Better neck for small hands - DGT or 594?

[Mole351]

Curious. Unfortunately I have no dealers within a 2 hour drive that carry these. Either one better than the other? Or really just a matter of preference?

 

[shinksma]

I have small hands with relatively thick fingers - my hand span is 8" from thumb tip to pinky tip full stretched (most adult males are ~9" on average).

I have no issues playing any of the PRS neck profiles. Because of my thick fingers, I actually prefer the wider necks, and I'm fine with thin or fat profiles (depth), mainly because I have no hope of using my thumb on the E string.

But, I would think that the DGT would be the "fatter" of the two profiles, though both are fatter than a Pattern (wide fat) carve, so maybe you'd find the 594 carve to be more suitable.

xref hand span size. Check out this for hand span size data:

http://www.smallpianokeyboards.org/hand-span-data.html

 

[alantig]

Ultimately, I think it's a matter of preference. I have very little play time on a 594 neck, but I didn't notice anything that made me squeamish on them. I love my DGT neck - to me, it's pretty much perfect, to the point I asked the PS team to measure it when they did my PS. And I have what my friend calls "Billy Barty hands".

All that said, I'm pretty much neck agnostic - I don't seem to have the sensitivity to neck carves and scale lengths that some folks have, so YMMV.

 

[bodia]

I have both, and like Alan, don't have difficulty going back and forth between any of the neck carves. I like both carves, and don't have super long fingers. If you forced me to pick only one, I would say 594. There is just "something" about it that makes it feel like an old friend.

 

[Huggy Love]

Ever since I had a PRS profile thin I don't like fat necks. I say take the drive 2 plus hours or not and get one in your hands, I'm sure you won't regret making an educated decision.

 

[Mole351]

Thanks all - great info.

Shinksma - I measured my hand span - 7.5 - lol! I pretty much have dwarf fingers and a tiny (bent) pinky. My wring finger is shorter than a lot of people's ring finger. Hasn't kept me from becoming a decent guitarist - though I can't do crazy chord fingerlings and not sure if it hinders having blazing speed - I can play fairly quickly but far from a shredder.

Huggy - I prefer thin necks as well after playing them. That said - I though your favorite was your HB? Isn't that a fat neck?

 

[veinbuster]

I'm pretty comfortable with all necks, but if you aren't, I agree with Huggy and would make the 2 hr drive. I've gone further to check out a guitar.

 

[Mole351]

I played a les Paul for a few years as my main guitar - was certainly ok with it. But then after playing the pattern thin of a ce thought I was in heaven.

 

[Rider1260]

DTG carve is closest to the standard carve on the on I have ( 1/32 less wide )
the 594 is the biggest PRS carve ( along with the 513 ) that I have tried
I also have smaller hands ( short fingers ) and like the the WF and pattern carves best as I don't have to bend my fingers as sharply but I am fine on any PRS carve its the Thin Ibanez style necks that don't work for me

 

[garrett]

The Pattern Vintage profile is both wider and deeper than the DGT profile.

If you've ever played a Wide/Fat or Pattern, the Pattern Vintage adds extra girth in all the right places to fill your palm.

If you've ever played a Regular or Pattern Regular, the DGT feels similar to that.

You make the call on what you like best.

 

[shinksma]

The Pattern Vintage profile is both wider and deeper than the DGT profile.

If you've ever played a Wide/Fat or Pattern, the Pattern Vintage adds extra girth in all the right places to fill your palm.

If you've ever played a Regular or Pattern Regular, the DGT feels similar to that.

You make the call on what you like best.

Heh, I did not know that - from reading the descriptions yesterday, they both sounded like slightly fatter version of the Pattern (Wide Fat) neck. But now I read these and that makes sense:

594:

A new Pattern Vintage neck carve, which shares the same width measurements as PRS’s Pattern neck but is slightly thicker front to back and features an asymmetrical carve with a little less meat on the treble side and a little more meat on the bass side of the neck.

[1]

DGT:

The neck is to David’s specs,” elaborates Smith, “which is actually a little smaller carve than PRS’ standard wide fat, and includes much taller frets.

[2]

Sources:
1. http://www.prsguitars.com/index.php/electrics/core/mccarty_594
2. http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneous/1139/prs-dgt-and-mira/14594

So now I want to try a DGT neck. Might involve buying a DGT...

 

[garrett]

Might involve buying a DGT...

Clearly the only logical conclusion.

 

[shinksma]

Clearly the only logical conclusion.

 

[bodia]

So now I want to try a DGT neck. Might involve buying a DGT...

Hmmm.....I have a DGT..................

 

[veinbuster]

Hmmm.....I have a DGT..................

Me too.
I thought everybody did.

 

[shinksma]

Hmmm.....I have a DGT..................

Hah! Nice try! That won't work again (mainly because my bank account is still screaming in pain).

So...what color?

I keed, I keed!

(Mention it again in about 6 months, though...)

 

[dsenoj]

Me too.
I thought everybody did.

Everyone should.

I have my 2nd one on order. It's been almost 25 weeks now. Not that I'm counting or anything.

 

[alantig]

Hmmm.....I have a DGT..................

Me too.
I thought everybody did.

All the cool kids do.

 

[Rider1260]

Hmmm.....I have a DGT..................

I don't have a DTG ;( maybe I should

 

[Mole351]

I'm fixing to have either that or a 594..hence the reason for the post in the first place