Experience with Wolfgang and SRV contour, please ?

[vegababy]

Today I did some proper measuring of my Strat necks and it turns out that the Warmoth Standard Thin is much thinner than the thinnest neck I've got (which I don't like that much).

The one I like most of mine is about 2.1 cm - 2.3 cm which takes me into the either Wolfgang or SRV direction.

I was wondering if anyone uses those profiles, maybe even has both and which one is preferred. My main concern would be the asymetric back contour. Otherwise, sizewise I would just go for the Wolfgang but don't know how comfortable it is. Maybe even though in theory the SRV is bigger, again maybe the asymetric back contour is just in a 'different place' where you don't feel it as much as on the Wolfgang...Very difficult to decide....

Also, going for the Warmoth Pro, it seems that the fretboard is 6.35mm thick, rather than 5mm as on the Vintage modern. Does that 1.35mm come on top of the measures on the back contours ?

Maybe there's anyone in London who's got one of the profiles and could be so kind to let me play it ?

Thanks guys !

p.s. at least I know that I'm settled on 1-5/8 nut width

 

[vegababy]

I did some 'photoshop'ing' to see how a 'normal' Wolfgang neck would look like without being asymetric. It's not a 100% accurate but enough to get an idea that it's a slightly fatter Strat neck. The asymetric part probably just makes it more comfy...

Still, any experience you could share would be appreciated !

 

[DanDeTora]

I don't have first hand experience with the Wolfgang contour, but I played an EBMM Axis (like EVH's old sig) and it had a fat asymetrical profile which, I assume, is what the Wolfgang is based off of. It played fantastic, the fatness on the bass side of the neck was super comfy. It fills your hand nicely, like a LP, but doesn't 'get in the way' - if you catch my drift.

 

[rahimiiii]

Standard thin is really just slightly fatter than Wizard and that's really thin. I had SRV before and really liked it. I just hate paying extra 39 for it.

 

[dbw]

Yeah, standard thin is a bit thinner than I expected.  It's not TOO thin for me but my next one will definitely be fatter.  A '59, a Wolfgang, or an SRV.

 

[TroubledTreble]

I have the SRV contour on two necks. I am very pleased with that contour. It has just the slightest hint of a "V". It isn't really noticable even when switching back and forth with a standard contour neck. The asymetry is very natural feeling and puts the wood in the right place for me, which helps with playing longer.

I think in your case you would be very happy with the Wolfgang contour. Another option would be to get a Fatback and do a little sanding until it's right for you.

-TT-

 

[vegababy]

Another option would be to get a Fatback and do a little sanding until it's right for you.

-TT-

That would probably drive me nuts to get it right . I was going for the Warmoth vintage tint gloss anyway (don't flame me, I like the feel of the gloss on my Strats ) so fortunately the sanding option is not gonna happen ...

Thanks for all your input guys ! It's a bit of a shame really, eventhough Warmoth have quite a choice in necks as it is but it would be cool if there were slightly thicker options up from the standard thin (without going asymetric), which like I said compared to all my Strats is really thin (and my Strats don't have especially thick necks, just 'normal' I'd say).

At the moment I'm leaning definetely towards the Wolfgang since it really comes closest to what I like thickness-wise. I'll keep checking back...maybe there is someone here with hands on experience...

I've played EBMMs before but find it very difficult to judge the necks because (sorry) the whole guitar feels like a ukulele. Eventhough the necks have regular Strat scales, they feel tiny, probably because of the small headstock and how far the neck goes into the body. Never felt right to me at all.

 

[Alfang]

I have 4 Warmoth necks, all standard thin, As my playing has improved a ton in the last year, I find some of my thicker non-Warmoth necks more comfortable, Probably due to being old and lazy I don't know.

I do know that my next Warmoth neck will be something fatter, I also am considering a taller fret to help chords, I find that the 6105 frets, while smooth feeling and fast for licks,  make it harder for my old man fingers to get the strings low enough on some fast arpegios and complex chord changes

 

[vegababy]

I have 4 Warmoth necks, all standard thin, As my playing has improved a ton in the last year, I find some of my thicker non-Warmoth necks more comfortable, Probably due to being old and lazy I don't know.

