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Hi Everybody,
It's been a while. Life got busy. I pretty much gave up on getting a Gibson or Epiphone Howard Roberts Custom due to the cost, and the neck profile of that guitar (more on on that shortly), and my Gretsch Country Club went bye-by, for a Gibson ES-137. That ended up being a flop, when 3 months ago, I got rid of it by using it as trading material for a Fender American Original Jazzmaster (which has a nice, Medium C neck on it), due to me just not liking the Slim Taper neck on my ES-137. I may have mentioned this in the past, when I was more active in this forum, but I'll reiterate it - as I've gotten older, I've found that I prefer, chunkier/fatter necks. I've always played in the classical style with my thumb behind the neck, and thin necks make my left/fretting hand feel like it's trying to sort of act like a C-clamp - not fun! I put up with thinner necks up until about 10 years ago (after all, I'd read for ages in guitar magazines how slim necks were more comfortable playing-wise, and were more suitable for playing - especially lead guitar), when I bought a Tele with a chunkier neck to try for a period of time, and realized that I loved how the neck felt and played, and that I didn't have to put up with thin necks.
Unfortunately, a lot of searching needs to be done to find electric guitars in general that don't thin necks since the majority of them do, and oftentimes, what is considered thick by some players, doesn't even classify as a Medium C neck (which is about the thinnest neck I'll put up with). Still, I have been able to find soldibodies with adequately thick necks, that don't cost ridiculous amounts of money (my recently purchased American Original Jazzmaster is a case in point). Hollowbodies and Semi-Hollowbodies though, have been frustrating to say the least. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't had to sell my early '54 Gretsch Country Club, 3 plus years ago, due to a money crunch. Every other F-hole guitar I've had since then, has gone bye bye, because I just haven't cared for their at best, slim taper necks (my ES-137 lasted the longest, due to me attempting to just put up with the 60s slim taper neck it had). So, I ask the forum members, does anybody know of any hollow or semi-hollowbody guitars with a Medium C neck or thicker? Slim taper, and thinner necks need not apply. I'm open to any, and all brands that are decent quality guitars. At the present time, my upper price limit is around $1200. Also, as a long shot - bonus points if it's a 7-string hollow or semi-hollow (I've played 7-string guitar off and on for over 10 years), though I'm not holding my breath on that. The Eastmans go for way more than I can afford, and I waited too long to get an Ibanez AFJ-957 (they've been discontinued, and I will admit that I prefer 7-strings with at least a 25.5" scale length).
Thanks!
Ellen
Last edited by EllenGtrGrl; 11-26-2019 at 12:39 PM.
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11-23-2019 12:37 PM
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Hey Ellen -- welcome back!
Another option, especially since you like Fender-style gits, is to look for a Warmoth tele (solid or semi-hollow -- they're all great for jazz!) with one of their bigger necks. Here's one on Reverb, for example, with their "boat" neck, with is a thicker style [Note: NO affiliation with Seller!]. This particular one is less than half your budget, too! G & L also makes semi-hollow tele's with larger necks (if you order one), so check your local dealer.
Otherwise, aside from custom/boutique guitars, I can't think of any company that makes standard, thicker necks.
Happy hunting, and let us know what you find!
Marc
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Hi Marc,
Originally Posted by marcwhy
Fenders are pretty good (and I love my American Original Jazzmaster), but I've gone the Tele Thinline route in the past, and while they were great guitars, I will admit that I gravitate towards archtops, since for most of my almost 41 years of playing, I've played semi-hollow, and hollow archtop guitars as my main electric guitars (in the 90s, I even gigged in a heavy rock band with a Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion, and from 2002 to 2016 I was a Gretsch nut, who played mainly Country Clubs). It may be a long shot in my price range, but I'd love to have another 17" archtop (like my Country Clubs were) - just with thicker neck than the ones I had in the past. I like the way they feel to me playability-wise. I pick from the wrist, and the larger body, makes for an oh so nice arm rest for me.
They also have a wonderful, full bodied sound. I've even at times contemplated an 18" archtop, though that may be a bit too much size-wise for me. 
