Fat necks

[Tone2TheBone]

The guitars I have now are mid sized necks I suppose. C shaped Fenders and a '50s style on the Gibson. I don't consider the ones on my guitars to be thick. But if I was to be given a choice it would be for thick necks yeah.

[Spudman***]

I have guitars with both thin/wide and fat/round necks. It takes some getting used to them if I switch back and forth. Otherwise, if I stay with one type I like them both a lot. I have no problems with either type and after I've gotten used to playing one type swear that I like it the best...until I switch to the other type. Go figure?

I don't have a preference and don't suffer any physical problems from either. I do try to play the fat ones harder and it takes a while before I realize that I don't have to squeeze the notes so hard.

I guess I really don't have a preference but I do play necks more in the middle size wise on a reqular basis.

[elavd]

I suffered by the C.T.S for a long time and I think that the problem was caused by my wrong technique end bad guitar necks...

The fattest neck that I have tried was on 56 Custom Shop Fender that had the 10/56 neck. This neck was a REAL PAIN for me...I couldn't play anything on that guitar Maybe it was not only the neck profile the problem for me, but the vintage radius and frets too...

My Rockinger Strat and Tele have C shape profile and I feel "like home" while playing them.

The Squier 51 has a thinner but not annoying neck profile.

I don't know...Maybe I will change my mind Abraxas, if I come to Athens and try your Blue Dream's neck

[Jimi75]

Besides all diseases described above, I come up with the following conclusion:

Thinner necks, especially the from my side most hated Ibanez Flat Profile Jem Neck, are in the musician's jargon often called "Fast Necks". I remember that when starting to play the guitar we had like battles in school, who could play the fastest solo and being a kid of the 80's you had to play fast anyway! The more mature you get, the more you realize that there is qualities to the guitar playing like sound, tone, sustain, feeling, phrasing etc.

The first time I figured out that a meatier neck is better was around 1994 when I picked up a friends 1978 Strat. He complained about the fat neck all the time. I asked him to borrow me that guitar for a while, in exchange I gave him my ESP Mirage Deluxe. After 2 days I was so used to the fat neck and the tones and the feel I get out of it fitted right in in my musical development/state of mind - away from Metal towards more "mature" sounds.

Today, thin necks seem like a comic to me. And to be honest, a real man plays thick necks and heavy strings! lmao

[abraxas]

I don't know...Maybe I will change my mind Abraxas, if I come to Athens and try your Blue Dream's neck

It needs some time getting used to it.

After a while you find out that you don't need quite as much pressure to play with fluidity and precision, you need not force your fingers to do the job.

Another thing is, fatter necks contribute very much to the TONE of the guitar! At least as much so as the body and perhaps more.

As far as speed goes, have you heard Richie Kotzen? He happens to play a signature Tele with an enormously fat neck... and his fingers fly.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I've only really played on my two Godin's (I started learning to play last Christmas). Does anyone know where these necks fit in the thin--fat continuum?

For a beginner I was thinking that thinner necks are probably easier until the players fingers learn to stretch and move independently. But now I think that thicker might help by being able to cradle the neck in one's palm.

As far as pressure on the strings:

This probably won't mean anything except possibly to new guitar players, but I remember vividly when I stopped fighting the strings and began to view my left hand as a spider dancing gently and with complete awareness on his web.
I was surprised at how little pressure was necessary and how fun it was to dance on those strings.

I mean it! (& no I wasn't under the influence of anything other than my too vivid imagination).

[abraxas]

I've only really played on my two Godin's (I started learning to play last Christmas). Does anyone know where these necks fit in the thin--fat continuum?

For a beginner I was thinking that thinner necks are probably easier until the players fingers learn to stretch and move independently. But now I think that thicker might help by being able to cradle the neck in one's palm.

As far as pressure on the strings:

This probably won't mean anything except possibly to new guitar players, but I remember vividly when I stopped fighting the strings and began to view my left hand as a spider dancing gently and with complete awareness on his web.
I was surprised at how little pressure was necessary and how fun it was to dance on those strings.

I mean it! (& no I wasn't under the influence of anything other than my too vivid imagination).

You are just so right! Case in point, my daughter, now learning guitar... she is more confortable with fatter necks, although she has tiny hands (12 y.o.).

Godins have rather medium necks, IIRC, but are quite wide and very flat.

[tot_Ou_tard]

You are just so right! Case in point, my daughter, now learning guitar... she is more confortable with fatter necks, although she has tiny hands (12 y.o.).

Godins have rather medium necks, IIRC, but are quite wide and very flat.

Sooo what are Fretter's feelings about wwiiIIIIIIIiiiidddeee necks?

If the Godins are wide then I like that. Anybody like unwide (just what *is* the opposite of wide if thin is already juxtaposed to FAT?) necks?