Going fatter on the neck

[musicispeace]

Thinking about my next neck and wanted to ask if anyone had any thoughts on this. I've gone with the the 1 11/16 nut width with the Clapton profile and another neck with a .87 soft V and been very comfortable. Still with some room to go before filling out the palm though. I still have one old copy guitar I still like with a 1 5/8 nut width and a neck far thinner than I normally like but I like the sound of the guitar. I've tried a couple of boat necks in shops, both the classic of about 1.0 and one that was .90. I think the Nash has an average of .97 and tried one of those too. I'd really like to try a full on boat neck but its just about all I can hold onto. Is it better to go with a narrower nut width if I am going deeper in the hand neck wise? My theory is a 1 5/8 with boat neck profile could be a better fit than going wider as well as adding that much wood in the palm. Any experience on this? I had one day sitting with a boat neck in a shop where my hands were sore and it just wasn't happening but other trips I've always liked it as something a little different. Thanks.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Opinions differ greatly on this topic.
Some say go all the way when going big, but I tend to think that if you've been playing small necks like the wizard as I have been for 25+ years, to transition at a pace that you can adjust to.
I'll be going from a Wizard/1 5/8" to a '59/1 11/16" on my next one.

 

[swarfrat]

Opinions vary both because of hand geometry and techniques / thinking.  But I'd certainly be on board with deepe and narrow.

 

[fdesalvo]

Thinking about my next neck and wanted to ask if anyone had any thoughts on this. I've gone with the the 1 11/16 nut width with the Clapton profile and another neck with a .87 soft V and been very comfortable. Still with some room to go before filling out the palm though. I still have one old copy guitar I still like with a 1 5/8 nut width and a neck far thinner than I normally like but I like the sound of the guitar. I've tried a couple of boat necks in shops, both the classic of about 1.0 and one that was .90. I think the Nash has an average of .97 and tried one of those too. I'd really like to try a full on boat neck but its just about all I can hold onto. Is it better to go with a narrower nut width if I am going deeper in the hand neck wise? My theory is a 1 5/8 with boat neck profile could be a better fit than going wider as well as adding that much wood in the palm. Any experience on this? I had one day sitting with a boat neck in a shop where my hands were sore and it just wasn't happening but other trips I've always liked it as something a little different. Thanks.

I have owned the Fatback, Roundback, Wizard, and Standard Thin in 1-11/16" and the Wolfgang in 1-3/4".  The FB is an absolute beast in my experience, but I imagine the Boat would be more manageable due to having less mass in the shoulders.  Going with a narrower nut as the neck contour deepens is probably congruent with most folks suggestions, though I had a slightly different experience when moving from a flatter contour to the 59.  My response to Tony might be helpful (or confusing!  I'm 2 sips into my coffee!).

Opinions differ greatly on this topic.
Some say go all the way when going big, but I tend to think that if you've been playing small necks like the wizard as I have been for 25+ years, to transition at a pace that you can adjust to.
I'll be going from a Wizard/1 5/8" to a '59/1 11/16" on my next one.

You will love the 59.  The transition from the Wiz should be quick and easy and you will no doubt find chording easier.  The shape really encourages nasty blues lines. Some considerations -

One thing I've noticed is the contour allows my finger tips to come straight down onto the strings, perpendicular to the fret board, which for some reason makes the spacing of the strings feel a bit narrower than the nut width would suggest.  I have been using pre-slotted Graphtech nuts, though, so I'm not certain the string spacing is ideal for all situations.  Either way, spacing can feel cramped at times, but never to the point where my fingers are tripping over each other to find their respective strings.

Another consideration is I found string bending (lead work) more enjoyable on the Wizard and Standard Thin contours, but again, these give up some comfort for chording (hand wanted to cramp) to the 59.  As always YMMV.

