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50s vs 60s necks


Stephen5

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For myself,my hand width is wide but have short fingers, doesn't really matter to me. I've been playing for a long time, since I was 11, and can switch from say my JEM's with the wizard necks to my `59 reissue without any real issue. Lately though I've been playing mainly my `59, PC1(neck is like my `59), or the `77(which has more a `60's neck). With the bigger neck, I'm sure your hand feels less fatigued, you can play alot longer than say with a thinner neck, it's just more comfortable. That's just myself, everyone has their own preference as to what feels right for them.

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The only one who can define the comfort of the neck is you yourself. It is the geometry of YOUR hand that makes the comfort work.

 

For example: I wear size 8 gloves, and have arthritis in my knuckles: I prefer 60's slim taper. YMMV.

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All of the above? I really like the variety of the different necks my on my guitars. From the soft V of my Clapton Strat to my other Fenders (rounded necks similar to each other, but different fretboard radius') to the different sizes of Les Paul necks. The Studio 50's Tribute is pretty much baseball bat like, the Robot Les Paul Jr. Special is in the middle (with a great feeling ebony board), and the Classic Antique is a slim tapered 60's style. If I had to pick just one of the Les Pauls, it would be the Classic Antique, but it would be because of more than the just neck (full finish and those awesome '57 Classics). Variety is good. [thumbup]

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I like the 60's necks. To me their easier to play then a 50's necks.

 

One note regarding 60's necks.

They can break much easier then the 50's necks so you have to be very careful when moving around and letting others handle them!

I've never broken a neck but I've seen plenty, and most were 60's necks.

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No preference. My collection runs from 50s baseball bat, to 60s tapers and compound radii

 

 

 

TBone -

 

Your 2010 Les Paul Studio 50's Tribute GT (on order) - did they give you a date yet?

Nothing new since the target date of 8/31 when I ordered. Still hoping for that.... spoke to the Salesman a couple of days ago, asked him to call the warehouse to see if there was any news. Missed him yesterday, he's off today. Tomorrow, I become a stalker... [scared][laugh]

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I went with a Std. Trad. because of the 50's neck. It just felt better.

The asymetrical was a close second on the Std. Of course, my casino has a

slim neck, so I get some variety that way. It's all good. Try them all

before you buy.

 

If you go to GC during the week in the middle of the day when school is

in session; you can relax and have the sales persson bring one of each into

the practice room. I did this a few times before deciding.

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My hands are not big, not small... they were just made for the 50's neck.

The slimmer tape 60's neck is too thin for me. I like to have a constant full grip on the neck(and no space between my hand and the neck), what I find on my LP, as well as my ES-175.

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I'm a 50s neck guy too. I just like the way the rounded back fits my hand. My Studio has a 50s neck and my friends R7 has an even fatter baseball bat neck and I love playing that guitar. It's probably a little more difficult to play fast scales, but I can deal with that.

 

I find that if I play for any length of time on a real thin neck, (say like on some Strats) my hand tires out and I'm constantly "shaking out" my left hand at every opportunity.

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I guess it's all in the way you look at it. Not only hand size, but, also what you start with could be another factor in this conversation.

I do have a larger hand and I do like the 50's neck, but, i wonder if I would have started out with a slimmer neck guitar if that would still be a fair statement? [confused]

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Love them both. The '50's neck on my '68 RI plays great--fat neck and heavy body. Plus, the extra wood has the psychological effect of making the guitar feel more vintage to me (since I can't afford a real vintage LP!). The '60's neck on my LP DC is very fast and the body is quite light. Reminds me a bit of the Wizard neck on my old Ibanez (though the '60's neck is thicker). This gives the guitar a much different character than the '68 RI. I like having both options on two very different LP's.

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Love them both. The '50's neck on my '68 RI plays great--fat neck and heavy body. Plus, the extra wood has the psychological effect of making the guitar feel more vintage to me (since I can't afford a real vintage LP!). The '60's neck on my LP DC is very fast and the body is quite light. Reminds me a bit of the Wizard neck on my old Ibanez (though the '60's neck is thicker). This gives the guitar a much different character than the '68 RI. I like having both options on two very different LP's.

 

I'm not trying to be a smart *ss, but why would a '68 RI have a 50s neck? :-k

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I'm not trying to be a smart *ss, but why would a '68 RI have a 50s neck? :-k

 

It is the '50's rounded neck (I think it's either the same or just like the '59 rounded), which is the one on most of the '68 RI's I've seen. I believe that only the Guitar Center '68 RI's have the '60's slim neck. Why the '50's rounded neck? I guess it has something to do with Gibson resuming the production of the Les Paul Standard model in 1968, whose neck resembled those during the 1958-1960 run. But on that question, I defer to those who know Gibson history well.

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