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Thread: G&L Neck Profiles

  1. #1
    Forum Member DoobieK's Avatar
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    G&L Neck Profiles

    I see on the G&L website there are a variety of necks available. It seems the most common profile is one with 1 5/8" width at the nut. Does anybody out there have a Legacy or S-500 with #4 profile, the one with 1 11/16" nut width?

    Fender is not making an Amer Series in Lake Placid Blue, but G&L does. My trouble right now is all G&L's I have seen for sale have the narrower neck. Am I barking up the wrong tree, looking for a G&L to fit my needs?

  2. #2
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Its not the width at the nut thats the problem on G&L's there is no set neck profile all necks are shaped completly by hand.

    So this makes it just about imposssible to find the perfect feeling neck.

    ON a certain Fender model I already know what to expect as all the necks are CNC made so they all feel the same on the same model.

    So on a G&L its usually a good idea to play one in a store and buy one you have played if you special order one chances the neck being just right arent very good.

    I know a guy from the G&L forum that had a G&L with a neck he really liked and wanted the same feeling neck on his new special ordered one. SO he sent his neck to G&L and when he got the new guitar it was nothing like his old neck he had sent in to have a clone made.

  3. #3
    Forum Member DoobieK's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I appreciate your reply. I have been searching the net and checking eBay, but now I think I will just stick to searching around town.

    I am seriously considering ordering part by part and building one with a combination of Fender and Warmoth parts, just so I can get exactly what I want. I guess it will be perfect and I will be able to take pride in knowing I built it myself. I have my eyes on a neck on eBay. If I buy it today, my fate will be sealed.

  4. #4
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Just dont try to interchange G&L necks on Fenders they dont fit.

    Watch the thrift shop at Warmoth for good deals on necks and bodies.

  5. #5
    Forum Member DoobieK's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Well I didn't get the neck I was bidding on. The price went too high. I have been checking the showcase at Warmoth for some time. I have a feeling the body will need to be special ordered. There is one more neck on eBay I am interested in. The price is a wee bit higher than I would like, but seems on the low end of the current going price. I am trying to talk myself into buying it now.

  6. #6
    Forum Member frank thomson's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Quote Originally Posted by DoobieK
    I see on the G&L website there are a variety of necks available. It seems the most common profile is one with 1 5/8" width at the nut. Does anybody out there have a Legacy or S-500 with #4 profile, the one with 1 11/16" nut width?

    Fender is not making an Amer Series in Lake Placid Blue, but G&L does. My trouble right now is all G&L's I have seen for sale have the narrower neck. Am I barking up the wrong tree, looking for a G&L to fit my needs?
    well, if you know what profile you like, just order a guitar w/ it.

    am i missing something?
    Imanidiot.

  7. #7
    Forum Member Dale's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I switch the necks on all my fenders. USA, CIJ, MIM, Strat, Tele. I have used Warmoth, but have a USA Custom ordered for my most recent Strat. This is the only way for me to get a neck I like with the fretwire I like (at least for me).

    Dale
    Guitars: Teles, Strats, LP, VW Wormoth, others. Amps: Bassman LTD, Richter 5e3, 5e3 Head, Taynor Bassmaster II, Gretsch 6150 (Supro), others. Board: Guitar>Java Boost> Huckleberry>Fuzz Head>Top Fuel> SFX-03 >Keeley 4 knob Comp>EH Clone Chorus>Flanger>DD-6

  8. #8
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Quote Originally Posted by DoobieK
    I see on the G&L website there are a variety of necks available. It seems the most common profile is one with 1 5/8" width at the nut. Does anybody out there have a Legacy or S-500 with #4 profile, the one with 1 11/16" nut width?
    DoobieK'

    I have a G&L Legacy Special with the #4 neck 1 11/16" nut. I have very large hands and big fingers. I'm just a beginner but after handling several dozen makes and models of guitars and tinkering on a few. I think the G&L #4 profile is very nice. It fits my hand quite well. I'm a lefty so I had to special order it. As I understand it, Yes they are shaped by hand. In any kind of hand work like this they use strict taper guidelines and shape to a fairly tight spec., so their necks should be pretty uniform . Anyway I will find out soon enough, I just ordered an Asat semi-hollow body with the same neck, so I will let you know as soon as I get it...Peace ...moj

  9. #9
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I think you guys are getting profile mixed up with nut width.

