'd like to ask you if you know about a fender strat model thay is as comfortable as the squiers in terms of thickness...
Thank you very much for your patience and comments... And congrats!
Love your videos. Excellent information. Just to clarify, the radius is the distance from the edge to the center of a circle. So a 7 inch radius neck has the curvature of a 14 inch circle.
Thank you Gern. Yes you are absolutely correct about the definition of the radius. Thanks again for watching and taking time for the nice comment!
Thanks man! As a band teacher who's main is not guitar, this sort of information is great.
Thank you Jonathan. I appreciate your kind comments. Thanks for taking time to stop by. Cheers.
Very useful, thanks a lot!
Took me years to figure, how much all of these „neck parameters“ actually affect my playing and which neck decisions feel most comfortable to me.
Thanks Lucas ! just beginning a journey into making a PartsCaster Tele. I needed more info on every aspect You touched on, Thanks again , Very Helpful.
I’m glad it helped! Enjoy your build. It’s so fun. Cheers.
For anyone with big hands like me, the J Mascis Jazzmaster is thick, yet comfortable in my hands. Highly recommend you try one. Contrastly, i also have 2 Mexican Standard strats with modern C profiles. These are thin necks. I find them uncomfortable.
Taller (like 6105, Nash guitars use these) or "jumbo" (6100) frets are useful if you want to lighten up your touch as you won't press down as hard which can help with good intonation while playing. If you get really into bending strings a lot they can be helpful for that. Wider, lower (6150) seem to find good use for many shreders as they seems to work for legato as well as having enough height for other techniques . Truly vintage frets are tiny and I personally found that I didn't really like them even though I like touching the fingerboard. Great video here in explaining several important neck related matters. many thanks.
Great comments and feedback. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for making this video. A bunch of other videos say hand size doesn't matter and to just tough it out. I would rather spend more money on a bespoke guitar that I enjoy playing instead of "toughing it out" and hating playing. Thank you so much!
Thank you for taking time to comment. I hope you find an instrument that inspires you. Cheers!
That sounds like terrible advice. Different strokes man, not everything has to be Gibson or Fender 😂
Pau Fero is the best compromise for Rosewood. Also a wood that I have used is "French Lilac." Very beautiful and very dense and hard when grown in the Northern Climes with cooler environment.
David Bennett I just can’t get past how light and reddish Pau Ferro looks. Just think dark rosewood fretboards are really beautiful
Thanks for the info, I been having a hard time looking for the perfect neck for me because I have small hands, with your info it makes me more knowledgeable in what I'm looking for, Thanks again
Awesome! Happy to help.
try a strat. the neck is narrow and radius is curved.
try a guitar with d profile neck&12"radius,jackson flying v js32,jackson kelly kex cherry burst,epiphone sg pro 400,it solved my small hands problem
Very, very well done! I've researched this several times before, but this really helped solidify and make it more concrete.
Cheers!
Thank you James!
I have a custom shop fender strat with a 12” radius. It baffles me why it’s such an uncommon thing. Everyone that plays that guitar falls in love. It feels like it plays itself sometimes
I kind of like the larger scale length so I can visualize where the notes are because it is easier to do so if there's a larger difference in the space between the frets.
Each section of the keyboard will look a little different.
I have a 2021 Fender Professional ll Strat with a maple neck and I find it extremely comfortable. I believe it is a modern Fender profile and the fret board is extremely smooth or silky. It also comes with the 9 gauge strings which are easy to bend.
Nice!
Aren't most Fenders 9.5? But yeah, 12 inch radius is easier to play. Thank you for the video. Very informative.
This is really interesting, thank you. I'm looking to treat myself to a new guitar for my 50th this year. Last year I had major surgery to remove a spinal cord tumour which has left me without feeling in my left hand. I can use my forefinger and middle finger okay but I've shifted to playing more open tunings with more emphasis on the right hand rhythm. Left hand comfort is really important though as my hand gets fatigued quickly. I had my eyes on a telecaster but with all this helpful information I'll be trying lots of different types now.
Hi David! Thanks for taking time to stop by and comment. You have my deepest sympathy regarding the loss of feeling in your hand. Must be tough for sure! Thank you for sharing. Have you considered slide guitar as well? I'm a Derek Trucks fan. He can make it sing so nice! Cheers!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar thanks so much for replying. It's been a tough year but it's been fun too trying new things. I've been practicing slide a lot and listening to loads of Muddy Waters and Son House. I've not listened to Derek Trucks so will definitely have a listen. It's opened up a whole new genre for me. I would have loved to have seen the likes of John Lee Hooker and Howlin Wolf live!
