What's your favorite neck?

[Tone2TheBone]

Also in this category...what is your favorite neck radius or width and size of neck?

I never thought I'd enjoy a vintage radius neck but since getting my Classic 50s Strat I am a believer. My vote is for a tinted maple neck with a vintage 7.5 inch radius. Heaven on earth.

Yours?

 

[marnold]

My favorite is my Fender Showmaster Celtic's--15.75". The neck is thin, but not as thin as, say, an Ibanez. Obviously, it is not a typical Fender neck. I think I'd have issues with a 7.5", but I've never tried one. The fretboard is rosewood, but I'd prefer maple or (ideally) bird's eye maple. Too sexay.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

My favorite is my Fender Showmaster Celtic's--15.75". The neck is thin, but not as thin as, say, an Ibanez. Obviously, it is not a typical Fender neck. I think I'd have issues with a 7.5", but I've never tried one. The fretboard is rosewood, but I'd prefer maple or (ideally) bird's eye maple. Too sexay.

Marnold...I thought I was gonna have issues with that 7.5 radius too but I don't. For me it's extremely comfortable and I don't get any fret outs on bends like I thought I was going to. Once the individual string heights are adjusted to your playing style it feels so gooood.

 

[Robert]

What is a "fret out"?

 

[Tone2TheBone]

What is a "fret out"?

It's when you bend the strings and it "frets out" or stops on other frets. If your action is too low you will notice this happens.

 

[SuperSwede]

It's when you bend the strings and it "frets out" or stops on other frets. If your action is too low you will notice this happens.

I thought that this was a fret out...

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I thought that this was a fret out...

No that's Samurai sword.

 

[SuperSwede]

No that's Samurai sword.

Well you certainly dont what THAT to happen when you are in the middle of a screaming solo!

To get back on topic, I prefer vintage tinted maple necks. I like the both vintage and modern radius.

 

[Big K]

personal preference is a 9.5" radius, thin back contour, vintage tinted, maple fretboard with .050" x .110" wire.....

 

[Tone2TheBone]

personal preference is a 9.5" radius, thin back contour, vintage tinted, maple fretboard with .050" x .110" wire.....

Wire! I didn't consider that aspect good point. Do you know what the standard wire size is for Fender's vintage frets?

 

[warren0728]

not sure it's my favorite but it's very nice!

ww

 

[Big K]

i believe my Duo-Sonic is 100% stock and the fretwire is pretty small, have not tried to size it with a caliper... wild guess would be in the .040" x .080" range???

 

[Tone2TheBone]

not sure it's my favorite but it's very nice!

ww

Warren - man you got good taste in necks sir.

BigK - I know nothing about fret wire gauge. That size sounds good to me thanks!

 

[Ro3b]

If my '51 had a rosewood fingerboard and wider frets, it would be just about perfect for me. I've got pretty big hands; super-skinny necks feel like they were made for someone smaller than me.

 

[sunvalleylaw]

Well, of the couple of guitars I own, and considering the few others I have played but don't own, my favorite neck so far is the one on my 60th Ann. Standard Strat. Pretty much my favorite thing on the guitar. I love the warm, satin honey color and how it feels in my hands. It's stats are:
9-1/2" fingerboard radius
25-1/2" scale
21 frets
1.650" nut width
Modern C shape
I am not sure about the size of the fret wire specifically other than it is medium jumbo. I like it better than the fretwire on the two fullys I ordered.

I sometimes wonder about a 22nd fret, but I don't think SRV had one, so I guess I can get along without one.

 

[abraxas]

I can't say if it is my favorite, but it certainly is the most comfortable neck I've played: the one on my Musicman Axis Super Sport.

It has an asymmetrical profile, meaning it is slightly fatter behind the heavier strings and slowly tappers to a slimmer profile on the lighter strings. It isn't particularly fat nor skinny and I believe most people hands feel at home with it. It has a 10" radius, 1-5/8" at the nut and 22 medium-jumbo frets.

Oh, did I mention it isn't lacquered? The only finish is a mixture of oil and wax you have to put on it, from time to time. Feels like silk!

 

[duhvoodooman]

The neck on my Strat Plus is still my favorite--25.5 in. scale, 9.5 in. radius, maple, gloss finish, jumbo frets. Fits me like a glove, supremely comfortable to play.

 

[Plank_Spanker]

I'm not really picky about necks, frets, or scale lengths - to a point. I don't like baseball bat necks, or super slim necks.

 

[R_of_G]

The neck on my Strat Plus is still my favorite--25.5 in. scale, 9.5 in. radius, maple, gloss finish, jumbo frets. Fits me like a glove, supremely comfortable to play.

I have a very similar neck on my Squier Strat, and it plays so easily it's like playing a toy. When I play electric, I like to get my hands nice and worked out playing my ES-135, and after a jam or two on that, the Strat seems like a mandolin or ukelele it's so easy to play. I haven't purchased one, but I also enjoyed playing the Strat-Acoustic and the Tele-Acoustic Fenders. They're not the acoustic for me, but they play nicely and are as easy to play as their electric dopplegangers.

it will prob be a larger bodied Takamine when I buy my own [though let the advice flow Fret members, I am looking for a solid fairly thick though not gigantic, easy to play acoustic in a reasonable price range, as in hundreds not thousands, no commas in my budget].

 

[sunvalleylaw]

I haven't purchased one, but I also enjoyed playing the Strat-Acoustic and the Tele-Acoustic Fenders. They're not the acoustic for me, but they play nicely and are as easy to play as their electric dopplegangers.

it will prob be a larger bodied Takamine when I buy my own [though let the advice flow Fret members, I am looking for a solid fairly thick though not gigantic, easy to play acoustic in a reasonable price range, as in hundreds not thousands, no commas in my budget].

Yeah, I am slowly looking for that guitar that sounds just like a Martin HD-28 or Martin D-45 for hundreds, not thousands of dollars. I like the Martin acoustic necks and also like some Larrivees (sp?) I have played. Also, a Tacoma made Guild I ran across.

 

[R_of_G]

Yeah, I am slowly looking for that guitar that sounds just like a Martin HD-28 or Martin D-45 for hundreds, not thousands of dollars. I like the Martin acoustic necks and also like some Larrivees (sp?) I have played. Also, a Tacoma made Guild I ran across.

Yup, that's the sound. I've played a number of Martin's and love them, but the price tag brings me back to reality in a hurry. Someday my acoustic will find me. Until then, I love the acoustic I am currently playing, it's just not mine, and eventually my friend will want to learn to play and ask for it back, or my hope is, her son will ask for it soon [he's 9]. I'd give it back in a heartbeat to start someone else down the path, but until then, I've been laid back about looking for a replacement because it's such a great-sounding guitar.