wide neck electrics

[eyesore]

i know i asked before ,but yesterday at GC and Sam Ash I asked to play a wide neck electric . They had nothing. They kept showing very narrow spaced neck guitars.I guess there are none . I wonder why?

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by eyesore

i know i asked before ,but yesterday at GC and Sam Ash I asked to play a wide neck electric . They had nothing. They kept showing very narrow spaced neck guitars.I guess there are none . I wonder why?

Fender marketed necks in the 60's and 70's with neck widths specified as "A" through "D", corresponding to 1-1/2" nut width to 1-7/8" nut width. I'd think there would be a lot of these floating around on the used markets.

[29er]

Not an easy animal to find. I am lucky to own a Gretsch G6122-1959 which sports a 1 3/4" nut width and it's a keeper. My old & arthritic hands can't deal with anything less than 1 3/4" whether I'm playing electric or acoustic. You can find aftermarket bolt on necks with a wider spec.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Fender marketed necks in the 60's and 70's with neck widths specified as "A" through "D", corresponding to 1-1/2" nut width to 1-7/8" nut width. I'd think there would be a lot of these floating around on the used markets.

Fewer than you think: TMK the most common non-standard neck was the 1-1/2" "A" (a former bandmate - a 230-lb. amateur wrestler with mitts to match - wanted one at any cost), and in 60+ years I've only seen two of those; given that the trend in those days was toward slimmer necks I'd be inclined to think that the 1-3/4" "C" is even rarer, and the 1-7/8" "D" may well be non-existent outside of a prototype or two...

[bsman]

A lot of Godins (including my current Kingpin II hollow) have 16” radii and feel pretty handfilling to me. Almost all of my acoustics have 1 3/4” nut widths, and the Godin is a petty easy transition for me with its 1.72” width

[tbeltrans]

My Eastman Frank Vignola FV-880 has a 1 3/4" nut and my Gibson Citation has a 1 23/32" nut (right between 1 11/16" and 1 3/4").

There is a brand, Big Lou, that has wide neck guitars:

https://www.biglouguitar.com/

They are quite inexpensive and I have never seen one, but at least they do exist and are apparently available.

Tony

[LFL Steve]

This readily recognizable guitar has a wide fairly flat neck and ebony fingerboard:

https://shop.brianmayguitars.co.uk/the-bmg-special.html

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

...There is a brand, Big Lou, that has wide neck guitars:

https://www.biglouguitar.com/

From the Big Lou website:

"There is so much room, that you can be a little clumsy, and still sound good."

I've long suspected that therein much of the current appeal of wider necks among acoustic players (IME electric - especially clean electric - requires a more focused technique to prevent any one of a number of sonic nasties ), but that's a story for another thread.. .

[rollypolly]

GC selection can be hit or miss. Look at used Gibson melody maker reissues. The necks are wide and chunky, if you’re looking for a smaller solid body they’re pretty cool.

[29er]

I forgot to mention that my Eastman T185MX also sports a 1 3/4" nut width along with a fairly beefy profile. It's a fully hollow body and one of the higher priced models in the Eastman line.

[RRuskin]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

Fender marketed necks in the 60's and 70's with neck widths specified as "A" through "D", corresponding to 1-1/2" nut width to 1-7/8" nut width. I'd think there would be a lot of these floating around on the used markets.

The folklore is that when Fender announced that they were no longer going to produce wide necks anymore, the late David Lindley, went to the factory and bought all they had.

[s2y]

The "easiest" route is to go custom and get exactly what you want. It's not cheap. The alternative is to compromise on what you want.

[MarvinLee]

Got one of these and have been really happy with it....

https://godinguitars.com/product/acs...koa-extreme-hg

[FrankHudson]

I figured someone else would mention Warmoth wide necks which can be fitted to most Fender style electrics. I haven't seen them mentioned though, so I will:

nut width options from Warmoth

[warfrat73]

As far as the why, I think it's a part of a long misinformation campaign suggesting that "slim" necks are somehow faster.

In terms of availability, it might take some hunting to find one, but Agile (Rondo Music) has frequently made wide nut Les Paul knock-offs; I have one and it's a very nice guitar for the money.

Not sure if they are still making them, but if you keep your eyes open you may be able to find a used one for pretty cheap.