Martin low profile neck , comfortable or not?

[mercy]

There will be no agreement on this. The LP neck is one of the reasons I quit Martin. My thumb kept getting stuck on the shoulders of the neck when I played lead up the neck, some will call that down.

[6L6]

Had to sell my 2012 D-18 because the neck caused pain in my hand.

Liked everything else about that guitar.

[shekie]

I've recently purchased a 2017 Martin OM-28 with the modified low oval with performance taper neck, and for my aging somewhat short and stubby fingers, it rivals the Taylor neck profile as the most comfortable I've played.

But everyone is different and you really need to spend some time playing the neck you're considering to make sure it works for you.

[fngrpck]

Do you guys consider the Martin low profile a comfortable neck to play?[/QUOTE]

It wasn't for me and I had to sell a nice koa Martin, MC-DSM, because of it. I use my thumb around the neck to fret and that flat profile just wouldn't work for me. The shoulders, on the upper frets where I play, were too much. I prefer the Mod V. for my average sized hands.

[HeyMikey]

I have an OM-28 version with the modern low oval profile PA taper and like it a lot. I'm an older player, primarily electric, with some arthritis, now learning acoustic. Of the different profiles I tried this was very natural and one of the most comfortable for me. Your mileage may vary.

[jimcaleca]

The LP neck profile with a 1 11/16 nut width used to be my favorite. I now prefer the mod v profile with the 1 3/4 width and wider string spacing. It's just a personal preference thing.

[tippy5]

I think they are way too skinny up at the nut.
I do love them width and depth wise at the 7th fret and up to the body though.
I would love Martin to try a subtle compound radius 14-16.
Plus how about rolled fretboard edges and round hot dog fret ends?
Oh and I really dislike their square edge binding on the forearm.

They have great sitka and Mh there. The Martin tone is great.
They have improved their designs the last 4 years but could use a better ergonomic feel.
All it takes is more operations, more labor.
My Alvarez (80% cheaper) has better fret work than my Martin.
But it sounds nothing like a Martin.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by acoustic80

Do you guys consider the Martin low profile a comfortable neck to play?

Old thread but.................

Yes, it is a great feeling neck.

IME

[Daveyo]

I'm curious,how does it compare to your Larrivee?
David

[Jeff Scott]

Not sure if you are asking me, or not, but......

I used to have a Larrivée LV-19 Special Vine Edition. I had both the Martin and Larrivée at the same time for a while before a friend bought the LV-19SVE from me. I had the LV-19SVE for a few years before acquiring the Martin and felt pretty comfortable on the neck. However, once I got the Martin, I found the LV-19SVE to have, relatively speaking, a pretty fat neck, and I found the very flat compound radius fingerboard on it uncomfortable to play compared to the perfectly radius'd fingerboard (for me) Martin, an interesting revelation, really. I also prefer the smaller OM size body to the LV body. My Martin has a cutaway (two, actually ) so the two guitars were comparable, in that regard. One of the things I did prefer on the LV-19SVE was the lack of strap buttons (neither of my Yamamoto guitars have strap buttons, too ) and no pickup and electronics (the Martin has a 2nd version Fishman Ellipse Matrix Blend). The Martin's build is much lighter with better responsiveness and a more open tone than the LV-19SVE. I bought both secondhand, the LV-19SVE in 2007 (a 2003 build), the Martin was purchased in 2012 (a 2009 build).

[brencat]

Old thread, but I'll chime in. People often confuse Martin's "Low Profile" neck with the "Modified Low Oval with Performing Artist taper" neck.

They are NOT the same. Not even close.

The Low Profile is found on the HD-28, D-35, HD-35, and pre-2017 D-28 with the 1 11/16 nut and 2 1/8" string spacing. It is a mostly rounded C of medium thickness in first position, becoming quite a shallow C beyond the 7th fret.

The MLO with PA taper neck has a 1 3/4 nut and 2 5/32" string spacing. I'd characterize it as a very soft v in the first 5 frets, becoming a C shape of medium thickness the remaining way up.

For me, I prefer the MLO with PA taper. The Low Profile is entirely too shallow in the upper frets. I once owned a killer HD-28 that I had to sell because of hand cramps with the Low Profile neck.

[gruuv]

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

No.

That said, it's a really personal choice for each player.

Yes, the most comfortable neck I’ve played outside of an early ‘90’s SCGC OM.

In other words, Todd’s spot on.

[ohiopicker]

My signature shows I own three Martins with the modified low profile oval neck shape. While I had to like the sound of each of these guitars to buy them, I would not have done so if they had a different neck profile. I have owned dozens of acoustics of virtually every major brand, and the only other necks I favored were Ovations. I am older, have small hands, and the Martin's allow me to play for hours without discomfort.

[JayBee1404]

Originally Posted by acoustic80

hi guys!! Do you guys consider the Martin low profile a comfortable neck to play?

Not for me - the LP neck was one of the reasons I let my Martin J-40 go. I now have 1-3/4" Mod-V, 1-11/16" Mod-V, 1-3/4" MLO w/PA Taper, and 1-3/4" Standard Lowden neck, and enjoy them all. But the LP was just too skinny for comfort, AFAIC.

Usual disclaimers apply......IMHO, YMMV etc.

[SpiderTrap]

My Xs have Modified low oval which I like . Purists wont want to hear this but common sense says 30+ ply Stratabond necks will stay straighter than most solid single piece necks on expensive guitars . If there was a warped one