Asymmetrical Neck Profile

[Andy54]

I'm in the process of building a carved archtop.

I thought I might be able to get some feedback, before I start the neck, on the pro's and con's of shaping the neck with an asymmetric profile.

Cheers
Andy

[jads57]

It's always comes down to personal taste and preference. I know many of the newer High Performance Les Paul's have slim asymmetric profile. You might want go to a dealer and try it out first. Also EVH guitars have smaller assymetric shape as well.
For me I prefer larger fatter vintage shapes on Gibson's and early Teles.

[ruger9]

I'll tell you what. "On paper", the asymmetrical neck profile sounds odd to me. BUT. I played one of those Brad Paisley teles, the silver sparkle Fender ones, and it has an asymmetrical neck profile. It's one of the best-feeling necks I've EVER played. If it had 22 frets (a personal thing with me, on teles anyway), I would have bought it.

[coolvinny]

I had an assymetrical neck on my Holst which I played from about 2011 to 2013. I liked it, but then I started playing an Andersen which had a regular symmetrical neck and I've stuck with symmetrical necks ever since. I'm a "thumb behind the neck" player (rather than a thumb around neck or poking out from back of neck) player so for me it doesn't really make a difference but I could see how for some players the assymetrical would be nicer.

[Tal_175]

Warmoth's Wolfgang and SRV necks are asymmetric:
Warmoth Custom Guitar Parts - Neck Profiles

I have a Strat with Warmoth's Wolfgang profile. I like it because my left hand is almost always in the "thumb behind the neck" position. I don't know how comfortable it'd be for someone who relies on thump fretting.

[JCat]

One of my guitars has an asymmetric neck. I cannot see the asymmetry and since I cannot compare it to its symmetric self; I cannot feel (or hear) the asymmetry. I just believe its asymmetric because the manufacturer says it is.

Bottom line: It probably doesn't matter...or maybe it does...It's a very nice guitar, but I got other nice guitars with ordinary symmetric necks.

(Chances are you'll find asymmetric necks on guitars with compound radius fretboards and many of those also got a wide nut; these are design elements one definitely can feel.)

[morroben]

I love asymmetrical necks! I got hooked on them when I worked at EB/MM (about 15 years ago now) and try to find them when possible. They're not that easy to find though. I have one of the Warmoth Wolfgang necks and my Heritage H535 neck is a bit asymmetrical, though I don't think that's by design.
A carved archtop with an asymmetrical profile would be sweet!

[TOMMO]

My National Resophonic Tricone has an asymmetrical neck profile (soft V) and it's very comfortable.