I gotta say it.... The 2009 PRS McCarty sunburst I picked up today is the best feeling guitar I've ever played. Now my Mexican Strat's neck's frets are so worn.......... it needs a new neck. Tell me what Warmoth options (I'm talking everything) could give me a similar neck feel to that PRS while still working with my D.Allen staggered single coils?
PRS Feeling Neck on a Strat?
- Thread starter Kamayor
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bagman67
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Well, the scale length on PRS guitars is 25", which is closer to the 24.75" conversion than to the 25.5" standard Fender scale - so that's worth considering.
Measure the nut width on your guitar and ask for the same from Warmoth.
Finish options? I think PRS has a bunch of videos on YouTube discussing the manufacturing lifecycle, including finishing - so that might give you what you want. I don't know personally whether they use lacquer or some precat urethane or what. In any event, there are lots of nice PRS axes with raw rosewood necks - and that's a might nice feeling.
Measure the nut width on your guitar and ask for the same from Warmoth.
Finish options? I think PRS has a bunch of videos on YouTube discussing the manufacturing lifecycle, including finishing - so that might give you what you want. I don't know personally whether they use lacquer or some precat urethane or what. In any event, there are lots of nice PRS axes with raw rosewood necks - and that's a might nice feeling.
Kostas
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Warmoth will do:
10'' radius
1-11/16" nut width
6105 frets
For the fret size I'm not sure but I know PRS don't use very tall frets except the DGT model. 6105 size are a mid size, if you want lower you can do a fret dress.
USACG and Soulmate will do a 25'' scale.
There have been different versions of the McCarty model, for the exact specifications of yours you can email your SN and ask the specs of your guitar.
10'' radius
1-11/16" nut width
6105 frets
For the fret size I'm not sure but I know PRS don't use very tall frets except the DGT model. 6105 size are a mid size, if you want lower you can do a fret dress.
USACG and Soulmate will do a 25'' scale.
There have been different versions of the McCarty model, for the exact specifications of yours you can email your SN and ask the specs of your guitar.
Cagey
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Profiles and radii usually refer to two different things. The profile is the neck meat's shape, also referred to as the neck's contour, while the radius is the fretboard's shape.
Warmoth has a number of profiles/contours available as described here. Then, while the compound radius is the most popular fretboard, they'll also do a straight radius in any 1/2" increment from 9" to 16" as described here. I think there might be a small setup charge for straight radii since they've become sort of unusual. At least, with Warmoth.
So, if you know the dimensions of the neck you love, they can probably recreate it pretty close, if not spot-on. Be aware that not all the options available are exposed in the online "builder", so you may have to call and talk to someone. But, that's pretty fast and painless. They're knowledgeable people who've been at this for a while.
Warmoth has a number of profiles/contours available as described here. Then, while the compound radius is the most popular fretboard, they'll also do a straight radius in any 1/2" increment from 9" to 16" as described here. I think there might be a small setup charge for straight radii since they've become sort of unusual. At least, with Warmoth.
So, if you know the dimensions of the neck you love, they can probably recreate it pretty close, if not spot-on. Be aware that not all the options available are exposed in the online "builder", so you may have to call and talk to someone. But, that's pretty fast and painless. They're knowledgeable people who've been at this for a while.
Cagey
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The information from the two sources isn't presented in such a way as to make comparisons easy or even possible. I would posit from my experience that if you're used to PRS necks, that you'd find Warmoth's "Standard Thin" or "'59 Roundback" pretty close. Close enough that I doubt you'd suffer any discomfort after a week or less of use. Warmoth's "Standard Thin" is something of a misnomer; it's not a particularly thin neck. They should have just called it "Standard".
In any event, none of them are "wrong"; you can get used to anything and the differences are surprisingly small in real terms. People talk about hand size and finger length all the time, but in reality, the dimensional differences in necks are usually measured in the thousandths of an inch. Practice is the key, as it brings familiarity and encourages muscle memory.
Small as the differences are, though, your muscles will know the difference, so it's understandable if you want consistent necks across your collection.
In any event, none of them are "wrong"; you can get used to anything and the differences are surprisingly small in real terms. People talk about hand size and finger length all the time, but in reality, the dimensional differences in necks are usually measured in the thousandths of an inch. Practice is the key, as it brings familiarity and encourages muscle memory.
Small as the differences are, though, your muscles will know the difference, so it's understandable if you want consistent necks across your collection.
Well, The thing is I've been using a MiM standard neck for years... And playing the PRS just makes me realize how uncomfortable it is... I find myself often only playing partial chords because the neck is just so small I get cramps... With the PRS neck I can play nigh anything (Maybe it's because I have long skinny fingers).
Cagey
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Well, I don't know what to tell you. I do know tiny changes can have big impacts, so I'm not discounting your difficulty. Question is, is it worth it to you to make a minor change to improve your lot? A Warmoth neck is a wonderful thing.
In my experience, neck dimensions can always be absorbed. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do it over the last 40+ years. Move from a Gibson [whatever] to a PRS [whatever] to a G&L [whatever] etc., etc. It's always a bitch. But, if you're playing a lot, it's not a long-term hardship. Also, if you're you're playing a lot, it's even less of a hardship. If you know what you're doing, you simply adjust. The cramps will go away when your muscles get used to their new demands. It happens fairly fast if you play a lot.
I can remember times when I was pissed at a guitar and thought I needed something different, only to have somebody who'd spent a lot more time than I did on the instrument grab my guitar and make it sound like a dream. If I tried to play theirs, I was even more pissed. In other words, it wasn't the fiddle, it was me.
In my experience, neck dimensions can always be absorbed. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do it over the last 40+ years. Move from a Gibson [whatever] to a PRS [whatever] to a G&L [whatever] etc., etc. It's always a bitch. But, if you're playing a lot, it's not a long-term hardship. Also, if you're you're playing a lot, it's even less of a hardship. If you know what you're doing, you simply adjust. The cramps will go away when your muscles get used to their new demands. It happens fairly fast if you play a lot.
I can remember times when I was pissed at a guitar and thought I needed something different, only to have somebody who'd spent a lot more time than I did on the instrument grab my guitar and make it sound like a dream. If I tried to play theirs, I was even more pissed. In other words, it wasn't the fiddle, it was me.
Kostas
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Kamayor said:
For thinner than PRS profile check the SRV & Wolfgang but you'll never know until you actually try a neck. I've been lucky cause I have two friends who have bought profiles I don't like. I have two FAT necks but my favorite so far is 59, I don't like anything thinner and I can feel the difference. I have tried the Standard Thin & SRV, they feel thin on my hand.
It would be hard to find a neck you like having the neck profile/nut size of your choice and a straight radius. They don't do lot's of straight radius and you'll have to make a custom order. I've been checking from June for a neck with the specs I want. There were two, now there are four. With the same neck profile/nut size and compound radius there are hundreds...
Obviously, wide and fat aren't the same thing. All those famous old strats and Les Pauls were built with a 1 5/8" nut, while it's become more customary to make them 1 11/16' wide. If you can dig up some actual PRS specs, inches or mm's you could make a reasoned choice. A Warmoth "59" or "Standard thin" aren't going to get fatter, just wider if you choose 1 11/16" or 1 3/4" nut width.
