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V-necks

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(@slejhamer)
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Anyone with a prefence for V-shape neck profiles rather than the more common C shape? What do you like about them? Is this mainly a Fender thing or do others offer guitars with V-necks? Specifically I was looking at THIS but would like something less $$$spendy ...

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@scrybe)
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I've a 'preference' for C-shaped necks, but only because I didn't pay attention to neck shape descriptions when choosing my strat, and found out llater it was C-shape. I know CitizenNoir has a liking for the V. I'm not even sure I've tried them, tbh. But I'll be heading townwards tomorrow, so I'll stop off at the music store and see if they have any I can try, if that'll help.

Tasty guitar, though. 8)

Ra Er Ga.

Ninjazz have SuperChops.

http://www.blipfoto.com/Scrybe


   
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(@citizennoir)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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Hey Mitch :D

Well, I'm not certain if Fender has the only electrics out there with V necks....
They are surely the most well known proponents of them.

I have a Modern C shape on my 88 Strat, and a U shape on my 71....
Haven't spent a whole lot of time with a Fender V....
Although I do have a MASSIVE V profile on My acoustic.

I have no problem with it, and can switch easily and comfortably to it from my C shape (unlike going from my C to the U....
feels a bit awkward at first)

The only issue I have with my V neck is that when holding chords that require you to put your thumb on the back
and press with some force.... it seems to exhaust my hand strength pretty fast.
I think that it's because of having to position my thumb on the apex of the V; which might not be exactly where I would normally place it.
And it's really Chunky, so it might be a bit of a stretch.... even for ME!

Fender uses a 50's V or a soft V.... so those two points may be eliminated with those profiles.

IMO - The human body takes most naturally to a V shape.... it just has to be a SIZE that's compatible with you.

Fender also uses a V on pretty much all it's 50's Strats.... including the Classic series 50's (MIM), as well as the Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Vaughan sig Strats....
And maybe even the Eric Johnson sig Strat.

Ken

"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway

"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles


   
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(@slejhamer)
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Topic starter  

it just has to be a SIZE that's compatible with you.

I guess I'd better play them first then! LOL

My Birdsong bass has a very pronounced V at the lower frets, tapering off (rounding out) as it approaches the body. It took a little getting used to, but now I find it to be incredibly comfortable, which is what made me think about a V-shaped guitar neck. Also my mandolin has a soft V, but others I've played with much sharper Vs feel even better to me.

Of course, I'm not using barre chords too often on either of those... :wink:

Scrybe, please report back anything you find out!

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@citizennoir)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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Yeah, I can see someone making a V/C neck....
With the V by the nut where you would use a lot of open chords;
Wrapping your hand around the V profile - the web of the hand [looks] like a U/C shape....
it's really a V shape and that feels very comfortable.

Then, where you would play more scales/Barres, they round it into a C to remove those problems I had mentioned.

Fender (as well as Martin acoustics), have compromised with a shorter/rounder 'soft' V.
They figure that should give you the best of both worlds without a profile change in the middle :wink:

Ken

"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway

"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles


   
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(@twistedlefty)
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the depth (or thickness) and width of the neck seem to matter more to me.
i doubt it would matter much unless the V was pointy, i don't think i'd care for that.
my strat is a C and most of my guitars probably fall into that shape like a D or a U.
my palms are fairly large, so that is comfortable.

#4491....


   
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(@clau20)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 351
 

Huh.. What's a V, C and U neck? :roll: :?:

" First time I heard the music
I thought it was my own
I could feel it in my heartbeat
I could feel it in my bones
... Blame it on the love of Rock'n'Roll! "


   
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(@boxboy)
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Joined: 18 years ago
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Huh.. What's a V, C and U neck? :roll: :?:

I was confused too, Clau, when it came up in another thread.
Then I found this site:
http://www.guitartechcraig.com/techneck/necks.htm
:)

Don


   
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(@slejhamer)
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Topic starter  

Yeah, I can see someone making a V/C neck....
With the V by the nut where you would use a lot of open chords;
...
Then, where you would play more scales/Barres, they round it into a C to remove those problems I had mentioned.

Exactly what I'd like. So I guess I need to get the folks at Birdsong to build a guitar for me with a V/C compound-profile neck ... :lol:

Twisted I agree with you especially about the width; my Alvarez 12-string had a very chunky U-shape neck and I could never get really comfortable with it. I never realized what the problem was until I read a guitar magazine review of that model, in which they mentioned it. I had already sold it by then.

Boxboy, good link with helpful pictures. Fender also has similar info on their website, though they use "D" for width instead of shape:
What is a V, C or U shape neck?

The letters V, C, and U are used today by Fender as analogies to describe the "neck profile" or shape and contour of the back of our instrument necks. Necks described by these letters will correspond roughly (although not quite as exaggerated), to the visual appearance of these letters.

The V shaped necks come in two different versions, a "soft" V and a "hard" V. The "soft" V shape is a bit rounded off, whereas the "hard" V is somewhat more pointed.

There are a couple of other neck shape descriptions which do not have directly corresponding letters. These are the "oval" and the modern "flat oval". Many people, however, simply use the letter "C" when referring generally to these "oval" shapes.

The "U" shape is chunky and rounded, with high shoulders, as seen in the exaggerated letter U.

There is no doubt that it is easier to understand the application of these terms to the necks when you put your hands on them and get the feel, however, the use of these letters is pretty accurate in describing the shape of the back of Fender necks.

There is often confusion between the use of the letters V, C, and U used to describe neck shapes, and the use of the letters A, B, C and D in describing Fender neck widths. During the period of time from the early '60's to the early '70's, Fender used the letters A, B, C, and D to refer specifically to the width of our guitar and bass necks at the nut. These letters were stamped on the butt end of the necks, and had no reference to the shape or contour of the neck. An "A" width was 1 1/2" at the nut, "B" was 1 5/8", "C" was 1 3/4" and "D" was 1 7/8".

And here's a pic of the back of the V-neck Strat neck:

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@97reb)
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The Jimmy Vaughan strat is the most comfortable strat I've played and it has that "soft V" neck. I'm sure it comes down to personal taste. One of those things you just gotta play em to figure it out for yourself.

It is a small world for metal fanatics. I welcome you fellow musicians, especially the metalheads!


   
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(@slejhamer)
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Topic starter  

Hey thanks; I was just looking at that one (online) today. I'll have to check it out!

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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(@slejhamer)
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Topic starter  

Finally got to the local GC during lunch today. They did not have a single V-neck Fender; not even a Clapton strat model (though they had three EJs in stock, which I though was odd.)

But, they did have an Ernie Ball MusicMan LUKE (Steve Lukather) model. OMG! That is EXACTLY what I had in mind. Narrow width, and a pronounced (but still shallow) V shape. It felt very much like my bass. Really comfortable, no problem at all with barres. Great guitar all around; the Ball family makes high quality stuff.

I'm going to have to cut back on Starbucks for a long time to afford that guitar ...

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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