what was the best neck you've ever played?

[Coler]

Martin SC13E is great.

I love my D18 MD neck too. No complaints about the 000 28 reimagined either but the D18 modern deluxe is silky.

[brencat]

For many years it was 1 3/4 nut with 2 3/16 or 2 1/4 string spacing.

These days it is 1 3/4 nut with 2 5/16 string spacing on a nice full sized C to soft V profile neck, with fingerboard edges that are rounded/rolled. My top 3 that I own with this criteria and profile:

Merrill C-28 Adi/Coco: 0.93" 1st, 1.06" 9th
Merrill C-28 Adi/HRW: 0.83" 1st, 0.95" 9th
Collings D2HTS: 0.82" 1st, 1.02" 9th

[619TF]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

Unless you've never liked any Taylor neck you've ever played.

True enough. There's no accounting for taste but I've only heard a handful of people say that vs the multi-hundreds going the other way (even those that didn't like the Taylor sound seemed to love the neck).

[Dotneck]

Originally Posted by cliff_the_stiff

this is my favorite. Honorary mention to the C shape of my collings C-10

I was going to vote for the C-10 as well...

[jpd]

Originally Posted by naggareo

tell me about these brands/models you tried and have found the neck to play as "butter"!

2002 Gibson L-130....
2012 H&D CrossRoads...

[ataylor]

My favorite electric neck I've played is the one on my Fender Baja Telecaster. It's essentially a thick custom shop carve that they put on a Mexican-made production model, and it's fantastic. So many great things about the Baja, from pickups to switching, to the classic slightly-lighter Broadcaster blonde, but the neck might be my favorite.

I've played lots of great acoustic necks, but I guess my favorite can be found on my old 2001 Art & Lutherie cherry dreadnought. It's 1-23/32" with a short scale and a soft fretboard edge, which kind of puts it in Gibson territory. I've reliced the neck the old-fashioned way over two decades and it's a joy to play. The guitar itself is all-laminate so it doesn't get a lot of playing time in a collection with several objectively better-sounding guitars, but playing the guitar feels like wearing a well-worn baseball glove or a comfy old sweatshirt to me. Feels like home.

Here it is, and look at the flame on this maple — that'd be an upcharge on a custom shop electric:

[Dustinfurlow]

Any guitars from Mark Hatcher, Marc Beneteau and Rebecca Urlacher. They know how to shape a neck that makes you forget there's even a neck shape involved in the equation.

[ssstewart]

1968 Gibson B-45 12 ...even though a 12 string this thing was beyond special... like butter

[Methos1979]

It's funny but I used to be very particular about neck shape/carve. Now, not so much. Back when I had a preference I found I much preferred the Martin Mod V and I do still like that. But I now also really like the necks on my RainSong Nashville OM, Cole Clark Angel 2 and Froggy Bottom H12 and all three are very different from each other. Probably my favorite neck of all time was the soft V one a Santa Cruz 00 I had. It seemed to really give me the best of everything.

[Brucebubs]

I find 1.75" a touch too wide and I'm OK with 1.69" but aware it's tight - Gibson have the 'Goldilocks' width for me at 1.72"

[boombox]

Originally Posted by Dotneck

I was going to vote for the C-10 as well...

Can I add a +1 to this?!! My Stephen Kinnaird would run it very close as an all-rounder in standard or drop-D tuning, and depending on what I am playing, often edge it out, but I can't be 100% objective as I've only owned the Kinnaird for just over a month so am in the (prolonged) honeymoon period. For open C and D tunings though, my Avalon can't be beat.

[gmel555]

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

I find 1.75" a touch too wide and I'm OK with 1.69" but aware it's tight - Gibson have the 'Goldilocks' width for me at 1.72"

As does Bourgeois at 1-23/32".....my favorite width as well. I think Huss & Dalton may also offer it on some models. I like the Bourgeois profile as well.

[guitarman68]

Merrill OM18, Gibson J45 Banner 1943, Martin 017 1934 and Martin D18A 1937.

[MBee]

Webber. I don't know what it is about Webber necks, but they allow me to play better than I can on any other guitar that I've tried.

[foxo]

I’m not that fussy about necks. I haven’t been playing guitar all that long though (4 years). What makes a great neck to you and what makes for a poor neck? Genuinely curious.