    A #4 neck 1 11/16" is the width at the nut.

    The profile is how the back of the neck is shaped.

    SO a #4 neck could be as thin as 1/2" or as thick as 1" all depends on how the workman handshapes the profile.

    I have 10 G&L's and all the necks feel completly different.

  10. #10
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I understand what you're saying. I know the difference between profile and nut width. During the shaping process the luthiers at G & L use calipers and some type of templates which guide them towards whatever profile thet are shaping. I'm still pretty inexperience so I believe you when you say all the necks on your G & L guitars are different. You own ten of them so they must be different good VS different bad no? I am hoping for a close match. If it's not, I hope it's different good. Now Ya got me a little worried, this new guitar aint cheap...moj

  11. #11
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    They use no templates at all its all done random.

    Some of mine are real thin most are med and only 1 would I call thick.

    But each neck has a completly different profile and none of them feel the same.

    Here are some profiles to look at and see how they all differ.


  12. #12
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Marcondo,

    I assume what you are showing me here is different types of neck pofiles, with several player specific profiles included. I'm not sure where your coming from, we are talking about one specific company G&L. A G&L #4 neck, Marcondo will be 2 1/4" at the heel and 1 11/16" at the nut. The profile of this neck is a classic C and will be profile wise will be thicker at the heel than at the nut. It therefore has a profile taper. When I said template I meant as series of plate type cut outs that define what a a G&L #4 neck is. Luthiers use these to guide them toward the desired shape. (I'm probably doing a rather poor job of describing how this is done, so I'm going to call G&L today and find out more.) Yes, G&L's necks are shaped by hand, but not an unguided hand. A taper is a very complex shape which can be created by an artisan. That artisan however needs tools to acomplish a task like that. Several of those tools will nesscesarily be some sort of device which tells the artisan where he is in the shaping process....peace...moj
    Last edited by mojo; 05-31-2005 at 08:03 AM.

  13. #13
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Marcondo,
    I talked to G&L a few minutes ago and they do use a template to rough out the blank and measure using calipers at various times. How ever aside from running a few measurements the shaping process is done on the fly with only the experince of the luthier to guide him. The tech guy also said if your guitars were purchased over a long period of time you might see differences in neck thickness. The shape over time apparently has evolved somewhat. So you were pretty much right and I stand corrected...moj

  14. #14
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I have been into G&L's since 1997 all the ones I own except 1 are pre BBE models the ones Leo made.

    If you order a #4 neck the only thing you can be assured of is the nut width will be 1 11/16" the profile wont match your other G&L.

    I know too many people who have sent their favorite neck to the factory so their new guitar could have the same neck profile that they loved so much. When they got the new guitar even with their old neck to use as a guide they couldnt match it and it felt different. THis happened to my friend and he didnt accept the new guitar cause they couldnt make 2 necks the same as they promised.

  15. #15
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Marcondo,

    You mentioned a G&L Forum. Can you post that address please. I ran a search on google got nada,zip,bupkis...Thanks...moj

  16. #16
    Forum Member Marcondo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/gldp/index.php3

    That will get you right into the forum.

  17. #17
    Forum Member mojo's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Thanks bro...moj

  18. #18
    Forum Member DoobieK's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    Frank, I would NOT order a G&L because I would not want to order a guitar that was not exactly what I want. I don't think G&L makes a hardtail Legacy/S-500, so I would settle for getting a used guitar that I like well enough and block the bridge, IF the neck were right for me.

    I did win a auction on a 2000 Strat neck, just the profile and features I want, so a custom Strat-style project is in the works. Now I need to liquidate one of my other guitars to fund the endeavor.

  19. #19
    Forum Member frank thomson's Avatar
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    Re: G&L Neck Profiles

    I thought they COULD make exactly what you want?.....I had a Commanche that was special ordered from G&L (not by me) that had the 3 *Z* pups, and a hardtail......and a birdseye maple neck......

    you should check that!
    Imanidiot.

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