Slimmer necks.

Veganic

I have an Ibanez AS53L.  The book dimensions of the neck are 21mm at the first fret and 24mm at the 9th.  I have come to the conclusion that this is just too big for me.

Now the L is for left-handed so my options are limited so I need to plan ahead which is hopefully where you can help.

Does anyone know how the Ibanez neck compare to a Fender modern C?  This is an Artcore neck, not the wizard type. Google is not coming up with much other than the first fret dimension seems similar but with less of a taper.
The Ibanez seems more of a D than a C?

I am thinking I should be looking at something like Japanese FSR slim C?

Any thoughts?

olafgarten

From what I've found Online the Fender Modern C is approx 21mm at the 1st to 22mm at the 12th. So around the same on the 1st fret and then doesn't change much.

The nut width is also very similar. 

Do you have any other guitars which you can try and see if you like? Otherwise I'd play loads in a shop and try and find a good one. 

What exactly do you not like about this neck? 

Veganic

@olafgarten , the neck is just too chunky. I think the large fretboard radius might not help either.
I have a old Aria Strat with a thinner neck which is much easier to play but strangely slightly less comfortable.  It has a floyd rose so the string spacing seems a little wider toward the bridge and the edges of the fretboard seem almost sharp, like it is a very shallow C. It sounds terrible but I find I am playing it more. 

Mostly I was wondering if I should discount the modern C and make sure the shop I visit has a few of the Japanese slim C in stock, but from your dimensions it doesn't seem to be as chunky.   Also, I thought someone might have first hand experience of both the Ibanez and the modern C and maybe even a Slim C.  

I am aiming to get a nice single coil guitar.  Their seem to be FSR Telecasters, Strats, and even Jazzmasters with a Slim C but I need to travel a little further to try one.  

Rox

Funnily enough, I always believed I preferred slimmer necks.  Anything above a certain thickness I just couldn't play with any comfort.  And then I got a SG Melody Maker from 69/70 which has a baseball bat neck, and it is incredibly comfortable and easy to play.

I've no idea why there's a middle ground of sizes that just doesn't feel right - it might be worth going to the other end of the scale and see what happens, if only for elimination purposes.

grungebob

Musicman guitars will be your best bet.  Very comfy necks that most people claim are noticeable thinner but in reality not that much. 
I really like them. 

Veganic

@Rox I thought I was at the other end of the scale with this one! 
It feels really comfortable in the hand but I am just finding chord changes not very accurate as my thumb is right round the back. I don't play well enough or often enough to improve my technique.

Veganic

@grungebob ;

Not much available Left-handed and mostly out of my price range unfortunately.

Sporky

Veganic said:

I don't play well enough or often enough to improve my technique.

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you want to hear, but you've essentially said right there that this isn't actually a gear issue. I don' think you'll be able to spend your way out of this unless it's with a handful of lessons.

Veganic

@Sporky ;
I know what you mean but it is a gear issue in this case.

I want a single coil guitar as with the 2 humbucker guitar I find myself just turning the gain up and up and up. So I was wondering whether it was worth trying a slim C over a modern C or if there is not enough of a difference to worry about it.

As usual the answer is probably go a play some but having picked the guitar up the wrong way round I have limited my choices  

Sporky

I did say you didn't want to hear it!

So is it a neck issue or a pickup issue? Or do you just want another guitar? Nothing wrong with the latter, but it does sound like you'll make more progress (and thus likely be happier) with a couple of lessons that help you solve your chord playing issues.

Veganic

Lets compromise and say I have more than one issue.  

I want to get a new guitar as I think I have realised I need a slimmer neck.  I was just wondering what is out there so I can make a shortlist from the short list available in left hand and how the common options compare to the Ibanez neck.  I like 80s Aria necks that I have tried (seems easier to get left handed) but other than that don't have much to go on.

Maybe I am overthinking it and should just go for a Japanese Fender.

olafgarten

I think the main issue would be the D Profile, I don't have an AS53, but if your neck really is a D then it can require quite a lot of pressure for chords. 

