s-500 necks (custom order)

[LaoTzu]

im currently thinking about odering a new guitar and the s500 sound is really nice. i was originally going for the legacy but then i tryed the s500 the bass was much warmer and more focused compared to the legacy which was flabby and wooly. its a completely different vibe. anyway i prefered the s500 so these are the custom specs im going to order

deluxe G and L s500

light to medium weight Ash body built for maximum sustain.

Soft V profile on the neck

birdseye maple fretboard with gun oil tint

Locking tuners

Graphite nut

the new dfs vibrato system.

with a cherry burst finish with matching colour on the headstock.

the only problem is the necks on the standard s500 and legacy there great in the way they feel on the fingertips but the overall feel for my hand, feels quite awkward and i want a guitar that can match my hand and the way i like to play. i always have the sense that the necks on a typical C or d or U profile dont curve round enough towards the higher strings. its like ideally i would like a sculpted curve in the neck. the closest ive got to the right neck is the soft V.

now heres where i need help with the desicion.

G and L have told me there custom shop only does 7.5 inch radius or 12" radius. i do like 7.5 but i want to play a bit faster and "shred it up". so i wanted something inbetween but it cannot be done according to the supplier. so i need help deciding on which radius to go for. the 7.5 or the 12".

any experience of use from these two radius necks would be much appreciated.

many thanks

Lao Tzu

[blargfromouterspace]

... so i need help deciding on which radius to go for. the 7.5 or the 12".

Welcome to the board Lao.

Unfortunately there is only one person who can make the decision - you. You'll find that people here have their preference and they're different. You can play fast on 7.5" as well as on 12". You'll get used to whichever one you order eventually.

I have guitars with both radii and my preference is for the 12". Why? Because I've almost always played guitars with 12" fingerboards. Most 'shred' guitars have flat fingerboards and if thats the style you're playing maybe go for the flatter 12".

[offplanetfilms]

I'm pretty sure that with shed style, you're going to be happier with a 12" radius.

[LaoTzu]

well shred is exactly how i play im more of a fast blues player. with hendrixy chordal emblishments. im just saying is there any other size that you can get a soft v neck? or has anyone heard of anything being made differently? and id like to hear the experience people have had with either size.

[hubcapserf]

Warmoth can make you a 9.5 with an Eric Clapton "V" shape, any woods you choose. I got a J-bass neck from them.

check it out LaoTzu... http://www.warmoth.com/

good luck and happy shredding.

[Miles Smiles]

There's not much difference between 9.5" and 12", and there's not much difference between 7.5" and 9.5". So what would 9.5" be for? The radius for people, which are doing hard with decisions?

Take 12" because it has no limitations!

[Ches]

Before you custom order, have you felt a current production G&L neck that fits your hand the way you describe? G&L offers two V necks. I'd suggest going to the G&L website and check out the neck options for USA instruments. See if one of those V profiles is close to what you want. Personally, if you want to "shred it up" I'd think a 12" radius would be preferred, however, G&L's V neck with a 12" radius is a freakin' log. I'm no shredder, but I don't think a fat neck is what a shredder would spec. As for ordering a specific body weight range, that's a crap shoot unless something has changed at G&L.

As recommended above, Warmoth can make a neck with the specs you want, however, it won't fit on a G&L. Don't special order an S-500 thinking you could throw on a Warmoth neck if you didn't like the stock G&L neck.

[LaoTzu]

well as i mentioned above im, not really a shredder i just like to play fast now and then mainly fast blues. im going to go back to the shop to try different neck profiles on guitars. my instincts are telling me the 7.5 might be my thing. i didnt like the standard 12 it felt to chunky. ill try both when im there. just thought it would be nice to hear from other peoples experience on this matter.

[Ches]

A friend of mine has an ASAT Classic S/H with a 7.5" radius V neck that is one of the best feeling necks on the planet. If the 7.5" neck is comfortable for you, then the #2a Vintage V might be the way to go. It's slender (.830" at the 1st fret), but might give you that feel of rolling from the edge right into the fretboard.

[LaoTzu]

do g and l do a soft V? i see them say vintage v or modern V i learnt the terminology soft V from my baja telecaster. which feels nice. and its more in the ball park of where im aiming. the baja radius is 9.5 i think. what i mean by soft V is a normal V neck rounded off so you dont have the neck sticking out like a traditional V.

[Ches]

I was looking for a soft V on an S-500 a few years ago, but back then G&L only offered a V on their #1 neck. It was not a soft V - it was quite large and had a sharp V profile. Since then, G&L added to their neck profile options. I haven't felt the new Vintage V profile, but with a first fret depth of .830", I can't imagine it's a sharp V. Hopefully you can get clarification from someone at the factory. Maybe Tim Page can comment, as well. Tim knows everything!

I also like the Baja Tele neck profile - very comfortable. I'd bet it's thicker than .830", but not nearly as thick as the 1d neck. I thought G&L should offer a V neck in between the 1d and 2a that would fall more into the Fender camp, but it wasn't meant to be.

[LaoTzu]

Neck Profiles
£26.23
£47.77

Neck # Name Shape Nut Width Radius 1st Fret Depth 12th Fret Depth
Neck profile options are

1 G&L Classic “C” C 1 5/8” 12” 0.830 0.960
available on all G&L

1a G&L Slim “C” C 1 5/8” 12” 0.820 0.870
instruments except Invader

1b G&L Heritage “C” C 1 5/8” 12” 0.790 0.910
and 5-string basses.

1c G&L Modern “U” U 1 5/8” 12” 0.850 0.910
•All G&L instruments are

1d G&L Modern “V” V 1 5/8” 12” 0.890 0.930
equipped with Dunlop 6100

2 G&L Vintage “C” C 1 5/8” 7 1/2” 0.830 0.960
Jumbo fret wire

2a G&L Vintage “V” V 1 5/8” 7 1/2” 0.830 0.960
•All profiles have a +/-.015

2b G&L Heritage Vintage “C” C 1 5/8” 7 1/2” 0.790 0.910
tolerance variance

3 G&L Wide “C” C 1 3/4” 12” 0.830 0.960
•There are no neck options

4* G&L Extra Wide “C” C 1 11/16” 12” 0.830 0.960

these are the neck profiles my supplier gave me which is the soft v neck option?

[LaoTzu]

also what does adding and F hole do to the tone of a guitar, or making it semi hollow.

[Philby]

also what does adding and F hole do to the tone of a guitar, or making it semi hollow.

Making a guitar semi-hollow makes it considerably lighter than it would otherwise be, and takes away some of the natural attack of the guitar. This can be a good thing if you find single coil pickups too 'bitey' in a solid body guitar. A semi-hollow has its own natural compression and is generally more mellow and crunchy. I like semi-hollow guitars and have a couple.

Adding the f-hole makes the guitar louder unplugged, provides some ornamentation and probably alters the way the guitar feeds back (semi-hollows DO feedback a lot more than solid bodies). There are probably other effects I am not aware of. I am in no way an expert on f-holes!

[LaoTzu]

so do g and L do soft V? whats there terminology for a soft V is it the vintage V or the modern V?

[Ches]

I think you need to get your answer from G&L. The new neck profile specs are new enough that I'd bet the number of vintage V necks produced is pretty small, so your responses here will be extremely limited. That said, my experience with the modern V (as it was produced several years ago) is that it is not a "soft V".