Neck Shape Dilema...need help and advice

[Bassmunnky]

Hey all...

Well, You may recall I snapped the neck off my bass some time ago.

I brought it to David Gage for a complete neck replacement... a hell of a guy and I went to try it out what he had done so far.

Well, the neck profile was HUGE. No shapping done whatsoever. It sure sounded great though.

At this point I got a bit confused, as my original broken neck was a very comfortable to play. Now I am starting from scratch with a new neck and have to tell David what dimensions I prefer.

Since I don't break bass necks EVERYDAY and have them replaced, have any of you gone through the process of having a new neck shaped?

I did try about 10 basses in the shop and we came up with something close as a template...but it's not perfect if you know what I mean. Kind of like going from a 75 jazz neck profile to a 51 precision profile.

What struck me is that EVERY single bass had a completely different feel.

I figure this will be a process of try it and re-do...

I appreciate any words of wisdom as this is costing a small fortune to repair.

Thanks
M

[toman]

I feel that bigger is better, and while it may be daunting at first, you'll grow into it, what with muscles and everything. I like a big, chunky, square neck, that's kind of flat on the back. I feel that a neck that has a more oval profile and gives less "platform" for the thumb induces more fatigue. The narrower, slimmer necks feel better when you're playing a bunch of basses side by side, but in the long run, I don't think they're the way to go.

[Jake]

I've heard that bigger necks are more stable and move less than thin ones, pretty obvious I guess. I have also heard from a famous bow maker who also works on violin family instruments that it doesn't matter as much how big the neck is if it has a thick fingerboard. He said the neck gets it's strenth from the ebony. Mr. Schnitzer or Jeff Bollbach (or anyone else who really knows what they're talking about), please correct me if this is not true.

[arnoldschnitzer]

Originally Posted by Bassmunnky

I did try about 10 basses in the shop and we came up with something close as a template...but it's not perfect if you know what I mean.
M

I think you are on the right track. Ask him to take profiles from a neck in the shop you like, then carve your new neck into that shape. When you try it out, keep in mind it will feel better when completely sanded and finished. You'll get used to it in no time. For those of you anticipating having your bass re-necked; if you love the way your current neck feels, ask to have it duplicated.

[Bassmunnky]

Thanks All.

Arnold, I called David and that's exactly what we are going to to...use the old neck as a model. The fingerboard is a very nice thick hunk of ebony, so the stiffness should be a non-issue..

Thank you again.