Some good choices there David! Give Trucks Tedeschi band a try. I think you’ll dig it.
AS middle aged beginner in his 3d year of guitar i just started to have preference due to the fact that i have only tried a few guitars. I enjoy well done guitars honestly, I know it sounds simplistic but, at least for me, the radius is not that influent but there is a huge difference if the quality isn't there. For example a fender player, while it does the job its not comparable to the underrated performer, the feel of the fingerboard in rosewood that it isn't as dry, how it feels under your hands its very different. I would say that a good fretwork with a well oiled fretboard is more important than the radius. Also I found that the thickness and the shape of the neck plays a huge role compared to the radius. I still need to try out 7.25 but so far from 9.5 to 14 it all works well for me. I also prefer thicker necks on my main guitar which is a Stratocaster 25.5, i can actually feel more vibrations on the wood while I play and I like it.
Let's not forget the NUT width, for those with larger hands, as personally, I found a lot of the standard nut width sizes from most manufacturers (being 141 to 143mm), was far to small, and interfered in muting other open strings etc... (in other words not enough space between the strings...) I have found a guitar manufacture called: Big Lou guitars, which are reasonably priced, and made in the States, that are very well made, and cover a veriety of designs... Perfect NUT width for me at 1and7/8ths inches, or 2inches, or ecen 2and 1/8th inches for really big hands... Just bloody perfect ..... NO matter how good thwe guitar, it's no good if you are forever battling to play it, as it's just too small nearer the nut to play clean chords etc....
That’s why I traded my Mexican EVH wolfgang special, nut width is too narrow for me. I traded it for a 91 American Standard Strat, has a 43mm nut width
I would buy a lot more Fenders if they adopted the slim Taper D neck that Epiphone uses because it is sooo comfortable to play.
I played a new les paul standard with that new "sticky" rosewood. It was one of the finest necks ever, but that porous rosewood felt like playing on sand paper.
There's got to some kind of lube/ treatmeant for that. Any one know?
Hey great video btw man, cheers for that. I've recently picked guitar again.. haven't played in 10 yrs or so and i have a guitar my brother bought for me when I sick a few yrs back.. it really helped to pass the time, as I was bedridden for awhile but its old and still plays but I need to update if I'm to continue on a regular basis.
I went into a shop, bout a month ago and i walked back out after having a little look and play, not really knowing what i was looking for. But now thnx to this video, I have a much better understanding of what I might want now.. so again, thnx for this man.
Hey Curtis. You’re welcome. I’m glad you found it helpful. I really appreciate that you took time to say that. I’m also glad you’re getting back into playing. Thanks so much!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar
I'll touch base again mate, when I do find one.. cheers 🤙😎
That’d be great. Would love to find out what works for you.
Starting my own guitar project on Jan 12, 2021! Thanks for this posting this video, I learned so much!
Awesome Kenneth! Tell me about your build?
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar Strat model, Mahogany body, maple fretboard, 25.5" scale, 9.5" radius,2-point tremolo
Nice! I’ve never played a mahogany strat before. I bet that’d be pretty fun! Good luck with your build.
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar I'm taking lessons from a luthier in Louisville, KY
Nice! I’ve always wanted to do a build from scratch. It would be a great learning opportunity. Just don’t have the time these days.
I owned a Mexican Strat, Lake Placid with a Rosewood fretboard for many years. It was my only electric.
I’m a 3 or 4 on a scale of serious guitar player. These days a 1-2.
One time I got to play a very new Gibson Les Paul and in that 15 minutes was the best I’ve ever played. ANY guitar. To me it was like sitting in and taking a Ferrari or Lamborghini a few laps around the track after driving a used mini-van for the previous 20 years.
My hands are above average and my fingers are long. I always struggled with many chords on the Strat, but on the LP it was like 🧈 butter. And I always considered myself a Fender guy. 🤷🏼♂️ 🤷🏻
I haven't been playing long but know what you mean about the neck shape and radius,ive got the guitar bug and purchased a 2008 fender usa strat an Ibanez rg521 and a vintage v100 lemon drop .I find for whatever reason the vintage guitar suits me perfectly ,it plays so easily.im thinking about selling the Ibanez and possibly trying to find a different neck with a 12" radius for the strat.if youre buying your first guitar my advice is go to a store and try playing a few chords on different guitars before purchasing!
