Hi guys. Anyone happen to have a picture of their R7 neck? Like maybe a shot of the side, so you can see how thick it is? I'm trying to get an idea of what my hand would be like around it, since I have nowhere to try one out here. My hand measured about 7 3/4" from tip of middle finger to wrist. Thanks!
I have an '03 R8 and the neck is pretty huge. The R7 and R8 have the fullest, roundest neck Gibson makes. The Custom shop necks are all shaped by hand so they will vary a bit. Mine is a full 1" thick near the nut. My hand is the same size as yours and I have no problems. I like it so much, that every other neck feels too thin.
Like all Historic reissuese, the R7's neck size has varied from year to year. Currently, they tend to be on the very large size. I had a '99, whose neck was "big" (noticeably larger than a hefty Fender C neck), and an '03 that was bordering on the "baseball bat cut in half" sort of dimensions. I think it's been agreed that some of the best values in Gibson Historics are the used market, you can pretty much choose the guitar and neck size that's right for you. Ask the seller/dealer for details.
I've never seen a definite correlation between neck and hand size. I have medium sized hands, but prefer jumbo necks. I have a buddy I play with who has huge hands but likes skinny necks. My 2001 R7 has a nice big chunky neck, but it's not as big as the neck on my 2002 ES 135. It's all what feels best in your mitts.
My '04 R7 with rubberband to show neck carve: Retro Classic Large Soft V for reference: FWIW the Retro feels bigger, this R7 isn't very 'shoulder-y' and as a result feels small compared to my R4 Oxblood
Thanks for the help guys, and thanks for the pics, Brent! Do you happen to have one of R7 neck from a side shot? Or maybe with your hand around it?
I have the exact same hand measurements as you and I have played a bunch of R7 GTs in the music shop and the neck feels great. I like he girth as it supports the muscles of my hand. Wizard/Ibanez type necks give me a sore hand after a while. Maybe they're fine for some.
You HAVE to play them. I just bought an 04 R7 and they are all different. Mine is big and round and gorgeous. I played one at GC and it was huge, big shoulders, too big. When I bought mine I picked the best of three and all of them had different necks. Always best to play the one you buy if possible. If you are near NJ, drop me a PM, you are welcome to see mine anytime.
Yeah I wish I could play them, but I don't have a local dealer anymore since the new policies. And when I did, I don't think they ever brought in an R7. Not that I remember anyways. Brent, thanks for taking the time to get those new pics! Thanks!
not quite sure how to take your tone but here's the pics: a g-chord and a d to e bend on the g string Hard to get the angle right taking the pics by yourself
Thanks Brent, the pics are great! Not sure what you mean, but I did'nt mean anything negative by my post, if that is what you thought. How big would you say your hands are?
I have found a R7 that I'm looking to get for myself, and I must say that the necks are very comfortable. My hands are probably medium-small, and I thought the thick neck would be a problem, but it is quite the opposite. The neck shape fills the hand properly, but since the fret board is not wide, and the shoulders are not sharp, it plays like a dream. Brent's photos show it very well.
Pretty average I'd guess, I don't think of them as very big, I do have some skinny ass fingers though
I have played some that were uncomfortably large, while others that were much smaller. In general they are fine "size-wise", but the feel of the frets is where they lose it for me. I do a lot of bending and I feel like my fingers slide/fly off as there is nothing to grab on to.
