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Learn About Necks
A great neck on a guitar is absolutely vital because it directly affects nearly every aspect of playability, comfort, tone, and tuning stability.
Neck Overview
Neck Profile
The neck’s profile (C, U, V, D shapes) and thickness determine how comfortable it feels in your hand. A well-shaped neck allows for smooth chord transitions, faster soloing, and less hand fatigue during long sessions. Neck shapes are a personal fit, — even small differences can makea difference.
Neck Releif
Strings don’t just move side-to-side—they also move up and down in a wide arc when plucked. If the neck is too straight, strings may hit the frets, especially in the middle area (frets 5–9). Relief works with string height (action) and fretwork to determine how easy a guitar feels to play.
Fretwork Matters
Fretwork is one of the most critical factors in how well a guitar plays and sounds. Even on a guitar with high-end pickups and a perfect setup, bad fretwork can ruin the experience. If a fret is high, uneven or worn, notes may buzz, choke, or die out early. Precision fretwork ensures Clean, articulate notes. Good fretwork allows you to set the lowest possible action
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A flatter fingerboard radius (e.g., 12″-16″) is preferred for shredding and bending, while rounder radii (e.g., 7.25″ on vintage Fenders) feel more natural for chord playing. We discovered that the 9.5 radius is a great all around neck.
Fret Size
Fret size has a major impact on how a guitar feels and plays — influencing bending, vibrato, intonation, and even tone. Frets come in different heights and widths, and choosing the right one depends on your playing style, touch, and preferences.
Fret End Dressing
Fret end dressing is the process of shaping, smoothing, and finishing the edges of the frets where they meet the sides of the fretboard. It may sound like a minor detail, but well-dressed fret ends dramatically improve comfort, playability, and even long-term durability of your guitar.
Nut Shaping
Nut shaping is critically important to a guitar’s playability, tuning stability, tone, and overall feel. The nut might seem small and simple — just a strip of plastic, bone, or graphite near the headstock — but it’s one of the most important components in the setup of a guitar.
Tuning Machines
Tuning machinesmay seem simple, but they play a vital role in your guitar’s tuning stability, precision, and overall playing experience. A great guitar with bad tuners will be frustrating to play, while good tuners can make even a basic guitar much more enjoyable and reliable.
Bolt-on vs Set Neck vs Through Neck
Bolt-on vs. Set necks vs Through neck is a classic debate in guitar building, with each design offering unique benefits and trade-offs. I was a Les Paul player and my first guitar build was a Les Paul with a bolt on neck. All I can say is once I plugged in to my Marshall I coudn’t tell a differnce.
When it comes to guitar design, the neck is arguably the most critical component for both playability and tone. A guitar neck can define the feel of the instrument in your hands, influence your playing style, and even shape the sound of your music.
Whether you’re a seasoned guitarist or just starting out, understanding the various aspects of guitar necks can help you make informed decisions about which instrument suits you best. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into guitar neck types, materials, construction, and other important factors that affect your playing experience.
What we do with a neck when we provide a professional setup:
When we receive a guitar the first thing we do is to tune the guitar to where you play, we then we measure everything and document it. We start with checking the neck to centerline of the body then measure neck relief and neck angle to the body plus all the basics of the guitar such as action, bridge height and radius etc…. then we proceed to setting up the instrument.
What we do to each neck:
First, we make sure the fret is fully seated then we add a drop of thin CA glue (superglue) to each fret to ensure that there is no movement of the fret while leveling or dressing as this will ruin a setup. The CA glue also prevents fret lifting later on, especially in Florida with its high humidity.
We then proceed to level the frets, once complete we measure fret height in three places, base side, center, and treble side and adjust as nessesary to a consistent height. Once complete we re-crown the tops and shape the fret ends improving comfort and playability of your guitar. We then shape the nut and check the tuning machines
