Necks/J-45

[tru]

I’m researching this, but its vague.

I sold a 2012 Hummingbird because of its stupid neck profile. I sure as hell don’t want that again. I’d prefer a beefy neck, like the original 40s have, but I dont have $5-6k.

So my main question is, does a 1.725 nut width translate into a fairly “beefy” neck?

Would a 2010 True Vintage feel like a vintage neck...or something that was made for the village idiot that doesn’t know his *** from his elbow?

[slimt]

Search for a 1990s  Hummingbird . Like the era of 1990 to 1995.  There close to the original Hummingbirds   Not the narrow nut one either.   Not sure why they had those. 
btw , the true vintage series guitars are pretty much the same as the 90s   , same features. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by slimt

[j45nick]

24 minutes ago, tru said:

I’m researching this, but its vague.

I sold a 2012 Hummingbird because of its stupid neck profile. I sure as hell don’t want that again. I’d prefer a beefy neck, like the original 40s have, but I dont have $5-6k.

So my main question is, does a 1.725 nut width translate into a fairly “beefy” neck?

Would a 2010 True Vintage feel like a vintage neck...or something that was made for the village idiot that doesn’t know his *** from his elbow?

The nut width is not directly related to the neck profile. You can (and Gibson does) have several different neck profiles with the same nut width. 1.725 seems to be the modern Gibson standard, except for some vintage-style guitars with 1.75" nut width.

[littlejohnny]

The neck on my 2013 hummingbird TV is not super thin, but I'd say it is on the thin side. , its about 2,1cm at the first fret.

If you're looking for a thick neck on a normal production guitar, look for used j-35 from the first production years. They had pretty fat c-Profile necks.

By the way, I really hate how gibson does not pay attention to neck profiles in their spec sheets.  It seems to me they change the names every now and then, so nobody knows what the all  names mean and whats the difference It would be nice, if they just state how thick necks are at the first and 12 fret and if its a c, d, v or whatever.

What is a comfort contour neck? 

[62burst]

2 hours ago, tru said:

Would a 2010 True Vintage feel like a vintage neck...or something that was made for the village idiot that doesn’t know. . . 

Village idiot. Count me in. 

How unfortunate you couldn't make the 2012 Hummingbird work for you. The era around that year is considered to be a good bet to produce a really fine sounding Hummingbird. Personally, most all of the modern Gibson neck profiles seem to not depart too far from a standard recipe, so much so that I really don't even notice.

Little Johnny- I take it you're talking about the modern J-35, and not the one from the 1930's? (?). 

OP tru- just to be clear... when you ask about a True Vintage neck, you talking J-45, not HB. Also- you could most likely avoid going to the $ you'd mentioned if you could track down a used J-45 Legend. Those here could verify if the Legends had the beef you seek.

Slim mentioned the 1990's Birds- just be advised- forumite Aliasphobias would give the reminder that those were long scale, up (or through?)  '97.

Edited May 2, 2020 by 62burst

[littlejohnny]

yes was talking about the modern j-35 with the natural top and the banner logo (😜) , the ones I've played had the biggest necks I'd come across on regular production Bozeman guitars.

Edited May 2, 2020 by littlejohnny

[Dave F]

I checked a few of my Gibsons and here's what I found nut width-wise and fretboard thickness. I measured from the fretboard just behind the 1st fret to the high point of the neck contour. I also commented on what shape I think they are. The J-45 Legend is definitely the 'Baseball Bat'. The L00 is close.  A lot a variance. It depends on how your hand fits the width, shape and girth.  I didn't list my L5 acoustic. It has a special shape that falls within the D and U  and very comfortable. When I had a custom L00 made, I chose that neck profile.

2010 J-45 Legend - 1.730 nut width - 1.021 thick - full rounded . It's so big I can't tell if it's a C, D or U

2012 J200 Custom RW - 1.73 nut width - .808 thick - modern oval C

2014 Stage Deluxe- 1,820 nut width- .824 - soft vee

1994 Centennial '34 Jumbo - 1.750 nut width- .854 thick - hard vee

2014 '32 L00 RI - 1.770 - .967 thick - soft vee

If you wind up looking for  Legend be aware that the early ones were built to specifications as close as possible to the sample they used . Honduras mahogany and madagascar rosewood was used  they even resurrected equipment from Kalamazoo to duplicate the saw marks in the bracing. After a couple years they started using the term Legend for standard Custom Shop runs. If you see a label and Custom Shop decal you know it’s one of the newer ones  I don’t know their specs. I don’t know what year was the last for the real Legend models. 

