Thick, fat, wide and other necks

[4 Strings]

I have been reading around about neck profiles lately and with lines like bass neck being 'thin, like a Jazz' or being 'fat, like a '62 P' and I've not fully understood what the person was saying.

Can I suggest standardising the terms to the following - or better - if only so I can understand what people are saying?

Referring to nut length[list]
[*][b]Wide neck[/b] = long nut - (P)
[*][b]Narrow neck [/b]= short nut - (Jazz)
[/list]
Referring to fingerboard to back of neck[list]
[*][b]Thick (or fat) neck[/b] = usually rounded section, larger distance from fingerboard to back of neck (Hofner Beatles Bass)
[*][b]Slim (or thin) neck [/b]= usually flatter section, shorter distance from fingerboard to back of neck (Early Stingray)
[/list]

Edited May 15, 2013 by 4 Strings

[neepheid]

You aren't helping with your generalisations in brackets there, chief. There are G&Ls with wide/thick necks and ones with thin/slim necks. USA G&Ls have the option of both. Tributes are wide/thick (L-2000), thin/slim (SB-2) or somewhere inbetween (M-2000).

In short, it isn't correct or useful to use G&L as an entire brand to aid your understanding of this matter.

[brensabre79]

I think Wide/narrow generally refers to the nut width e.g. Precision = wide, Jazz = narrow

Wheras thick/thin refers to the distance from the back of the neck to the front of the fingerboard.

E.g. thick = baseball bat type profile, thin = more like a cricket bat (but round, and narrow)

My Jazz is narrow and thick, my Sabre is wide and thin

[neepheid]

Basically, for width I tend to use the P and the J as "standards" and then describe in relation to that. That is a standard P nut is 41.3mm ([color=#333333][font=open_sansregular, sans-serif]1.625") [/font][/color]and a standard J nut is 38.1mm (1.5"). Anything P or wider is "wide" and anything J or slimmer is "narrow". Anything between is just that (and often very comfy indeed for most players).

Neck profiles are more of a minefield. What the hell does "medium C" mean anyway? Too many flowery terms and not enough hard numbers. Get the callipers out!

Remember also that fingerboard radius plays a part in the overall feel of a neck.

I've learned to take people's wordy descriptions of necks with a pinch of salt, as they are frequently based upon personal opinion than outright fact. I discriminate by nut width, mostly because that's often given in absolute measurement. After that I've found that I don't tend to mind what the back to front profile is like.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1368624791' post='2079351']
You aren't helping with your generalisations in brackets there, chief. There are G&Ls with wide/thick necks and ones with thin/slim necks. USA G&Ls have the option of both. Tributes are wide/thick (L-2000), thin/slim (SB-2) or somewhere inbetween (M-2000).

In short, it isn't correct or useful to use G&L as an entire brand to aid your understanding of this matter.
[/quote]

Fixed, thanks!

[4 Strings]

[quote name='neepheid' timestamp='1368625652' post='2079369'] Neck profiles are more of a minefield. What the hell does "medium C" mean anyway? Too many flowery terms and not enough hard numbers. Get the callipers out!

>>>> Amen, to that , Bro'. I'm still not sure of the difference between 'C' and 'D', apart from one being backwards. I want dims!

Remember also that fingerboard radius plays a part in the overall feel of a neck....[/quote]

>>>> Yes, of course, but I can understand people when they talk about that.

[risingson]

I've never fully understood much about neck profiles either. Lots of people saying J's are slimmer than P's and all of that which whilst I've found to be largely true when speaking about Fenders, there are a number of notable exceptions to this rule that I've come across. Probably attempts to standardise neck shapes have led to more confusion than it is worth and trying out an instrument first to see if it suits your own preference is probably the way forward.

[4 Strings]

I understand the profiles, it's that different people's use of words such as 'fat' and 'wide', for example, may mean the same or different things. I was suggesting standardising the terminology for these basic types.

Using the suggested terminology, a J may, or may not be 'slimmer' than a P but they are known to be 'narrower'.

[4 Strings]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1368625270' post='2079358']
I think Wide/narrow generally refers to the nut width e.g. Precision = wide, Jazz = narrow

Wheras thick/thin refers to the distance from the back of the neck to the front of the fingerboard.

E.g. thick = baseball bat type profile, thin = more like a cricket bat (but round, and narrow)

My Jazz is narrow and thick, my Sabre is wide and thin
[/quote]

In which case you the suggested terminology falls naturally to you.

mmmmmm, Sabre, uggllgglllgll!

[brensabre79]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1368629921' post='2079467']
mmmmmm, Sabre, uggllgglllgll!
[/quote]

????

[4 Strings]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1368630746' post='2079481']
????
[/quote]
http://youtu.be/msQPHxTUgzI

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1368623660' post='2079336']
I have been reading around about neck profiles lately and with lines like bass neck being 'thin, like a Jazz' or being 'fat, like a '62 P' and I've not fully understood what the person was saying.

Can I suggest standardising the terms to the following - or better - if only so I can understand what people are saying?

Referring to nut length[list]
[*][b]Wide neck[/b] = long nut - (P)
[*][b]Narrow neck [/b]= short nut - (Jazz)
[/list]
Referring to fingerboard to back of neck[list]
[*][b]Thick (or fat) neck[/b] = usually rounded section, larger distance from fingerboard to back of neck (Hofner Beatles Bass)
[*][b]Slim (or thin) neck [/b]= usually flatter section, shorter distance from fingerboard to back of neck (Early Stingray)
[/list]
[/quote]


You see, I always would have called a J neck slim, because of the width, not the depth, and P or ray neck to be wide because of the width of the fretboard.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1368625270' post='2079358']
I think Wide/narrow generally refers to the nut width e.g. Precision = wide, Jazz = narrow

Wheras thick/thin refers to the distance from the back of the neck to the front of the fingerboard.

E.g. thick = baseball bat type profile, thin = more like a cricket bat (but round, and narrow)

My Jazz is narrow and thick, my Sabre is wide and thin
[/quote]

This makes sense to me! I think that's the way i'll describe necks from now on - Narrow/wide - Fretboard width, Thin/thick - neck depth.

[Conan]

I much prefer to use the terms 'deep' and 'shallow' rather than 'thick' and 'thin' to describe the distance from front to back on a neck. Makes much more sense to me anyway!

Consequently, my Status has a wide but shallow neck.

Edited May 16, 2013 by Conan