Hey Billy. Sorry I missed your comment last week. If you are looking for a different neck for your strat Warmoth has some options but also there are some stock Fender Strat models that feature 12" radius. Make sure you take your time and check the frets too. Different fret sizes and shapes can totally change the feel for you. Good luck in your quest and let us know what you eventually settle on. Cheers!
I want to experiment with different kinds of Woods on the fretboard & neck backing. I want 3 woods on the fret board suited better for low, middle & high tones, with very strong neck backs that are NOT reactive to temperature fluctuations. Thicker on the neck ends & thinner on the neck base for high notes. I’m thinking Hemp neck backs might be better, Hemp doesn’t react to temperature easily & vents off heat very well. Then there are vast improvements that can be made in caring for the vibration waves created by the strings through the entire instrument, especially in the body. The neck also has a lot of rich tone waves running through it that are not being harnessed & related to the electrical pick up systems, magnetic electro sensitive truss rods could help cure that effectively, easily & efficiently. Wave generation strength points & material timber reverb needs to be better cared for along with the timber effects with the waves, shapes & total materials used in relation to how the waves are traveling through different kinds of materials, and cleanly being picked up by the coils. I think better pick up systems are needed to relay the natural tones the metals make & also amplifying Systems. We need to think & research on the Quantum Level & study & Develop Better in how Vibrational Resonate Frequencies travel through different kinds of materials. How well those vibrations relate, Are sensed, & match secondarily & beyond that, effects how strong, fervent & powerfully intriguing the tones, sounds & effects are coming out of amplifier & P. A. Systems.
I always just strum the open strings
and put my Ear on the Back of the body to hear the Guitars true Tone !!
Many of my Schecter guitars have a body that Sustains for over 30 seconds, and the Tone of the tone of the wood is very Sweet .. I Usually replace the Pickups and The Schecter SLS FR Sustainiac made In Indonesia is a sweet Guitar
I have an acoustic guitar with a mahogany neck and a Rosewood fingerboard w/12 inch radius and it is a pleasure to play it and 2 electric guitars with Rosewood fingerboard as well. I have considered buying a strat with a maple fingerboard but haven't purchased it yet. Still on the fence on that one.
Hey David. My preference is Rosewood as well. I don't mind maple but given the choice I would always opt for Rosewood. I prefer the feel and tone from those strats. All my favorite Strat guys use Rosewood too for some reason. Cheers!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar hey Lucas thanks for the reply and heads up on the Strats with Rosewood, I was getting closer to buying one with maple ..
I started learning guitar about a year ago (I'll be 50 next year). I bought a strat for my first guitar. The guitar is nice, but the strings feel too close together and the frets too far apart. Wondering if going with a guitar with a shorter scale length and wider nut width would be better. Need to go to my local guitar store and try some out.
Definitely try a Gibson and a PRS. They play great though factory set ups sometimes leave something to be desired.
A really useful and interesting video, thank you.
You are very welcome :)
Great information, thanks! I’ve always preferred action just a tad higher than some players. Not high, exactly, but not literally hovering a hair above the fret. I’m fairly heavy handed on my chords, so I get too much buzz when it’s too low. And it feels weird, almost too easy to fret a note. Lol
I have a 1995 us stratt the neck is normal till8/9fett then the neck is carved thinner thickening up again around 13th which is never been explainable. Wickedly comfortable
This is most definitely an important topic to include when considering which guitar to purchase. Primarily I'm a vocalist (lead) and a trombone player in a blues rock group but about 3 years ago I started learning guitar and bought my first electric...PRS semi-hollowbody SE and I love it! Recently though I wanted a single coil guitar so I started trying some out. I was leaning towards a Mexican model in the Vintera Series and the 50's model had a 7.25" radius with a U shape that you could really feel fill the palm of your hand! I actually thought it felt awesome but the finish was high gloss poly...yuck! Sticky as all get out! I don't understand why so many maker's do that??!! Satin finishes all the way! Then I tried the new Performer Series American made Tele with Satin finish, 9.5 radius with a modern C shape...I was sold! Happened to be during some great sales and I got a Tele Performer with the Penny copper finish and maple fretboard for under $1k!!! To be honest though even at normal price at $1150 it's not a bad price for an American Tele imo. Especially with the new Yosemite pickups and Grease Tone pot circuit. I did a lot of side by side with Vintera, Performer, Player and even the Squire Classic Vibe and was surprised by the differences in the feel of the neck as well as the sound. Really happy I did that before buying. There's no substitute for being able to put it in your hands and play imo. Considering the price of the Roadworn Vintera Mexican Tele's that run $900, it's not that much more to get a Performer American made and the difference I felt was drastic! You can literally feel the difference in fit and finish. Anyway I have to give props to Fender for this new series and making a nicer guitar a bit more attainable. I also played the Pro ii next to a Performer and I didn't feel or hear enough differences to justify the price, so for anybody considering an American Tele or Strat I'd encourage you to take a look at the Performer Series. Thanks for your informative video!