I do know that my next Warmoth neck will be something fatter, I also am considering a taller fret to help chords, I find that the 6105 frets, while smooth feeling and fast for licks,  make it harder for my old man fingers to get the strings low enough on some fast arpegios and complex chord changes

I've heard that before and don't think it's actually age related to like fatter necks. I think it's got to with how long someone's been playing. I've been playing 25+ years, almost all my life, used to like thin necks but prefer them fatter since like ten years (not super fat though, gotta shred once in a while). I always like Dunlop 6100 frets though (have them on all my Strats as well). I think once you've been playing longer your muscles are just a lot stronger and that's when thin necks feel a bit strange. Maybe with thicker necks constant finger muscle power is more balanced ?
Also, of course, thicker necks sound better and these are really only factors once you've been playing longer (none of my 'having played for 2 years' guitar students would really care about how their neck sounds).

Oh, and I use quite high string action as well, same reason, sound.

 

[dbw]

I'd point out that if you've been playing 25 years, you're old as far as I'm concerned.  Age is strongly correlated with how long you've been playing.  And wouldn't stronger muscles let you play a thinner neck, which provides less hand support?  Also, I don't think playing guitar really makes your hands stronger, at least not after the first few years.

 

[GoDrex]

Is the Fender Strat "modern-C" close to any of the Warmoth contours?

 

[vegababy]

I'd point out that if you've been playing 25 years, you're old as far as I'm concerned.  Age is strongly correlated with how long you've been playing.  And wouldn't stronger muscles let you play a thinner neck, which provides less hand support?  Also, I don't think playing guitar really makes your hands stronger, at least not after the first few years.

It was only a theory of mine. Should have added 'in my opinion' . Part of my neck and string action choice also came from producers I've worked for when (to say it with your words) I was young, who 'forced' me into using gear that was not layed out for comfy/no tone playing .

Don't know where it comes from. Like I said, just a theory. Considering (again in your words ) that Steve Vai is really very very super old , he plays very thin necks...

 

[vegababy]

Is the Fender Strat "modern-C" close to any of the Warmoth contours?

I only have 60's reissues and the standard Warmoth is way thinner than all of mine.

 

[stubhead]

Many "old guys" playing in bar bands (yo! :redflag do find that they move to fatter necks for comfort reasons over the years, playing four sets of barre chords on a flat shreddy neck is no treat. However, for playing fast, up high, skipping strings and all, a thin Wizard neck is great. I think the Warmoth compound radius is designed to partially address this issue - barre chords vs. shred - but the hand positioning is different too.

To take full advantage of the note-reaching possibilities on a thin flat neck, you've got to keep your thumb behind the back of the neck - on my Ibanez RG7421 seven-string, my thumb will often end up all the way behind the high B string, pointing straight back towards the headstock. There's advantages to be taken, and things to be learned, from playing lots of different neck shapes. When someone says that they have to have a neck just like their so-and-so because it had a "perfect" neck, gaak. I want my '65 Volkswagon Beetle back too, it was a "perfect" car. :icon_tongue: No girl will ever beat good ol' Mom, snif snif, etc. :sad1:

 

[vegababy]

I have the SRV contour on two necks. I am very pleased with that contour. It has just the slightest hint of a "V". It isn't really noticable even when switching back and forth with a standard contour neck.
-TT-

That's what I was afraid of (the slight 'V'). I think even Fender were never quite sure exactly in which category to place the SRV neck, but you can even tell from the Warmoth backcontours diagram that there's a little bit of a 'V' going on...

 

[Kostas]

... used to like thin necks but prefer them fatter since like ten years (not super fat though, gotta shred once in a while). I always like Dunlop 6100 frets though (have them on all my Strats as well)...

It's a myth that you can't play fast on fat necks. Your hand is responsible for this, not the neck.
I agree that standard thin is too thin and thinner than most Fender necks. I don't think there's too much difference between standard thin & SRV/Wolfgang. Check the '59 if you want something noticeably thicker but most of all the fatback. It's the most comfortable neck I have ever played. The '59 feels wider and difficult to me after settling for a year on the fatback so don't assume a thicker neck would always be difficult for your hands to adjust. Playing cords on the fatback just feels so comfortable!

 

[DiMitriR33]

i agree, fatbacks are great. i thought i'd like the srv but the fatback is much better. i still want to try a round back, any C-shape neck is comfortable in my hands, i dislike D-shaped necks were there is a slight flat spot and severly hate anything with a V. i think for me a left handed srv or wolfgang would be better than the normal ones. i like the surface at the bottom of the neckback to be about perpendicular to the fretboard, no sharp angle there. that makes it more dificult to play some chords for me. if i remember the real evh guitars had a bit diferent shape than the warmoth, i haven't held one i a while but i think the lower half was a normal C shape and the upper had some extra material but did not get any thicker. i love the quality of warmoth parts but i don't think the wolfgang is quite right. it's more the shape of an existing neck that had the treble side sanded.