Vanguard Neck

[icedlatte]

Hi everybody, I was thinking about picking up a Vanguard and I was wondering with the neck width is on them? I've seen specs list them at 1 5/8" but artists listed at 1 11/16", wouldn't they be the same neck shape? The Vanguard I'm looking at is a 1999 year, I'm not sure if they changed throughout the years. Also, the other guitar I'm looking for is a Newport, should I wait and get the hollowbody or do they get close enough? If anybody has a clean Newport please let me know. Thank you

[Kurt L]

Here are some measurements from my ‘99 Vanguard and ‘’97 Artist Custom. Looks like the nut widths are the same.

The neck shapes are definitely not the same. The Vanguard is much more rounded, C shaped. The Artist is flatter in the back, more D shaped.

The good news, at least from my subjective experience, is that both guitars are very comfortable and sound great. Hope this helps... be sure to post if you snag the Vanguard!

 

 

[icedlatte]

That's a beautiful pair of guitars you have there. Thank you for the help! It looks like 1 and 21/32 or 1.65 nut width similar to the Newport I was looking at. The description of the neck profile helps too, I prefer a more rounded C. Thanks again!

[gtrdaddy]

18 minutes ago, icedlatte said:

That's a beautiful pair of guitars you have there. Thank you for the help! It looks like 1 and 21/32 or 1.65 nut width similar to the Newport I was looking at. The description of the neck profile helps too, I prefer a more rounded C. Thanks again!

They should be  1 11/16” 

Slight variation from 1 11/16” seen in the image are more than likely a result of the perspective of the camera and the rise in the height of the nut.

I’m fairly certain that @Kurt L will confirm this.

[Kurt L]

59 minutes ago, icedlatte said:

That's a beautiful pair of guitars you have there. Thank you for the help! It looks like 1 and 21/32 or 1.65 nut width similar to the Newport I was looking at. The description of the neck profile helps too, I prefer a more rounded C. Thanks again!

You’re welcome. Glad to help!

35 minutes ago, gtrdaddy said:

They should be  1 11/16” 

Slight variation from 1 11/16” seen in the image are more than likely a result of the perspective of the camera and the rise in the height of the nut.

I’m fairly certain that @Kurt L will confirm this.

Yeah, I was not scientific in my methods. I lined up the left edge of the ruler with the fingerboard and nut by touch, and was not careful to make sure the camera was in the same position and the same distance from each guitar. 

That said, they appeared to have the same nut width to me. 

[geowolves]

Get both! Good luck on your venture! Legend has it these here Hamer guitars place you under some strange spell! 

[Jakeboy]

I love both my Artist and Newport and even with the same pickups in both I find they sound  very different and very, very, good.

I cannot tolerate redundant guitars. I could not choose between them if I had to.

 

[gtrdaddy]

13 hours ago, icedlatte said:

It looks like 1 and 21/32 or 1.65 nut width similar to the Newport I was looking at. The description of the neck profile helps too, I prefer a more rounded C.

Honestly I have to tell you that obsession over these specs is really pretty useless, including getting consumed with neck thickness at the first and twelfth fret. The only thing one would need a nut width for, is when you're going to replace it, and then it's not always an exact match for the guitar because the necks are hand-carved, and sanded. Most of the time you'll need to shape a nut to the dimension of the particular guitar. As for thickness at the first and twelfth fret, that is a bullshit spec that truly doesn't mean a lot. It is something people only got obsessed over after the dawn of the internet, and the creation of stupid forums filled with stupid people. Before TGP and all of the voodoo bullshit preached there, one would only need to know roughly what neck shape they preferred a '50s soft V, a D shape etc. You would find a guitar with that neck shape and buy it after trying it. People didn't go into guitar stores armed with a micrometer, ruler and a set of feeler gauges. If you did, you'd likely be thrown out after measuring the second guitar. Regarding neck thickness, there are guitars that measure .925" at the first fret that feel smaller than guitars that measures .850" at the first fret. This is because the neck is shaped slightly fuller on the .850" guitar than the neck on the .925" guitar, both with the same category of profile. These variations happen because they are mostly hand finished. 

My advice: find a neck shape you like and roll with it. Forget the TGP-isms and bullshit guitar voodoo.

PS Don't ask anyone about a guitar's "acoustic voice."

[icedlatte]

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies and helpful info, I appreciate it. That's a good point gtrdaddy, each neck is unique and they're going to feel different so no need in obsessing. As far as which one, I might just wait for the right Newport as what I'm looking for is a nice Hollowbody guitar. You never know, I might end up with one of each! Thanks again everybody!