Hey Spencer. Congrats on your new axe! That’s awesome! Thanks as well for sharing some great insight. Your comments could really help someone who’s also shopping for a new axe. Cheers!!!!
Fat neck, or soft v, 7.25-9.5 radius. Also have arthritis so it's changed to this over the years from thinner flatter necks.
Great video.... thanks for explaining the guitar technicalities so clearly! 👍 🎸
Thank you Anne!
Subscribed. Best neck explanation yet! I love my 12” 60s Baja & G LP necks. The 50s Baja 9 1/2” is ok. I have small hands. Plus left is severely battered due to osteoarthritis & trapezium removal. I’m always hunting for more comfort. 👍🏼
Thanks Matt. I appreciate the support! Glad to hear your powering through what must be quite difficult circumstances. Have you tried a rounder radius with rolled fingerboard edges? Personally, as I get older I'm finding that to be much more comfortable for me. Guitars are like shoes. Some fit great others not so much :)
Lucas Crossley Guitar Hi. My trouble is I’m kinda hooked, or was on 1950s. Unfortunately they come with fat necks. My guitars are all low to middle range prices. So ya don’t really get a great choice in necks. A nice soft C, I love. I love a 12” for string bending. If I had the cash. I’d 100% have fender & Gibson make me custom made guitars lol. On your advice, I’ll definitely look into the rolled. Thank you. 👍🏼
@@mattsmart705 Oh man, wouldn't it be awesome to be able to call both of those companies and say , please make this for me? I think we all feel that way! Cheers!!
I am very particular or fussy in selecting a guitar. I really love a small radius fretboard like my former 80's Fender Strat or my current early 80's B.C. Rich. I don't like the feel of most guitars. I need that small radius fretboard and they seem hard to find these days! I am curious if there are any advantages of having a slim neck compared to a chunky "D" shaped neck? I assume that it is just a comfort thing eh?
Yeah I think it's just a matter of preference. Guitars are like shoes. Gotta try on lots of pairs before you find the right ones :)
Enjoyed the content which is rarely discussed. Thanks.
Especially for people brand new to guitar. Companies always advertise how easy it is to play & how fast it is. People with small hands are discussed but rarely people with fat fingers or not so skinny fingers.
These guitars with very narrow frets and nuts, make it very difficult for a new player, who is trying to learn chord shapes. Trying to fit 3 fingers in the same fret with 3 adjacent strings so close together, is practically impossible and discouraging to new players. Your fingers will touch the adjacent string as there is physically no room for all 3 fingers in the same fret on 3 adjacent strings.
You can go to classical guitars with 2 plus inch nuts, which they say is better to learn on but then it is more difficult to reach certain notes because the strings are farther apart.
Then they say electric guitars are easier to play because the action is lower. But then again the nut is narrow and you're back to square one.
Challenge for you; since you have researched the neck shapes, scale length and nut width and your experience with all types of guitars over the years.
New players DO NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE to even ask a question yet as the are still in the dark about this and just want a guitar they can learn on and progress on. Even Fusion guitars, still have narrow nuts.
Regardless of brand, which guitar, in your opinion, would you recommend for a brand new player who finds it almost impossible to reach over strings and hit the string on the fingertips precisely, on frets that are too narrow in width and whose nut diameter, puts the strings far too close together to be able to play accurately within the specified tempo of the song, let alone changing chords, when they have to be perfectly transitioned as to not buzz or touch adjacent strings.
Is there such a guitar even produced or do we just.......take up "piano" or just start up a lawn mowing business? (Just - Joking !!!)
Thanks for your insights and sharing your knowledge. I would be interested in your final opinion and most new players will thank you for it.
The angst and frustration of buying your dream guitar that sounds perfectly to you, but in reality does not fit your fingers and you are unable to play it. Definitely a "stab" to the heart!