The 1-3/4" Wolfgang was substantial, but super comfy - all the beef was in the right places and the neck stayed out of my way regardless of whether I was playing lead or rhythm.  The string spacing gave me a bit more room to play with, which was nice.  It fit my hand about perfectly from a contour perspective - the carve seemed to be made for my hand (prob med size I'd guess).  I recently ordered a 1-11/16" Wolfgang carve hoping to get the best of all worlds and I think it'll be on the money.  We shall see.  These are costly ventures!

But I'd certainly be on board with deep and narrow.

Must...not....comment!

 

[frown]

I can speak for my comfort of a 1-3/4" Fatback as I have 3...  :icon_biggrin:

I do have reasonably large hands though so that does factor in, however, reading about your circumstances, I wondered if the wider width would work better with a slightly shallower profile than a fatback? This way the neck would feel substantial, but not be too cumbersome that you can't reach round the circumference comfortably?

I hope you find a combination that works for you.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Cagey]

"Feel" is so subjective, I can't talk about it. I mean, if you ask me, if it's not an 11/16" nut with a Standard Slim profile (as Warmoth defines it) it's CRAP!

But, I like consistency. I get a lotta necks through here, and honestly, they all feel good. They don't all feel like mine, but they all feel good. Hand size is sort of a myth - you're only talking about 1/16" to an 1/8" difference in neck dimension at the most, and often less than that. Hand sizes vary a LOT more than that. A different neck can feel huge, but it's really not. You can get used to anything in fairly short order. But, you don't want to make that transition often. Get used to one, and you wanna stick with it because anything else feels weird as hell. Go from a Standard slim with an 11/16" nut to a Fatback with a 3/4" nut, and it feels like you've been handed a baseball bat even though it's only a few hundred thousandsth thicker and 1/16" wider. Thats really not bigger, per se. It's not your hand. If feels bigger.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, don't get hung up on neck dimensions. Just be consistent about them. If your favorite fiddle has an 11/16" nut on a Standard Slim profile, make 'em all that way.

 

[jmcecil]

"Feel" is so subjective, I can't talk about it. I mean, if you ask me, if it's not an 11/16" nut with a Standard Slim profile (as Warmoth defines it) it's CRAP!

But, I like consistency. I get a lotta necks through here, and honestly, they all feel good. They don't all feel like mine, but they all feel good. Hand size is sort of a myth - you're only talking about 1/16" to an 1/8" difference in neck dimension at the most, and often less than that. Hand sizes vary a LOT more than that. A different neck can feel huge, but it's really not. You can get used to anything in fairly short order. But, you don't want to make that transition often. Get used to one, and you wanna stick with it because anything else feels weird as hell. Go from a Standard slim with an 11/16" nut to a Fatback with a 3/4" nut, and it feels like you've been handed a baseball bat even though it's only a few hundred thousandsth thicker and 1/16" wider. Thats really not bigger, per se. It's not your hand. If feels bigger.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, don't get hung up on neck dimensions. Just be consistent about them. If your favorite fiddle has an 11/16" nut on a Standard Slim profile, make 'em all that way.

I agree with everything you said, with one exception.  I have no problem going between neck sizes.  It's just like going from a fat/flat nylon classical, to steel string acoustic to any given electric.  It takes about 10 to 20 seconds of playing for your hands to remember.  I go between a skinny/wide/flat ibanez and a PRS constantly.  Then I pick up the chubby neck on the 57' strat.  Then go to the Les Paul radius with a 60s fat profile.  I've never had a big problem with it.  And I suck.  but, I never ever consider the "neck profile" as I swap.  The only time I think about it is in threads like this and when I realized I had to choose while making an order.

 

[spauldingrules]

I had all thin necks, but I thought I would try something different so I got a boatneck on my strat.  I HATED IT for about a month or two, but I didn't give up.  If I ever need a new neck, now I would definitely get a boatneck.  I love the extra size.  I do like having a variety, though - sometimes one fits right and the others don't.

