What is your girth?

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Jay
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What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

Now that I have your interest, please read on...

I have just finished shaping my guitar neck and I would describe it as chunky but I really have no idea what people mean by chunky. Or for that matter what they mean by slim or medium sized. We all use the terms V, C and D/U shaped necks but that doesn't convey how chunky or slim, or whatever the neck is.

There is one measurement though that could help understand what slim, chunky, etc may mean, and that is the actual 'girth' of the neck at say three locations: 1st fret, 6th fret and 12th fret.

So I wanted to get some idea how my new neck stacks up against some of my other guitar's necks and how I feel I would describe that neck in terms of slim, medium, chunky. The problem is that I don't have enough guitars to get a reasonable distribution of neck sizes. Eg, I don't think I have a guitar with what you guys would call a slim neck...

Anyway, I cut 6 thin pieces of paper that would fit in between fret 11 and 12. Then I fit a piece under the strings right next to the first, sixth and twelfth fret and measure the girth of the neck at each of those locations. After having marked the girths with a pencil, I measure it with a ruler. See photo below.

I would have described the top four guitars as having a slim neck, the Gibson as chunky and my new neck as 'more chunky'.

Would like your girth feedback, but hey, this just may be too esoteric a subject.

20201016_164416.jpg
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Neck Measurements.JPG
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Lyle »

Once the kids are in bed I'll measure mine. I think my R7 is very girthy, I've also got an rg550 which will be very skinny.

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Re: What is your girth?

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Width vs depth makes a difference too, so you can't really just measure the circumference.
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Bg »

I just automatically thought this was a JB thread, I was going to say 'ask your missus'.
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

sizzlingbadger wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Width vs depth makes a difference too, so you can't really just measure the circumference.
I know, this is simplifying it, but at least it gives some idea of what sort of bulk you are holding in your hand :roll: The profile letter should give some indication though...
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

Bg wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:08 pm I just automatically thought this was a JB thread, I was going to say 'ask your missus'.
I hope he is getting all excited and has something useful to say
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Bg »

Jay wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:13 pm
Bg wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:08 pm I just automatically thought this was a JB thread, I was going to say 'ask your missus'.
I hope he is getting all excited and has something useful to say
That would be a first! Not the excited bit, first this minute maybe ;)
So, is that low alcohol or no alcohol at all? mmmm, no alcohol, do you want to try it? Noooooooooo.

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Re: What is your girth?

Post by jeremyb »

Lyle wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Once the kids are in bed I'll measure mine.
sizzlingbadger wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Width vs depth makes a difference too, so you can't really just measure the circumference.
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

jeremyb wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:29 pm
Lyle wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Once the kids are in bed I'll measure mine.
sizzlingbadger wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Width vs depth makes a difference too, so you can't really just measure the circumference.
I'm spent.
Sure, after you have recovered, grab your slimmest neck and measure it please. Hopefully we can then spend more time on the girth subject
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Lostininverness »

I know what you mean, I've spent a lot of time trying to work out what might be considered a fair representation of the amount of grippage needed to match a named neck profile.

The best I got to was finding a website of a company that made necks which had a download showing different profiles - some of which related to specific replica neck models. I printed this off and used it to estimate dimensions for making facets for carving the neck shape.

If I can find it I can send you a link if that would help?

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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Slowy »

sizzlingbadger wrote: Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:17 pm Width vs depth makes a difference too, so you can't really just measure the circumference.
Ooh that's a wormy can! You are correct, but so is Jay.

Girth is 'distance around' so he's correct in what he's asking for.

All of us know however, that's not the whole story of necks; not by a very long way.
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by sizzlingbadger »

Fender Japan Telecaster with Slim U neck 7.25" radius 1st=112mm, 6th=120mm, 12th=128mm
Yamaha Revstar 502T 13 3/4" radius 1st=112mm, 6th=124mm, 12th=133mm (chunkier than a Fender C but not as big as an Allparts FAT neck.)
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Lyle »

Gibson R7 - Big and Round. 1st = 112mm, 6th = 122mm, 12th = 131mm
Custom Shop Tele - V profile. 1st = 108mm, 6th = 120mm, 12th = 130mm
Ernie Ball Axis - Asymetric profile 1st = 105mm, 6th = 115mm, 12th = 126mm

The RG550 is out in the mancave, I don't think it would be fair to measure it while it's cold.

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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

Thanks chaps, I'll put it in the spreadsheet and post an update tomorrow
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Re: What is your girth?

Post by Jay »

Added the above to the table. Looks like the Ernie Ball Axis is the slimmest so far. Noting the differences between lowest and highest girths: 1.7mm, 1.2mm, 1.3mm respectively, which equates to 1.6%, 1% and 1% differences. That ain't much of a variation, is it?

I imagine there is a lot more variation in the size of a players' hand...

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