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Fat necks


Lemmings

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I'm building a parts tele and trying to decide which allparts neck has the best profile for me. The FAT necks are an inch thick and look awesome but i'm worried they might be too big to play comfortably. My main guitar is a Gibson 335, i'm pretty sure it has the thinner 60's profile, but it seemed a lot thicker than the 'C' neck on the mexican tele I used to have.

 

Thoughts on chunky necks?

 

 

Oh and in before

chris-farley-photograph-c10101992-fat-ne

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I'm a firm believer in chunky necks, especially after playing 5- 6 hour shows. Sure, skinny necks are great for shredding but your hand starts to cramp up after a while. A friend is building me a Tele copy and it has a Warmoth Fatback neck (1" at the nut). I'm looking forward to it. :)

 

I'd say get the fat neck, but that's just me. Try a Custom Shop relic or the G.E. Smith sig Tele if you can find one; they have the massive U-shaped necks. If you can hang with that, then a 1" thick neck won't give you any problems.

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Last build I cut the neck depth to .6" inches at the nut. I have to use my thumb to lift my hand back to play the guitar and it is uncomfortable. I much prefer thicker necks and will never cut a neck so slim again.

 

How fast you play is how fast you play and neck width really has nothing to do with it.

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I'm a firm believer in chunky necks, especially after playing 5- 6 hour shows. Sure, skinny necks are great for shredding but your hand starts to cramp up after a while. A friend is building me a Tele copy and it has a Warmoth Fatback neck (1" at the nut). I'm looking forward to it.
:)

I'd say get the fat neck, but that's just me. Try a Custom Shop relic or the G.E. Smith sig Tele if you can find one; they have the massive U-shaped necks. If you can hang with that, then a 1" thick neck won't give you any problems.

 

I have the same experience as Alecto regarding hand fatigue. It doens't have to be a total tree trunk but I do like it when there's a bit of girth to it.

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I think I'm gravitating towards wider necks. Many people are having a problem finding fat enough necks- my problem is finding wide enough necks.

 

I like that extra space width-wise. it makes my fingers feel so much less cramped. I see Agile makes a 'Wide' necked LP copy, I might have to give that a shot. Gibson's seem to be the worst when it comes to thin, width wise, necks.

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I think I'm gravitating towards wider necks. Many people are having a problem finding fat enough necks- my problem is finding wide enough necks.


I like that extra space width-wise. it makes my fingers feel so much less cramped. I see Agile makes a 'Wide' necked LP copy, I might have to give that a shot. Gibson's seem to be the worst when it comes to thin, width wise, necks.

 

 

My SG has a nice wide neck. Spacious, even.

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My SG has a nice wide neck. Spacious, even.

 

 

Which model SG do you have? I've tried the SG Standard and Special and Faded, and they seemed chunky yet cramped?

 

The two that felt wider and more comfortable were a '61 Reissue and, believe it or not, a new Epiphone G400 in white that I tried the other day at GC. I tried a regular Epiphone G400 in the redish, usual color and the neck felt blocky and thick. Yet this white one was nice and wide, a completely different profile. I'm wondering if the white one is a different model.

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How big is OP's hand? I wear a size 11 glove and have tendonitis & other problems in my left wrist, and a 1" thick neck is ideal for me. I can play a thinner neck, but not for extended periods without pain.

 

My frankenmutt Strat has a Warmoth fatback on it and it's great. The first neck I tried on it was a Warmoth standard-thin-C profile: it was beautiful, with a hand-oiled finish and kingwood fingerboard, but after a 4-hour band practice and several hours of woodshedding in a weekend, my left hand was in agony until about the following Wednesday. The fatback fits me perfectly.

 

The other best necks I have are the chunky V-profile on my Lite Ash Tele, and the baseball bat -- bordering on cricket bat -- on my '82 Explorer II CMT.

 

I've sold two Ibanez Roadstars shortly after buying them, because the necks were too thin. I must not learn, because I picked up an RS1000 last month. It's beautiful, and those Super 58 pickups sound fantastic, but I don't think I'll be able to use it for 3-4 hour stretches unless I put a fatter neck on it. Fortunately Strat necks will bolt right on: I'm watching out for a replacement on eBay right now. A Warmoth fatback or boatneck would be ideal if I can find a used one that also has: (1) rosewood fingerboard, (2) 22 frets, and (3) flatter than "vintage" radius, for under $150. Allparts doesn't seem to make 22-fret necks in FAT profile, MM and WD necks aren't fat enough. I might be waiting a while for the right one to pop up.

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I always liked the flat thin Ibanez necks cuz I could play faster until I got a 70's RI strat...hand feels like you're holding a beer...huge neck, and I love it...chording is easier and can definitely play longer without cramping like the Ibby necks...

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I'm building a parts tele and trying to decide which allparts neck has the best profile for me. The FAT necks are an inch thick and look awesome but i'm worried they might be too big to play comfortably.

 

 

I'd buy the FAT, and just shave the back of the neck if it is too thick. Then tung oil that bad boy.

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