Your favorite neck shape and why

[weepingminotaur]

C, U, D, V, or some variant that's "big in Europe"?

Would love to get your thoughts on what neck(s) you prefer, and how it relates to factors such as hand size, playing style, genre, technique, etc.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I have a usual rant that I hate describing neck shapes as C/U/D - it’s the same freaking shape turned ninety degrees. Makes no sense, but suppose it’s tradition.

That said, I prefer very thin necks with a very flat back. I dislike very thick or V-shaped necks; they used to cause me so much hand pain I couldn’t play them. I play with my thumb pretty much in the middle of the neck, and it just makes no sense to have something pointy there. I learned to play on an acoustic with a relatively thick neck, the first time I played a thinner neck it was a ‘look how much more I can do!’ moment I never looked back from.

That said it seems like I can at least get along with thicker/V-shapes nowadays but still not my preference.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Warmoth Boatneck contour. Because I have big hands and that shape is super comfortable for me. I can get along fine with a thick C profile like seen on the SG Classics but that Boatneck contour is pretty much perfect for me.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I like the tiny Music Man shape, as I have 12 year old girl hands. The standard Warmoth contour is a little big for me.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Could be that hand shape has something to do with my preference for thin necks, I actually have pretty long fingers but my fingers are so thin I had to get a custom wedding ring that could be sized to fit.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

i like a thick c best. i dont like the shoulder of a d or u and dont care for the back contour of the v. i can make due with most things but a thick c is my favorite. 1" from nut to body with no taper is just fine

 

[weepingminotaur]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I like the tiny Music Man shape, as I have 12 year old girl hands. The standard Warmoth contour is a little big for me.

What type of shape is the Music Man neck? (I've never tried Music Mans.) I assume from your description that it's a thin C or oval, is that correct?

 

[weepingminotaur]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Right now, I seem to have a good connection with thin U necks. I have fairly long, relatively thin fingers, so I'm fine playing C or D necks, as long as they're not too chunky, but as someone whose thumb is usually on the back of the neck I can't get with the V.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

PRS Pattern Regular. It's similar to what I think Jeremy is describing above, but maybe something like a C with a little hint of V. Not much shoulder, but it's fairly deep feeling. I have extremely medium sized hands, and used to prefer very thin, Wizard style necks, but now very much prefer the beefier Pattern.

It feels like there's a similar amount of wood as my '62 LP/SG, but it's distributed better, if that makes any sense.

 

[Hsb]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Love the old Ibanez Prestige necks, wish that guitar wasnt stolen.

 

[devastone]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Favorite necks, my old 89 JEM and a Washburn N4, I guess both qualify as D, but not super thin like the new Ibanez Wizard necks, they have gone way over the thin line.

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I like parallelogram and hex shaped necks.

Being serious, I think I like the C shape on my Schecter guitars the best, combined with the 14" radius. The typical Fender and Gibson profiles I just deal with. I would really like to try a asymmetric neck sometime, but I haven't yet.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Thick C. More wood, more vibration transfer, and better tone.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Short Fingers and thumb over player, so i like V necks. Claptons Fender Strat neck and Taylor Acoustic necks are my fav.

 

[Blille]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I can do D, C in most thicknesses except chunky. Favorite shape is the C to D you find on Fender Elites or the Charvel neck.

Why? I grew up with a copy of a Jackson. It had a thin flat neck. So I got used to that. I also play mostly classical style with the thumb in the back.

 

[Blille]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I like parallelogram and hex shaped necks.

Got one for you.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I'm not a shredder by any means, but I like thin D shapes with flat fretboards best.

I really like the Super Wizard on my RG570. Really comfy as I'm a thumb on the back of the neck kinda guy. I really like the flat fretboard radius too. The Wizard Prestige in my former RGA was also nice, but I think I prefer the thinner one on my RG570. I'd really like to try a Super Wizard HP or Prestige.

I'd really like to try the ESP Extra Thin Flat and Extra Thin U to see how they compare to the Ibbies as I'm finding their standard Thin U pretty comfy too. 12" is probably as round as I like my fretboard, though.

I used to have a Japanese Jackson with what I think they call "speed neck"? Either way, that was nice, and the compound radius was kinda cool, but I think I prefer a flat fretboard all across.

I'm starting to dislike the Wide Fat on my PRS SE. I'm willing to live with it because I'm sure it contributes to how good that guitar sounds, but man, that 10" fretboard specially is totally not my thing.

I also don't like V necks. It's not my preference, but I can live with a round thick neck, but definitely not a V. A thick V-shaped neck with a 7.5" radius would probably be my worst nightmare.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I’m weird; can get along with any neck radius from 7” to 16”/compound.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

I'd really like to try the ESP Extra Thin Flat and Extra Thin U to see how they compare to the Ibbies as I'm finding their standard Thin U pretty comfy too. 12" is probably as round as I like my fretboard, though.

Interesting you mention the ESP U necks. I had occasion to try some LTD thin U necks recently (the EC-1000 and the H-1001) and I was surprised by how well I got along with those necks. Very slim and comfortable, access to upper frets no problem. Being a thumb-on-back player with longish fingers, I don't mind the U shoulders that bother some players. So now I want to try some of their extra thin U necks to compare. Might try to make it out to a Sam Ash for this very reason in the next little while. I'm saving up to buy a new guitar within a year or so, which is why I want all the intel on necks!

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Your favorite neck shape and why

Best sounding guitars I have, acoustically and plugged in, have baseball bat necks. I’ll play anything, but the best playing neck I’ve ever felt was the custom thin neck on a Pete Townsend signature SJ-200 acoustic. Plays like an electric, very fast and comfortable. Can play it for hours. I also tend to like 7.5-9” radius fretboards. I play more rhythm than lead and the edges of flat 12” radius necks hurt my hands/fingers when holding chords.