Neck profile preference (speaking of rabbit holes...)

Silvertree

I love the smell of a PRS case in the morning.
Joined
Apr 26, 2012
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I was practicing some new licks on Saturday. I started out on my 594 and switched to my ME for a change in sound (my ME has after market pickups). I was doing well enough with the new material but was still struggling a bit on section so I grabbed my custom 24. Everything really clicked for me after that and once again it has me thinking about trading my 594, ME, and passing on the incoming MEV for guitars that have pattern regular necks.

Don't get me wrong, my ME and 594 are absolutely fantastic guitars. They both do different things and do them well. Plus I have been waiting for well over a year for my MEV. Most days I don't have issues playing on either of them, well at least as far as my limited skills will take me, but nothing feels quite like home as much as pattern regular neck. I know that sticking strictly with pattern regular means limiting myself on PRS models or ordering private stock. Still, it's an intriguing question that I will probably do absolutely nothing about at least for now but it does have me thinking.
 
I’d say pattern (updated wide/fat) is my favorite, especially if satin. Pattern thin is ok and I’m indifferent towards it. The silver sky profile ain’t shabby either. I’m not a huge fan of pattern vintage necks. They seem to increase sustain but are certainly thick. I’ve rehomed guitars because of neck profiles. If I’m not inspired to pick it and play then what’s the point in fighting the instrument? Too many good ones out there.
 
I also think PRS makes it insanely hard to keep track of neck profile names. I much prefer fender naming style or going by years profile. I know what a C, D, U,V neck is by name alone. Pattern. Pattern regular. Pattern thin. Pattern vintage is a tad too confusing for consumers and reps to keep up with.
 
I also think PRS makes it insanely hard to keep track of neck profile names. I much prefer fender naming style or going by years profile. I know what a C, D, U,V neck is by name alone. Pattern. Pattern regular. Pattern thin. Pattern vintage is a tad too confusing for consumers and reps to keep up with.
I can never keep the damn pattern and pattern regular straight, annoying.
 
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Can't stand thin necks. Got rid of my 1960 RO LP cause back of the neck was too flat. I have an S2 594 and a Core McCarty and 594. I like the Pattern Regular, but once I played the 594, it was love at first grip. I have big hands but my fingers aren't that long. The Pattern Vintage is it for me.
 
Pattern regular is absolutely best for me. I like my 594 pattern vintage OK, and my SE277 is pattern, and i can live with that as well. For some reason, I cannot warm up to pattern thin at all (and don't even get me started on thin little shredder necks).
 
I have, and have only played, 3 PRSi in my life, but for me the 24 frets is what I like best in a neck! My 3 treasures have Pattern Thin (PS CU24), Pattern Vintage (594 HBII) and Pattern Regular (Core CU24), but it is where the frets get positioned in reference to my body that changes my perspective more than the thickness of any of these 3 necks!! Looking forward to a satin neck on a PRS (which I already have on my Strat and EBMM Stingray Bass)!!! That said, my HBII is my daily player because it is 2lbs lighter than either of the CU24's (old man syndrome)!!!!
 
Funny I say I like the silver sky neck profile but in comparing it to other necks it appears close to the pattern vintage which I don’t love per say. What the hell do I know o_O

necks-new-jpg.8237
 
My Vela has the Pattern Regular profile. I must say of all the guitars I've owned this neck has taken me the longest to adapt to. It's almost as if I have to think ahead whenever I'm changing the position of my fretting hand. If I don't think ahead then my fingers don't quite land where I want them to due to the narrower string spacing along with the smaller depth of the neck itself. Not always and while it's gotten much better I still have to be careful.

Being said, I tried out some other guitars this past weekend and found some necks that felt "more like home" in my hands. One was an S2 McCarty 594 (Pattern Vintage) and the other was an SE Mira with the Wide Thin profile. Of those two it seemed like I preferred the neck on the Mira with the 594 being a close second. I didn't have to "think ahead" with those like I do with the Vela. The wider string spacing felt more user friendly in my hands. I could be wrong, but both of those necks felt like they had a bit more depth than the Vela. If so then I find that to be more comfortable.

I asked this before on this forum. How does PRS determine what neck shape goes with what guitar? Really curious about this.

Hate to say it, but I also tried out a Gibson Tribute SG and that neck felt very, very good in my hands. A little different than the PRS necks but just as comfortable on its own. No "thinking ahead" on this one either.

I dunno. I love the tone from my Vela but I sure seem to feel more at home with a neck that's wider and deeper to a point.
 
And I love the neck on my vela and thought this entire time it was a pattern, not pattern regular. Nomenclature is so confusing. They tried to make it easier but I think all they did was complicate it. Least my small brain anyhow.
It really might be better if PRS simply renamed the necks to reduce confusion. What'd be wrong with 'Regular', 'Thin', 'Pattern', 'DGT' and '594'?

Seems to me that would be a lot easier for guitar players to understand.

"You said 'guitar players'. What about keyboard players who double on guitar? You're one of them. Is it only guitar players who are incapable of understanding such basic technical details?"

"Well, there are always bass players."

"Drummers?"

"I'm not going there. Drummers are the salt of the Earth, and besides, it's hard to find a great drummer."

"Seems like you're guilty of stereotyping."

"Oh, I'm guilty of lots of things you don't want to know about. I'm on the highway to hell. But is unfairly stereotyping guitar and bass players even possible?"
 
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