First custom build neck Carve and fret size advice

[Lou Kash]

Hello everyone. I am looking for some advice on my first custom warmoth build. For the last few years I’ve been trying to build a custom guitar but everything has fallen through. Left with a few hundred dollars worth of parts from failed projects and impressed by the quality of a strat I assembled from showroom parts, I've decided to build a warmoth tele les paul hybrid. I already know with what  body specs I want but I'd appreciate some help on the neck. The showcase neck I bought had an unfinished roasted maple neck I absolutely love the feel of but it also feels a little thin both in depth (standard thin), at the nut (1.650), and the fretboard felt flat for my tastes (10-16”). To fix this I'm looking at the 9.5-14" radius, the 43mm nut, a flame roasted maple neck (I think mahogany would be tonally better but roasted flame maple is just so pretty and feels so nice) and a black eboney board. I’m also doing a gibson conversion scale as I like a more wiggle in the string and mellower tone with PAF style pickups. I know I could always use a lower string gauge but anything under a 9 is ahrd for me to feel. What I'm not entirely sure about is the neck carve and fret size. I was thinking about a Clapton, SVR, or Wolfgang. A few years back I played a soft v baja tele that was one of the best necks I've ever played, as well as a 2011 (I think) Clapton strat which wasn't too shabby. At the same time I'm fairly used to playing asymmetrical slim 60s necks on my LP. As far as frets I'm really not sure what I like.  I know I want stainless steel because I don't want to re-fret, especially on ebony. I own guitars with 6105, jumbo, super jumbo, and some that are very low and flat. I've played them all back to back and I didn't have a large preference. The 6105’s on my strat aren’t my favorite, especially on such a flat fretboard. I was leaning towards larger frets, mainly the S6115 as I’ve heard they are both bend and pull-off friendly. I would love to hear what you all think. This build is going to be my most expensive guitar and I don’t want to mess it up. Sorry for the long post. Thanks!

 

[stratamania]

Welcome to the forum.

You may get answers along the lines of my favorite neck carve is xxx and fret size is yyyy but really what someone else thinks is subjective for them.

This means you really need to arrive at a decision and it seems you already have weighed up a number of things. The SS6115 would seem a good choice for you (although I use something else).

Of the three neck profiles you have narrowed down to they would seem to be closer to what you are trying to get to but I think it might be between the SRV and the Wolfgang.

 

[rauchman]

I've got 3 necks, all 10-16 radius, all 1" 11/16" nut size

Wolfgang SS6115 frets - All roasted maple Tele, Tusq XL nut
Standard Thin SS6115 frets - Roast maple shaft / ebony board 24.75" scale and tiltback headstock...getting a delrin nut
Standard Thin SS6150 frets - All roasted maple Warhead w/ LSR nut

Profile
The Wolfgang adds meat to the thumbside of the fretting hand.  Can't quantify it, but from this experience, that additional meat adds some fatness / sustain to the tone.  Originally, I really liked this neck as it was different from anything else I had tried.  However, now also having Standard Thins, I'm liking the ST's a little better.  This is purely because my hands aren't huge and I have short pudgy fingers.  If I had longer fingers / bigger hands, I'd really really like the Wolfgang.  I do think nut width plays a big factor as how thin/fat a neck feels.  For me, a 1 11/16 nut with a Standard Thin equates to about the same volume of space as a 1.650 Wolfgang or 1 5/8 with a 59 Roundback.  I've learned, for me, the 1 11/16 Standard Thin combo is preferred, but that's me.

Frets
SS6115 - These are very easy to do really wide range bends and play very easily.  Caveat here is, I have to be more aware of pressure on the strings as I can find myself pulling a note a touch sharp if gorilla gripping the strings.  These frets are tall but not overly wide.  Almost a mini scalloped feel.  I have a Standard Thin SS6115 getting some nut work done.  Chomping at the bit to see how this plays.

SS6150 - I'm finding I prefer these as they are a nice balance of size, and still allow wide ranging bends and excellent playability.  Also, I don't pull notes sharp when I'm ham fingered