Rant: Neck description

[xtrustisyoursx]

Ok, I'm not sure if this is the best forum for this, but it's usually mentioned in the context of 7 string guitars, so it'll work.

Almost every time a neck is described, the main quality is how thick or thin it is. Most people around here tend to favor "thinner" necks. However, this really bothers me. I've found that the neck profile tends to have a far greater impact than the thickness. For example, my Douglas SR-307 neck is just as thin as the RG-7421 I used to have. However, the RG7421 had the typical Ibanez profile (flat in the back with curved shoulders) while the Douglas has a nice even curve from shoulder to shoulder. These two necks have very similar thickness, but I much prefer one to the other, and I feel as if this would be the case with other players as well. Is neck thickness/thinness somewhat of an inaccurate descriptor?

 

[BigPhi84]

I believe so. Since I grew up on Fender Guitars, I love C-shaped necks. But one company's C-shape is another's U-shape, is another's D shape, etc. It's quite frustrating. My least favorite necks shapes are the Super-D-shape on the RG7321 and any V-shaped neck.

Thickness/thinness doesn't really bother me. It's really all about the "shoulders" of the neck in my experience, and I like C-Shaped-Shoulders (try saying that 3 times fast!).

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I agree with you, there are a lot of factors not oven considered.

Though for the most part, often they contour does get discussed. For instance, when people refer to a "D" shaped neck or a "C" shaped neck, the "D" referring to the flatter, shouldered style, while the "C" refers to the continuous round curve. Unfortunately, that's as in depth as it gets over the internet concerning back of neck profile. Often, they mean different things to different people as well.

Though I find three factors often overlooked: Radius, Fretboard Edge, and Fret Height.

Thickness is the easiest thing to easily quantify, so I can see why it's usually used as the scaler.

 

[BigPhi84]

I used to have an old Ibanez RG770RR with the orignal Wizard neck, and while that was the absolute thinnest neck I've ever played, it was also one of the most awkward D-shaped necks I've ever had to play. It just didn't fit the curvature of my hand well and I felt like I was constantly giving The Claw (my one "Liar, Liar" reference of the day.)

 

[EliNoPants]

But one company's C-shape is another's U-shape, is another's D shape, etc. It's quite frustrating.

that's where the biggest problem is in getting a good description of this aspect of a neck, we as players can't simply use one term and have it mean the same thing all the time, it would be nice if manufacturers would all agree on a naming system, because saying "c-shape" would be way the fuck easier than "well, sort of like a Carvin, but thinner, and a little flatter on the very back, but blah blah blah etc."

personally i know that the neck on my LTD SC-607B is called a "thin-u" by them, but i've never seen a "thin-u" listed by any other company, and i don't think Schecter even bothers to label their neck shapes

 

[walleye]

Is neck thickness/thinness somewhat of an inaccurate descriptor?

yes you're right
but it is extremely hard to put neck profiles into words, there are terms such as "C-shape, V-shape, wizard" and such going around, but beyond that its not easy to describe. i'd say that accounts for a lot of the lack of information

 

[shadowlife]

It would be nice to have a better common system. I definitely prefer the C shape, but you can never really tell what you're getting until the guitar is in your hands...

 

[Emperoff]

The necks on my S7420fm and my Jackson KE-7 are the same thickness (measured) but the neck on the Jackson is insanely more comfortable to me, so it really makes sense.

There's also other factors involved, as the width of the fretboard, the string spacing and the radius, that can make much more of a difference than the thickness of the neck.

 

[Shenaniganizer]

I honestly have no clue what neck profile I like.
I know that I love Jackson necks, because I've been playing on them for some time.
I love thick necks, too, though. So, uh.. I don't know where I'm going with this.

