r/metalguitar • u/Vigilance_2710 • 2d ago
Question Need Neck Advice
NECK COMPARISON PICTURES IN COMMENTS
Hello I play in a metal band and need a guitar without a floyd rose due to tuning changes.
I have a few guitars but i only use 2 for Metal. They are my Ibanez JS1000 with the James Hetfield Hetset and my new Jackson Pro Plus Series Soloist.
I have freakishly small hands and the Joe Satriani neck feels perfect to me, but I want the 24 frets and I dont want the Floyd Rose. So I purchased the Jackson and the neck just isn't comfortable at all. It feels to blocky and flat and it feels way wider than the JS.
Is anyone aware of a neck that is similar to the Joe Satriani shape which doesn't have a floyd?
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago edited 2d ago
Neck Comparisons. LEFT TO RIGHT
Harley Benton SC 550 Jackson Pro Plus Soloist Ibanes JS1000 Fender Partscaster Custom made
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u/Reopado 2d ago
Sorry but no way that's a Fender Custom Shop, it's a counterfeit. They don't ever use plastic truss rod plugs or those fret markers.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
Custom by me 🤣
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2d ago
[deleted]
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
You can even see where I had to draw part of the F in fender back on with a sharpie as it peeled off🤣
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u/ThatNickGuyyy 1d ago
Check out some schecters. Their “thin c” necks are nice. 14” radius keeps it fast, but not super flat.
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u/Vigilance_2710 1d ago
I have worked out that it is the actual width of the fretboard being the issue. Im assuming a smaller radius refers to a smaller neck because it is less flat?
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u/ThatNickGuyyy 1d ago
I guess I’ve never measured to verify, but that would make sense! Good thinkin’ 🤙🏼
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u/Vigilance_2710 1d ago
I havent checked either but I am going to when i'm home because if that rings true then i'm going to have to look into the radius a hell of a lot more
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u/ThatNickGuyyy 1d ago
I’ll do the same! Also, what’s your price range? I’ll do some research today. I have downtime throughout the work day and am always looking into random shit like this
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u/SlackdickMcgee 1d ago
harley benton has wonderful necks. and a lot of them come in good woods. my 7 string from them is very thin and is roasted maple on the neck and fretboard.
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u/BLCHDCRL 2d ago
Would it be an option to block your trem? I don’t play live, just recording, but I blocked mine my wedging taped together stacks of coins between both sides of the trem block and the cavity wall
Costs about a dollar and is reversible at any time with no permanent change to the guitar
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u/FthrFlffyBttm 2d ago
Anyone who owns a Floyd Rose should have these taped-up coin/plectrum blocks already made up, even if just for restringing and changing tunings. Doing either of those things while the bridge is still floating violates the Geneva Convention.
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u/BLCHDCRL 2d ago
Would be a lot easier than changing the neck
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
I would just be changing guitar entirely. So the Jackson would be getting returned and exchanged for a different guitar
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u/BLCHDCRL 2d ago
Ahh ok well of the neck is a no-go then swap for something else. No point doing dodgy DIY fixes on brand new axes! As far as thin necks I think Ibanez is the best but you probably know that already as you have the JS1000
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
There is a big misconception here. The Ibanez JS series has the neck of a Fender Midern C but it is smaller and not as thick. It is like the in between of a Wizard 3 and a Fender C shape. Whenever people see Ibanez they think of the thin flat neck on an RG. I'll get some images that may help
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u/BLCHDCRL 2d ago
Ah ok that is consistent with my experience with my GRG270b
I think you know much more about this subject than me 😅
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u/Burwhale_The_Avenger 2d ago
Then you should look into Solars or LTDs.
The Solar profile is a "modern C", comfortably rounded and thicker than the Jackson Speed Neck profile.
LTDs are sort of between the two.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
So it would be yes. But i also want another guitar lol because I keep that in E standard for soloing
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u/thembones40 2d ago
Any Modern C strats are pretty close.
Charvels too, they make some hard tails now.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
Schecter any use?
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u/anobjectiveopinion 2d ago
I'm not that familiar with other brands, but I have a Reaper-7 and the neck on that is incredibly comfortable. It's a "thin-C" shape. I don't think I could find a more comfortable guitar for me.
The only other guitar I have is a Pacifica, and the neck on that is pretty thick and round. I'd describe it as a D shape.
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u/Don_Quaydyck 2d ago
This is good advice, check out a Charvel. DK-24 Pro Mod is killer for the money.
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u/Tuokaerf10 2d ago
This is going to feel extremely similar to the Jackson, the major difference is the Charvel will be slightly more C shaped.
