wide-thin vs. pattern thin

[xratic]

I own a 25th Anniversary SE Custom 24 and recently purchased a Floyd Rose SE Custom 24. According to the specs, both should have "Wide-Thin" neck profiles; however, they are not the same neck (not a bad thing,though). The 25th Anniversary isn't as wide as the Floyd, but is a little deeper. Why the difference when they're both supposed to be "Wide-Thin"?

I once owned a CE24, but lost it in a marital dispute. I'm now ready to replace it with a Custom 24, but none of my local dealers carry anything above the S2, so I can't get my hands on one to feel how "Patter Thin" compares to what I already own.
(I seem to remember the CE24's "Wide-Thin" being closer to the Floyd SE that I have, rather than the 25th Anniversary SE's "Wide-Thin".)

So the question is, which guitar that I already own is closer to the "Pattern Thin" of a new Custom 24?

PRS....if you're not playing one, you're not really playing...

 

[shinksma]

I own a 25th Anniversary SE Custom 24 and recently purchased a Floyd Rose SE Custom 24. According to the specs, both should have "Wide-Thin" neck profiles; however, they are not the same neck (not a bad thing,though). The 25th Anniversary isn't as wide as the Floyd, but is a little deeper. Why the difference when they're both supposed to be "Wide-Thin"?

In my own experience, there seems to be a bit more variation in final neck profile than you might expect from a so-called CNC-machined guitar - I think the amount of hand sanding that goes into these guitars is more than a token amount, and naturally can affect the final feel. I have a Swamp Ash Special that is supposed to have a Wide Thin neck, but measures closer to a Pattern Regular.

I once owned a CE24, but lost it in a marital dispute. I'm now ready to replace it with a Custom 24, but none of my local dealers carry anything above the S2, so I can't get my hands on one to feel how "Patter Thin" compares to what I already own.
(I seem to remember the CE24's "Wide-Thin" being closer to the Floyd SE that I have, rather than the 25th Anniversary SE's "Wide-Thin".)

So the question is, which guitar that I already own is closer to the "Pattern Thin" of a new Custom 24?

I can't say with any certainty - one could be wider than spec and the other right on the spec measurement, or one could be right on and the other "less wide".

Do you have access to engineering calipers? That gives you the most accurate measurements.

The only PRSi I have with "Wide Thin" neck profiles are my 2002 CU24 and my SE-7, and oddly enough the SE-7 has a wider neck than most other PRSi.

Everything else I have has a Wide-Fat neck (SE Akerfeldt, SE ZM, HB), or the Pattern Regular of the P24, plus the unique neck carve of the SE MM baritone, and of course the aforementioned SAS. And my PRS acoustic (SE Angelus) has what is pretty well a wide-fat neck.

Which is weird, because when I got my CU24 I thought the Wide Thin neck was so fantastic I couldn't imagine going with anything else, yet here I am...

Maybe someone else can comment as to whether the current crop of SE CU24s with their Wide-Thin necks are truly essentially the same as current Core CU24s (with Pattern Thin necks - the other choice is Pattern Regular, which I have on my P24 and it feels quite nice!)

 

[CoreyT]

I own a 2012 SE Custom 24 and a 2012 SE Tremonti Custom with the Wide/Thin necks.
And I own a 2013 Core 408 with Pattern Thin.

The 408 neck is fatter, I actually prefer the thinner SE necks over it, but of course prefer the wood, ergonomics, and electronics better on the 408.
I just find it easier to play the SE Wide/Thin necks.

 

[xratic]

Amazing what a set of decent set of calipers and a printer's rule will tell you. Discovered that (contrary to advertised specs) my 25th Anniversary SE Custom 24 has a "Pattern" neck, rather than the "wide-thin" in the specs. My SE Custom 24 Floyd measures out at the "wide-thin" specs. Now I know which one I want in the Custom 24.
Yipppeeee!!!!

 

[Whitecat]

"Pattern" of course did not exist during that model year, so what you have is some serious sample variation that's seredipitously informed your next purchase. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[xratic]

....or as the late Yogi Berra might have said:
"A neck with those measurements by any name, is still a neck with those measurements....?"

 

[xratic]

Think I'm going with pattern regular.

 

[shinksma]

Amazing what a set of decent set of calipers and a printer's rule will tell you. Discovered that (contrary to advertised specs) my 25th Anniversary SE Custom 24 has a "Pattern" neck, rather than the "wide-thin" in the specs. My SE Custom 24 Floyd measures out at the "wide-thin" specs. Now I know which one I want in the Custom 24.
Yipppeeee!!!!

Think I'm going with pattern regular.

Bolding my emphasis. Just in case you have confused the terms...

Pattern is not the same as Pattern Regular

Pattern is akin to the Wide-Fat necks

Pattern Regular is narrow than either the Wide-Fat or Wide-Thin, but has a chunkiness to it similar to a Wide-Fat

So if you meant to say you 25th anniv SE CU24 has a Pattern Regular neck, and that is the profile you would like to have on a Core CU24, then that makes sense.

And I agree - an SE from that era (or any era?) with a "Pattern Regular" neck would be an odd bird indeed. I suppose it could have a Wide-Fat neck (= Pattern), even if not meant for that model, because it has appeared on some SEs, and maybe the wrong neck profile got mounted on that body?

So clarification of your statement regarding actual measurement would be useful.

 

[xratic]

Agreed, Shink. I meant to say "Pattern Regular" instead of just "Pattern" on the 25th Ann SE. So to clarify without muddying the water with neck names, the SE Custom 24 25th Anniversary:
1 21/32" at nut
2 1/4" at body
27/32" depth at nut ......not the "Wide Thin" as it was advertised.

... and the SE Custom 24 Floyd:
1 11/16" at nut
2 1/4" at body
25/32" depth at nut..... "Wide Thin" as advertised.

Returning to my original issue, BOTH necks are supposed to be the same (according to PRS's specs) and they aren't. That's where my confusion came from. PRS threw me a "production" curve on the 25th SE Ann with a different neck. I needed to define which was which, based on 2015 PRS specs/measurements/names to determine the purchase of a core model.

Thanks for the catch!