Fat Neck Profiles: Tried Fat, Then Went Back?

[Night Prowler]

I read threads from members that just love their aftermarket fat Tele necks; FatBack, BoatNeck, TMO-Fat, etc. But I couldn't find much here from peeps who tried one of these fat neck profiles, didn't care for it, and then ended up going back to a more traditional C shape.

I'm currently looking for a neck for my build and was considering a fat neck profile, but I'm starting top wonder if maybe these big necks are designed more for people with big hands and/or long fingers. :?:

Has anyone tried a fatty and then were unhappy?

 

[surfoverb]

not really, but I have grown to like thin necks as well as fat ones. Its all good!

my squier cvc neck is killer. people think its super thin but its not, its just not fat. its wider than a 52RI and .04" less deep.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I've trimmed some of the shoulder out of really Fat and wide necks.

To more closely approximate the ones I've been liking the best.

I don't mind playing my thinner necked guitars after a 7 day layoff, then working back up.

 

[Night Prowler]

For someone like you who's experienced that's fine, but I wouldn't attempt to do any shaving as I'd be too concerned on messing it up.

I was just curious if anyone has tried a fat neck on their Tele and couldn't get used to it and actually went back to a more standard C shape.

 

[bullfrogblues]

I opted for a boatneck carve on a Warmoth neck a few guitars ago, and I can't get along with it anymore. For some reason my hand hurts in just a few minutes of playing it. I loved it when I first got it, now not so much.
I do like the Fender modern C shape, not too skinny and not too fat.

 

[Stubee]

I was just curious if anyone has tried a fat neck on their Tele and couldn't get used to it and actually went back to a more standard C shape.

Me. My left thumb hates them & caused me to sell some good ones.

 

[mslugano]

I bought a used Suhr a few years ago with his "Huge C" neck and 1 11/16" nut just to give it a go and have not been able to go back to anything smaller since...I just love the way it fills my palm. Very comfy.

Kind of bums me out because it has narrowed my choices considerably. Maybe I could do a really fat soft V with a narrow nut but thinner necks don't work too well for me any more.

 

[xtrajerry]

Some of the necks have no taper.. to me they just don't feel right.. I believe the 'Fat Back' doesn't and most that are described as boatneck don't seem to taper. May want to experiment with that before giving up on fat necks.. I tend to like something in the .900-.990 range.

 

[boris bubbanov]

One of the things I love about my CS '60 Time Machine Strat is, a really radical amount of taper. Sometimes my hand is aching and maybe I shouldn't be playing but I do anyway, and the '60 is great because I can find some place, somewhere, on the neck to play and when that starts to hurt, I move to another area, a bigger or smaller area and keep going.

I've been playing a lot of bigger necks for about 5 years now, and my hand has recovered a bit, I think, from the damage done playing the thin ones. Now I can go back and play a thinner neck on occasion that used to cause a lot of misery.
Meaning, I got well playing the big, big necks and a variety of fairly big necks.

 

[Mur]

I like fat or thin, my fave fat is '56 shape.

 

[Night Prowler]

Thats the one thing about neck profiles, its very hard to be able to try the various offerings without actually making a purchase.

I reckon some folks that are really into building guitars or have done a lot of mods, ala Boris and Ron, likely have had the opportunity to sample a lot of different shapes and thicknesses. Some folks I reckon just tried a lot and found what really works well for them. But all I have near me is a GC and a couple smaller music stores, so the variety just aint there. Besides that, I doubt any stock Fender Tele I'd pick up other than a Nocaster (if I could find one) is going to have a fat neck profile to tryout. So I guess the only thing to do is take the plunge and find out.

I bought a used Suhr a few years ago with his "Huge C" neck and 1 11/16" nut just to give it a go and have not been able to go back to anything smaller since...I just love the way it fills my palm. Very comfy.

Oh yeah, there's another dilemma... nut width! 1 5/8 or 1 11/16

 

[steelcaster]

i honestly just love a medium c shape ... boring i know ... but convenient!

