guitars with fast necks? [Archive]

neastguy

07-21-2005, 05:37 AM

tms13pin

07-21-2005, 05:45 AM

Easy... Brian Moore. There actually have been some nice C55p's
(the C55 with piezo) on ebay for under a grand.

--Tom

neastguy

07-21-2005, 06:19 AM

never heard of Brian Moore, I'll have to check em out...

dkaplowitz

07-21-2005, 06:44 AM

It's a very subjective thing for most players, so you'll get the gamut of opinions. I think the Tom Anderson standard carve 1&11/16" neck is a seriously fast playing neck, esp. if you add stainless steel frets (I think all his guitars have ss frets as of ~2002 anyway). There are a lot of great players who seem to like it too because he's been using that carve for at least 15 years.

To me it's a very comfortable feeling neck that's easy to play. It doesn't hurt that there's great fret work on his guitars either. It's not a very beefy neck at all, it's kind of thin. Oddly enough I tend to like beefier necks lately, but I'm playing more tele stuff lately and beefier = better for that stuff, IMO. But it's nice to have one of the Anderson standard necked guitars around for shreddier/more technical kind of playing.

Go try one out if you get the chance. I'd be surprised if you didn't like it.

matte

07-21-2005, 06:57 AM

I never understood this "fast neck" concept. Please explain. I'm playing on what is ostensibly a 5 string bass neck profile.

neastguy

07-21-2005, 07:03 AM

Originally posted by Matte
I never understood this "fast neck" concept. Please explain. I'm playing on what is ostensibly a 5 string bass neck profile.

lol..I'll pass on that

matte

07-21-2005, 07:17 AM

Originally posted by neastguy
lol..I'll pass on that I love the pics on your site. Reminds me off my early years in Altoona, PA.

Lex Luthier

07-21-2005, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by neastguy
I guess the fastest neck I've played was a silo

I tried playing a silo once, but the stench was unbearable

;)

Larry Wallwart

07-21-2005, 08:56 AM

for me a fast neck is thin, has a flatter radius and low action.

rwe333

07-21-2005, 09:10 AM

Originally posted by Larry Wallwart
for me a fast neck is thin, has a flatter radius and low action.

...and no heavy finish - also, perhaps a wider fretboard, ebony or rosewood... YMMV.

neastguy

07-21-2005, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by Lex Luthier
I tried playing a silo once, but the stench was unbearable

;)

thats odd, for me the stretches are easier? I thought it was the 1 5/8 nut that did it for me... a strat the stretches are definately harder

Slipjack

07-21-2005, 02:51 PM

I think he meant S-T-E-N-C-H :p

gomez1856

07-21-2005, 03:31 PM

My Jem's Wizard profile neck is the fastest I've personally played.

I'm starting to find that I'm no longer into the shred aspect of playing and actually find myself not playing that guitar much at all anymore. It's just not that comfortable for chording and basic lead work. I like the flatter radius, but my Strat and Gadow necks are much more comfy for me. The Gadow being my favorite right now.

Rick

onehandfretting

07-21-2005, 06:31 PM

Parker Fly.

Nothing faster:dude

PolyMorf

07-21-2005, 08:40 PM

Originally posted by Larry Wallwart
for me a fast neck is thin, has a flatter radius and low action. That is my understanding of a fast neck. My son's Ibanez RG2550EX certainly fits that bill in all 3 categories.

Regards,

Harry

KHK

07-21-2005, 10:35 PM

Watcha need right here...a little scooter grease and a nice hill and your good to go....

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7746/fastneck1mj.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

pfrischmann

07-22-2005, 05:53 AM

check out the limited edition charvels, very nice and fast without being tooth pick thin ala Ibanez

KHK

07-22-2005, 06:04 AM

I had never considered that a neck could be fast or slow. All terrible guitar necks aside, the only thing that affects how I play an instrument is the action/setup and that may be a matter of just getting used to it. I always found that a guitar was as fast or as slow as I was. For those who have discovered fast necks, what is it about them that makes them fast?

dkaplowitz

07-22-2005, 08:04 AM

Originally posted by KHK
For those who have discovered fast necks, what is it about them that makes them fast?
It's when you find yourself regularly unleashing the FOOKIN' fury on unsuspecting ears at your local guitar store. :)

lhallam

07-22-2005, 09:10 AM

Originally posted by dkaplowitz
It's when you find yourself regularly unleashing the FOOKIN' fury on unsuspecting ears at your local guitar store. :)

LOL

Drummers had the staple "Wipe Out" to show off their formidible speed and skills. Aside from "Stairway To Heaven", what is the standard for gtrists?

