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Features
| Neck Radius | Neck Shape | Pickups | Weight |
What is the neck radius? Guitar fret boards have a slight curvature to them, like a violin fret board.
If you could draw a line to extend the curvature of a guitar fret board, it would make a complete circle, with a diameter and radius you could measure. This is the fretboard radius and it is usually expressed in inches.
Electric guitars from the 50's and 60's often had a fret board radius of 7.25". Modern American electrics more often have a fret board radius of 9.50", 10" or 12" (flatter).
Korean and other off-shore produced electric guitars tend to have an even flatter radius of 14" - 16".
A curvy fret board (7.25") radius will be a bit easier for playing difficult chords. A flatter radius is better suited to playing solos.
. .The neck shape of an electric guitar affects ease of playing the guitar. A very flat neck can cause soreness and hand fatigue for a player with large hands. However, a guitar with a flat neck is generally considered to be a "faster" playing guitar.
Vintage electric guitar necks sometimes had a "boat hull" shape. This is generally better preferred by self taught ("thumb over" barre chords) guitar players. A few modern electrics have asymmetrical necks that are fatter on the thumb side.
In general, neck shape comes down to personal preference.
. .Some electric guitar pickups have 2 magnets, each with their own wire wrapping. These double coil pickups are then wired in parallel, to reduce overall hum ("humbucking"). A drawback of this design is that some of the highs are lost (less trebly sounding).
The first humbucking pickups were introduced by Gibson in 1957.
.Some guitars have one pickup, some have 2, and some have 3 pickups. In general more pickups means a greater variety of sounds.
A pickup located close to the bridge will tend to have a bright (trebly) sound. Conversely a pickup located near the neck of the guitar will have a mellower, rounded sound. Many jazz guitarists use the neck pickup exclusively, whereas rock guitarists are more likely to use the bridge pickup for its more aggressive sound.
Two of the most popular electric guitar designs are the Fender Stratocaster, and the Gibson Les Paul.
The Stratocaster has 3 pickups, and the controls include a knife switch to select the desired pickup. Depending upon the year of manufacture, a Stratocaster will have a single volume control, and 2 tone controls (for 2 of the 3 pickups).
The Les Paul traditionally has 2 pickups, with a separate volume and tone control for each pickup.
. .A "light" electric guitar weighs approximately 8 pounds or less. A "heavy" electric guitar weighs approximately 10 pounds or more. The difference is due to the type of wood used, and the size and shape of the guitar body.
Two identical guitars will have different weights, because wood is a natural product that varies from piece to piece.
If you are in a band, the weight of a guitar may influence your purchase decision because standing up while playing a heavy guitar for a few sets can get physically tiring.
Seymour Duncan Humbucking Pickup