Reshaping neck for better feel?

[dtpolk]

I'm sure some of you have experienced this. After a number of years of playing, you remember a guitar with a neck so smooth and hand fitting it was like holding a golden cloud.

I presently have a very nice instrument, tone is great, I have no complaints....except, the neck feels like I'm holding a baseball bat!! I'm planning to reshape it. It seems to be a D profile, and I prefer a C. I have done this before on another instrument with limited success.

I guess my question is why do some D shaped necks (which seem very similar) reshape and or feel differently?? Has anyone written anything serious about doing this??

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by dtpolk

I have done this before on another instrument with limited success.

That doesn't sound like a glowing endorsement to do it again.

I guess my question is why do some D shaped necks (which seem very similar) reshape and or feel differently?? Has anyone written anything serious about doing this??

Neck shape, by definition, is its geometry. The geometry of any neck can be defined by a number of measurements. To copy any shape, one need only obtain the important measurements and then duplicate them on the new/other neck. There really isn't any mystery to it if one uses a methodical approach. The same approach I learned in the 1970's is chronicled here: https://www.liutaiomottola.com/const.../NeckCarve.htm

One simple way of copying the shape of the back of a neck is to use a profile gauge, such as this one: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop...-profile-gauge. The gauge provides you both a positive and negative of the profile. Those can be used to guide wood removal for the new neck profile.

[dtpolk]

Thanks Charles! The "Neck Carving" page you referenced was something I had been looking for. It has helped considerably.