I never understood fast neck either, I can't think of a neck that ever slowed me down or sped me up, but there are a lot of things I don't understand.

neastguy

07-22-2005, 09:14 AM

for instance I have an lp custom, just the finish alone on that neck can slow you down.... but say a an unfinished or oiled neck can be faster.. something like that...

angler87

07-22-2005, 09:21 AM

Hey, first post here. Long time lurker.

Mosrites have incredibly fast necks (they're wicked thin) and tiny frets ("speed frets")

dkaplowitz

07-22-2005, 09:29 AM

Originally posted by lhallam
Drummers had the staple "Wipe Out" to show off their formidible speed and skills. Aside from "Stairway To Heaven", what is the standard for gtrists?
If you rawk, then it'll have to be something like "Far Beyond The Sun"

"honk! HONK!, widdly diddly widdly wooooooo!!!!" honk! HONK! woo-dee-doodleee-ooo woo-dee-doodleee-ooo wooooOOO!!

But lately I'm hearing a lot of really poorly executed Metallica riffs being played at the Sam Ash and GC near me, so maybe Stairway's been supplanted by Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters or anything from those later Metallica records. Of course none of it is the good, progressive Metallica...the stuff that would take some skill to play well, like Battery or Master.

KHK

07-22-2005, 09:54 AM

Originally posted by neastguy
for instance I have an lp custom, just the finish alone on that neck can slow you down....

Hmmm...me too and I don't feel the friction for some reason.

neastguy

07-22-2005, 10:19 AM

come on, everyone should have a LP

KHK

07-22-2005, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by angler87
Hey, first post here. Long time lurker.

Mosrites have incredibly fast necks (they're wicked thin) and tiny frets ("speed frets")

Do you like those tiny frets? What do you like about them? My LP had really tiny frets (Gibson called it the fretless wonder) and I felt I had to change them.

Interesting, maybe I had a fast neck and didn't know it.;)

neastguy

07-22-2005, 11:25 AM

Originally posted by KHK
Do you like those tiny frets? What do you like about them? My LP had really tiny frets (Gibson called it the fretless wonder) and I felt I had to change them.

Interesting, maybe I had a fast neck and didn't know it.

my lp has small frets IMO

Grap

07-22-2005, 12:26 PM

Don't laugh, but to me it's a Charvel Journeyman. That's because it has a good bit of heft to it, a satin finish, and nicely finished medium jumbo frets. All of the super skinny speed necks are aimed at guys who arpeggiate everything, whereas I'm a predominately legato player with some tapping when I want to get silly.

- Steve

The Eristic

07-22-2005, 03:00 PM

Originally posted by onehandfretting
Parker Fly.

Nothing faster:dude

Except:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/112416336/123997206PhHAjd

http://community.webshots.com/photo/112416336/130007758FhMIPv

http://community.webshots.com/photo/112416336/265607132YDbJFX

http://community.webshots.com/photo/112416336/157544268ueBdMi

Short-scale shredders are almost untouchable. :^D

To the original poster, see if you can find an old Proline. 1 & 5/8" nut, ebony board, and one the absolute best oil finishes I've ever played. Here's mine:

http://community.webshots.com/photo/112416336/188431199tigMEG

jlf2960

07-22-2005, 03:28 PM

glasman

07-22-2005, 04:49 PM

An old Mosrite Vendtures model from the 60's. The zero fret really drops the action and they play like greased lightening.

Semie really did know how to make guitar neck.

Gary

neastguy

07-23-2005, 05:42 AM

does fender make a strat that has a 9.5 rad and 1 5/8 nut or lower? I'd like to try that...

pfrischmann

07-23-2005, 07:49 AM

tons, that is standard fender

neastguy

07-23-2005, 09:01 AM

huh, I though it was 1.68 something like that...

pfrischmann

07-23-2005, 01:56 PM

I don't think so.

A standard Fender neck is 1-5/8 modern guitars like charvels habe a 1-11/16 or even 13/4. this translates into 1.65 =1-5/8 1.68=1-11/6.

All the american standard guitars have a 9.5" radius.

mouldynudger

07-23-2005, 02:33 PM

I deliberately have my guitars fitted with slow necks to make it easier for my fingers to keep up.

dkaplowitz

07-23-2005, 02:40 PM

Rubber necks are good for the speed challenged too.

VCuomo

07-23-2005, 03:20 PM

Another vote for the Parker Fly.

Or an EBMM Axis Super Sport.

neastguy

07-23-2005, 03:36 PM

Originally posted by pfrischmann
I don't think so.