Hi SJ Guy. First of all, thank you for taking time to share your thoughts here. You have obviously given this some serious thought. One sentence you wrote really stood out for me and that is "almost impossible to reach over strings and hit the string on the fingertips precisely" The reason I keyed on this particular piece of information is because it's really quite common among the beginners that I have taught in the past. It tends to be less to do with the size of ones hand and more to do with just sticking to it until this awkwardness becomes smooth. If you are brand new to guitar then there are some exercises you can do on the guitar to train your brain into making these otherwise foreign maneuvers. I've taught kids as young as 8 or 9. Certainly their hands are quite small. It's the old 10,000 hour rule. Eventually it will come to you with time, effort and patience. Of course don't overdue it either. For me, when I started I used to work on 2 to 3 chords at a time. I would choose 2 or 3 chords that sound nice together. Say, G and C add9 for example. There's very little movement required to change from a G chord to a C add9 chord. You only have to move 2 fingers while the other two stay rooted on the 3rd fret of the High E (G note) and the 3rd fret of the B (D note) I would just practice this over and over and try to create some rhythm with the right hand. Once I could smoothly change from one chord to the other in time with the beat I would add another or choose different chords. Regarding the perfect guitar recommendation I'm not sure there really is one. There's just so many variables and they are all quite personal. I don't however, recommend starting with an acoustic. The tension required to bring the strings to pitch (versus electric) means that it's much harder to press the strings to the fret. Also, the set ups tend to not be as good especially on a budget acoustic. This means you could really struggle to fret the chords (especially bar chords) AND you could have intonation issues which would make the chords you are trying to form sound out of tune. For me, I recommend that a beginner buy a budget version of the kind of guitar that your heroes play. If your here is Jimi Hendrix get a squire strat. If it's Slash get an Epihone Les Paul and go from there. After all, its supposed to be fun. Just my two cents. I wish you the best of luck. It's a life long pursuit and no matter how good you get you will always find something you didn't know. Cheers!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar
Thank You for sharing your insights, recommendations and encouragement.
Your "2 cents" is worth a million dollars to all new guitar players.
As a side note, I did try a low budget classical guitar and the setup was awful and tuners kept slipping out of tune and 1 string had the nut cut too deeply.
A wrong path to go down, but you chalk it to experience and move on.
I did find 1 new solution that I find very beneficial in learning guitar notes & chords and that is the "Jamstik". It tracks your fingers on the fret board by pressure & laser light and tells you if you are hitting other strings, not pressing hard enough and if you are hitting the chord correctly in real time. Just what the doctor ordered.! Great learning tool and has fun games to learn notes and chords on the neck while playing via Apps & Bluetooth. You might want to check it out just for fun. Another great learning tool for all guitarists.
Also found an unbelievable " finger style guitarist" from Sweden"Gabriella Quevedo" and she posted her videos on UA-cam.
"gabriella9797"
She is self taught, doesn't read music and would practice on her fathers guitar when they went shopping. She plays songs across all genres and has written some on her own.
UNBELIEVABLE to see how good she was at 12 years old, compared to present 22 years old.
I urge all your subscribers to listen to all the songs she arranged & plays. Ex; Clapton, Beatles, Elvis, Metallica, Pink Floyd, Kansas, Elton John, Aerosmith, Louis Armstrong, Beethoven, Black Eyed Peas, Michael Jackson, ABBA and check out her playing "Classical Gas". WOW!!!#
A lesson in; "Perserverance" an unbelievable talent.
Thanks Again and I did subscribe to your channel & clicked the bell. Wish you well with a "Silver UA-cam Plaque."
@@sjguy1099 Hi SJ! I will check out the Jam Stick for sure. I have heard of it but I don't know much about it. Certainly these days we have more tools than ever to help us. When I was a kid learning you had to really learn to use your ear. Press Play, Stop and Rewind alot lol. I will look at the guitarist you recommend as well. There are so many wonderful Heavy Wood style players. Don Ross is one I really listened to a lot. I love how they use alternate tunings and create such full and rich arrangements. It's a very cool style. Is that your listening preference? When pursuing guitar who do you admire which guitarists inspire you? Thanks so much for the sub too! I am hoping to upload a new video shorty. It's almost done. Darn day job lol!! Cheers
You forgot to mention richlite. I’ve never used it but some people swear by it. ( as always; to each their own).
Thanks for clarifying. I’m looking for the perfect neck for me. Having played rosewood necks for years, I’m really keen to try out a maple neck. Thinking about getting a Telecaster, but I prefer P90’s hum buck for the neck. I love Gibson guitars, but unfortunately they are a bit heavy. Thanks again for helpful information 👌
Look up the Schecter PT Special. Its a tele, with maple neck/fingerboard and has a P90 in the neck. Maybe you find something.
very informative, especially for a newbie.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for your nice comment!
