Jazz Archtops with BIG necks

[skykomishone]

My '44 L7, the best playing and sounding guitar ever, came to me with a hugely thick neck. Too thick for me actually. I'm also in my 6th decade. No arthritis to speak of, but with a short index finger due to injury. The L7 needed a neck reset and frets, and some refinishing.

I measured my Campellone , Trenier, and Heritage Eagle at frets 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 with a caliper, since these guitars have comfortable profiles for me to play, and took an average and gave that to my luthier, and had him shape the neck that way. It did take a little off, and some purists would object, but, it's my guitar, and I bought it to play, and that I do.

I read places that the thickness effects the tone, but hey, trying to get my hand around a Louisville Slugger baseball bat for hours at a time I can't, and I didn't notice any significant difference. I love the L7 more than any of my more expensive guitars, hands down, and I like a more modern neck profile carve.

It's about .85, .87, .89, .91, .94 at frets 1, 3., 5., 7., and 9, no change to the width. Love it.

Steve

[Dennis D]

DennisD,

Played 'em! Those 30s L4s and L7s (at least the small-bodied L7s) have necks you could stand at the plate with in a wood bat league game. I like them a lot. The guitars sound terrific, too. They aren't everyone's cuppa, though.

Yup. GT - -a 'Louisville Slugger' .


I love my '37 L-7. If that L-4 I'd found had that neck, I'd own it !


I'd love one of these ' picture frame' L-12's too - -and 16 in.

[guitarcarver]

I love the fatty profiles. My 40 L12 and 49 L12c both have deep carves with great action. The 40 is slightly less cheeky (less D more C) and somehow feels modern under finger. My wife plays a 37 Wards by Gibson (solid top and back) with a deep V neck that's dead flat with easy action. It doesn't even have a truss rod...doesn't need one. When I carve necks for personal builds they're always on the chunky side.