Help choosing a neck profile

Goredho

Newbie
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2
About to make a build purchase, and am wondering if people can give me some opinions on the best neck profile for me.

The best neck I've played is on a Fender 64 custom shop strat.  It has a 63 strat style "C" neck according to the floor traveller, with a neck depth of .810" at the first fret and .970 at the 12th fret.  It does not have a lot of shoulder to either edge of the neck.  I don't see any warmoth profiles that look like an exact match, but a few that might be close enough.

1. 59 roundback - .860 at the 1st fret and .960 at the 12th fret.  Near enough up high, but quite a bit thicker down low towards the nut.
2. standard thin - .800 at the 1st fret and .850 at the 12th fret.  Near enough down low at the nut, but much skinnier towards the body.
3. SRV - .835 at the 1st fret, .970 at the 12th fret.  Closest overall in terms of neck depth/taper, but I dunno about the asymetrical shape and the potentially hefty shoulders on the finger side of the neck.

Anyone got any thoughts on how I might make a more educated choice between these options? 
 
I found with necks, the only way to know for sure is to try it.  As they say, you gotta crack an egg to make an omelet, so just pick one you think you'd like and try it.  At the end of the day, only you know what's best for you.  If you don't know where to start, start with the standard thin, use the neck for a couple of months, then you might say, I need something wider, or something thicker at the middle.  Just go for it.  It takes a long time to know what you like, and then your tastes change.
 
I have not tried the SRV, but the Standard thin is a fairly safe choice IMO.  The shape is different from a Fender C shape.  The standard thin has a different feel and the thickness is in different places, but the overall volume of the neck is similar to a Fender neck.  Initially I had a concern about the neck dimensions because my hands aren't well sized for guitar.  However I found the Standard thin very comfortable to play.
 
Welcome to the forum.

It is entirely subjective, what works for one may not for another. Dimensions are only a start and here is something I answered the other day to someone asking a similar question.

stratamania said:
Welcome to the forum.

With Warmoth necks I have standard thins in 1 11/16" and 1 5/8". I think the sweet spot for this neck profile is 1 11/16" as I think the profile in addition to the thickness works better overall.

I have also had a Warmoth 1 5/8" in a 59 profile but whilst a good neck shape etc I would have preferred something slightly thinner so the forum member who has it now finds it very comfortable for him.

So overall I do not think it is just nut width and thickness but also the profile. In addition some neck thicknesses taper more than others towards the body.

For 1 5/8" necks that I find ideal are not Warmoth's as the profiles meet my personal feel better even though the thickness may be similar. I also play a variety of styles and find that different widths etc lend themselves better to some things than others. I will also say that there is no such thing as the perfect neck for everything.

I can understand asking for opinions  and for thoughts etc, but the most important fact to bear in mind is that these are all individual and subjective and the only way you will really know is to try them yourself.
 
Thanks all, I appreciate the feedback.  I totally understand that its ultimately a subjective opinion and I am going to have to make a leap of faith.  Just trying to make it as calculated a risk as possible :D

I am thinking I may start with the 59 roundback.  It's the closest fit without going asymetrical.
 
rick2 said:
I found with necks, the only way to know for sure is to try it.

Agree 100%.

The thickness is one thing but assessing how thick it'll feel based on the profile (i.e shoulders: less shoulders = thinner feel, more = thicker feel) is near impossible without having the neck strung up.

For example:
- Wolfgang is considerably thinner than the SRV, but with a far more pronounced asymmetrical profile that makes it feel dramatically thicker.
- The Clapton is thicker than standard thin but with its pronounced V shape with less shoulders feels to me thinner than standard thin.
- The 59 with 1-11/16" nut feels a fair bit thicker than a PRS Pattern neck shape. Warmoth describes it as closest to it and that's fair, but I think the 59 is the right name and it's closer to a LP 59 than PRS Pattern's shape.

And as Stratmania mentioned, the nut width plays a significant role too. It doesn't take much to change how thin/thick a neck feels.



 
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