"Skinny neck" -- what does it even mean?

[bry4321]

Does skinny refer to nut width? Or is "narrow" the term to use for that?

Or does skinny refer to point-to-point distance from back of neck to fretboard? Or circumference of back of neck? Or neck profile, "D" "U" "Vintage" etc.? 

Or does it just mean "neck feels skinny?" 

 

 

[Dave Scepter]

24 minutes ago, bry4321 said:

Does skinny refer to nut width? Or is "narrow" the term to use for that?

Or does skinny refer to point-to-point distance from back of neck to fretboard? Or circumference of back of neck? Or neck profile, "D" "U" "Vintage" etc.? 

Or does it just mean "neck feels skinny?" 

I asked the same question here years ago and got laughed at🫤

I always refer to as wide being the nut width and thin/small/medium or beefy as the profile thickness... not including the C,D,U or V shape 

However, I feel the term "Skinny" used here refers to both nut width and profile thickness 

[Steve Haynie]

There were some small feeling necks on early 80's Specials.  Usually a skinny neck is thinner.  Early 90's Hamer Specials and Sunbursts had thin necks.  I had a Scepter with a thin feeling neck. 

[bry4321]

 

1 hour ago, Dave Scepter said:

I asked the same question here years ago and got laughed at🫤

I always refer to as wide being the nut width and thin/small/medium or beefy as the profile thickness... not including the C,D,U or V shape 

However, I feel the term "Skinny" used here refers to both nut width and profile thickness 

Thank you, I should have looked for your question instead of risking public ridicule. Too late now!

Also my next question may be about kayaking/paddle boarding....

[hamerhead]

3 hours ago, Dave Scepter said:

...and got laughed at🫤

"We're not laughing with you. We're laughing at you."

Generally, if you can pick your teeth with it, that is a skinny neck. Some of the early Specials were smaller than that.

[bry4321]

That's pretty skinny.

I also deserve to be laughed at for posting this in the For Sale/Wanted forum by mistake

[Biz Prof]

3 hours ago, Steve Haynie said:

There were some small feeling necks on early 80's Specials.  Usually a skinny neck is thinner.  Early 90's Hamer Specials and Sunbursts had thin necks.  I had a Scepter with a thin feeling neck. 

I agree with Steve, in general, in that "skinny" is equivalent to a thin profile.  I do think there's a significant tactile difference between a wide/thin neck and a narrow neck of the same thickness. Some old Jackson necks are quite thin in profile, but the neck width is such that it feels larger.  Early Special necks ran on the thin side, as did their P-90 successors in '92 and '93.  I do have a '93 Archtop Studio with a measurably beefier neck than my Special made the same year.  

[Steve Haynie]

1993 was the transition year for Hamer necks going from thin to a medium thickness. 

[P Franco]

I have a 90’s Studio with a neck so skinny it would make a Pencil necked geek feel like a tough guy!

[Dave Scepter]

32 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

1993 was the transition year for Hamer necks going from thin to a medium thickness. 

However, not all pre 1993 necks were thin~

[cornjulio]

Your white machting headstock special does NOT have a skinny neck 😉

This is very unusual compared to most 80s specials I've owned and played. The neck has a hefty thickness but I don't think it's any wider than most of the other specials.

I acutally compared yours (when I owned it) to another one, a 1982 graphic special and the width was pretty much the same, in terms of the deepth/thickness of the wood  the 82 was noticably thinner.

[Drew816]

SKinny in Hamer terms? Or Skinny in guitars in general?

I am the "mostly skinny" guitar neck guy. Wizard thin no way, too much, first gen Charvels and Jackson's, usually too thin too though I've come across a few that were fatter (and one mid 80's Jackson Tele I SHOULD HAVE KEPT).

I measure to define, nut width, 1st and 12th frets at a minimum. I have an entire catalog of necks I've measured over time. I'll note the profile type too, soft V, D, etc. if it's of interest. This is how I figured out what guitars I could play without straining my dinged up and rebuilt left arm.

My '81 Special is thin and about the limit of how small I can go. The eye is in the beholder, but science and maths don't lie; Be Nice, Measure Twice!  

[django49]