the thinner neck on my Custom is making my hand hurt

Patrick Ginnaty · Apr 11, 2010

at practice yesterday I found that playing my '87 Custom makes my hand tired and it starts to ache. Playing my R8 doesn't have the same effect.

Anyone else have the same problem?

timmy 2 tone · Apr 11, 2010

My 57 black beauty custom has a pretty beefy neck, but my es-137 classic has more of a thin neck and my hand cramps up. Thats was one reason I got rid of the GO RO 60, neck to thin. So I know what you mean. I love the sound of the hollowbody, but I'd be lucky to make It through a set with It.
:salude

billd13 · Apr 11, 2010

My 82 Std Limited Edition is only .80 thick compared to my R7BB's and R4BB being .91 or larger and it doesn't bother me at all. In fact I find that I can play some things easier on the 82 than on the others. It is noticable though. Got to be something in the positioning of our hands on the neck that makes a difference.

Patrick Ginnaty · Apr 11, 2010

My hand doesn't cramp up on my '63 ES-335, which has an even thinner neck
but then I don't gig much with the 335, either.

But the Custom... my hand STILL aches. Go figure.

Pearly Grapes · Apr 11, 2010

Thinner necks make my hand cramp after an hour or so. I always felt it's because I strangle the neck rather than play with finesse.

PG

frazettafan · Apr 11, 2010

Surely a fuller neck profile actually supports your hand more?

roycaster · Apr 12, 2010

I found that my playing cleaned up when I switched from a pencil necked SG and moved to a Les Paul, but I’ve never experienced the hand cramps everyone seems to be complaining about. I have tried a few tree trunks over the years, and those if played for any length of time could be felt in my hand.

MikeScalf · Apr 12, 2010

I got rid of my 2001 Classic because of hand cramps. I loved that guitar, but couldn't play it for a whole gig without suffering.

I love the 50's necks on the USA series, but I'm even more in love with my R7 neck.

As much as I'd love to have a Black Custom, I think I'll have to look for a R7 Custom for the neck I love.

SuperReal · Apr 12, 2010

I had a '61 ES 355 that was just a wonderful guitar, and very nice to play despite the thin neck. I had heard that those really thin necks could be hard on the hand, but never experienced it.

Then one night I was doing a gig a gig where I had to play a lot of intense guitar, and during the 4th set my third and fourth fingers locked up! I mean, I could not move the joints. I had to stop and work on my hand to loosen it up, and this happened twice more before the night was over!

I loved that guitar, but by the next week it was gone, replaced by something similar but with a bigger neck. No more problems!

So, for me, the thin neck was just fine for casual playing, but I think it puts the left hand in a position where it's more subject to fatigue after a while.

frazettafan · Apr 12, 2010

SuperReal said:
.... fine for casual playing, but I think it puts the left hand in a position where it's more subject to fatigue after a while.

That's kind of what I meant by a fuller carve 'supporting' the hand.:ganz

cryptozoo · Apr 12, 2010

I don't mind what a lot of people might consider 'small necks,' but they have to be round -- I have trouble playing the flat / thin ones, no matter how wide the neck is at the nut. I've sold several guitars that had flat necks because they wound up fatiguing my hand.

thejaf · Apr 13, 2010

I have the same poblem, but it didn't start until I started playing more rock and blues. I my early life, all I played was metal on an ESP and Jackson Soloist, and I always kept my thumb in a "classical" position for fast runs, but no string bends. Now my playing preference is more laid back, lots of bends, vibrato, etc. My thumb usually wraps up over the neck and I can't play thin necked guitars for more than 30-40 minutes without cramps.

Sixstring7 · Apr 13, 2010

Would stand to reason that this may all come down to hand size. Perhaps there is an ergonomically correct ratio for hand/neck size from which any devitation would cause increased fatique??

zombiwoof · Apr 13, 2010

I used to get the cramps with the slim taper neck on my old '62 RI SG, got rid of it and now have a '92 Standard SG I like much better. No more slim taper for me, they just don't feel right at all.

Also noticed I'd get the cramping when I played my G-tuning Tele, from doing the one-finger barre chords after a while.

Al

-JiiTee- · Apr 13, 2010

I've also experienced the hand cramps with my 60's style neck. It only happens if I play barre chords for too long, so it kinda gives me an excuse to throw some leads every now and then

Triplet · Apr 13, 2010

If I'm doing a lot of chording, particularly bar chords, I'll use the R7. For wanking, I like my 335.

Patrick Ginnaty · Apr 14, 2010

The fat neck on my R8 was jes' perfect last night... no hand cramps.

dwagar · Apr 14, 2010

I think a lot of us (most?) experience this with thin necks. I don't think hand size makes any difference.
My R9 has the beefiest neck of the guitars I own, and it is my favorite, never a cramp. And when it comes time to buy another guitar I'm going to look for an even heavier neck, R7, R8ish size.

studioguy · Apr 14, 2010

I had the same issues with a '91 Classic that I had to sell because of this.

Al Russo · Apr 14, 2010

i have a theory as to why our fretting hands hurt when playing thin neck guitars. If you play with your thumb behind the neck it shouldn't cause any pain. It's players that use the thumb over the top that have pain and cramping issues w/thin necks. I think the reason is that the average size hand is too large for thin necks when u wrap the thumb over it. It forces the curve between the thumb and index finger to move away from the back of the guitar neck. When u do this you force extra stess in the basal joint of the thumb. The basal joint is the base of the thumb. When u use a fat neck the natural curve in the hand will stay closer to if not completely on the back of the neck. This keeps the natural curve of the hand. There is less stress this way. I have a 57 les paul reissue w/a large neck. I don't get much if any discomfort playing it. When i use my 57 reissue strat. I tend to get a bit crampy. Look at your hand when playing a thin neck, you'll see what i mean when i talk about the curve in the fretting hand moving away from the back of the neck. None of this is scientific though, so please take it for what it is. It's just an observation of mine that i've noticed time and time again from playing different size necks. My old guitar teacher, a real shred meister, loves thin necks. He plays w/his thumb behind the neck. I guess shredding requires that style of playing because it allows the finger's to have further reach. I tried to play his guitars, and it is a pain in the hand..literally.

the thinner neck on my Custom is making my hand hurt

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