Neck profile and Fret Sizes for Japanese LP's?

[sbai]

Can anyone tell me what the neck profiles are like for the higher quality Japanese LP clones (Edwards, Orville. Burny) - 50's-style chunky or slimmer 60's-style? Or do they vary from model to model? I've heard that made-in-Japan guitars tend to have slimmer necks - I don't know how true that is.

And what is the standard fret size you will find on the Japanese clones? Jumbo or the smaller medium-jumbo?

 

[Mick51]

They vary, both by manufacturer and by year/model.

If you want a good fat neck, one of the 1980/1981 Greco SuperReals is what you are after. EGF1200 and EGF1800, especially. But, be prepared for sticker shock.

Among more recent production, the Bacchus LiveRoad have quite full necks. My BLS 59 (120) is a bit fatter than my 1969 Gibson LPC, and as fat as my 1980 Greco EG1000C (or EGC1000, depending on your preference..).

Fret size tends to be a bit smaller than the Gibson Historics have, and frets, like necks, also vary by manufacturer and year. As long as I don't fret out on the fingerboard, and can bend, I don't pay a lot of attention to the actual profile. I guess I'm pickier about the neck feel than the frets.

Other folks may have a somehwat different experience.

 

[GammyBird]

I'm pretty sure that all the Orville Les Paul series have the slim 60's style neck. Don't know about the fret sizes.

 

[holt1]

My orville had a big 59 profile and bigger frets. It was pretty cool. Trying to get it back!

I'm pretty sure that all the Orville Les Paul series have the slim 60's style neck. Don't know about the fret sizes.

 

[Brynner]

I've played a few Edwards, as well as have one myself, and the Edwards necks are not quite as slim as the 60s profile, but not as thick as the '59. The frets are wider and fatter than the newer Gibson style frets.

 

[Dave1968]

MY Burny RLG 50 (approx 1983) has a slim '60s next with medium fret wire and 'nib's if you're wanting them on clone.

If you want a good fat neck, one of the 1980/1981 Greco SuperReals is what you are after. EGF1200 and EGF1800, especially. But, be prepared for sticker shock.

+1 I agree!

 

[DaveH28]

I have an 81 Tokai LS120 and have had a Greco EGF-800 from 1980,
When i got the Tokai, the guy i bought it off had about 10 of these high end early Japanese LPs.

I would say the Greco's are very chunky, really big profile.
Now, the interesting thing is when i tried the Tokais all the sizes were different.

The one i bought is pretty much identical to the R9's, but i played an LS-80 and another LS-120 (both 1980/81) and they both had thinner necks, not quite 60's but noticeably thinner than an R9.

 

[JLT73]

My ibanez has a slightly slimmer than 60s style neck.

 

[BurningBeard]

My Burny RLC-60 has a fat neck compared to my gibby Les Paul studio. I kinda like the fatter neck.

 

[3pupLPC]

The guys have stated it above, it varies from builder to model, but in general what I have noticed with mine are: OBG standards seem 60's slim; Burny standards a little fatter but not quite 59; Bacchus edging closer to 59; Greco Super Real 58/59 fat... nice! Burny Customs I would call '60. Just my take

 

[mistadoom]

and what about orville by gibson customs?
i have one and the neck seems overly huge and fat, like an early 50's ....

 

[shan564]

My Tokai LC85 felt a bit thicker than a 60s Gibson, and the frets were fairly small and flat - but that's normal for an LP Custom. My Ibanez has a neck that's slightly slimmer than a Gibson or a PRS (although my Ibanez is more PRS-style than Gibson-style), but you'd expect that from Ibanez.

 

[kiddakidda]

I'm pretty sure that all the Orville Les Paul series have the slim 60's style neck. Don't know about the fret sizes.

+1

My 1991 Orville has a pretty slim neck for a 'Custom'

The Neck on my MIC Epiphone SG 'Les Paul Custom' is much fatter.

 

[o0mobius0o]

MY Burny RLG 50 (approx 1983) has a slim '60s next with medium fret wire and 'nib's if you're wanting them on clone.

My similar vintage Burny has a slim neck too.

 

[mono]

my 1993 burny rlg had a slim 60's neck

my ObG 59RI has a chunkier 59 profile, but no way near as thick as a 54 or 58...

Nice big frets on it too

 

[Bakelite]

My OBG has a slim 60's, my Edwards 98LTC has a huge neck on it, bigger that the standard Edwards by all reports.

 

[vintageJIM]

here is a thread I posted some time ago over at Ned's fucked up place
Tokai Forum - a subsidiary of TokaiRegistry.com :: View topic - Fret Size

the fret sizes were measured with a Mitutoyo (MIJ) digital caliper and were taken from several frets from each example, in the upper register & averaged, to insure some form of accuracy

AFA necks size/profiles; as some may have mentioned these can vary from example to example, even within the same models from the same manufacturers

I have owned more Burny RLG examples than any other guitar; about two dozen plus & these can vary within the same era of manufacture

from my experience, the Bacchus BLS-59 models seem to have the most consistant larger neck profiles, not particularly because of thickness but because of the extra amount of shoulder (extra material on either side of the neck center line) which gives them a feel as full as the early 1980s Greco Super Real Models that I have played & owned

happy hunting ............................