Would a Peerless Monarch possibly meet my requirements? It has a 17" body, and from what I've found online, Peerless guitars have Medium C necks (somebody correct me if I am wrong)?
Ellen
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Would you like something with a VERY big neck? Happy to add a floating or set-in pickup.
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Originally Posted by Hammertone
Would you like something with a VERY big neck? Happy to add a floating or set-in pickup.
VERY cool! Earlier Gretsches have seriously chunky necks. My late '53/early '54 Country Club (which in retrospect, I shouldn't have gotten rid of) certainly did, but I think I'd prefer to have a cutaway.
Ellen
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Godin 5th Avenue necks are pretty chunky C's. All the variants use the same neck.
Gibson 335's with the 58/59 neck shapes are also quite chunky. I had a Les Paul with this shape for a long time.
My D'Angelico semi-hollow's neck somewhere is a little slimmer and more D-shaped than my Godin or a Gibson 58 shape, but definitely chunkier than the Gibson slim-taper '60 shape (a friend of mine has one of those in his 335, so i know this through direct comparison).
John
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How does the Godin neck compare to the '335 with a 58/59 neck profile (I've know about those 335s for some time, but they're a bit out of my price range)? It's been a very long time since I played a 5th Avenue. Also, sound-wise, which do you prefer, the ones with the P90s, or the ones with humbuckers? Originally Posted by John A.
Ellen
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"I'm open to any, and all brands that are decent quality guitars. At the present time, my upper price limit is around $1200. Also, as a long shot - bonus points if it's a 7-string (I've played 7-string guitar off and on for over 10 years), though I'm not holding my breath on that. The Eastmans go for way more than I can afford, and I waited too long to get an Ibanez AFJ-957 (they've been discontinued, and I will admit that I prefer 7-strings with at least a 25.5" scale length)."
How about one of these:
W
All three are within your budget, and are completely handmade by Polis luthier Marek Witkowski, with scale lengths in excess of 25.5".
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Nice!! The thing is, I'm not sure if I want another 7-string Superstrat. I'm kind of looking for something rarer - a 7-string archtop. The problem is, that the few that are available, cost quite a bit more than I can afford, Originally Posted by Hammertone
"I'm open to any, and all brands that are decent quality guitars. At the present time, my upper price limit is around $1200. Also, as a long shot - bonus points if it's a 7-string (I've played 7-string guitar off and on for over 10 years), though I'm not holding my breath on that. The Eastmans go for way more than I can afford, and I waited too long to get an Ibanez AFJ-957 (they've been discontinued, and I will admit that I prefer 7-strings with at least a 25.5" scale length)."
How about one of these:
W
All three are within your budget, and are completely handmade by Polis luthier Marek Witkowski, with scale lengths in excess of 25.5".
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I'd say the Godin is a similar profile to the chunky Gibson, except it's a flatter fingerboard radius, maybe a little thinner at the lower frets. I have a P90 pickup. I've tried one of the humbucker ones, but it has been a while, so I don't remember it particularly well. Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
John
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I suggest you try a seventy seven guitar - they have quite chunky necks and guaranteed excellent quality.
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hey ellen...haven't seen you around here or gdp in long while...check out the new guilds..the 175 or the savoy...they have u shaped necks...vintage clubby..and right at your price point
here's neck shape breakdown for those that need to know
https://www.fender.com/articles/tech...ape-is-for-you
cheers
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I’ll second the Seventy Seven idea. I would not call the neck on my Exrubato Jazz “chunky”, but perhaps “substantial”, especially in combination with the 1.75” nut with. Not terribly easy to find them used, but great deals can be had now and then. One of our forum members has an Exrubato Hollow for sale on Reverb for a bit more than your budget.
