opinions on fatback contour

[WarmothRules]

Does anyone have this contour? What do you think of it? I've been itching to build a tele and just bought a peavey reactor awhile back which has an extremely fat neck 12 inch radius and low wide frets. This neck feels ultra comfortable to me. It's much fatter than any strat or les paul.

 

[Cagey]

I don't have a neck like that, but if I did, it would be on eBay tout de' suite. Not that it's a Bad Thing, just to say that everybody has their own idea of what a "great" neck feels like. If that design is "ultra comfortable" to you, then that's the way you should go.

As for whether a Fatback would feel that way, it's tough to say. The Fatback is a neck contour, not a width. It'll feel thicker, like an old Les Paul or Melody Maker. If you want a wider (fatter) neck, then specify a 1 3/4" or 1 7/8" nut width. Get both, and it'll feel like you're playing a baseball bat. As for flat/wide frets, that would be their 6130 frets, although they don't offer that fret size in stainless so you lose out there.

 

[swarfrat]

I like my fatbacks, but... it's a bit unusual. Perhaps the most unusual aspect for me was the lack of taper, not the thickness. It's odd feeling, and doesn't seem like it should be enough to matter, but that was the oddest thing for me.

 

[fdesalvo]

I've got fairly large hands and this is a BEASTLY contour.  Comfy for chords, but I played mainly leads, so this was a fatiguing profile for me.  I'd be tempted to try to boat if I was looking for lumber.

 

[musicispeace]

Ah, I'd like to be able to answer you but I am about two weeks out from getting a roasted maple fatback from Warmoth. I'm rather curious myself and decided to roll the dice since I REALLY like the boatneck I got last year. It took me some time to try the boatneck but I loved it right away. I think I have have a bit of room yet in the hand to try the fatback. My concern is that the more rounded, no shoulder shape of it may be a bridge too far but it may just fill out the hand a bit further and work for me. I did order it with a 1 5/8 nut width figuring fatter and a bit narrower was the answer for me.

One thing that helped me decide was getting my hands on a Nash at a local shop with his boatneck and the shop swears they had a fat back from him at one point that I remember. Nash does not formally do fatbacks but, like Leo's outfit back in the day, one may turn out that way here and there. I liked it too if but remember that one Nash I picked up to play there that had an almighty big piece of timber. I'll PM you when my neck comes in and give you my initial impressions. As said, the boat neck I have is comfortingly solid to grab a hold of and should be VERY solid over time. Tone wise I need to get out and playing with some folks to form an opinion but no complaints from the woodshed so far on tone with chunky necks.

 

[frown]

I've got four Fatbacks from Warmoth now and love them. I have larger than average hands and having them filled when playing is noticeably more comfortable than playing on a smaller, thinner neck. There's a robustness and solidity which I much prefer and physically less bridging and arching of thumb to reach chords by being able to grip the fuller shape feels like less work.

It started when I tried one for my first Warmoth build [my Pau Ferro T Style] and have since been converted after discovering I play more aggressively by digging in even more pick wise than before and wrangling out bends and vibrato which sounds better to me, than the dainty feather like approach I feel compelled to take when I pick up my skinny necked Carvin [so I don't snap that lovely piece of Koa it's made from].

I have other guitars with various profiles and as a result of now favouring the larger girth, I am now moving some on based on their profiles - it feels like I'm going to snap them after playing my fatties and as a result aren't getting played the same way.

I'd say try one out - you can always shave it down / swap it out being a bolt on if it doesn't feel right to you.

 

[WarmothRules]

Thanks for the responses ccasion14: If you could pm me musicispeace when you get your fatback that would be great. I'm leaning on going with the roasted maple also.

 

[frown]

Good choice with roasted maple.  :icon_thumright:

Here's my quartersawn roasted maple fatback - hope it confirms you're making the right decision:

 

[musicispeace]

Thanks for the responses ccasion14: If you could pm me musicispeace when you get your fatback that would be great. I'm leaning on going with the roasted maple also.

Will do. I should have it by the end of the month.

 

[rapfohl09]

I have a neck with the fatback contour and while I don't find it uncomfortable to play, I just didn't mesh with it very much at all. It makes my Gibson SG's neck profile look like a toothpick, it is just DAMN thick. I think with the modern trend of going to very thin necks, it just took me by surprise and I didn't play it enough to really get over it.

Not bad, just not my thing.

If you are interested, I would get rid of that neck for VERY cheap, especially if you didn't want the tuners. It would be an easy way to try it out and know for sure if you would like it or not. Shoot me a PM if you want the specs and stuff.

 

[TBurst Std]

If you are thinking fatback, also think boatneck

 

[Strat Avenger]

Why not just get a Louisville Slugger and attach some strings to it?

 

[swarfrat]

Because Warmoth doesn't offer them with stainless steel frets.

 

[WarmothRules]

Why not just get a Louisville Slugger and attach some strings to it?

That would be awesome!

 

[swarfrat]

It would be a great 12th fret inlay for a fatback.