Guitar Neck FAQs

Which Guitar Neck is Right for Me?

Hands come in all different sizes. Big Hands, small hands, fat hands, skinny hands, long fingers, and short fingers. Yeah, right, you know what I'm talking about! Ok, so it only makes sense that necks should come in different sizes to accommodate your size hand. Warmoth offers you 3 neck widths and 8 Back contours for a combination of 24 neck sizes. Surely, one will be ideal for you.

Definitions

Nut width is the distance across the top of the fretboard. This also determines the space between individual strings. So what difference does it make? Big finger tips can use more space, right? Big hands are more relaxed on a roomy board. little hands could get lost on a big wide board. Which is right for you? Ask your fingers! Really, check out as many guitars as you can. use a ruler and measure those that feel best to you. Then compare. What's your favorite? Would you want something a little bigger, a little smaller? For a baseline reference, 1 11/16" is the most common nut width.

Back contour is the profile or grip shape of the neck. How much wood does it take to fill up your hand? Too little equates to quicker hand fatigue. Too much is even worse, you can't reach around it. There is much more personal preference to Back contour choice than nut width. The selection criteria however is the same. Check out your friends guitars. Measure them and base your choice accordingly.

Other considerations include things such as... The more wood the stiffer the neck is and the better it supports the string for thick full tone, simple geometry at work. The type of wood also makes a difference in the tone, as well as the feel of the neck. The harder the wood, the brighter the tone, the softer the woods are warmer sounding (maple is bright, mahogany is warm). Most of the exotic woods may be safely played without a finish (safely meaning without much risk of warping) for a really fast and comfortable feel. Fretboard radius is also a concern for comfort and functional reasons as well. Read more about these issues in their individual sections.