Every guitar player is different and so are his/her hands. It is not a “one size fits all” world.  If it were then you wouldn’t be reading this article. The guitar neck is the part of your guitar that projects from the main body and is the part that the guitar player interacts with most. Therefore feel, grip, sheen, finish depth, width, string gauge and fret size all determine comfort and play-ability levels for each player.

The term “neck profile” refers to the shape of the back of a guitar neck in cross section, and it’s often used interchangeably with the term “back shape” of which the “thickness” is an integral part.  I will refer to it simply as “neck shape,” although there are other important neck measurements with which “neck profile” shouldn’t be confused such as; nut width, neck depth and fingerboard radius. The shape of the neck’s bottom cross-section can also vary from a gentle curve to a more pronounced “V”. The top cross section refers to the radius. however there is no one perfect guitar neck shape for everyone.There is one perfect guitar neck shape for YOU.

As a guitar player, comfort, sound, feel, speed, action, fatigue and overall feeling of reliability in the instrument are affected by the neck profile. Because of this there is no perfect guitar neck shape for everyone. Your neck profile should make it easy for you to comfortably reach all the frets. Bottom line: Neck profile and neck width is important; so pay attention to what feels right for you.