 

 

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Dave F

[j45nick]

Here are numbers from my two 1950 J-45s,  probably made a month or two apart.  Both would be the "early 50's U-shape", with a caveat on FON 3644-8.

3358-5   1st fret depth :  .92     9th fret depth:  .97       nut width: 1.70

3644-8   1st fret depth:  .91     9th fret depth:  1.00      nut width:  1.58   (note: Gibson put a new fretboard on this in 1968, and narrowed the original neck slightly to suit the then-popular narrow nut and narrower fretboard.  They left the full neck depth and sectional shape intact, except for a slight softening  of the transition between the shaved sides and the round back. As a result, the profile of the two necks is quite similar in shape, even though the neck of 3644 is now narrower. I have owned 3644 since 1966. It was and is my original Gibson.)

neck width at 9th fret:  3358:  2.01       3644: 1.93

pin spacing:     3358:  2.19         3644: 2.125

I have several modern Gibsons with "specialty" necks . One is an L-OO Legend with the late 1930's V-neck and 1.75+ nut, another is a 1943 SJ re-issue with the wider, flatter Luthier's Choice neck, 1.78 at the nut.

I have had other late 1940's Gibsons whose neck profiles and nut widths were very similar to those on my unmodified 1950  J-45 (3358). These are my favorite Gibson neck shapes, although the 1937 V-neck is surprisingly comfortable for extended playing.

I've also got a Martin 000-28 EC with a 1.75 nut and softened V-shape which is reasonably comfortable, but it also has that flatter 16" Martin fretboard radius which is not as comfortable to me as the Gibson 12" radius.

Also have a few others which are outliers in terms of necks, and which don't get played that much.

All in all, you adapt to what you have. When I started playing, we paid no attention to nut width, neck shape, or any of the other things we tend to obsess about now. But that was then...

[MorrisrownSal]

i have a 2010 True Vintage currently. i also owned two different Standards, a J45 Mahogany, and a 2012 J50 Modern Classic. all had the  same nut width. the beef of the necks were very different. A 2016 Standard had a full neck. A 2013 Standard had a very slim neck. my J50 and my True Vintage both had middle of the road necks. the Mahogany slightly more girth.

if you are buying online you have to ask... and trust the answer. i don't think in any of these models you will find a specific beefy or non beefy neck spec.  the fun of Gibson!

but you will find the tone you seek. i think you want  the Banner... but they are pricey.

 

anyways my Tru Vintage does not have that vintage clubby neck. the models are mostly marketing... im a village idiot,  a happy one!

as long as you wash your hands and cover your mouth and dont lick subway poles.

[BluesKing777]

 

Beefy neck and Hummingbird go together in my mind like cats and rats!😄 Never the twain shall meet!

I know not much, just a guitar consumer, but I would guess Gibson acoustic got a new CNC for necks in time to make my 2010 Gibson J45 Standard with black Tusq nut and white Tusq saddle with half the amount of wood they used on my 2002 Gibson J50, not a ‘beefy’ neck but way chunkier than the Standard slim taper whatsamacallit. I cannot measure either - Standard long gone and the J50 is getting work, but I would assuredly look for a 2002 era J45 to give a spin, a comfy compromise and I like mine, but you know, it could have been a mistake neck....

If you want a 1 3/4” nut and fat V neck,  some kind of (expensive) vintage or custom J45 shape is in your future. Or a Collings C35 or a Santa Cruz Southerner? Those Gibson chunky neck limited edition models mentioned above are pretty thin on the ground. You could get lucky.

 

BluesKing777.

 

[Jinder]

I've owned four Hummingbirds (I still have a great 2005 custom shop 12 string Bird) and the neck profile on my '06 and '08 Birds were identical...a very mild C. I found it comfortable and workable. My 1990 Bird had a deeper D profile neck which was superb, although a slightly narrower nut. 

My favourite of the Bird related necks is the one on my 1995 Dove. Somewhere between a D and C, really workable. Whoever owned the guitar previously obviously agreed, as it's been played so much that there's barely any lacquer left on the neck at all! 

I find Gibson neck profiles are SO variable that you have to take each one on its individual merits. Last year I was after a J45, so went to see a good friend of mine who is a guitar dealer. He had a '60s reissue brown top and another '60s reissue cherry burst with an adj. bridge. The brown top had the biggest neck I have ever played...so deep it was ridiculous. I have hands like shovels and, even for me, it was a gigantic neck. The thing sounded immense, but I couldn't quite live with that neck. The cherry burst was much slimmer, but almost too slim. So much variation.

[slimt]

I  have a J35 from I believe 2011.  It has a very comfortable neck