Large “C” Shape for smaller hands?

[powerex21]

Was considering purchasing this guitar but am wondering if the large 'C' necks would be too much for me to handle considering I typically do prefer smaller necks since I have smaller hands (am 5'6") and am curious if anyone had the chance to try them out before?

Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster 2005 3 Tone Sunburst

Click for HD PhotosWeight: 3660 GramsBrilliant Tele in great condition, setup with 10-46 it plays and sounds sublime.Model Name: Custom Classic Telecaster®Model Number: 015-6400-(Color#) and 015-6402-(Color#)Series: Custom Classic SeriesBody: Premium AshNeck: Figured Maple, Large “C”...

www.fenderfever.com

 

[nojazzhere]

Was considering purchasing this guitar but am wondering if the large 'C' necks would be too much for me to handle considering I typically do prefer smaller necks since I have smaller hands (am 5'6") and am curious if anyone had the chance to try them out before?

Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster 2005 3 Tone Sunburst

Click for HD PhotosWeight: 3660 GramsBrilliant Tele in great condition, setup with 10-46 it plays and sounds sublime.Model Name: Custom Classic Telecaster®Model Number: 015-6400-(Color#) and 015-6402-(Color#)Series: Custom Classic SeriesBody: Premium AshNeck: Figured Maple, Large “C”...

www.fenderfever.com

I have smaller than average hands, but found out several years ago that a very large neck was much more comfortable, especially on a longer gig. (where you can't stop and rest if you want to) My preferred "electric" neck is the Warmoth I have on my two Telecaster-style guitars. They are Warmoth Fatback (1" depth from nut to heel) 1 11/16" width at nut, and 10"-16" compound radius. Lately, however, I've been only playing my Angel Lopez solid body nylon string (about 1 7/8" at nut) and Yamaha SLG Silent guitar, nylon. (1.9" at nut) It was a real adjustment to go to the wider necks, but I think I play "cleaner" on them.
At any rate, I whole-heartedly recommend big necks.

 

[Minivan Megafun]

Was considering purchasing this guitar but am wondering if the large 'C' necks would be too much for me to handle considering I typically do prefer smaller necks since I have smaller hands (am 5'6") and am curious if anyone had the chance to try them out before?

Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster 2005 3 Tone Sunburst

Click for HD PhotosWeight: 3660 GramsBrilliant Tele in great condition, setup with 10-46 it plays and sounds sublime.Model Name: Custom Classic Telecaster®Model Number: 015-6400-(Color#) and 015-6402-(Color#)Series: Custom Classic SeriesBody: Premium AshNeck: Figured Maple, Large “C”...

www.fenderfever.com

I'm the same size as you. It's hard to say exactly what they mean by "Large C" since there's probably half a dozen different versions of C from Fender. I know I've really gotten used to what they're currently calling "60's C" on the AO series. That's very slim (around 0.82") at the 1st fret and then tapers up to a pretty chunky 0.95"-0.98" by the 12th fret. I find these VERY comfortable. As a comparison I find the large U shape (Nocaster) to be nearly unplayable. The key difference is shoulder. C has a lot less material on the edges so I find I really like that chunky feel with a C because it fills the hand really nicely without getting in the way.

Best bet would be to contact the seller and ask for the depth of the neck at the 1st and 12th frets. That'll tell you a lot.

FYI, once I tried the fatter 60's C, I dumped every guitar I had with "modern C".

 

[String Tree]

Was considering purchasing this guitar but am wondering if the large 'C' necks would be too much for me to handle considering I typically do prefer smaller necks since I have smaller hands (am 5'6") and am curious if anyone had the chance to try them out before?

Fender Custom Shop Custom Classic Telecaster 2005 3 Tone Sunburst

Click for HD PhotosWeight: 3660 GramsBrilliant Tele in great condition, setup with 10-46 it plays and sounds sublime.Model Name: Custom Classic Telecaster®Model Number: 015-6400-(Color#) and 015-6402-(Color#)Series: Custom Classic SeriesBody: Premium AshNeck: Figured Maple, Large “C”...

www.fenderfever.com

I can play them All Night with no Fatigue.
Try it!

 

[Somnospeed]

I’m 5’11” but my hands probably loom like I’m 5’6”. As far as neck go, I only use genuine fender necks on all my builds. Anything under 90 at the 12th fret is an automatic no. I have a 50’s Tele that’s 90+ at the first fret and nearly 1.0 at the 12 and never felt uncomfortable for a second.
Fender knows how to make a neck fit a hand. Any hand.

 

[Dukex]

I have six guitars: four acoustics (one classical) and two electrics. All have different neck profiles, nut widths, and fretboard radiuses. I also have short fingers. I've found that, although I'm not a great player, I can adjust to the guitar I'm playing. It's just a matter of playing them. For example, if I haven't played my classical (2" nut with flat fingerboard) for a while, it takes me a couple of weeks to get proficient with it again. And then, all is good.