 

[MaKo´s Tethan]

great thread, well, most ibbys necks has 19mm at nut, and when somebody plays a schecter says: oh it feels like a baseball bat.
so...I take measures from a schecter 7 neck. 20mm at nut. 21 at 12fret.
so, the neck profile has a lot to do with the feeling, not just the size.
when I was younger my fav. profile was the flat-ibanez style, but now, with 22 and more technique and experience, I prefer D rounded necks ala schecter.
But something I will never love is the old original les paul neck, I just can`t play it, reminds me a classic guitar, and I never play classics, since my first guitar was a ovation acoustic replica/copy, I always play in thin necks.

 

[MaKo´s Tethan]

just to add information... making this thread rich of data for everyone.

 

[budda]

I'm all about shoulders vs thickness as well - I don't care how thick it is, i care how the shoulders feel. That's why I never understood the C-7 is a boat thing - I found my schecter neck too thin in the middle, the shoulders were fine.

The comfiest 7-string neck profile I've played to date is the Dean EVO 7 (darren's)... I also played his JP7, and boy was that thing not for me.

 

[Prydogga]

Yeah, the profile of the back of the neck is most important, as long as the neck isn't 25mm or something, Comparing a charvel neck to an Indo Ibanez in terms of neck thickness (both are about the same) isn't fair, as the Charvel's profile is miles better.


Another thing I think is important is what finish is over the neck, the number of times I see:
"Great shred neck/Thin fast neck" and the neck is covered in the glossiest gloss known to man, some gloss is well done, but I much prefer a satin or oiled neck, and I think manufacturers could specify the difference alot more than "Great for shred."

 

[budda]

I'm fine with oiled, painted, satin necks really. I know some people loathe painted necks with a passion, but personally, when I'm playing guitar in a jam or band setting my hands are sweating. And that sweat translates to sliding all over the neck effortlessly.

 

[troyguitar]

I don't know, neck profiles don't seem to affect me much at all. I play the same on my 9-strings 25mm thick neck as I do on a 6-string Wizard.

 

[budda]

I don't know, neck profiles don't seem to affect me much at all. I play the same on my 9-strings 25mm thick neck as I do on a 6-string Wizard.

How often do you switch between the two? That has a little bit to do with it IMO.

It's pretty cool that you can do that though

 

[Hollowway]

I'm not hugely finicky about the neck profile, but I'm thisclose to starting a thread ranting about neck heels. Nothing pisses me off more than a neck heel where there doesn't have to be. Like where the neck gets real fat right before an aanj, thereby defeating the purpose of the aanj. Or where a neck through has a heel on it as if it were a bolt-on. (I'm looking at you, Agile Intrepid!) Since no one likes a neck heel, I don't see why a lot of builders skip over the consideration.

 

[jaskasm]

I'm not hugely finicky about the neck profile, but I'm thisclose to starting a thread ranting about neck heels. Nothing pisses me off more than a neck heel where there doesn't have to be. Like where the neck gets real fat right before an aanj, thereby defeating the purpose of the aanj. Or where a neck through has a heel on it as if it were a bolt-on. (I'm looking at you, Agile Intrepid!) Since no one likes a neck heel, I don't see why a lot of builders skip over the consideration.

*cough* PRS *cough* *cough*
Neck heel from hell.

 

[Esp Griffyn]

Most Ibanez guitars I've palyed have been thinner than that, relative to the other necks on there.

I know threadstarter is getting bent over people only talking about thickness of the neck, but I often note when people use things like C shape, V or D to describe the necks, perhaps I just read more indepth sources than him

It's never really been a problem, I always seem to stumble across this info even in threads here. Maybe he is getting so hung up on thick vs thin that he is missing it

 

[troyguitar]

How often do you switch between the two? That has a little bit to do with it IMO.

It's pretty cool that you can do that though

Yeah I switch all of the time, though I do give preference to the DC747 and RG7420 since those are what I use in my actual band.

I also swear that the 9-string with the uber-massive neck has the best tone and sustain out of any of my guitars and am beginning to think that is no coincidence...