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i had a monarch that had a pretty chunky neck. I remember Lou at guitars n jazz said their necks varied quite a bit. Give him a call. Peerless is tough to beat at the price point. Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Wow! Longtime no see Neatomic! Yeah, I'm kind of Gretschless nowadays. I considered an X-175, but then I read a comment in the TDPRI forum, where one of the members said he thought the neck was kind of dinky (though admittedly, for more than a few TDPRIers, if it isn't a Nocaster neck, they think it's small). If that's not really the case, then it will once again, get serious consideration from me. I've read some good reveiws about the X-175s. And, it it has a 17" lower bout like my Country Clubs had, which definitely is a plus in my book. Originally Posted by neatomic
Ellen
Ellen
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Hmm, I didn't know about the variation neck size-wise, but it's still good info. to know. Thanks. Originally Posted by skiboyny
Ellen
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I did some online info dogging, and the Seventy Seven guitars, look very good. The price of them, is kind of iffy for me at the present time. Originally Posted by wzpgsr
Like I said I don't need a baseball bat neck - just a neck with some heft to it. After all my old 60s Baja Tele, and my current American Original Jazzmaster's neck aren't or weren't baseball bats neck-wise, but they're very comfortable for me playing-wise.
Hmmm, I might want to just step back for a while, think on this, and save my pennies some more.
Ellen
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Check your direct messages, Ellen. I just sent you one. Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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Remind me what your budget was again?
D'Aquisto New Yorker Deluxe Seven-String Archtop Guitar, Vintage 1980 | om28.com
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Don't waste your time. The neck is dinky. Originally Posted by EllenGtrGrl
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My early Aria Pro ii Herb Ellis had a pretty chunky neck on it, though maybe not as wide as what you need. I just picked up a surprisingly solid Indonesian made Cort Source (335). It has a more fender like sort of D profile with a flatter back, not as deep as a classical Im guessing. I will make some measurements on that.
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Huh, you must be my "guitar neck preference twin"...
I also play 7-string (a Chapman ML7T - chunkiest solidbody 7-string with a 26.5" scale I could find), and I also like chunky necks (chunky to me means AT LEAST 0.9"/22mm thickness at the first fret - most of the guitars mentioned here in this thread are not even close!); what makes it worse is that I'd like my necks to be both chunky AND have a 1-3/4" nut width - and that's even more rare (my favorite neck is on a partscaster Tele, with a roasted maple neck with 1-3/4" nut, and their Fatback profile - which is 1" thick at the 1st fret).
I wouldnt classify the Godin 5th Ave neck as chunky at all - it's kind of middle-of-the-road, thickness-wise; kind of a hard-shouldered D shape, with a flat back; not Ibanez/Gibson slim taper thin, but not thicker than your average Gretsch neck.
The comment about the Guild X175 reissue on TDPRI might have come from me - I tried those a couple of times when they came out a few years ago with their Newark St series, loved the look and tone, but hated the necks, not only were they narrow, but also thin - maybe that has changed when Guild ownershipvwent from Fender to Cordoba? Haven't tried one in recent times...
Every single modern Gretsch I tried (proline and Electromatic) had a small/thin neck - never had a chance to try a vintage one, supposedly the VS '53 Duo Jet has a slightly thicker neck, but from the specs I've seen, I'd also classify it as middle-of-the-road...
The only archtop I own with a real chunky neck is my Loar LH300 - it has a thickness of 23mm (slightly more than 0.9") at the 1st fret, AND it also has a 1-3/4" nut width. The profile is a soft V, which might take some time to get used to; I only wished it has bigger frets instead of the tiny vintage-sized ones, and that it had better fretwork in general, sound-wise it is great; I electrified mine with a floating CC-style pickup, but there's also the (discontinued) LH309 version, with a P90 (most of the other Loars with pickups & cutaways have smaller necks!)
I also have an Epiphone Zephyr John Lee Hooker LTD reissue that just meets my 22mm at the first fret requirements - but it doesn't have a 1-3/4" neck (1-11/16"); it's a 17" thinline hollowbody; this one might actually meet your requirements if you're not looking for a traditional jazz-box.
Something I've never had a chance to try is an old, pre-60s Harmony or Silvertone, like an H62 or Espanada - they are supposed to have super-chunky and wide necks, unfortunately, over here they are rare, and most of them need quite a bit of TLC to get them playable; if you're in the US, you should be able to find one in your price range, I think...
Good luck on your hunt - report back if you find something that meets your criteria! Me, I'm hoping for a lottery win, so that I can have a luthier build me a 16" thinline archtop with 7 strings, Bareknuckle P90s, and a 26.5" scale neck that's 1" thick from nut to heel...