 

[zebra]

I've been trying to decide on a neck profile on my current (and first) build.  So I tried to observe how  my hand feels on the guitars I play.  I realized, after adequate observation,  that my hand never really touches much of the neck - it just sort of hangs off of it, and supports as necessary to dig into a bend.  So I get where Cagey is coming from...it might be mostly what you're accustomed to, and and if your not accustomed to it, you might get so pretty quickly.  Of course, that might depend a bit on your style, but if you're a little bit all over the place like me....just being in the ballpark might be good enough.  Then, after a while of locking in on a very specific preference over a period of slightly different set-ups over time, maybe you can decide that one particular thing is best - but until then - if your in the ballpark, it's probably not worth obsessing about. 

(And there I've gone an answered my own question, which has been bothering me for weeks!  :dontknow: )

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Be prepared to adjust your technique to your comfort.  I have a superwide w/a fatback, and for certain things, I LOVE it (open chords sound as huge as the punchline of a "Yo mama" joke).  But it's not suitable for everything, and can get downright uncomfortable on certain things.  A while ago, I experimented with New standard tuning, which involves a lot more stretching.  A couple days of that and I suddenly had serious carpal tunnel, totally unable to play without pain.  I'm working on a guitar with a 1 5/8" wide neck & slightly smaller profile, so I'll try that tuning again, but carefully.  Weirdly, my favorite neck so far is my nigh-unto-junk Yamaha nylon string, which is rounder & chunkier than a regular nylon string.

As should be clear from the responses above, it's very particular to the hands of the player, the playing technique, and comfort level.

 

[fdesalvo]

I've been trying to decide on a neck profile on my current (and first) build.  So I tried to observe how  my hand feels on the guitars I play.  I realized, after adequate observation,  that my hand never really touches much of the neck - it just sort of hangs off of it, and supports as necessary to dig into a bend.  So I get where Cagey is coming from...it might be mostly what you're accustomed to, and and if your not accustomed to it, you might get so pretty quickly.  Of course, that might depend a bit on your style, but if you're a little bit all over the place like me....just being in the ballpark might be good enough.  Then, after a while of locking in on a very specific preference over a period of slightly different set-ups over time, maybe you can decide that one particular thing is best - but until then - if your in the ballpark, it's probably not worth obsessing about. 

(And there I've gone an answered my own question, which has been bothering me for weeks!  :dontknow: )

You should look for something with a rounded bass shoulder and even consider an asymmetrical profile like the Wolfgang.  You'd have the rounded shoulder for your thumb and less meat in the way of your hand.

 

[Surf n Music n Ski n Bike]

I got a wolfgang and SRV and love em both. I have a standard slim too, it isn't bad but I like the feel of the other 2 better. To bad you couldn't just play em all and see what feels best to you 

 

[fdesalvo]

^Got a wolfie on the way with 1-11/16 - stoked.  Have one with a 1-3/4 nut and it's a really cool and unique profile.

 

[Tonar8352]

I have had my hands on every one of the profiles except the wizard, I have had both 1 11/16 ans 1 5/8. I have a preference and I have a few that I totally dislike. What I would add to this discussion is that the thing that makes a neck most enjoyable for me is if it has the fret size that I like. Make very sure what frets you like playing on.

 

[Cagey]

Excellent point. Frets that are the wrong height can make you crazy.

 

[Surf n Music n Ski n Bike]

I have had my hands on every one of the profiles except the wizard, I have had both 1 11/16 ans 1 5/8. I have a preference and I have a few that I totally dislike. What I would add to this discussion is that the thing that makes a neck most enjoyable for me is if it has the fret size that I like. Make very sure what frets you like playing on.

That is a great point. I think  might like my slim profile better if it had fatter frets.

 

[mark1178]

I've played strat style necks at 1 11/16" and SG with 1 5/8" and I love them both. I then bought my first Warmoth neck with a 1 3/4" and the 59 shape and had a little tough time getting used to it. But eventually I did. My new guitar will get the 1 11/16" width with either a Boatneck or 59 feel to it to get the best of both worlds.

 

[fdesalvo]

We should start a new thread "neck specs that didn't work for me". This is interesting.

 

[musicispeace]

We should start a new thread "neck specs that didn't work for me". This is interesting.

I think that would be interesting.