 

[xtrajerry]

One of the things I love about my CS '60 Time Machine Strat is, a really radical amount of taper. Sometimes my hand is aching and maybe I shouldn't be playing but I do anyway, and the '60 is great because I can find some place, somewhere, on the neck to play and when that starts to hurt, I move to another area, a bigger or smaller area and keep going.

I've been playing a lot of bigger necks for about 5 years now, and my hand has recovered a bit, I think, from the damage done playing the thin ones. Now I can go back and play a thinner neck on occasion that used to cause a lot of misery.
Meaning, I got well playing the big, big necks and a variety of fairly big necks.

Had actually thought about why the taper makes such a difference but your explanation makes a hell of a lot of sense..

I've worked outdoors all my life and my hands can ache sometimes, switching guitars can sometimes be a big improvement. Variety certainly seems to help me..

 

[Ron C]

I got well playing the big, big necks

Me too. Had a couple of wonderful USACG fatback necks made for me around 2003-4 when I was having hand issues. These days i prefer relatively thin, wider necks like the one on my 2000 US Fat Tele.

 

[blackguardash]

I started learning guitars sort of as a midlife crisis. I have small hands, but preferred the chunkier necks at first 'cause they didn't make my hands cramp. Now that I have a few years of practice under my belt, I can play either a chunky Baja neck or a medium Nashville neck. So... I didn't exactly go back to a thinner neck, but developed some comfort with both. Hope this is helpful for you.

 

[xtrajerry]

Thats the one thing about neck profiles, its very hard to be able to try the various offerings without actually making a purchase.

I reckon some folks that are really into building guitars or have done a lot of mods, ala Boris and Ron, likely have had the opportunity to sample a lot of different shapes and thicknesses. Some folks I reckon just tried a lot and found what really works well for them. But all I have near me is a GC and a couple smaller music stores, so the variety just aint there. Besides that, I doubt any stock Fender Tele I'd pick up other than a Nocaster (if I could find one) is going to have a fat neck profile to tryout. So I guess the only thing to do is take the plunge and find out.

Oh yeah, there's another dilemma... nut width! 1 5/8 or 1 11/16

The 52 Hot Rod & GE Smith have nice thick necks, the Telebration La Cab's neck is on the thick side too..The 52 AVRI isn't exactly thin either. I'm lucky (or not) to have a well stocked music store near me. They don't mind at all if I take a guitar off the wall and noodle around with it.. Usually they bring me cord so I can plug in. When I first got back into playing and decided to get a new guitar I spent a couple of months going there looking for just the right one.

 

[PJ55]

The Warmoth '59 Roundback is a nice full-C, but I wouldn't consider it "fat." It's very similar to the real 60s & 70s Fender profiles. I guess its what you grow up playing that feels the best.

 

[MASONish]

I gotta have that boat neck! Biggest neck I have is on a Brent Mason Signature guitar. Brent is not a big guy by my standards & does not have big hands. Works for him. I got use to fat necks & it just feels better. Noticed my playing style seemed more natural. If its comfortable & feels good you will play & enjoy it. That's what it's all about, enjoyment. At least it is to me

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Oh yeah, there's another dilemma... nut width! 1 5/8 or 1 11/16

No - that's the ONLY dilemma.

Necks come in 101 different thicknesses/back profiles.

And Fender makes a lot of varied ones.

But their 1 5/8th necks are too narrow and their 1 11/16th necks aren't deep enough.

(I've played some Am Std Strats/Teles w/ 1 11/16th necks that were so thin I though I was playing an 80's Charvel...)

We need the biggest Baja profile or a Jimmie Vaughan profile in a full 1 11/16th (1.6875) width.

All you munchkin/lady fingered types take a step back...

 

[TeleTown]

Fat for me. I found that i play with much more ease on a fatty with 6100 fret wire. Thin c, Med c fatigue my hands and i lose speed and timeing.Im not sure about the big hand, small hand thing. Mine are small and thats what works best for me. To each his own is what it comes down to.