OK, here are my two chunky neckers...:
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Sounds like a seventy seven guitar might suit you. Here's a recent clip of mine.
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Those are CHONKY! Originally Posted by RomanS
Huh, you must be my "guitar neck preference twin"...
I also play 7-string (a Chapman ML7T - chunkiest solidbody 7-string with a 26.5" scale I could find), and I also like chunky necks (chunky to me means AT LEAST 0.9"/22mm thickness at the first fret - most of the guitars mentioned here in this thread are not even close!); what makes it worse is that I'd like my necks to be both chunky AND have a 1-3/4" nut width - and that's even more rare (my favorite neck is on a partscaster Tele, with a roasted maple neck with 1-3/4" nut, and their Fatback profile - which is 1" thick at the 1st fret).
I wouldnt classify the Godin 5th Ave neck as chunky at all - it's kind of middle-of-the-road, thickness-wise; kind of a hard-shouldered D shape, with a flat back; not Ibanez/Gibson slim taper thin, but not thicker than your average Gretsch neck.
The comment about the Guild X175 reissue on TDPRI might have come from me - I tried those a couple of times when they came out a few years ago with their Newark St series, loved the look and tone, but hated the necks, not only were they narrow, but also thin - maybe that has changed when Guild ownershipvwent from Fender to Cordoba? Haven't tried one in recent times...
Every single modern Gretsch I tried (proline and Electromatic) had a small/thin neck - never had a chance to try a vintage one, supposedly the VS '53 Duo Jet has a slightly thicker neck, but from the specs I've seen, I'd also classify it as middle-of-the-road...
The only archtop I own with a real chunky neck is my Loar LH300 - it has a thickness of 23mm (slightly more than 0.9") at the 1st fret, AND it also has a 1-3/4" nut width. The profile is a soft V, which might take some time to get used to; I only wished it has bigger frets instead of the tiny vintage-sized ones, and that it had better fretwork in general, sound-wise it is great; I electrified mine with a floating CC-style pickup, but there's also the (discontinued) LH309 version, with a P90 (most of the other Loars with pickups & cutaways have smaller necks!)
I also have an Epiphone Zephyr John Lee Hooker LTD reissue that just meets my 22mm at the first fret requirements - but it doesn't have a 1-3/4" neck (1-11/16"); it's a 17" thinline hollowbody; this one might actually meet your requirements if you're not looking for a traditional jazz-box.
Something I've never had a chance to try is an old, pre-60s Harmony or Silvertone, like an H62 or Espanada - they are supposed to have super-chunky and wide necks, unfortunately, over here they are rare, and most of them need quite a bit of TLC to get them playable; if you're in the US, you should be able to find one in your price range, I think...
Good luck on your hunt - report back if you find something that meets your criteria! Me, I'm hoping for a lottery win, so that I can have a luthier build me a 16" thinline archtop with 7 strings, Bareknuckle P90s, and a 26.5" scale neck that's 1" thick from nut to heel...
OK, here are my two chunky neckers...:
I like thick necks and I cannot lie...
My experience: anything from Korea is very similar—smallish C profile. That includes the Epi JP and Peerless Sunset I’ve owned. The Godins are all the same and also fairly narrow.
Historically Harmonys and Kays have had thick V-neck profiles. I have a ‘64 Brilliant Cutaway which is a C profile and narrower, but still wider than the above. The problem with older Harmonys/Kays is neck bend and a lack of playability, but my BC is perfect.
Have you looked at a Fender Starcaster? I have been jonesing for one lately. They are semi-hollow. They look to have a thick neck, but the best part is that the neck is bolt-on, so you could change it out for a Warmoth etc if you want to. I’m not sure they have the cool retro SC headstock, but they certainly have fat necks. There are a ton of SCs on Reverb. The Fender Squiers look pretty good quality as well.
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VERY cool, but waaaaaayy more than I can afford. At the present time, I can maybe spend $1200, so yeah, my options may be a little limited. Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
Remind me what your budget was again?
D'Aquisto New Yorker Deluxe Seven-String Archtop Guitar, Vintage 1980 | om28.com
Ellen
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