Neck Carves

[JohnnyM]

Anyone know the specs on the vintage and modern neck carves?

Is the modern really skinny like a ibanez shredder neck?

I like something a little thicker but not a baseball bat either.

I read somewhere that Frank said it was .850 for the vintage, is

that correct?

[ArnieZ]

I think that is the spec for the modern profile and.875 for the vintage.

ArnieZ

[marcnorth]

All Hamers will come stock with a Vintage neck profile which is .850" thick.

The modern neck profile, which is by special order only is .800" thick.

This is from the email I received from Hamer.

[JohnnyM]

When did you get that e-mail?

[marcnorth]

On 2/21/2005

[ArnieZ]

The specs I posted were given to me at the factory 2 weeks ago. They were actually written down so I could measure a particular neck. I believe they are correct!

ArnieZ

[lord nelson]

hmmm.. Here the mail I got from Andy Schlosser dec. 7.:

"We do not have such detailed specifications, but we can tell you that the neck width is 1-11/16" (42.86mm) at the nut, and 26.2mm at the 12th fret. The guitar has Hamer's "Vintage" profile (21.6mm thick)"

21,3 mm = .850"

[silentman]

From Frank Rindone @ hamer:

modern neck carve .800", .850" is the vintage

[tone_loco]

hmmm.. Here the mail I got from Andy Schlosser dec. 7.:

"the neck width is 1-11/16" (42.86mm) at the nut, and 26.2mm at the 12th fret. "

So that means its about half as wide at the 12th fret!? Guess I'm missing something...

Anyhow, I was wondering if there is a "Standard Hamer" carve? I asked about the profile of a guitar for sale and was told that it was the Standard Hamer Carve. Do most of them go out one way or the other (vintage/modern)? And if so which one is most common?

[silentman]

lately the vintage carve has become the most common.

[lord nelson]

hmmm.. Here the mail I got from Andy Schlosser dec. 7.:

"the neck width is 1-11/16" (42.86mm) at the nut, and 26.2mm at the 12th fret. "

So that means its about half as wide at the 12th fret!? Guess I'm missing something...

Anyhow, I was wondering if there is a "Standard Hamer" carve? I asked about the profile of a guitar for sale and was told that it was the Standard Hamer Carve. Do most of them go out one way or the other (vintage/modern)? And if so which one is most common?

hehe.. I have a very special guitar

[JohnnyM]

Got an e-mail from Frank and the Vintage is .850

and Modern is .800

[tone_loco]

Got an e-mail from Frank and the Vintage is .850

and Modern is .800

Where is this measurment taken? I'd like to do it at the same point on one of my guitars to see how it compares to the Vintage and Modern.

[lord nelson]

at the nut

[El_Natoro]

at the nut

I thought the measurement is to be taken from the beginning of the shaft and not to include the nut (BTW, I'm sorry to hear that you only have one)

At least that what they said on "The Last American Virgin."

Or are we talking about something else?

[tone_loco]

at the nut

I recently checked out a couple Newports (vintage carves) and it seemed like the neck was the same shape all the way from the nut almost to the body. Is that the case with the Modern carve too? Or does it have more of a taper?

Its definitely not the case on my non Hamers, where the nut is noticeably thinner than say the 8th fret.

[silentman]

at the nut

I recently checked out a couple Newports (vintage carves) and it seemed like the neck was the same shape all the way from the nut almost to the body. Is that the case with the Modern carve too? Or does it have more of a taper?

Its definitely not the case on my non Hamers, where the nut is noticeably thinner than say the 8th fret.

From my conversations with the hamer shop guy who carves the necks, he carves them without a taper. The measurement is consistent from nut to neck. He actually carves them a tad thinner than the specs to allow for the thickness of the paint. Both carves are done this way.

[Guest Meshuggah]

at the nut

I recently checked out a couple Newports (vintage carves) and it seemed like the neck was the same shape all the way from the nut almost to the body. Is that the case with the Modern carve too? Or does it have more of a taper?

Its definitely not the case on my non Hamers, where the nut is noticeably thinner than say the 8th fret.

From my conversations with the hamer shop guy who carves the necks, he carves them without a taper. The measurement is consistent from nut to neck. He actually carves them a tad thinner than the specs to allow for the thickness of the paint. Both carves are done this way.

Does he have any vices? Can he be bought or pressured in any way? How about a slightly different neck profile? Could he sneak it past Joel?

[silentman]

I'm not telling!

[seeker]

From my conversations with the hamer shop guy who carves the necks, he carves them without a taper. The measurement is consistent from nut to neck. He actually carves them a tad thinner than the specs to allow for the thickness of the paint. Both carves are done this way.

Does he have any vices? Can he be bought or pressured in any way? How about a slightly different neck profile? Could he sneak it past Joel?

It doth be an option:

Options List

Vintage(stock) or Modern(thinner) neck N/C

Custom Neck Specs $175.00

Now, if you're thinking thicker is better:

Jol might have an issue.

[gwayne]

Anyone know the specs on the vintage and modern neck carves?

Is the modern really skinny like a ibanez shredder neck?

Absolutely not. I just took delivery of a Newport with the modern carve. It's not skinny by any stretch. It reminds me of the mid-90's Hamers I've owned with one exception. The back of the neck feels a tad flatter than the 90's necks, which are slightly rounder.

[wknight2]

Anyone know what year the Vintage neck carve changed from .850 to .900?

[Hfan]

I've wondered about this. My 93 Special was owned by 2 members here who described it as not a typical thin Hamer neck from that era. it is kind of a med slim C I'd say, not a tooth pick for sure.

How do you guys measure? I have calipers with a dial gauge. For width at the nut just put the calipers across the neck at the nut I'm guessing? How about thickness..just measure with the strings removed at various areas?

[veatch]

Typically, you measure near the first and twelfth frets from the fretboard to the back of the neck. Most necks get thicker moving up the fretboard, but Hamers are pretty consistent (which i like...

[Wizard333]

.80 and .85 *WHERE*?

Looks like 1st fret measurements. A more telling number is the 12th fret.

'92 and early '93 examples I own measure .80 1st fret and .85 12th fret, those are thin shredder necks for sure, very comfortable if you are used to things like Ibanez Wizard etc.; actually I find them more comfortable because they are thinner side/side and a bit thicker/rounder in back, rather than super thin super wide. The '92 Sunburst I have is probably the smallest neck I've ever seen on a guitar. Yet it still stands up to my 13-62 gauge strings at standard pitch.

After that they got larger, typical 12th fret measurement is around .92" from mid '93 onward. . That would be the "vintage" type, which is the only thing you're likely to find in hanging in a dealer (do they still exist?). I never saw a thinner neck carve on a modern hamer at a dealer, ever. They only order the "vintage type because a) they think it sounds cool, b ) they know most of the herd animals follow the internet blah blah that demands you get a bigger neck.

I'd guess the only way you'll get a thin one is to get something in that '91- early '93 range (look for schaller mini tuners with Hamer logo that have the screw tab at a 90 degree angle to the peg head for '93, those would be on the thinner necks), or to special order one from FMIC with the slimmer carve.