First time across your channel. Keep up this kind of content. Like you I prefer rosewood fretboards but have a few ebony that are superb on acoustics.
Thank you Stewart. I really appreciate that! Have a great day.
Great video, over the years I came to realise I like a 1 5/8 nut width way better than 1 11/16 I also liked 7.25 radius but could go up to 12 to get lower action with less choking. I also learnt I dislike compound radius. I prefer large stainless steel frets like Dunlop 6100 SS. also prefer tru-oil or no finish on the neck, hate thick poly necks. dont mind a mild scallop either, similar to high frets for getting a good grip on the string.
thank you for this video! all i wanted to know (and some i didn't know I needed)
You’re very welcome. Glad it was helpful. Cheers.
The radius is 1/2 the diameter of a circle. So a 71/2 radius would represent a 15 inch circle
My personal wish would be (and for others) find a guitar you love firstly, tone etc feel, then it would be amazing to have that guitar with different radius necks so you chose which is best, then again this whole things is a rabbit hole alright with many variables
You're so right! I feel like Alice in Wonderland sometimes lol! Cheers!
Reagan Gundersen That's where Warmoth shines; you can get a fully customized neck that feels like a dream come true!
2014 Gibson Les Paul neck was Rosewood. Not baked Maple. Try polishing your frets.
thanks for comprehensive video lucas
My pleasure Richard! Thanks for taking time to comment:)
I like to play all of my guitars !! My Schecter guitars are all Made in South Korea, Ibanez Artcore. It's a 335 style semi-hollow body , A Corona California Fender Strat, A Japanese Made Squire Strat with a set of ESP Single coil pickups a 1972 Gibson Les Paul Studio .......
I have no problem playing any Scale Length of neck and any Style neck Shape but I prefer thin necks
Alder body and rosewood fretboard on a Strat is a specific formula that many stick to. Personally I've found neither wood to my liking, and prefer LP's with mahogany or T's with swamp ash bodies. Poplar works fine for S type and roasted or rock maple is my neck wood preference with matching slab fretboards. Alder sounds dull to me, and rosewood deadens also. For bright guitars they work fine. For warm, fat tones, mahogany neck and body is hard to beat. Ebony boards are my second preference to maple.
Very informative.Could you please spend a little more time to explain radius,intonation/string height and numbers concerning radius; does
12" radius mean fat and thick or a thin , slim neck?
Thank you for tackling this problem.
The guitar may be a work of exceptional art but I cannot use it if the neck kills & shreds my hands,wrists,and fingers !!!!
Hey Joseph. The radius of the neck has no affect on the thickness of the neck, only the curvature of the fingerboard. The neck Contour or Neck Profile is more of an indicator of thickness and that can vary widely. I would go to Warmoth's website and look at the neck shapes they have there. They do a pretty good job of explaining the differences. Here's a link to the profiles - www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/BackContours.aspx
Exactly what I was looking for
Awesome. Thanks for watching.
Longer scale length offers more real estate in the upper register and flatter radius offers the ability to go lower if you want to, (I don’t). Width of the finger board has a lot to do the playability as do es the profile. Also shorter scales allows for heavier strings and lighter strings work well on longer scales. String spacing is also a big factor on playability. I like a little more space 11/32 between but none of these prevent you from adapting 😂
When you talk about neck radius, I initially thought you were going to talk about, the back of the neck, how wrong was I. maybe you should have specified which part of the neck you were talking about.
Which neck is right for me? Probably the one I've Got. . as long it's connected to my Head, I wouldn't try to change it.
Lol.
Hi Lucas. What is the best fingerboard radius to play with slide?
For me, I like a rounder radius for slide. I find it easier to control specifically which strings I’m hitting with the slide. But, I’m not slide guru at all lol. Watch Derek Trucks. Incredible player and he’s using a Gibson SG (predominately) and that has a relatively flat 12” radius. I think like most things, it’s a matter of preference. You will likely want heavier gauge strings and slightly higher action but again, it’s all preference which is learned through experimentation. Cheers!!
What is the actual truth about Gibson vs Fender necks? Which one is thicker and wider? I was under the impression that Gibsons were always wider, flatter and thicker, and the Fenders were narrower, thinner and slightly more rounded as discussed on the fingerboard...?