 

[brmusician]

My fingers aren't long. The most important neck feature to me is neck shoulder. It can be D, U or deep C profile, but it must have decent shoulders for a comfortable thumb-over playing. My hands aren't big, but I like my U-profile AVRI Jazz Bass and my D-profile SRV strat. Look at the Texas Blues Alley YT channel. That guy only use chunky guitar necks and he has smaller-than-average hands.
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Blues-style players prefer fat necks with a good amount of shoulder. Shredders prefer thin necks with with higher radius fingerboards. Not a universal rule, but a good starting point.

 

[57joonya]

The fender large c , like a ‘59 large c , is fantastic feeling for my hands . Medium I would say . But still, you should try to get a guitar in your hands with that shape . I played a 59 custom shop esquire with that shape and loved it .

 

[Fretting out]

I’m average height but consider my hands fairly small

I find large necks quite comfortable, to me the shape/nut width is more important

It’s all personal preference though

Depends on the exact measurements too, and what you consider large

An example is I heard forever about how chunky the Baja’s neck was and when I got one I was disappointed because it was the same size as what I’d been playing and didn’t consider big

So it’s relative, if you’re used to Ibanez it will probably feel huge, if you play a 50’s style les Paul it may feel wimpy

 

[JamesAM]

I’ve got smallerish hands and the big C shape of the American pro series (and the Britt Daniel telecaster) are the perfect size and shape for me. My favorite necks of all time.

 

[moosie]

The fender large c , like a ‘59 large c , is fantastic feeling for my hands . Medium I would say . But still, you should try to get a guitar in your hands with that shape . I played a 59 custom shop esquire with that shape and loved it .

59 large C? Gibson hollows and semis have that, a big round C neck (on 59 reissues at least). Not like the smaller R9 neck.

But Fender? I find their reissue 58/59 necks to be weird. More like a smaller U than anything. They call it a D.

Opinions will differ of course, I'm just surprised because I've never heard anyone refer to a Fender 58/59 neck a big C.



To the OP, I think it's a flawed assumption that small hands need small necks. How you play is much more important than hand size.

 

[57joonya]

59 large C? Gibson hollows and semis have that, a big round C neck (on 59 reissues at least). Not like the smaller R9 neck.

But Fender? I find their reissue 58/59 necks to be weird. More like a smaller U than anything. They call it a D.

Opinions will differ of course, I'm just surprised because I've never heard anyone refer to a Fender 58/59 neck a big C.



To the OP, I think it's a flawed assumption that small hands need small necks. How you play is much more important than hand size.

I may have worded it wrong . I played a custom shop’59 esquire with the large c . There definitely is other models from fender of the same year with a smaller c shape . I don’t know why that is . I assume most were the large shape before 1960, then they for the most part , got skinny . My 63 custom shop had a very skinny c shape , like .79”

 

[Wayne Alexander]

powerex21, other people's preferences as to neck shapes are totally irrelevant. You need to put your hands on that neck, or one with a similar profile and measurements; that's the only thing that will tell you whether it would work for you. ​

 

[Fretting out]

I may have worded it wrong . I played a custom shop’59 esquire with the large c . There definitely is other models from fender of the same year with a smaller c shape . I don’t know why that is . I assume most were the large shape before 1960, then they for the most part , got skinny . My 63 custom shop had a very skinny c shape , like .79”

There’s always outliers but historically 58-62ish had slim necks in the .79 range or slimmer at the first fret so models that are trying to be accurate should be around that size

Kind of irrelevant but I figured I’d mention it

 

[moosie]

I may have worded it wrong . I played a custom shop’59 esquire with the large c . There definitely is other models from fender of the same year with a smaller c shape . I don’t know why that is . I assume most were the large shape before 1960, then they for the most part , got skinny . My 63 custom shop had a very skinny c shape , like .79”

Here's my admittedly limited understanding:

In general, historically, and borne out in many (but not all) reissues, the 50s began with the big U (though at that time each neck really was a bit unique).

In October 1956 (10/56), enter the chunky soft V. The perfect neck, IMO.

By some time in 58 the transition had begun, and necks skinnied down. When was it a C? Dunno. Very subjective, those shape letters. My AV58 doesn't feel at all like a C to me. More like a smaller U. Fender calls it a D.

In the early 60s, necks were downright skinny.

But then around 1964 necks grew once more, into a fairly large oval C. Not really that big, but miles different from the modern C.

That's my understanding. It's largely borne out by looking at some of my guitars, too.

2015 AV 52 Tele: .92 / 1.02
CS 57 Strat: .87 / 1.02
AV 58 Tele: .84 / .96 (getting smaller now...)
2009 AVRI 62 Telecaster Custom: .82 / .91 (skinny!)
AV 64 Tele: .87 / 1.00 (It's nearly the same as the 57. It seems smaller, but it plays similarly, even though it's an oval C, not a V)