Why are so many guitar necks thin?

What's "the standard" neck depth?

For most electric guitars, too thin.

First fret neck depth usually measures between 0.75" and 0.80", and twelfth at 0.82" to 0.85".

Where shoulder is concerned, too shallow. It doesn't matter what the neck shape is because most new guitars suffer from a distinct lack of shoulder.

And where width of neck is concerned, that's actually okay. Not too much of a problem here. Necks are certainly wide enough and string spacing isn't an issue.

Why does thickness and shoulder of a neck matter?

Ease of grip.

The best thing I can compare this to are steering wheels of pre-1980 vintage cars compared to modern. Most cars (regular cars, that is) made before 1980 had these awful skinny steering wheels. But then after the '80s began, a change was made to use thicker wheels because they just feel better in the hand, and it's pretty much been that way ever since.

Note that I didn't say bigger wheel. Thicker. A steering wheel with greater thickness makes good ergonomic sense. Easier to grab.

Similarly, a thicker guitar neck also makes good ergonomic sense. This is why so many guitar players - myself included - chase after electric guitars that have necks that are deeper and with more shoulder to them, as it allows for more comfortable grip.

So why are so many electric guitar necks so thin?

It's not for cost cutting reasons. Guitar makers don't save any money from making thinner necks. The wood waste made is negligible from thin or thick neck construction.

Originally, the guitar industry touted thinner necks as "fast" and easier to play. This started in the 1960s. But then when the 1980s came around, that was the Decade Of The Guitar Solo, so of course you had to have a "fast" neck for that (but not really).

Well, the '80s have been gone for over 30 years. Tastes have changed. And nobody wants to hear guitar solos anymore. I certainly don't.

But there are many guitarists who still believe the same b.s. guitar makers used to use in the '80s, even for those who were born well after that decade was over.

Yes, I'm blaming the guitar industry for this one. They are the reason so many new guitars have necks that are so stupidly thin. They need to get out of the '80s and start making necks that are thicker and feel better.

Am I saying to go back to the "baseball bat" shapes of the early 1950s? No. But it is well known that the '59 Les Paul neck measurements really work well, whether applied to a 24.75" scale or 25.5".

Published 2020 Nov 5