Best Neck of Any Guitar You've Played?

**Kojo27** · 01-06-2013, 01:54 PM

Not talking about anything but how the neck FEELS. Sure, they affect tone and all that, but which feels, or felt, the best?

For me, my Artcore AF95. Just chunky enough to play all day if you want. Slim enough that thumb chords aren't a problem.

Also, believe it or not, a Washburn D46 dreadnought has the fastest neck. And me old Martin HD-28 was just about perfect for anything.

What about y'all?

**JensL** · 01-06-2013, 02:30 PM

The neck on my ES175 feels great, it became a bit annoying that it only had 19 frets at some point, but it is a great guitar in any other respect.

Jens

**Claudio66** · 01-06-2013, 02:39 PM

I really like my Artcore AF105 F, after a good regulation of course. Feeling good with this neck...

**oldane** · 01-06-2013, 02:54 PM

I'm not to concerned about neck shapes. I have a Gibson 175 from 1961 with one of those really front-to-back-slim necks, I have a Gretsch New Yorker with a neck like a baseball bat and I have guitars in between. I like to play them all. Likewise I'm not too preoccupied with low action.

**Kojo27** · 01-06-2013, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by JensL

The neck on my ES175 feels great, it became a bit annoying that it only had 19 frets at some point, but it is a great guitar in any other respect.

Jens

You see, I learned something. I didn't know the 175s were 19-fret guitars. My acoustic full-body archtops are 19-fret, but I can't go that high anyway : (

**Kojo27** · 01-06-2013, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by oldane

I'm not to concerned about neck shapes. I have a Gibson 175 from 1961 with one of those really front-to-back-slim necks, I have a Gretsch New Yorker with a neck like a baseball bat and I have guitars in between. I like to play them all. Likewise I'm not too preoccupied with low action.

Hey oldane - I have one of the Gretsch New Yorkers, too - a 1947 model. And yep, what a neck! Right now the guitar has a loose top brace, so I can't play it, and they want $450 - $550 to fix it. Not sure it's worth it... solid top, lam b&s, no pickup. Interesting sound, though.

**JensL** · 01-06-2013, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Kojo27

You see, I learned something. I didn't know the 175s were 19-fret guitars. My acoustic full-body archtops are 19-fret, but I can't go that high anyway : (

I think maybe only the old ones are? Mine is from a 50's with a single P90 pickup. I thought they changed it along with the humbuckers, but I actually never checked.

Jens

**mr. beaumont** · 01-06-2013, 03:55 PM

The neck on my Hofner Verythin is a burner...it's almost too easy to play.

**Kojo27** · 01-06-2013, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

The neck on my Hofner Verythin is a burner...it's almost too easy to play.

You have one of the Germany-made ones, right? I think they have a Chinese-manufactured model of that now, still pretty good, but... ah. You know.

**Frank67** · 01-06-2013, 04:47 PM

I go with the neck of the Ibanez GB10 as well as the 10-16 compound radius neck with 59 roundback profile from Warmoth. But generally speaking I am not overly sensitive to scale or neck profile.

**hot ford coupe** · 01-06-2013, 05:11 PM

I like the thicker necks but at a nut width of 1 11/16. The worst necks I've ever played were a 61 Byrdland and a 2000 Rickenbacker 369. Both had necks like pencils and way too thin. I tried a Jeff Beck Strat and really liked that neck.

**mr. beaumont** · 01-06-2013, 05:40 PM

Originally Posted by Kojo27

You have one of the Germany-made ones, right? I think they have a Chinese-manufactured model of that now, still pretty good, but... ah. You know.

Yeah, one of my students has one...it's decent...more 335 like.

The neck is decidedly NOT the same

**mangotango** · 01-06-2013, 05:52 PM

Love the neck on my Vestax D'Angelico NYL-5 - shallow, but wide enough for comfort. All of my short fat fingers fit in there on the cramped-up chords, but I feel comfortable building up a leetle speed on there.

Worst neck I had was on the SG-Melody Maker. "Clubby" wan't in it - it was a telegraph pole. Just as well I used it mostly for slide and open string chords, nothing fancy.

**Tom Karol** · 01-06-2013, 06:47 PM

My Crafter SEG480 (335 clone) has a really great neck. It's got a very smooth satin finish that feels terrific. My other 4 guitars have nice necks too, but they're all a bit different from each other ... which doesn't bother me a bit.

**pingu** · 01-06-2013, 07:52 PM

Ibanez JP20

**Jonathan0996** · 01-06-2013, 08:07 PM

I'm not super picky about neck profiles, but the wide-fat neck on my Paul Reed Smith Hollowbody really keeps me practicing longer than I would on another guitar. It's very fast while still feeling substantial, and it somehow just feels "right."

When I had the Holst built, I had Steve use the same dimensions, but with a 1 3/4" nut. While it plays extremely well, it feels very different somehow and I'm still getting used to it. Good thing I'm not super picky about neck profiles.

**cosmic gumbo** · 01-06-2013, 08:19 PM

I think nowadays it's hard to find bad feeling necks. Spent 2 hours at GC yesterday, and sure was a lot of nice feeling necks, even on the cheapest guitars. Of course, it's all about personal preference....

**Patrick2** · 01-06-2013, 09:31 PM

I can think of 3 guitars with neck profiles that seemd to have been made specifically to please me. The absolute best I can remember, as far as comfort and just feeling like a neck could never get any better for me ... was a 1969 Fender Strat. After that, it's a toss up between my 1994 L5CES and my 1994 Golden Eagle.

**Flat** · 01-06-2013, 09:53 PM

My favorite is my 1957 Gibson ES-225. That neck has never even needed a truss rod adjustment. Great grip. Chunky enough but with a light, resonant feel. Beautiful, pepper-grained mahogany.

I'm planning to build a parts-tele this year and hope the 59 roundback from Warmoth is similar.

**zigzag** · 01-12-2013, 01:33 PM

My ES-335, no question.

**D.G.** · 01-14-2013, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by oldane

I'm not to concerned about neck shapes. I have a Gibson 175 from 1961 with one of those really front-to-back-slim necks, I have a Gretsch New Yorker with a neck like a baseball bat and I have guitars in between. I like to play them all. Likewise I'm not too preoccupied with low action.

This is my attitude lately. It wasn't always like this, but I finally decided that if I couldn't adjust to different necks I'd really limit myself to what guitars I could play.

However, I do find that certain rough finished necks (Godin's mainly) irritate my thumb (i.e. the skin on my thumb) after playing for a set, so I avoid those. If I were to buy a Godin (Kingpin, I'm lookin' at you!) I'd sand the neck down and refinish it. I do like a good satin finish like on Fender Am Strats, but I have no problem playing a poly-finished neck either. I don't like sticky nitro necks, and won't play 'em unless they are well-cured.

**Al_F** · 01-14-2013, 05:12 PM

This is weird but a mid 70's 335 with the skinny nut.

**tedium** · 01-14-2013, 06:21 PM

For me it's my 330 Rickenbacker , yeah pencil thin and a smaller neck but I find it very easy to play. Also my Yamaha SA50 which is a little fatter has a nice feel as well.