Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

[UTGrad]

I have a SG with a thicker D shape neck and an LP with a slim taper. On the LP sometimes the string slips under my ring finger on full step bends. This rarely happens on my SG. Could this be caused by differences in the neck thickness?


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[6stringerguy]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

That seems like it would be more to do with the action of the guitar rather than the neck shape

 

[jeremy]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

thats my feeling as well, although the thicker neck could change the angle of the finger doing the bending applying more down pressure

 

[UTGrad]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

The action on the LP is lower than the SG.


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[Chris Pile]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Could be more to do with the height of the frets.... Are they taller on the SG compared to the Les Paul?

 

[UTGrad]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Could be more to do with the height of the frets.... Are they taller on the SG compared to the Les Paul?

Not sure I’ll check.


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[AlexR]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

I find low action is more responsible in my case for the string slipping the way you describe.

 

[UTGrad]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Just stopped by the local guitar repair shop here in Nashville suburb. Raised the action a smidge and it’s fixed.


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[GuitarDoc]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Raising the action will help a little bit, but there will be some trade-off with speed and fatigue. Installing taller frets will help a lot, and you can keep the action low and not have those trade-offs.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Nothing is harder for me to play than low action with light strings. I went to see a local blues guy recently. He plays super aggressive like SRV. Afterward, I was checking out his guitars and couldn't believe how easily they played. What felt like slightly stiffer 10s turned out to be 12-56. Medium-high action and tall frets, and those heavy strings played like butter.

Yeah, it is a little tough to deal with at first, but if you play a lot, you get used to it pretty quick.

 

[UTGrad]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Maybe I’m crazy but it seems raising the action slightly made my strings more “slinky”.


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[6stringerguy]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Maybe I’m crazy but it seems raising the action slightly made my strings more “slinky”.


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Maybe because you can be more aggressive with your vibrato before it frets out?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Maybe I’m crazy but it seems raising the action slightly made my strings more “slinky”.

It makes them easier to get ahold of. People who say low action is easier to play tend not to be into crazy bends.

 

[Chris Pile]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

Here's what will really twist your Twinkie.... Heavy strings don't have to be bent as far to get the same note as a light string. Nines have to be pushed a long way for a full step, twelves not so much.

Years ago I met an old guy with a 335 who played a lot of multi-string bends in his playing, pedal steel type stuff and Amos Garrett stuff. I said, "You sound great. You must be using some light strings". The old guy said, "Yup. Purty Light. Fourteens.".....

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

One thing that can be really helpful is getting the bridge radius to match the fretboard radius. This may require filing of the individual saddles on a Gibson Tune-O-Matic bridge. Check out Dan Erlewine's book, "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great". You can buy a set of files, and steel radius gauges from Stew-Mac.

Bill

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

I can't have the action super low on any of my guitars or I have the same problem. Giving the strings just a tad more height makes them easier to grab and bend. If you want your strings to feel even slinkier, you can top wrap the strings over your stop tail. Works wonders.

 

[6stringerguy]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

It makes them easier to get ahold of. People who say low action is easier to play tend not to be into crazy bends.

So that explains like I crazy high action big of SRV influence

 

[UTGrad]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

So that explains like I crazy high action big of SRV influence

???

Were you saying thats why you like a crazy high action like SRV?


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[6stringerguy]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

???

Were you saying thats why you like a crazy high action like SRV?


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Just the fact the higher action suits me better for crazy bends, SRV had a crazy high action from what I’ve heard and he did some crazy bends

 

[blueman335]

Re: Neck Profiles and Bending Strings

I do a lot of Peter Green/Jimmy Page bends, which means a moderately high action. My fingers go under another string sometimes when I do bends. Not a big deal. Haven't noticed if it happens more with different neck profiles than others. I see absolutely no problem with that happening or why anyone would be concerned about it. To me it just means I'm doing some really good bends. None issue.