Neck preferences, but width, neck thickness and profile, fret size...

[PFDarkside]

I’m itching to build a Warmoth, and I’m realizing what a huge difference nut width, neck thickness and profile and feet size make to the feel of a guitar. I know it’s obvious, but when you are thinking of plunking down money in something you can’t play, it seems a bit odd...

The guitars I play most are about 1-11/16”, .830” thick at the nut, with a C profile and medium jumbo frets. Warmoth doesn’t really have a pure equivalent, but there are some that are close. You start speccing it out and think, well, I think I actually like 6105 better than 6150... and maybe the SRV might be comfortable? And oh my, one of mine I really like is actually a 1-5/8”? Around the circle I go.

When it’s a guitar that just exists, it’s go/no go. I like it/I don’t. When you’re playing the spec game it’s putting the responsibility squarely on you/your shoulders! Let’s say I don’t like it, what’s the market for a Warmoth neck with 1-5/8” width, SRV back, Floyd nut and abalone dots?

(I think it’s FOMO... I mean this hamburger tastes good, but what if I’ve never tried filet mignon? Maybe a 1-5/8” Boatneck would be the most comfortable neck ever for me?)

 

[Snake Aces]

I love the 59 Roundback, 1-11/16" nut width with SS 6100 frets. This is my jam. I have this neck on all of my Warmoths except a Strat equipped with a Floyd. I am thinking of switching the neck on the Strat eventually too...

 

[superpete]

haha i know exactly what you mean...i've been trying to figure out what i want the most. i have a ton of guitars, and i can make do with all of them, but when you're specing it out for "your neck", you wanna get it perfect! the kicker is every choice you make plays into the next, so you may like the srv contour at 1 11/16, but at 1 5/8 it feels completely different!

 

[PFDarkside]

haha i know exactly what you mean...i've been trying to figure out what i want the most. i have a ton of guitars, and i can make do with all of them, but when you're specing it out for "your neck", you wanna get it perfect! the kicker is every choice you make plays into the next, so you may like the srv contour at 1 11/16, but at 1 5/8 it feels completely different!

Yes, exactly!

A small part of me wants to try one of those huge profiles in a 1-3/4” neck just to see how ridiculous it is.

 

[ErikH]

My favorite Warmoth neck is the 1 5/8" Boatneck contour with 6105 frets, compound radius. I have two with those specs, nearly 20 years age difference. The current one is baked maple vintage/modern construction. I don't think I'll ever get a plain maple neck again. I had another one prior to the baked maple that was 1 11/16" Boatneck but it felt "off". Then I measured the old one and sure enough, 1 5/8". Took care of that problem.

While resale for Warmoth stuff is not great, a SRV profile neck might move quickly because of the SRV thing. Don't know for sure but I would think so.

 

[Mincer]

Yeah, I hear that the roasted maple is a pretty excellent material. I tend to like smaller necks, so even the standard compound Warmoth neck is a little too big for me. I love my Warmoth neck with that profile, but it isn't as comfortable as my smaller Music Man neck.

 

[Archer250]

My last 3 guitars are made-to-order, so yeah I had to question myself about this too. I decided I'd just pick a neck that I think best fit the guitar and then live with it.

My favorite, going by Warmoth's offerings would be closest to the Boatback with extra jumbo frets. Or tbh if they made the Clapton neck thicker, that'd be my thing too.

 

[Masta' C]

1-5/8 vs 1-11/16 nut width can really change the feel of the "same" profile. For instance, the Standard Thin or Wizard profiles are on the thinner side, but feel surprisingly different at those widths. When you get to the thicker profiles, the difference becomes even more noticeable. Personally, I seem to like a little thinner profile at the 1-11/16 width than I do at the 1-5/8 width.

As for frets, I used to order all my Warmoth necks with SS6100 because it matched what I got used to on my Jackson and Ibanez guitars. However, every neck I order from here on out will probably have Warmoth's proprietary SS6115 size installed, which is like a thinner jumbo wire with a pyramid profile. It's friggin' fantastic, like 6100 in height, but not as bulky and the profile is really unique!

 

[ItsaBass]

I like a V profile, anywhere from hard to soft.

Nut widths – I can play them all, but different widths make certain types of playing easier or harder. Low register bending, cowboy chords, and arpeggiating is easier on wider necks. Bar chords, general rhythm, and most simple blues-based lead that I play is easier on the narrower ones.

Radius – the curvier, the better, but I can deal with them all. A curvy radius adds "apparent width" to a neck, so it's especially important with narrow nuts. It balances them out. That said, I have a '68 SG and '68 ES-330 that have close to Fender width nuts with Gibson radius, and I can play fine on them after some adjustment time.

The most important thing to me is skinny frets. The skinner, the better. Mediums and jumbos are things I am forced to deal with since they are the norm these days. I have learned to live with them, but I really dislike them.

Stainless steel, yes. I will pay the extra $40 to have them put on a new neck for any guitar that I plan on playing a lot, and which isn't a highly accurate vintage repro. Same for re-frets.

Old school Fender neck specs are generally the ideal for me, and if a V, even better. Thick profile, V shape, curvy board, rounded edges, skinny frets. I have learned to deal with other things because that's life, but these are my ideal specs.

I prefer Musikraft to Warmoth. They have a bajillion neck profiles, and far fewer restrictions on option combinations.

 

[Mincer]

1-5/8 vs 1-11/16 nut width can really change the feel of the "same" profile. For instance, the Standard Thin or Wizard profiles are on the thinner side, but feel surprisingly different at those widths. When you get to the thicker profiles, the difference becomes even more noticeable. Personally, I seem to like a little thinner profile at the 1-11/16 width than I do at the 1-5/8 width.