It varies widely from model to model. Take the new Gender Ultra for example. It has a compound radius. There are Fenders with 12" , 9.5", 7.25 etc....Gibsons as far as I know are always 12"
I think you mean on a 7.25 radius you draw a 14.5 circle to get the curve not a 7.25 circle, a 7.5 circle will give you a 3.62 radius
You are correct. Cheers.
for me medium c shape is comfortable.thanks for the video really appreciate it.👍
Thanks for the kind comment Frank. I appreciate that. I like a good C shape too. Cheers!!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar yeah ur welcome buddy😁
Currently spec'ing out a Warmoth neck, and would like to hear feedback from anybody that's played their standard 10-16" compound rad, and their slim shape.
I have had a couple of necks with that profile. Though I also had a narrow nut width as well. The necks I had were conversion necks so from 25.5 to 24 3/4. The problem with buying a neck this way is no matter what anyone says you won’t know until you try it. For me, I would go to a guitar store. Try everything you can get your hands on and make note about what you like. If the sales people can’t tell you the specs write down the model and search online. Honestly there are soooooo many options these days it can be a bit overwhelming. It’s a process of trial and error. You might not like it but at least you’ll know for next time. Cheers.
Radius is equal to half the diameter of a circle, not the circumference.
Radius is also circumference divided by 2*pi
Awesome review. Thanks for putting this together!!
Thank you Bryant. You are most welcome and thank you for your feedback. Cheers!
How would you go about getting a custom neck for small hands for an es-175ish type of guitar? I'm 5'11, yet my damn hands are not only tiny, but I also have thin fingers. The neck controls me. Not the other way around.
Hi Lothar, I would check out Warmoth. They have a lot of standard designs but can do whatever you want including a custom build. If you're looking at something with a Gibson flavour I would start withthe Hombre www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Warmoth/Neck/Hombre/Default.aspx
try a guitar with d profile neck,like a jackson js32,jacksonkex cherry burst ,epiphone sg pro,it work for my small hands too!
with 12"radius, thats the key
Hi Lucas, thanks for these videos. Very informative.
I have a question: is the early 70s C shaped strat neck (found mainly on the Vintera 70s strat) likely to uncomfortable for someone with smaller hands?
I am considering purchasing one online and have no way of knowing how they will feel. Should I not take such a chance?
Hi Tanay. Thank you for your question. Be aware if you choose to buy a guitar online you most likely will have to do a full set up. Truss Rod, Intonation and action could need adjustment and if you're not comfortable with those things it's possible you might not get the best possible experience. It's a little like buying clothes without trying them on :). Further, I have 0 experience with the Vintera so I can't speak for the neck feel. For me, my 77 neck contour doesn't feel much different than the other guitars I own. I don't have big hands either. If you can't get to a store you could consider looking for a second hand guitar. This way, if it isn't a great fit for you you can resell it and you should get most of your money back. You could join the Stratocaster Players Facebook page and if you find a guitar most people there are really good at identifying real guitars versus fakes and can help you determine an appropriate value for the guitar you are considering. For me, I like to try before I buy. I hope that helps and best of luck with your purchase. Let us know what you decide to do. Cheers!
super helpful, thank you!
Hi Christian! Thanks for subscribing and I'm glad the video was helpful. Cheers!!
Noticed thin necks are consistent. Used to have to search now most are
Great video Lucas! My hands are a bit smaller. I bought a Tele Player series with 9.5 Fingerboard radius. I tend to wrap my thumb around the neck to help mute notes when Im doing that SRV style muting (strumming but only hitting a single note at a time) Whenever I do this for too long of a period, it totally wrecks my wrist. I suspect because of the radius my wrist would be more strained using this technique with a tele vs getting a Gibson with a 12" radius. I like to play blues and funk. I love the tone of Fenders but dont think they are very accomodating for my hands. Is there a guitar you would suggest?
Thanks Scott. I love my Les Paul for that reason. I find it less of a struggle to play though I do use heavier strings on it than on my strats and tele these days. Gibson Pleks all of their guitars so the set up is excellent. I do find that the stop bar tail piece is usually set too high in store though but that's an easy fix. I also prefer their bridge design because the entire thing can be raised or lowered together keeping the string height just right where as with a strat you have to adjust every saddle individually. It's a good ideal to have a radius gauge when doing that. For me I like the 60's slim taper neck. It feels perfect. The only downside is that it wont sound like a strat. I do love the tone but I prefer strat tone.
try the epiphone d profile slim tapper neck,12"radius, they got a push_pul button to switch to single coil pickups
Just last week I played a 7.25 vintera strat and it felt absolutely incredible in my hands. I am not a shredder so the choking worries won't affect me. Will be buying soon. Have been playing 30 years and never experienced it. I like playing 12 bar blues shuffle blues and trying to play SRV style. Would this suggest that I have small hands? I tend to play 9th grey down to 1st with open scales at the e. I am baffled and having constant thoughts about it. Ready to trade up my epiphone les paul and les paul custom as well as my taylor acoustic. The only caveat is that the 7.25 seems to come on vintera only. Cannot afford custom shop but these new fenders are incredible for the money. Thanks for the video....
