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Difference between Advanced Response neck and Slim Taper neck?


Mayloron

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  • 2 months later...
On 9/3/2019 at 10:40 PM, Mayloron said:

I'm having trouble finding what the difference between these two is. Is it thickness? Or does one gradually get slimmer down the neck? Is there a chart somewhere which shows both of these in cutaway view side-by-side?

I sure wish someone would answer this question.  I'm looking at buying a J-15 or J-45 Studio but cannot play them in person first because I'm in a rural area. It seems kind of dumb that Gibson does not have this information anywhere on their website. Other guitar makers, including Martin, have a chart of the different neck shapes which is very useful for the potential buyer.

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I can offer some good insight here. I looked into this very question on the way toward purchasing an L-00 Studio, as I am extremely picky about neck feel and NOT a fan of low-profile necks.

Although there are subtle variations from neck to neck, in general, the Advanced Response neck is indeed noticeably fuller in feel than the traditional Slim Taper neck.

The AR necks tend to range in depth from around .86" to .90" at the first fret. The vast majority that I've seen spec'd have been in the .87"-.88" range at 1st fret. My L-00 Studio measures about .877" at the first fret. A nice full feel. An AR neck on one particular Hummingbird Studio I tried was unquestionably fat. That one must have measured around .90". Almost a Banner feel to it.

In contrast, typical Slim Taper necks tend to run around .80" to .84" at the first fret (i.e., instruments such as the J45 and L-00 Standards). Closer to the '60s Gibson profile.

One thing both neck styles have in common is that they don't get very obviously thicker up through the 9th fret. In that sense, they both have a "slim taper" quality. However, the general feel of the AR necks, and indeed my L-00 Studio as an example, is much fuller than any Slim Taper neck I've ever handled.

Also worth mentioning is that the AR neck has a subtle V feel at the first fret that gradually flattens to a C around the 9th fret. The radius is 16" as mentioned earlier.

All of this considered, the Advanced Response neck, to me, feels like a hybrid of the late-'50s Gibson rounded profile and the '70s Martin full profile soft V. It is not a huge 1" bat neck but it definitely feels more chunky and full to me than your typical modern low-profile neck...and, for me, that's a really good thing. Gibsons from the late '80s and early '90s often have a similar feel--a fuller C profile. I have a '91 J30 with that profile. It seems to have started to thin out again around the mid-'90s.

Two great resources for gauging neck depths are the websites for Wildwood Guitars and The Music Zoo. Both sites routinely post neck-depth specs on instruments. Chicago Music Exchange also posts neck depths on used and vintage instruments. All of these will display commonalities among neck profiles across different brands, models and years. It's a great research tool if you are--again, like me--very picky about neck feel and more a fan of fuller-feeling necks.

Hope that helps.

-Mike

Edited by MikeJ30
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Thanks so much Mike! I super appreciate this information, which is exactly what I was looking for. I had my heart set on a J-15 but the skinny neck is a turn-off.  Guess I will look at the J-45 studio model. 

It sounds like the "advanced response" neck profile is similar to the Eric Johnson Stratocaster, which copies a neck shape from his 50s strat, a V shape near the nut that morphs into a fuller C as you go up the neck,

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On 11/14/2019 at 3:18 PM, lordkoos said:

Thanks so much Mike! I super appreciate this information, which is exactly what I was looking for. I had my heart set on a J-15 but the skinny neck is a turn-off.  Guess I will look at the J-45 studio model. 

It sounds like the "advanced response" neck profile is similar to the Eric Johnson Stratocaster, which copies a neck shape from his 50s strat, a V shape near the nut that morphs into a fuller C as you go up the neck,

 

You're welcome! I fully appreciate the difficulty in getting detailed information on neck shape and feel. I don't know why more manufacturers don't provide those details more clearly since it's such a crucial aspect to the experience of a guitar.

I mean, Gibson has been using the term "Advanced Response" for well over a year now and, to my knowledge, there is no official information on their website or elsewhere that actually explains what "Advanced Response" means! Similarly, they've used the term "Slim Taper" for years now as well as "Round" but nowhere do they really explain what those terms mean, their advantages, differences, etc.

You create a neck shape, put a specific term on it, and you now have the opportunity to use it as a selling point but...no details? No priority on providing the information to potential buyers?? Really bizarre stuff.

Big thanks to those websites I mentioned earlier for actually posting details.

Edited by MikeJ30
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On 11/18/2019 at 9:34 PM, MikeJ30 said:

 

You're welcome! I fully appreciate the difficulty in getting detailed information on neck shape and feel. I don't know why more manufacturers don't provide those details more clearly since it's such a crucial aspect to the experience of a guitar.

I mean, Gibson has been using the term "Advanced Response" for well over a year now and, to my knowledge, there is no official information on their website or elsewhere that actually explains what "Advanced Response" means! Similarly, they've used the term "Slim Taper" for years now as well as "Round" but nowhere do they really explain what those terms mean, their advantages, differences, etc.

You create a neck shape, put a specific term on it, and you now have the opportunity to use it as a selling point but...no details? No priority on providing the information to potential buyers?? Really bizarre stuff.

Big thanks to those websites I mentioned earlier for actually posting details.

 

Hi Mike, I have a 86 J-30 that has that 70's sound and love it!

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Here is what Gibson writes in Sweetwater about its advanced response neck on the J-45 M  Light Cherry Burst acoustic with a cutaway....

Exceptionally smooth playability

The Gibson Acoustic J-45 Modern Mahogany has an advanced-response neck profile that feels at home in your hand whether you're playing chords or single-note leads. As you play your way up the neck, you'll also appreciate the smooth feel of the 16"-radius rosewood fingerboard. With a neck that plays this smooth, and with the added convenience of a cutaway, you'll be able to play longer with less fatigue.

I own a Gibson with the new Advanced Response neck, and the Slim Taper D on a Masterbilt also.  I find the description above accurate..both are very playable..I have no trouble at all playing either, nor switching from one to the other.  I find the Advanced Response neck a tad wider, and the fret board slightly flatter, and over all just slightly bigger. The flatter 16 inch radius is also very comfortable to me as well. If you want an slightly bigger neck, slightly flatter, the Advanced Response is the way to go. If you prefer thinner by just a bit, the sweet Slim Taper D neck will do it. I love them both. ....Hope this helps.

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