Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: eighteen-0-nine on December 03, 2011, 04:20:40 PM
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This is just a curious question I thought I would ask.
With many Bolt-On guitars, you get all sorts of different types of heels.
Now, something like an rounded Ibanez heel obviously makes it more comfortable to reach the higher frets, compared to something like the square Fender heel.
But for the people who play Strat type guitars (Warmoth guitars for e.g.), do you really find it that hard to play the higher frets of a Strat style heel in the first place?
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Remember Ibanez guitars with the AANJ generally have 24 frets.
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Remember Ibanez guitars with the AANJ generally have 24 frets.
That's true. I meant just generally, what do people think about the square neck heel for upper fret access? Been thinking of making an Andy Timmons clone from Ibanez, and just wanted to know the upper fret access :)
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Remember Ibanez guitars with the AANJ generally have 24 frets.
pretty much hit the nail on the head. i have no trouble hitting the top fret on vintage style strats and teles (i.e. 21 frets), but even with 22 frets (assuming the neck is attached at the same fret) it starts to get iffy. with 24 i'm in serious trouble :lol:
EDIT: just to clarify, that's my own personal opinion, you'll get plenty of people saying that it doesn't affect them even with 22- and 24-fret necks.
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I think the heel's there for a reason. It's to dissuade people from soloing too much. I see this as a good thing.
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Nope, doesn't bother me. And I have average to small hands.
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Nope, doesn't bother me. And I have average to small hands.
That's good to hear then, as mine are small haha. I'll order my Warmoth this Friday in that case. Might have a few tries out of Strats in the local music store too. Just wanted to see your opinions as well. Cheers again :)
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I think the only discomfort with the Fender neck heel isn't due to the thickness, it's the sharp "corner" of the heel. I like the rounded heel Fender use on their Deluxe models:
(http://www.sonic.net/craigw/images/Strat_MS4.jpg)
If you're ordering from Warmoth, you can always get the Contoured Heel option. Still uses a normal neck plate, but angled so the corner's less thick and sharp.
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I think the heel's there for a reason. It's to dissuade people from soloing too much. I see this as a good thing.
i see it as a bad thing :lol:
plus i mean it only stops you hitting the top few frets. most solos i'm round the 12th fret anyway, so it's not like it's preventing that :lol:
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Standard Strat heel is fine for me, but I don't go very high up the neck much
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On strat's and tele's you have to work a bit more. A contoured heel allows better playability high on the neck.
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For $35 Warmoth do a very nice contoured heel.
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For $35 Warmoth do a very nice contoured heel.
Yeah I've seen that. Do you know (or anyone in that matter) how much this improves the ability to access the upper frets?
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For $35 Warmoth do a very nice contoured heel.
Yeah I've seen that. Do you know (or anyone in that matter) how much this improves the ability to access the upper frets?
It works, because it removes some wood in the right place to reduce the bulk of the heel.
But it's not a massive improvement. And you have to be careful to use different-length screws because the heel now varies in thickness!
When I buy Warmoth bodies I'm happy with the normal heel.
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I'd imagine though Philly you're not doing 3 note per string sweeps at the dusty end ;)
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For $35 Warmoth do a very nice contoured heel.
Yeah I've seen that. Do you know (or anyone in that matter) how much this improves the ability to access the upper frets?
It works, because it removes some wood in the right place to reduce the bulk of the heel.
But it's not a massive improvement. And you have to be careful to use different-length screws because the heel now varies in thickness!
When I buy Warmoth bodies I'm happy with the normal heel.
Thanks very much for your advice :) I just wondered also - How is the wood quality from Warmoth? As in if you bought a cheap Alder or Basswood guitar, how would the quality/sound compare to Warmoths woods?
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I'd imagine though Philly you're not doing 3 note per string sweeps at the dusty end ;)
:lol: :lol:
Sweeps?
You've got me sussed, haven't you!
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Thanks very much for your advice :) I just wondered also - How is the wood quality from Warmoth? As in if you bought a cheap Alder or Basswood guitar, how would the quality/sound compare to Warmoths woods?
Warmoth's wood selection is exemplary. No body will ever be more than three pieces - and they usually only use three pieces for the backs of hollow bodies with a cap on the front. If it's two-piece (as most are) it'll be centre joined and you'll barely be able to see the joins (compare that with an ash-bodied Fender!!)
Does that mean they sound better? Not necessarily. That's down to personal opinion and a large helping of luck.
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I'd imagine though Philly you're not doing 3 note per string sweeps at the dusty end ;)
how do you do 3 note per string sweeps? :P
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I'd imagine though Philly you're not doing 3 note per string sweeps at the dusty end ;)
how do you do 3 note per string sweeps? :P
+1
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just messing, i just thought it was funny :lol:
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Search me, I was just trying to think of the sort of things my shredder mate would say :lol:
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:lol:
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how do you do 3 note per string sweeps? :P
Severe danger of exposing my ignorance here, but...... :oops:
It is possible isn't it? Picking in one direction across the strings and hammering three notes per string?
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that's what I thought...... As I can barely do a regular 3 string sweep I'm not really the person to ask though.
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wouldn't that be more called economy picking?
:?
I dunno, I'd thought of that and figured it'd more be called economy picking. Plus it meant i couldn't make the cheap joke, so i discounted it :lol:
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wouldn't that be more called economy picking?
:?
I dunno, I'd thought of that and figured it'd more be called economy picking. Plus it meant i couldn't make the cheap joke, so i discounted it :lol:
Yeah, maybe. I was thinking about Frank Gambale, wasn't he the king of that stuff? Perhaps he did call it economy picking.
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no idea :lol: