What tele models have narrow necks??

[hugo]

I was just wondering if you guys could tell me which tele's have narrow necks? I have very small hands and a narrower neck is easier to play.
Is it true that a wider neck gives a more bluesy tone,(Muddy Waters tele for example)?

[TG]

Do you mean slimmer across the nut (as in the strings are a bit closer together) or in cross section? Squier teles usually have a narrower nut width and slim necks. Fender guitars from the Mexican standards up have a fairly uniform nut width (I think) but a whole slew of different profiles. You'd have to try a few out to see what suits you. Modern US teles (the American Series) have pretty slim necks compared to other models.
And remember that even a subtle difference in profile size or shape can make a big difference. Alot depends on how you hold your hand while playing and the angles everything is at, etc...

I have small hands too yet some of my favorite necks are pretty thick.
Go try some out and have some fun 'researching'.

With regards the 'bluesy tone', it's generally considered that a thicker neck can have big effect on the overall tone and response of a guitar due to the extra mass resonating...or something. I've swapped and changed necks around and I've found that to be the case. Chunkier neck tends to equal a better sound.
(IMO, of course.)

[Hafner]

This is my 67 Telecaster neck with a B-stamp, but in fact it is an A-neck, whith really narrow measures:



Thank you Ole Fuzzy for this:

[Bluesbob]

Width (or narrowness) is the distance from one side of the fretboard to the other, usually measured at the nut. Thickness (or thinness) is measured from the back of the neck to the surface of the fretboard, and can be different at different spots along the length of the neck, depending on profile. Not to mention fretboard radius, which also has an effect on the perceived size of the neck, relative to width and thickness. So your best bet is to try a bunch of different guitars, not just Teles and find out (or measure) the dimensions that suit you. Get to know what terms like "round C" and "thick V" (or U or D or whatever) mean. I think Warmoth's website has a basic tutorial on neck dimensions and shapes. When you find out what neck parameters you like, Fender's website gives some specs of their necks, such as width and shape. Finding the right neck can take years. I like the necks on the Nashville Deluxe line. They're a little wider (43 mm) but not that thick so my short pudgy fingers fit around the neck without hitting 2 strings at once, and they have a uniform profile with a 9.5" radius which allows bending with lower action without "fretting out" but still makes it easy to play chords. Best of luck.

[Ed Bickert]

Originally Posted by Bluesbob

...Finding the right neck can take years. ...

Definate words of wisdom.

I have been playing for just under 30 years. In that time I have owned about 50 guitars...maybe more. Back before the days of the internet, the typical non-professional (like myself) had no clue that there was a deliberate difference between neck shapes, nut widths, fret heights, freatboard radius, neck profiles. We just said, "That guitar plays 'wicked awesome'" Or. "that guitar feels like crap."

It wasn't until the internet came around that basic non-pros (like 99.9% of us) learned the reasons certain guitars always played one way or another.

And since this knowledge I have gone through about 12 guitars. I tried everything, Gibsons, various style teles, Peaveys, Mosrites, Turner Model Ones, PRSs, etc. Now that I can research a specific guitar's neck profile on the net I can understand why I like/dislike a specific neck.

For instance, that big "U" shape on a NoCaster...I absolutely hate it. I love the 60's med-C profiles. I prefer the 9.5" radisu and the med/jumbo fretwire.

However, all the reading in the world can not, and will not replace the actual hand-on playing of one of these instruments. I don't know about other people, but I was never able to read the stats for a specfic guitar and know I would like or dislike it. But now, knowing what I like and dislike from having played some instruments, I know what I might like and what I should avoid.

For me, I avoid all NoCaster style necks. Big, high-shouldered, 7.25 radius with vintage frets. For me that pretty much renders it unplayable. But a nice Med-C, or Modern Oval, with a 9.5 and med-jumbo...I can buy a guitar with these measurements sigh-unseen and probably be very happy.