Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

Of course its custom shop only... todays average player doesnt care for 7.25 radius... production guitars are usually the most popular features

Yes I can see from the enormous amount of 9.5's out of Fender. Many times even the representation of a vintage guitar from the 60's includes the flatter neck instead of the 7.25 radius actually used. I prefer true vintage guitar necks and understand why many prefer the flatter necks. But because so very many used 7.25 radius fretboards back in the day, still hoping to find a model that includes the curved radius with binding and rolled edges. So far haven't been able to combine these features.....not even on a Warmoth neck. Thanks again!

 

[Detroitblues]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

I think the rolled neck concept was developed from guitarists that wanted their new guitars to feel like their old guitars. If you play the same guitar long enough, you'll slowly wear down the wood and "roll" the edges naturally. At least that's how I see it.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

I'm not too sure about that unless your hands are made of sandpaper.

 

[DreX]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

If it were caused by the hands, the rolling would probably be inconsistent top from bottom, end to end, being pronounced towards the end of the neck, like fret wear, unless you play aggressive Hendrix style blues and have your hand wrapped around the neck, along the whole length on a frequent basis.

 

[Nacho8807]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

I think the rolled neck concept was developed from guitarists that wanted their new guitars to feel like their old guitars. If you play the same guitar long enough, you'll slowly wear down the wood and "roll" the edges naturally. At least that's how I see it.

I think rolled necks were a Fender thing, done for "comfort" much like the contoured body. I don't think it was necessarily a conscious thing, but when they cut the first maple necks, they just rounded the edges off a bit for the players back then who did wrap their thumb around. Since most other companies at the time were using rosewood boards, they didn't soften the edge the same way. Over time people came to like the Fender necks and builders began advertising this as an extra feature for those who preferred it. It's sort of like the difference in neck profiles, or radiuses. So in a way I think you're right, they want it to feel like an old guitar, but a new old one, not a worn in old one. Confused yet? I am.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

I think the rolled neck concept was developed from guitarists that wanted their new guitars to feel like their old guitars. If you play the same guitar long enough, you'll slowly wear down the wood and "roll" the edges naturally. At least that's how I see it.

If we "roll" the edges by wearing away at the fretboard or neck....won't that also cause the frets to protrude?

 

[InbredJunk]

Not really. A players finger or hand never comes into contact with the fretboard right beside the fret on the playing surface. However, if you have acid sweat it can eat away at the wood where it accumulates the most at. Which is right beside the fret. On the side of the neck, this occurrence is uncommon as well. Your hands don't necessarily wear down the fret or the fingerboard. It just compresses the wood over time. And the fret ends don't lose any metal, It's just smoothed out. Smashed basically.

 

[Detroitblues]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

I bought a mid level Ibanez RG a year ago. For quite a few days, I couldn't figure out what was shredding the skin on my thumb until I realized it was that guitar's fret ends. My thumb looked like someone had sat with a razor blade and lightly scratched at it for an hour or two. Took me hours to round those fret ends and polish them smooth. It plays great now, but seriously, when your guitar is so poorly finished that it is damaging people, you need to think about quality control.

When I first began working on student guitars (which are almost all lower to mid priced models) years ago, cheap electronics were the main problems. Now it is high frets and sharp fret ends. I have worn out two burrs for my fret file since school started just doing fret levels and recrowns and three of those were my guitars, including a new Fender American Special Strat.

I have a brand new Robert Cray Strat. It needed its nut filed down and new nut slots. It was pretty bad.

 

[formula73]

Re: Guitar Necks - ROLLED EDGES

Every old school US Dean I've owned had the rolled edges. It was a big selling point back then and while I don't notice a problem with other necks, I sure do notice the added comfort of the rolled binding when I pick up my old ML. It's probably got the best neck I have.