A standard Fender neck is 1-5/8 modern guitars like charvels habe a 1-11/16 or even 13/4. this translates into 1.65 =1-5/8 1.68=1-11/6.

All the american standard guitars have a 9.5" radius.

i got this off fender's site on a standard..

25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.6875” (43 mm

I think most are 1.68 except for certain reissues...

pfrischmann

07-24-2005, 11:01 AM

Intersting!

All of the vintage strats are most definitely 1 5/8 (1.65). It looks like fender changes the American standard to a 1-11/16ths.

Lucidology

08-20-2007, 02:59 AM

With small to medium hands ..
I'm starting to realize that a smaller nutwidth helps a great deal..
even with a guitar which has smaller radius ...

RichW

08-20-2007, 05:32 AM

I can vouch for the Musicman Petrucci model, and so can John Petrucci, I guess.

The neck is thin, but still has a certain roundness to its back that ensures chording doesn't become uncomfortable (to me, at least). The guitar is light, but sustains like a ****. It has a very, very comfortable body shape too, with a curve for your picking arm to rest in (the new maple topped BFR Petrucci models don't have this--I guess because of the maple top).

Be sure to check it out.

fogman

08-20-2007, 06:36 AM

looking for a guitar with fast necks, um..I guess the fastest neck I've played was a silo, anyone else have that one guitar that they consider to be able to play for hours without fatigue? I'm thinking about getting another silo, but am curious as to what other guitars may be out there that are easy to play, I have smaller hands, not real small..lol, but prefer a 1 5/8 nut....any suggestions..?

You should try an Ernie Ball MusicMan Petrucci. The neck is 1 11/16 wide and about 17.5 mm thick at the 1st fret. Its a very "fast" neck and it is unfinished and waxed straight from the factory.

Also try the Ibanez RG1570 with the Wizard Prestige neck. Thats also a very fast neck similar to the EBMM Petrucci model.

Another vote for the Parker Fly.

Or an EBMM Axis Super Sport.

I can vouch for the Musicman Petrucci model, and so can John Petrucci, I guess.

The neck is thin, but still has a certain roundness to its back that ensures chording doesn't become uncomfortable (to me, at least). The guitar is light, but sustains like a ****. It has a very, very comfortable body shape too, with a curve for your picking arm to rest in (the new maple topped BFR Petrucci models don't have this--I guess because of the maple top).

Be sure to check it out.

Your not going to get any better than what you're use to in the Music Man family!!!!
Silhouette, Petrucci, Axis or Luke!
All bases are covered here for music styles and neck profiles! :BEER

kselbee

08-20-2007, 07:00 AM

You should try an Ernie Ball MusicMan Petrucci. The neck is 1 11/16 wide and about 17.5 mm thick at the 1st fret. Its a very "fast" neck and it is unfinished and waxed straight from the factory.

Also try the Ibanez RG1570 with the Wizard Prestige neck. Thats also a very fast neck similar to the EBMM Petrucci model.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/zyx345/P1010020.jpg

I would agree about the Petrucci... I've had two and loved the guitars but had to get rid of them due to the location of the pickup selector. The only way you could put it more in the way would be if you put it between two strings. What a shame too... awesome guitar otherwise.

RP Rad

08-20-2007, 09:14 AM

older Ibanez Jem's and RG-550's. Built for speed.

RichW

08-20-2007, 10:16 AM

I would agree about the Petrucci... I've had two and loved the guitars but had to get rid of them due to the location of the pickup selector. The only way you could put it more in the way would be if you put it between two strings. What a shame too... awesome guitar otherwise.

Depending on how you pick, then yes, it can get in the way. If your style is similar to Petrucci's, the location of the selector actually allows you to switch really quickly and effortlessly, but the line between 'comfortably in reach' and 'in the way constantly' is a thin one, I guess.

7String Thing

08-20-2007, 10:18 AM

Parker Fly.

Nothing faster:dude

Indeed! Ive even had the back of my neck satinized, it cannot be beat!

FUSER

08-20-2007, 10:49 AM

I have a Brian Moore import i8. Thin, wide, 15" radius....Allows for a very low action....Plays really fast...though it is thin and I would rather have the same specs with a slightly fatter neck profile.

Martin Horne

08-20-2007, 11:17 AM

I'm probably in the minority but thin necks have never felt good to me. Those 80s shredder guitars feel like some alien instrument to me. I have 2 McNaughts which are the 2 best feeling necks for me and a Les Paul Elegant which also feels nice. The best playing necks for me have to have some meat on them.