Advantages of a big neck over a thin one?

[jgmouton]

Hi,

I read here and there that the Baja has a big, chunky neck and the CVC Squier has a thin neck. Some people like that others don't. Are there objective advantages to like the thickness/width of a neck or is it only a question of being used to one or the other?

Cheers

 

[Sea Devil]

I wouldn't call it objective, but many players find that larger necks keep their hands from tensing up and cramping. There's less squeezing involved. For complex chords and odd stretches on the fingerboard, a thicker neck can make it easier to plant one's thumb on the back of the neck, but a thin neck is arguably a better fit if the player prefers to play with his/her thumb over the bass side.

 

[crossroader]

It's all about what you're comfortable with.
A bigger neck does add some mass to a guitar and that will have an impact on the tone, but every guitar is the sum of it's parts.

 

[Zachevans3]

I just find big necks more comfortable personally.

 

[MilwMark]

I find big necks more comfortable physically and that's why I play them.

When I switched, I also noticed two things; (1) increased sustain and (2) better tuning stability. This was switching a big neck on to the same guitar, setup (very well) by the same shop in each case. I don't think I was imagining it, but who knows.

I also noticed "better" tone. But that's very subjective.

 

[Wayne Alexander]

jgmouton, this is a completely personal decision. No one else's preferences or experiences but your own matter even a tiny bit. The more years you've played guitar, and the more different guitars you've played/handled, the more likely you are to have preferences based on your own experiences.

The reason I like thicker, wider necks is that I have large hands, and also I find that when I play thin necks for, say, 2 hours or more at a rehearsal or gig, I get cramps in the muscles at the base of my thumb and into my forearm, that does not happen, for me, with thicker necks. But that has nothing to do with you. You need to get your hands on guitars with different thicknesses and shapes of necks, and learn over time what you like.

 

[fender4life]

Big have what i can only call more "girth" to the sound. It's not like theres more low end exactly, hard to describe. But the net result is they sound sorta bigger. I also find fast alternate picking is easier on thin necks but for most other things big is better. Like others said, my hand can get fatigued on thin necks at times, but at other times the same thing happens on a big neck but for totally different reasons. I have a couple thin neck teles but i like them for thier own thing. It's just different. Do i wish they were bigger? On the thinnest one, yeah, at times. But on the other hand if it was there wouldn't be as much of a difference between my guitars and i'd not get that "grass is greener" thing when switching guitars. I like them to be very different so i always can find one that fits my mood at the moment. If i were to have only one guitar i'd probably want something right in the middle like my 60's classic series strat.

 

[peteb]

Aren't bigger necks preferred by more experienced players? Don't beginners typically leave space between their hand and the back of the neck, where more experienced players keep the neck right up against their hand?

 

[Beachbum]

I like em all.

 

[4 Cat Slim]

Hard to say here, as I'd think that if a guitar has qualities about it that you like, you're likely to spend more time playing it.
Just to throw something else into the discussion, some people feel that a chunkier neck helps a guitar's sustain. I will quickly add that I don't necessarily agree, or I can't hear the difference.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

Once I tried a big neck there was no looking back.

That said, there are two dimensions to big: a big contour and a wide nut. I like a 1.75" nut, for sure.

 

[PaulieBoy]

For me it has to do more with the shape of the neck than the density. Some will cause nerve zaps in my thumb. Can't use a "V."

 

[Telepi]

I think it all depends. If you have big hands and wear big boots, then a big neck might be your ticket. YMMV

 

[chris m.]

All else equal, a bigger neck may be a little more stable and also less likely to warp, and may sound a bit bigger/twangier (lots of debate there). I like big necks and am certainly used to them from playing classical guitar and acoustic guitars to start. But I'm happy playing all but the very thinnest necks. The very fattest neck I've ever played-- a Warmoth boat neck, was actually too fat for me-- I could play it fine but it was almost distracting in a weird way. I actually had a luthier friend of mine shave it down a bit. He kept most of the thickness down at the low frets but tapered it out a bit further up the neck. In my opinion, the very best necks with the most natural feel actually have a bit of contouring so that they're a little thicker down at the headstock end and taper a little as you go up the neck. The net result is the neck feels even up and down the neck under the hand even though it's actually contoured. With a neck that has an identical profile all the way up the neck to me it feels like it's getting thicker as I go up the neck.

 

[Deckard]

I find a bigger neck less fatiguing to play. And definitely easier to use thumb over licks.

 

[radiocaster]

Once I tried a big neck there was no looking back.

That said, there are two dimensions to big: a big contour and a wide nut. I like a 1.75" nut, for sure.

and some guitars have a wider heel.

 

[brookdalebill]

I prefer bigger necks for a number of reasons.
I have average size hands, bigger than Donald's, smaller than Andre's.
I like the of feel a rounded profile in the palm of my hands.
My left wrist drops when I solo, to allow for wider interval playing.
A thicker profile is more comfortable for my fretting hand thumb.
Thinner necks cause me more hand strain.
Slightly wider is cool too, especially in first position.
Individual notes sound clearer and more articulate.
Ironically, my #1 electric guitar has a wide, thin neck.
Not my favorite profile, but the guitar sounds amazing, IMO.
Some people think a bigger neck transfers string vibration to the body and pickups better.
I say "maybe".

 

[JD0x0]

I find a bigger neck less fatiguing to play. And definitely easier to use thumb over licks.

+1

I'm definitely faster on a thicker neck too. I enjoy warmoth's Boatneck profile. Very thick, soft V shape, that fits my hand well. It has thickness, but not quite as Baseball bat like.

Here's something I dont think anyone hit on. A thicker neck is generally more stable and harder to bend. They'll typically exhibit longer sustain, better potential tuning stability, and if you're playing open notes, while bending others, none of the notes will go flat when the string is bent from the neck giving, which can happen on thinner necked guitars, IME. For example, play an open E, and then bend the G string 2.5steps. Many guitars you will hear the open E go slightly flat when bending the note. The thicker and stiffer the neck, the less likely this will happen.

 

[songtalk]

I think there is validity to the notion that a fatter neck is less susceptible to climate flucuations and warping over the years.

 

[brandonwhite]

I have a Tele with a '52 reissue neck on it. It's thicker than the other guitar necks I've owned, and it's my favorite. As others have said, it minimizes hand cramping.
I'm working on building a tele with an Allparts FAT neck, which is SUPER fat. We'll see how it turns out.