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'62 Les Paul/SG Neck Specs

Mustang Martigan

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Jun 27, 2017
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A while back I played a '61 or '62 Les Paul/SG and it had the most comfortable neck I've ever used. It was significantly skinnier than the LP or SG I'm familiar with. Does anyone know the specs on it? Radius, Shape, etc. I'm putting together a custom guitar and would like to mirror that neck.

Thanks.
 
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fernieite

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Sorry to say, but it's practically impossible to give you any definite answer on this one.

Gibson necks were all hand shaped and unique. Sure, many 61/62 SG necks were fairly slim at the 1st few frets (.08" at 1st fret maybe?) and thicker above that. However, not all were slim.

The width would be 1 11/16" at the nut, and the radius would be 10 or 12"... After that, your guess is as good as mine!

Probably the best thing you could do is find a guitar with a neck that you really like, and take some precise measurements.
 

Mustang Martigan

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Sorry to say, but it's practically impossible to give you any definite answer on this one.

Gibson necks were all hand shaped and unique. Sure, many 61/62 SG necks were fairly slim at the 1st few frets (.08" at 1st fret maybe?) and thicker above that. However, not all were slim.

The width would be 1 11/16" at the nut, and the radius would be 10 or 12"... After that, your guess is as good as mine!

Probably the best thing you could do is find a guitar with a neck that you really like, and take some precise measurements.

I was reading that most would end up snapping, so maybe it's not the most practical design to copy. Thanks tho.
 

Guitar Whiskey

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My 1963 SG LP Std measures .805" at 1st fret; .899" at 5th fret; .942" at 7th fret; .978" at 12th fret.
Even though this sounds thin at the nut, it quickly becomes full feeling by the 5th fret. Very comfortable and I'm used to big necks.
I think the somewhat wide nut gives it an overall feeling of being bigger than it is.
Nut width 1.702"; width at 12th fret 2.162".
Fretboard has never been touched.
I would describe neck profile as a full "C".


4Ze9MVc.jpg
 
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Triburst

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I have ‘62 Reissue SG. I know what you mean about the neck, because I haven’t seen another Gibson like it.
It’s a wide, flattened “D” shape, and not fat at all. The thickness (much like my 68 LP Custom RI) doesn’t vary much in thickness from the 1st fret to the 12th. It has become one of my favorite guitars.
 

Guitar Whiskey

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My 1963 SG LP Std is as follows:
1st fret .805"; 5th fret .942"; 7th fret .955"; 12th fret .989".
Nut width 1.702"; 12th fret width 2.162"
Fret board has not been touched.
Neck profile is a full "C" shape.
The neck feels bigger than you would think based on how thin it is at the first fret I believe because the neck is wider than typical.
Very comfortable to play even though I usually favor generous sized necks.
This neck has never snapped! It's as good as the day it was built.

<a href="https://imgur.com/4Ze9MVc"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/4Ze9MVc.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>
 
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fernieite

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Man, that's gorgeous! :hank

My early 1963 Les Paul Junior (SG) has a great feeling neck as well.
The neck shape is very nice. It has the following measurements - 1st fret .80" / 3rd .84 / 5th .88 / 7th .92 / 9th .96 / 12th 1.01 / 15th 1.04 / 17th 1.06. I like the feel - it's just right.

No snapped neck here either... :rolleyes:

 

Guitar Whiskey

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Sorry guys but I incorrectly listed the year on my earlier post. This guitar is a 1963; not a 1961. I'll update the post.
 

Mustang Martigan

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My 1963 SG LP Std is as follows:
1st fret .805"; 5th fret .942"; 7th fret .955"; 12th fret .989".
Nut width 1.702"; 12th fret width 2.162"
Fret board has not been touched.
Neck profile is a full "C" shape.
The neck feels bigger than you would think based on how thin it is at the first fret I believe because the neck is wider than typical.
Very comfortable to play even though I usually favor generous sized necks.
This neck has never snapped! It's as good as the day it was built.

Whoa, that is a sexy ass guitar.

The only spec you listed that seems the same as the '62 I mentioned in the OP would be the .805" at the 1st fret. I also would have guessed that the one I played had a 1 9/16" nut width, like some other early Gibsons.

Does anyone know how many different LP/SG reissues there have been over the years and which havd the smallest necks?

Thanks.
 

Guitar Whiskey

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Well the '62 should have had a 1-11/16" nut. It also had a thinner neck at the 12th fret than a '63. The nut width didn't change until part way through 1965 when it was narrowed to 1-5/8" as I recall. Probably the smallest (thinnest) necks were on the 1961-1962 models.

Here are the production numbers; http://www.nysse.com/Gibsonshipp.html.
 

Mustang Martigan

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Well the '62 should have had a 1-11/16" nut. It also had a thinner neck at the 12th fret than a '63. The nut width didn't change until part way through 1965 when it was narrowed to 1-5/8" as I recall. Probably the smallest (thinnest) necks were on the 1961-1962 models.

Here are the production numbers; http://www.nysse.com/Gibsonshipp.html.

After my last post I stumbled onto a post about Gibson's 1 9/16" nut width period. I think they started popping up in '65 and ended early into the '70s.

I'll never be able to afford an orig Gibson from this period, so I'm trying to find out if there's a Reissue list that has all the models they've put put over the years along with specs

Oh ya, I started to.wonder if the SG I fell in love with was a later model w the 1 9/6" nut. The one cosmetic thing I remember that could help date it was a chrome or silver bar that went over the strings. It seemed like one the dummest pieces of guitar hardware I had ever seen; it really threw a wrench into my strum right hand movements.
 

DaveSG

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Apr 16, 2007
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A while back I played a '61 or '62 Les Paul/SG and it had the most comfortable neck I've ever used. It was significantly skinnier than the LP or SG I'm familiar with. Does anyone know the specs on it? Radius, Shape, etc. I'm putting together a custom guitar and would like to mirror that neck.

Thanks.

Is there a way for you to either grab a picture or get in contact with either the owner or the shop where you played it to ask about dates? Do you still have access to the guitar and can bring a caliper? I can't really think of a factory tailpiece that would be over the strings, except for maybe part of a bigsby, but that is pretty out of the way of playing. I don't know if any SGs 1960-1970 came with a factory stop tailpiece, so were talking the sideways, the short vibrola, the maestro vibrola, a wrap, and in some limited cases, a bigsby.
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
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After my last post I stumbled onto a post about Gibson's 1 9/16" nut width period. I think they started popping up in '65 and ended early into the '70s.

I'll never be able to afford an orig Gibson from this period, so I'm trying to find out if there's a Reissue list that has all the models they've put put over the years along with specs

Oh ya, I started to.wonder if the SG I fell in love with was a later model w the 1 9/6" nut. The one cosmetic thing I remember that could help date it was a chrome or silver bar that went over the strings. It seemed like one the dummest pieces of guitar hardware I had ever seen; it really threw a wrench into my strum right hand movements.

You had a 70's SG there. I had one back then. Glitzy looking with chrome rings around the single coils?

As far as never affording an old one...

GC. 62 marked as 63. Best sounding P90 EVER.

If I told you how cheap it was you'd cry...

35662964713_479894d710_3k.jpg


36303101392_b321934045_3k.jpg


36303106612_a6bb4172c2_3k.jpg
 
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