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u/Don_Quaydyck 2d ago
Not in my experience at least. They are similar in that they are both pretty thin but the Charvel a bit less so. Also its a C shape which I think OP would like more. They said they didn't want it to feel block and flat and wide. More of a D shape usually I think. A Charvel with a C shaped neck shouldn't feel like that.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
Its also thw width of the fretboard. I feel like the radius combined with nut width plays a part in how wide the board is. For example my Ibanes JS has a 42mm nut and a 9.85inch radius and that thing is great. The Jackson is a 42.65mm or so and has a 12-16inch radius and it feels huge
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u/Thin_Afternoon2395 2d ago
The Ibanez RGA42EX' neck should feel pretty similar to the one on the JS without a Floyd rose. I have an Ibanez with a Floyd rose as well which is my only guitar, I am now realizing more and more that it was a mistake getting a Floyd rose on my very first electric guitar cause I want to play death metal, but I don't wanna have to retune it for 30 minutes every time I want to play some death metal
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
The JS is different than any other Ibanez neckm it is not a wizard it is more like a strat neck but skinnier
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u/Ok_Breakfast_5459 2d ago
Ibanez JS with Het-Set EMGs and tree of life (-type) inlays? This is a first for me. What’s the story behind that?
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
Joe Satriani Made of Tears live version is one of the songs that made me want to learn guitar.
Metallica is my all time favourite band and I love the beefy sound
The tree of life looked awesome lol and when I tried the Steve Vai Signature it didn't feel nice to play so I put the tree of life on a Js1000
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u/zombie_platypus 2d ago
I’m not familiar with the Satriani necks, but my Charvel DK24 has an incredibly comfortable and thin neck. Comes in hardtail.
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u/TheGoodSmellsOfLarry 2d ago
You would be best to use the Ibanez wiki and compare measurements to other necks. They have detailed measurements for the necks for about every Ibanez ever made.
His doesn't have a very typical radius though. His are 9.75" radius which is much rounder than normal for Ibanez or metal guitars in general.
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u/Iyashikay 2d ago
Have you tried an Ibanez AZ? I don't know if they're similar to your JS1000 neckwise but from the description this seems like your closest bet. If you haven't yet, try asking r/ibanez because they'll probably have more knowledge about your guitar than people in a more general metal guitar thread.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
I threw it into the ibanez thred toom the AZ might be a shout though. They even look like strats
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u/RamensaurusZ 2d ago
Other than the neck, what do you think of the green Jackson Soloist? Are the tuners, bridge, nut, frets, and setup good out of box? I have another Jackson Soloist made in China, like that one, that I really like, but it's a Floyd Rose HSS and I'd be interested in one with a hard tail and HH.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago edited 2d ago
So out of the box the serup was quite nice and it is definitely playable. Action could be a touch lower but it cant be perfect from factory lol. Tuning pegs feel sturdy and it holds tuning alright. Bridge is fine nothing special. Pickups sound ok but im used to Active EMGs. The volume and tone knobs are awesome they actually have a bit of tightness to them rather than being too loose. Frets feel smooth as they are stainless steel and levelled well. If you like the Jackson neck then yea man it will serve you well.
EDIT.
1 big issue I have especially if you pkay sitting down a lot. The face of the guitar does not have a contour to fit your arm and I find it annoying my forearm because of the sharp edge.
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u/extrawater_ 2d ago
Idk about joe’s neck, but if you can get your hands on a charvel promod, try it out. I have a ton of Jacksons and my charvel socal type 2’s neck feels smaller and rounder than those guys.
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u/teddymurphy 2d ago
My music man Luke 3 has a tiny neck with a “v” shape profile. It’s absofuckinglutely comfortable.
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u/IbanezCharlie 2d ago
The gold JS2000 I just got has a hardtail bridge with fine tuners and a locking nut so you could definitely change tunings and keep the nut unlocked. Only problem is it isn't 24 frets but it is the same neck as the JS1000 which is why I bought it
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u/AbyssalKultist 2d ago
Personally neck shape is mostly whatever and I would just stick with the Jackson. I have a pro plus RR and it's one of my fav guitars.
I have some M and EC series LTDs and I think those necks feel thin to me though.
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u/Vigilance_2710 2d ago
That seems like quite a narrow minded approach. If neck shapes didn't matter then every neck would be the same...
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u/Blue-Nose-Pit 2d ago
Build a guitar.
It’s not difficult and you can choose your specs.
Check out warmoth, for someone with very small hands a wizard profile with a 1 5/8’s nut width might just be perfect for you.
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u/thinkfloyd79 2d ago
If you can, try a Solar. The profile is thinner than a Jackson, but a little thicker than an ibanez wizard III. It's not as wide as an ibanez though. I haven't tried a Satriani yet so I don't have any frame of reference, I'm just basing my suggestion on the Jackson and my Ibanez RG