As for frets, I used to order all my Warmoth necks with SS6100 because it matched what I got used to on my Jackson and Ibanez guitars. However, every neck I order from here on out will probably have Warmoth's proprietary SS6115 size installed, which is like a thinner jumbo wire with a pyramid profile. It's friggin' fantastic, like 6100 in height, but not as bulky and the profile is really unique!

I had been curious about those Warmoth frets, so thanks for explaining it. I will have to try that size, too.

 

[Snake Aces]

1-5/8 vs 1-11/16 nut width can really change the feel of the "same" profile. For instance, the Standard Thin or Wizard profiles are on the thinner side, but feel surprisingly different at those widths. When you get to the thicker profiles, the difference becomes even more noticeable. Personally, I seem to like a little thinner profile at the 1-11/16 width than I do at the 1-5/8 width.

As for frets, I used to order all my Warmoth necks with SS6100 because it matched what I got used to on my Jackson and Ibanez guitars. However, every neck I order from here on out will probably have Warmoth's proprietary SS6115 size installed, which is like a thinner jumbo wire with a pyramid profile. It's friggin' fantastic, like 6100 in height, but not as bulky and the profile is really unique!

Like Mincer, I am also curious about them. I currently use SS6100 on all of them, but the SS6115 is interesting. I wonder if I am so used to the SS6100 after 10+ years of them now that... well, I might not like anything else.

 

[GuitarStv]

I like 6100 SS frets. Once you get used to big frets I just don't see any reason to go smaller. Warmoth's Wolfgang profile is pretty nice with a 1 11/16ths nut (1 5/8ths always feels a little cramped to me). A little bit beefier than my Charvel So Cal, but the asymmetric profile puts the beef where you want it and keeps it away from where you don't. Compound radius feel slightly more comfortable to me, and I went with a 10-16" . . . but I've got no real problems playing a straight 12 or 14" as well. Straight 10" or smaller would be kinda miserable to bend on.

 

[Cynical]

My preferred profile is a fairly thin C, 1-11/16" nut width, fairly flat fretboard (14" or flatter), and jumbo or XJ frets.

 

[Erlend_G]

A thick neck. C shaped. 1" is preferable, a "fatback" in Warmoths terms.

I think a thicker neck gives the guitar a stronger tone, also I like the feel...

I had an Ibanez RG 270DX as my first "real" guitar, the thin D neck profile wore my hands out real quick :/.

My current guitar, an Epiphone Wildkat, has a semi-thick C-profile. I wish it was a little thicker. . But that's for my "custom build" that I'll take a loan to get, one day .

 

[Erlend_G]

I remember my childhood friend had a guitar (telecaster) that his father made for him.

The neck was a really. really thick "V" ... and it was horrible to play on, hehe . (atleast we thought so).

Well, somewhere between a "C" and a "D", about 1", with medium jumbo frets, and I'll be happy .

Anyone except me noticed the difference in tone, between small "vintage" frets and huge "jumbo" frets? It's huge to my ears.

 

[dystrust]

I have pretty big hands, so narrow nut width and shallow profiles are both a no-go; I'm fine with either 1 11/16 or the vintage Fender 1.650". For a backshape, I like either a C or soft V on the thicker side, around .900" to 1" at the first fret is great. In terms of straight radii I can't stand a 7.25", but can play anything 9.5" or flatter. My ideal radius is in the 10-12" range because I don't shred while I still do like to play chords near the nut.

I haven't been able to try a 7.25-9.5" compound radius, but I imagine I'd really like it. longcat's Strat has a 7.25" radius and it's great for chords, I just can't stand to play lead on it. My Tele has a 9.5" radius which is flat enough that bends don't bother me too much higher up the fretboard. My Charvels are 12-16" compound radius and may be a hair flatter than I prefer near the nut. Put me down as yet another that likes BIG stainless fret wire, my personal favorite being Jescar 57110-S.

 

[Clint 55]

Fatback, 11" radius, 1 11/16" nut, 6100 SS frets. Just feels epic to me. Can deal with different neck profiles or nut widths but I has to have 11" radius and 6100 SS frets.

 

[PFDarkside]

5 months later I haven’t made a decision. What to do! I’m thinking 1-5/8” Wolfgang or SRV, 10-16”, SS6150 frets.


Also, fatback and boat neck guys, 1”? Do standard Fender necks make you cringe?

 

[ehdwuld]

I really like the necks on my Epi florentine semi hollow LP and my RG wizard ii necks
the wizard iii got wider

the Florentine has a 60's slim C with a 42 mm nut
the RG wizard II is well their slim D shape with a 42 mm nut

Warmoth has the 42 mm nut (1,650 inches I think )

the Epi is 12 radius
and the RG has almost 17 inch

its kinda flat and flatter
they feel the same to me

my Gibson has a thick Slim 60's D with a 43 mm nut
as do both my custom Ehdwuld Builds ( those dang Chinese)

thin narrow and flat

Jerry had some super tiny frets on his LP Signature LP and It was awesome to play
if I get a those tiny mystery frets they will be stainless

but with tiny frets you really dont have much room to level and dress
which according to Warmoth, they dont do

 

[Top-L]

The most important thing about a neck is the neck joint.

If it's not an aanj or set neck, then might as well no even build it. I still see square heel diy jobs.

Standard floyd nut width.
Medium jumbo or narrow jumbo. In perfect world, med jumbo with 17+ scalloped.

​​​​​​14" radius to match floyd.
if not graphite reinforced then get a 5 pc neck.
Rosewood if you can get it, otherwise ebony, but ask to see the piece.
Bound. Abalone inlays.
standard nickel silver grey's, easier to work.
Medium thickness. C profile.
​​​​​​

Headstock is tricky. Id just go with banana or hockey stick.