Sporky

Veganic said:

Lets compromise and say I have more than one issue.  

No probs - and sorry if I came across as just argumentative.

Veganic

Sporky said:

Veganic said:

Lets compromise and say I have more than one issue.  

No probs - and sorry if I came across as just argumentative.

You didn't and I appreciate your contribution.

olafgarten said:

I think the main issue would be the D Profile, I don't have an AS53, but if your neck really is a D then it can require quite a lot of pressure for chords. 

That might be it.  It is definitely the thumb that feels it. Coupled with the flattish radius.

Sporky

Veganic said:

Sporky said:

Veganic said:

Lets compromise and say I have more than one issue.  

No probs - and sorry if I came across as just argumentative.

You didn't and I appreciate your contribution.

Excellent.

I think someone else said it but it's also worth trying (if you can) different neck profiles - the shape can make as much difference to comfort as the thickness, especially as it's usually the shoulders that vary most.

Funkfingers

Veganic said:

I have come to the conclusion that this is just too big for me. This is an Artcore neck, not the wizard type. 

Here comes the science bit. http://www.ibanez.com/products/hb_detail17.php?year=2017&area_id=3&cat_id=7&series_id=114&data_id=24&color=CL01

In my opinion, the claimed neck dimensions and profile are not especially chunky in any direction.

For any given string gauge, the tension on a Gibson scale length would be expected to be lower than on a Fender scale. This leads me to ask, what gauges do you have on the Ibanez and at what distance from the body have you adjusted the stop bar tailpiece?

The solution may simply be a proper set up for the guitar that you already have.

Veganic

Sporky said:

Veganic said:

Sporky said:

Veganic said:

Lets compromise and say I have more than one issue.  

No probs - and sorry if I came across as just argumentative.

You didn't and I appreciate your contribution.

Excellent.

I think someone else said it but it's also worth trying (if you can) different neck profiles - the shape can make as much difference to comfort as the thickness, especially as it's usually the shoulders that vary most.

Sounds like a plan.  

Funkfingers said:

In my opinion, the claimed neck dimensions and profile are not especially chunky in any direction.

For any given string gauge, the tension on a Gibson scale length would be expected to be lower than on a Fender scale. This leads me to ask, what gauges do you have on the Ibanez and at what distance from the body have you adjusted the stop bar tailpiece?

The solution may simply be a proper set up for the guitar that you already have.

That's kinda where I was coming from.  The numbers don't point to it being  massive so I was wondering if I should be looking for something explicitly skinnier. Maybe it is the D vs C thing as mentionwd by Olafgarten above.

I have quickly A/B'd the two I have access to with phone voice recorder.  Just jumped in with wherever the guitar was set on whatever the amp was set for.  The fat one feels more comfortable but is harder to keep going on.  The thimner one has other issues.

The guitar currently has 9s but I have tried up to 11s with and without a wound 3rd.  I am not that fussy, or I should say there are things I like about all of them.  I have the action set to where the buzz is not annoying but I can't seem to get it as low as some claim.

Wouldn't the tailpiece just affect bending and or the tone rather than playability?

Winny_Pooh

Go to a shop and try a bunch of guitars, Sterling are the lower priced offshore Musicmans so do check them out. 

Veganic

Winny_Pooh said:

Go to a shop and try a bunch of guitars, Sterling are the lower priced offshore Musicmans so do check them out. 

Not finding anything currently avaiable Left handed.  The St.Vincent one looks nice though.

Veganic

Update: 
2 things thay have helped me get a grip on the bigger neck:

1. Playing the same thing on the slimmer neck first.
2. Lower action (slightly buzzy at the moment.)

I doubt that anyone cares but an update is an update 

Thanks.

fretmeister

Caparison Horus. (Or the HRG C2 version)

24.75 scale, and 42mm nut width.

Slim and easy to play.