So you like 'em fat!?

Jeddie

Jeddie

New member
Well, guitar necks that is! I do and I was curious as to what other models have them. My Schecter could be considered medium I suppose. Ibanez/Jacksons are pretty thing. This Les Paul copy has a fat neck and I really enjoy it and that is about my experience so far.

How about LTD? Epi/Gibson? Also, is the correct term neck radius and should I be looking for a larger one in the future? Thanks guys!
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

I have various guitars with a wide variety of necks. My No. 1 is my Les Paul Traditional with the 59 neck. Going from an SG and an Ibanez to that guitar felt like I was playing with a baseball bat. Once I got used to it, the increased sustain and thicker tone were a godsend.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

radius is the fretboard curve.

And fat is a comparative term - fat for me is 1" at the first fret. Best thing to do is get either calipers or a profile tool and figure out depth measurements as that figure is absolute. Most companies have measurements of some description.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

What exactly is a '59 neck? Was it a certain size made that year and repeated? How does it compare to say an SG?
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

AlexR said:
radius is the fretboard curve.

And fat is a comparative term - fat for me is 1" at the first fret. Best thing to do is get either calipers or a profile tool and figure out depth measurements as that figure is absolute. Most companies have measurements of some description.
Click to expand...

So there is not a standard that they are measured by or classification?
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

I've used an Ibanez SZ320 as my #1 for years. Supposedly it has a chunky neck. I never felt it that way.
That was until I bought my Jackson and realized I've been trying playing lead with a tree trunk for years... ha!

With that said, I don't have a real preference here. I just do know that I don't like the vintage radius and tiny frets from vintage-correct Telecasters.
Those are a pain to play for me. Give me taller frets, please!
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

The thickest necks you will find will most likely be vintage fender and 58 gibson profiles. Back in the early days, everything had a huge neck. There are few brands that employ a thick neck now days. None of them offer the telephone pole with frets option like they had in the 50s, unless you buy vintage reissue or custom shop.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk
 
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Re: So you like 'em fat!?

Jeddie said:
So there is not a standard that they are measured by or classification?
Click to expand...

The standard that is used is inches. Anything else is meaningless as all vintage guitars used hand sanding and I'd guess every single guitar has a unique shape.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

View attachment 74492

Gibson took fat necks to another level on their 2015 Zero Fret Nut guitars!!! They added a extra 1/16 of an inch to each side of the already rather fat Gibson necks! I didn't really like it at first but now that I'm used to it I absolutely love playing the guitar!!! I don't know that it makes playing the guitar any easier like they claim but it certainly feels nice in your hands!

I guess technically they made the necks wider, not fatter? Rgardless it's pretty dang beefy & a all around great guitar!!!
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

I have a few Jackson PC1 models that a lot of people consider baseball bats. I had a custom build made this past year that cloned a really close facsimile to the PC1.

Relatively speaking, I think the PC1 is quite probably closer to a 59 LP profile, while people seem to react as if it's a 52 Tele Boatneck or a vintage Fender deep U....both of which are thicker.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

FWIW - some numbers off a few guitars I have handy, all measured at the first fret

Gibson Les Paul Studio w/50's neck = 0.882"
Fender Highway 1 Telecaster = 0.880"
Gibson SG Standard = 0.862"

Interesting how close these are, yet I felt the 50's neck was a bit thick while the SG felt thin and easy. Could be because Fender necks are wider so it changes how I grip the neck a bit?
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

i dont like a nut wider than 1 11/16" but i love a neck thats 1" from nut to heel with the right carve. a nice fat C without too much shoulder is perfect for me
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

One of the fattest necks I've ever played was on a Fender Richie Kotzen Telecaster.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

Jeddie said:
What exactly is a '59 neck? Was it a certain size made that year and repeated? How does it compare to say an SG?
Click to expand...

In theory, Gibson had fat necks in the 50s and thin necks in the 60s. Early 50s are fatter, and they gradually get smaller towards 1959, and the trend continued into the 60s.

I say "in theory" because necks used to be hand carved and shaped... so there are '59s with thicker necks than a '54, and '57s with thin necks by '59 standards.

The 59 neck profile is kind of a middle zone. It's still considered fat, but not too fat.


The Gibson '59 and PRS Pattern Neck (formerly known as Wide/Fat) are pretty similar.
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

I played Squires for years
Then I got an RG super thin neck with super tall frets
With about a 17 inch radius fretboard
It was awesome . love it.

Then last year I played Jerry's Les Paul Signature with the thin neck and low frets
Omg what I was missing. Could play that thing for days

I got an Epiphone Florentine with slim neck and low wide frets
I think it has a 12 inch radius
Easily my favorite now

My MIM strat gets no love anymore
The neck and medium jumbo frets feel like the thick end of a baseball bat
Oh and it's radius is 9.5 inches

The flatter radius fretboard is easier to make barre chords on
I don't play a lot of lead
 
Re: So you like 'em fat!?

Warmoth 'fatback' profile is insanely fat; crazy fat but still doable for me with even a 1 and 11/16th nut. I prefer 'boatneck', but almost wish there was something in between fatback and boat. I mean, 'SRV and 59' contours are just ok, but too thin for me, but still totally playable- i do have a couple.. OTOH, i had a fatback neck with 1 and 3/4 nut- just too too big for me, had to get rid of it...biggest, fatest, widest thing ever and those of you with bear paws oughta check one out.
I have a fatback with one and 11/16th's nut width on one 0of my Strats thouhg, and it's cool to paw ever now and then to stretch the 'ol digits.
 
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Re: So you like 'em fat!?

Fattest neck I've played on is probably an Epi '58 Explorer. My Shecter 7 string is probably next. My Ibanez RG-120 is probably the thinnest. If course, that's if I leave out the Honer nylon string classical that I learned on.

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