50's rounded neck vs. slim-taper neck question

[roadsong66]

How much bigger is the 50's rounded neck on the Les Paul Traditional vs. a slim taper neck?

I've got smaller hands so I am inclined to get a slim taper neck, but it seems like when I am researching guitars the sexier tops are all on Les Paul's with more of a 50's neck.

Am I correct in assuming that it is specifically the 58' neck that is the "baseball bat" and that the 50's rounded and the 59' necks are a bit more accessible to folks with smaller hands?

 

[alpinestudio]

I have small hands as well and have a 50's rounded neck. It is a bit thick, but at the same time it was comfortable, as it made bending easier and the fretboard radius made it okay to play fast up and down the neck.

 

[SlyStrat]

The Traditional necks seem bigger than last years Standards.
I've been playing '50s neck but recently switched to '60s slim taper. I find I play more naturally and with less fatigue. I have small hands.

 

[River]

I'm not sure how to address the question of "hand size". According to glove manufacturers, I'm extra large. But my fingers are nowhere near as long as most of the really good guitar players I've played with and seen in person and on video.

I was fearful I would not like a fat neck when I purchased my '04 R8 sight unseen, having been forewarned it had a very beefy neck, and having played slim necks for going on 30 years. I have found it to be no problem at all to navigate, and less tiring in terms of cramping and fatigue.

 

[roadsong66]

I'm not sure how to address the question of "hand size". According to glove manufacturers, I'm extra large. But my fingers are nowhere near as long as most of the really good guitar players I've played with and seen in person and on video.

I was fearful I would not like a fat neck when I purchased my '04 R8 sight unseen, having been forewarned it had a very beefy neck, and having played slim necks for going on 30 years. I have found it to be no problem at all to navigate, and less tiring in terms of cramping and fatigue.

The fatigue thing will be an issue for me since I am getting a bit of arthritis in my fretting hand after two fractures it sustained in the last couple of years.

 

[River]

The fatigue thing will be an issue for me since I am getting a bit of arthritis in my fretting hand after two fractures it sustained in the last couple of years.

Everyone's different, of course, but I've heard many of us older and partially debilitated farts expound the virtues of a "fat" neck.

 

[funkyguitarman]

Take it from me, I am not the biggest guy ever and grew up playing small necks like Strats and Teles. Also I had a Les Paul standard with a 60s slim taper neck. I just got an 09 Traditional and can not get over the neck. For a while I was against buying a guitar with a 50s neck but now I like them the best. I really do not feel like it is a huge size discrepancy between the models because both necks have a 12" radius.

 

[WoodyTone]

You really need to play the guitars and then decide. Too-skinny necks can cause more hand fatigue than fatter ones. But fatter ones are harder to play for some people. Tehre's also fboard radius -- a Gibby's 12-inch is pretty friendly.

Sweet pic, funky!

 

[Mr Insane]

I love my 50's neck.

 

[funkyguitarman]

Sweet pic, funky!

Thanks Man.

 

[roadsong66]

You really need to play the guitars and then decide. Too-skinny necks can cause more hand fatigue than fatter ones. But fatter ones are harder to play for some people. Tehre's also fboard radius -- a Gibby's 12-inch is pretty friendly.

Sweet pic, funky!

I agree I will have to play both, and I do agree that extremes create a whole new set of issues.

As long as a 50's rounded neck is NOT a huge baseball bat, (which I once had on an Epiphone & hated), then I will be okay. I had a 92' Studio, which I think had a 59', profile and it remains one of my favorite guitars of all time.

 

[Bender3000]

I'm glad you asked. I was wanting to know the same thing myself

 

[Satch0922]

the fatter ones feel better to me because I have the bad habit of "thumb over the top" and the fatter ones lessen that.

 

[nitrous12]

I had been playing PRS with Wide Fat necks for a number of years.
Late in '07 I started shopping for a then new LP Standard. The difference of the 50s and 60s profile on those was not that big, but I ultimately ended up going for the 60s profile.
A few months ago I got my first Traditional and although I was concerned about the bigger neck I find it to be quite comfortable and do not have any issues getting to the upper frets.
I also have small hands/short fingers. I have tendonitis in the wrist of my fretting hand as well and actually found that my wrist hurt less after a night of playing on the bigger neck.
The difference is certainly noticeable, but I wouldn't call it night and day and I know there LPs out there with way bigger necks. Not sure what Historic it was, but I picked one up at a shop once that really was literally like a baseball bat.

 

[JustinMcCorkle]

I have an R9 and it is not exactly a baseball bat but it's definitely the Gibson "C". At first it was a little awkward considering I had been playing a 62 Strat exclusively. The other LP I play a lot has a 60's slim taper neck on it. I can certainly tell the difference between the R9 and the other necks but it is not a bad thing. I play a lot of quick riffs but I'm by no means a shredder. I'm a Southern Rocker. So to me the neck on the R9 took a little getting used to but now that I'm used to it I love it. I agree with these guys as well on neck radius. The 12 on the Gibsons is comfortable. There again that's coming from someone that was playing a 7.25 exclusively. So I would definitely say play them and I would wager to believe that the neck is not going to be a deal breaker for you once you feel the one that's right for you. My R9 is one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played.

 

[Z.K.]

and then there's the odd ones out there...I have a 06 Standard 60's neck and it has a really really skinny neck...my Fender Corgan Sig. has a 9.5 radius with modern C neck shape (whatever that means) and it's bigger than the LP 60's neck that i have.

 

[Ironballs]

If you have a look in Beauty of the Burst then that has a diagram of the cross section of the necks, quite a variation

 

[Last]

You wanna see a Louisville Slugger pick up an R6 or R4

From left to right.

R6, R8, R9

 

[River]

As others have said, there's a lot of variation. My R8 (2004) looks more like that R6 than that R8. Hard to tell from a photograph, but mine is the fattest I've ever held.

 

[roadsong66]

I'm a Southern Rocker. So to me the neck on the R9 took a little getting used to but now that I'm used to it I love it. I agree with these guys as well on neck radius. The 12 on the Gibsons is comfortable. There again that's coming from someone that was playing a 7.25 exclusively. So I would definitely say play them and I would wager to believe that the neck is not going to be a deal breaker for you once you feel the one that's right for you. My R9 is one of the best feeling guitars I've ever played.

I'm a Southern Rock guy as well...who on rare occasion will try to take on a fast Jimmy Page solo. So, what you indicated sounds reassuring.