Pattern family or WF/WT carves?

[blaren]

I own two older PRSs. A '94 CE24 with of course the WT neck and an '03 McSoapy Standard with, again of course, a WF neck.
I much prefer the WT. In fact, I barely played the McSoapy because (mostly) of the neck. I decided to delegate it to being my open G slide machine. Raised the action and it's KILLER!!

In 2011 I got a new PRS Studio with the Pattern Thin neck carve. I love that guitar. The neck is great...but I still prefer the old WT. Well...the neck on my CE is maybe a little TOO thin? Or too damned LONG? Probably a combination of those and the small heel...and the fact that I have about as much finesse as a Samsonite Gorilla cause when I squeeze it it is all over the place. I can't/couldnt use that guitar to record rhythm tracks on our album cause I squeeze, pull and push and twist the neck too much for it to play chords in perfect tune. I used it for solos and the McSoap (before it was my slide rig) handled ALL the rhythm duties.

The Studio's 22fret PT neck is stable but feels to be, at least to me...lands somewhere in between he old WT & WF carves.

A couple weeks ago I was shopping for (and bought) a new SE. I didnt realize that they were still using the WF and WT carves. I bought a Tremonti SE Custom with WT neck and...WOOHOO!!!
Man I LOVE the WT carves. I wish the USA models still came with the availability of the old carves :-(

How about all you guys? And girls.
Of those of you who have owned or who own the old carves and the new Patterns, which do you prefer?

Put me down as a lifer for the WT carve.

 

[veinbuster]

I have a bit of a wide fat bias, but am liking the pattern a bit more as the days go by.

 

[bretwomack]

I have a Tremonti SE with a WF neck, Tremonti SE Custom with WT, and USA Tremonti with PT - so a pretty good selection of carves. And I GREATLY prefer the pattern thin, sitting in the middle of the other two. So comfortable to me for chords, shred, and bluesy bends.

 

[watelessness]

WF or DGT carves greatly preferred.

 

[Whitecat]

Prefer Pattern to W/F. Had Starlas with both, and the Wide/Fat was a bit, well, fatter. Not a tonne, but enough that I noticed. Some guys would probably really like that.

Although my current Starla has a rosewood neck, so the feel is entirely different anyway!

 

[Boogie]

I'm probably the weird bird on this topic, but I don't have a severe preference. To me, some guitars need a certain carve to be true to their legacy and it wouldn't feel right any different...like the Cu24 and WT. A recent spin around the block with a pattern neck did raise my eyebrows, though. It was soooo comfortable. The SE One wouldn't feel right with anything but a WF neck. And the DGT is such a perfect instrument, I'd never change a thing. So, I'm not partial to a particular neck carve but more particular to the right carve for a given guitar.

 

[vchizzle]

I like WF best. I have zero problems with pattern necks though.

 

[Chris528]

Out of my five SEs I have 4 wide fat & only 1 wide thin. I have large hands and prefer the wide fat, but have no issues with the wide thin either.

 

[justmund]

I'm with Boogie, I get along with all carves (haven't tried PT) and depends on the guitar. If I had to choose it would be Regular D and the old 513.

 

[blaren]

Wow. So clearly the WT carve is the least popular (among those who replied at least).
For me it's AWESOME and fits me like a GLOVE.
I was SO happy when I picked-up the Tremonti SE Custom and felt it's neck. I actually was unaware that the old carves were still available/being made until I played it. I had to ask if it was pattern thin cause my Studio's PT neck feels a lot less thin and wide. I knew it couldnt be Pattern or Pattern regular. I thought...man, I was under the impression that the Pattern family was supposed to be super consistent. Thought that was the REASON for making the Pattern family. The Tremonti's PT neck sure wasnt consistent with my Studio's PT neck.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...Really? WT? They still make them? AWESOME!!

7 more sleeps!!

 

[11top]

I've grown to like the pattern as much as wide fat. Don't care for W/T or "regular."

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

I've grown to like the pattern as much as wide fat. Don't care for W/T or "regular."

To quote the King of Hippie Sandwiches, "Wide/Thin should be illegal."

 

[11top]

To quote the King of Hippie Sandwiches, "Wide/Thin should be illegal."

To quote a great philosopher of our time......"ya mon."

 

[intothevoid]

For those of you with some experience - can you tell me how a Pattern neck compares to Gibsons' Les Paul 50s and 60s necks? Does it come somewhere in the middle or is it closer to the 50s thickness?

 

[]-[@n$0Ma☩!©]

To quote a great philosopher of our time......"ya mon."

The dude was East Indian, not Jamaican. :rofl:

 

[bluefade]

Wow. So clearly the WT carve is the least popular (among those who replied at least).
For me it's AWESOME and fits me like a GLOVE.
I was SO happy when I picked-up the Tremonti SE Custom and felt it's neck. I actually was unaware that the old carves were still available/being made until I played it. I had to ask if it was pattern thin cause my Studio's PT neck feels a lot less thin and wide. I knew it couldnt be Pattern or Pattern regular. I thought...man, I was under the impression that the Pattern family was supposed to be super consistent. Thought that was the REASON for making the Pattern family. The Tremonti's PT neck sure wasnt consistent with my Studio's PT neck.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...Really? WT? They still make them? AWESOME!!

7 more sleeps!!

My custom 24 private stock,located at wild west guitars web site, under the private stock sold section,#2675 has a wide thin neck carve. It's SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not the neck in the hand,rather the hand on the neck......

 

[gush]

My McCarty has WF neck and I really like that. I wish all three of my prs guitars had that carve.

 

[Gibson67v]

I love the Wide Fat neck... I have 5 US PRS with that particular neck, however, my Custom 24 has Patter Regular and it feels more like 'Home' than any of them... they are extremely similar!

 

[watelessness]

W/F or DGT carves, please. the pattern carve is just not deep enough for the way i grip.

 

[jfb]

Wide Fat.