Anyone else struggle with the Soft V neck profile?

[El Tele Lobo]

I have struggled with this profile for a long time, especially when playing 4-note jazz chords or even barre chords up the neck. It just seems to put pressure on my thumb and hand in a weird way I don't like. I've played a wide variety of neck radii and nut widths without much trouble adapting and even a number of shapes from 60s C to Fat C to U without too much trouble. But I just can't seem to adapt to the Fat Soft V shape or very thin Modern C shapes. Anyone else have this struggle?

Very close to removing the Soft V neck off my jazzbo tele and selling it in favor of a fuller C or U shape.

 

[unixfish]

I bought a Baja for that neck. After a while, I no longer liked it, and bought a new Tele with the Deep C neck.

I can relate.

 

[srblue5]

I don’t struggle much with barre chords on V necks (though I did experience what you’re describing with pressure on the thumb when I first tried a V neck — I guess I got used to it over time) but I’ve found I do wrap my thumb around the low E more often than play barre chords on V necked guitars.

I struggle more with how thin the V neck feels on my Classic 50s Strat, as my hand feels like it’s cramping and contorting when playing barre chords but that’s more a neck thickness issue than a V-shape issue. I did a gig this past weekend with my Vintera Modified Tele and played mostly barre chords without discomfort.

Individual mileage may vary, of course.

 

[schmee]

Just the opposite. A soft V (with full shoulder) Like the Fender Clapton is comfort for the hands for me.
A sharper V missing that full shoulder is terrible for me.

 

[El Tele Lobo]

All the Soft V’s I’ve tried have been missing the shoulder. I’ve played several of them. They (along with thin necks) are the only varieties I can’t seem to adapt to.

 

[KokoTele]

The whole point of a V neck is that it's missing all or most of the shoulder, though I've never seen one in the wild that was an actual V like #4 in this popular depiction of Fender profiles. Every one I've seen has been some iteration of #2, some with a sharper point than others, some deeper than others. My first one took a while to get used to, but I came to love it.

@El Tele Lobo: If you've tried to love a neck and it's not working, go ahead and swap or look for a new guitar. Just like we all find different kinds of shoes fit us best, different necks fit our hands best. No reason to keep struggling if it's not working for you.

​

 

[Dismalhead]

I don't do deep necks. Only reason I didn't buy one of those Vegas Gold Bajas a few years ago.

 

[Steebz Khuan]

I bought a big ol' soft V-ish Lindy Fralin neck on a whim for my latest partscaster build. I have smallish hands and had my doubts fiddling with it before I installed it, but I've been playing the thing for a week now and there's no way back. Suddenly all my other teles feel too small.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Im not a big fan of huge necks, but i do have a Baja 50s neck on a partscaster. I like it quite a bit.

 

[dreamingtele]

I had the Baja for close to 10 years. Its nice but yes. The neck kinda swore me off soft-v or v shaped necks.

Until my 57 avri strat came along. It has a well pronounced V and its the only neck that my hands never have any numbness when playing. So i guess I like V more than soft V. Its one of the reasons I dont want to buy the Baja even if i see one going for a good price.

I tried to take a photo at least. Not sure if you can make out the shape. Lol

Untitled by D Y, on Flickr

 

[black_doug]

I didn't think I would like the soft V on my Fender Parallel Universe II TELE® MÁGICO when I tried it out in the store. In the past I've tried the Clapton and the Jimmie Vaughan and couldn't bond with them. But this one has a unique neck carve. It's soft V at the nut and gradually tapers to C at the body.

 

[pdmartin]

I have a soft V which is 1” at the first fret. Love it.

 

[SPUDCASTER]

The Allparts TRO-V neck I bought from Koko Tele is one of the most comfortable necks I own.

I bought a Baja neck from Stratosphere. I've never bonded with it. Replaced it with a C neck I like a lot better.

If someone's interested, I'd part with the Baja.

 

[BrokenTele]

I struggle more with how thin the V neck feels on my Classic 50s Strat, as my hand feels like it’s cramping and contorting when playing barre chords but that’s more a neck thickness issue than a V-shape issue. I did a gig this past weekend with my Vintera Modified Tele and played mostly barre chords without discomfort.

Individual mileage may vary, of course.

Interesting. I bought a Classic Series 50s Strat that was my first experience owning or even playing a v-shape. Loved it, one of my favourite neck shapes.

Now I’m on the lookout for a V-neck Tele, but I always figured the Classic Series was on the thicker side, but wouldn’t have guessed it’s actually considered thin.

 

[srblue5]

Interesting. I bought a Classic Series 50s Strat that was my first experience owning or even playing a v-shape. Loved it, one of my favourite neck shapes.

Now I’m on the lookout for a V-neck Tele, but I always figured the Classic Series was on the thicker side, but wouldn’t have guessed it’s actually considered thin.

Maybe there was a little variance from specimen to specimen — there was one Classic 50s Strat I tried out at a shop while shopping for amps that had a slightly thicker profile than mine — but the few I tried had fairly slim necks. Not necessarily a bad thing but not that comfortable for my hands.

The Vintera Modified 50s Tele I have has a fairly thick and comfortable V-shaped neck in my opinion. I think it’s similar to the Baja 50s neck profile, which some find too thick. Probably best to try before you buy.

 

[Mxrk]

Same exact problem. There was too much wood right where my thumb bone wanted to be. Switched it for a 60s C, which is still a little fuller than a modern C but not as much of a speed bump.

 

[Ronzo]

Can’t deal with v-shaped necks, soft or hard.

 

[burntfrijoles]

All Soft V’s are not created equal.
One of most comfortable necks that I ever played was the early 2000s Jimmy V artist Strat (MIM) With a soft V. I didn’t care for the Clapton soft V.

 

[Fenderdad1950]

A lot of people do also, that's why we can chose other contours