Many variations of 50s strats have the 7.25 neck radius. Don't know if you'd mind the used market but MIj, CIj, MIM all have models that may fit what you're looking for.
Fyi the radius is half the circumference of the circle you mention. So its not a 7.5 inch circle. It's a 15 inch circle and half of that ie the radius of the complete 15 inch circle is 7.5.
You are right. Apparently I don't math well lol! Cheers!
I think you mean to say the radius is half the diameter, not half the circumference. C= 2*pi*r
So a circle with a 7.5" radius has a 15" diameter, and a 47.12" circumference. Cheers. :)
Right I used the wrong word. Ty.
OK very informative I have a 65 strat neck with a narrow neck A stamp on the heel I hear it's sorta rare but not unheard of I'm trying to figure what type of bridge would be best Normal bridge is too wide w some roll off Thanks Good demo
As A complete novice and beginner I brought the fender CD60 v3 acoustic and it had a C shape Neck and I found it too small for my long fingers and large hands my fingers were getting cramped when playing chords and couldn’t produce a clean sound ,as a tall bloke at 6 foot five I’m thinking of getting a Epiphone casino instead which has a 60s c neck is that the same as the fenders cd 60 v3 neck ? Also I like the look of the epiphone es 335 aswell which has rounded c neck what is the difference between them ?, as I need to get one that feels right so it can make me a better player
I have large hands as well and the modern “c” neck on my Tele doesn’t cut it for me. I will be swapping it for a new neck, a fat “c” from Allparts. The new neck will also be finished in nitrocellulose instead of sticky polyethylene.
I have short stubby fingers and struggle to reach some cords (currently learning ) was looking here to see if a shorter neck will help me with that or not?
It could. Shorter scale and narrow width at the nut. You have to try stuff if you can. It can take a while to dine the right fit.
This was very helpful. I learned a lot. Thank you! :)
Glad it was helpful.
I’ve been looking to buy a fender Classic 60s series Stratocaster. I have recently found out that the radius is 7 1/4 and I was wondering does it fret out a lot when bending or is that just something people say. (Mark Knopfler seems to do it alright)
He and a lot of others. Certainly you will not be able to get the action as low as a guitar with a flatter radius. Whether or not that matters will really depend on you, the style you play and the set up of the guitar you buy. It's all about personal preference and comfort. When in doubt try before you buy. Cheers!
Hey Lucas, just subscribed. Thanks for the video it was very informative. I new to guitar and have been playing for about 2 months. I have RSA arthritis and was wonder if you had a suggestion on what kind of fret board etc. would be easier on my hands for playing? I read a no radius would be helpful and I'm guessing by your video maybe a shorter length like 24 3/4. I would appreciate your recommendation so I can go and try out some other guitars. I have a Brad Paisley tele, Love it! I just picked up a used Epiphone Les Paul standard pro. Tele feels better on my hands. I also have a Yamaha FS820 Acoustic, which is decent on my hands. Thanks!
Hi James! Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the guitar playing community! I think choosing a comfortable guitar neck is a very personal decision. It's a little like finding a comfortable pair of jeans. What's comfortable for me might not be so for you. What I would recommend is playing as many different guitars as you can and use this new found knowledge to zero in on what's comfortable for you. Ask the sales person at the store when you find something comfortable about the specifications and make note. For me three days I'm loving a vintage 7.25 radius with a 25.5" scale. It just feels so comfortable for me. Also, you string guage and set up will play a huge part in the overall experience. For beginners I recommend lighter guage strings. It makes the act of fretting a lot easier on the fingers. Just my two cents. The fun part is exploring and finding what's right for you! Thanks again for subscribing and taking time to comment. Cheers!!
@@LucasCrossleyGuitar Thank your for your time and advice, i appreciate your knowledge and experience. I'll do just that, looks like another trip to guitar center. Thanks!
Thanks for the tips! Really helped!