Carved top and angled neck. Why?

[Garf]

hi all... I've always had fender style guitars, where the neck is dead flat with the body. I've always found say a Les Paul to be uncomfortable, like my picking hand is raised way too high... Mostly because of the TOM bridge and the neck angle...

So I was reading about the angled neck pocket on the Warmoth site, and just wanted to know why all carved top bodies have to have the angled neck?

And also is the angle as big as a Les Paul?

I love the look of something like a carved top Tele... And I'm sure I would get used to it, but just curious as to why... And how big the angle is....

Thanks.

 

[Fat Pete]

This is something that's changed recently - since the introduction of the double laminate tops it seems - but the carved-top Tele is an exception anyway as it doesn't have to have a 'tall' bridge option and can be ordered with a non-angled neck pocket.

Others, like the VIP, can only be had without the neck angle if routed for certain tremolos.

It's worth bearing in mind that some options may be available even though the online builder doesn't allow them. If you have a specific setup in mind it's always worth giving them a call to check.

 

[Garf]

Thanks for the reply... makes sense... It's all about the bridge.. which i kind of figured, but there was just that bit on the website that said all carved top bodies have it..

Cheers.

 

[bagman67]

The carved top tele is a quasi-exception because it's actually got the same geometry and dimensions as a standard tele, but with the edges shaved down and rounded off.  Otherwise, yeah, you're stuck with the angle if you go with a tune-o-matic - the standard arrangement for most carved-top guitars.  With the standard t-o-m, the bridge sits a little higher off the face of the guitar than with the recessed t-o-m or the flatmount types.  Neck angle has to be accounted for with any body that's running a standard t-o-m, including Strats.