Acoustics with "electric neck" type feel?

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

A strange question perhaps. I have a Seagull S6, with the wide neck profile, and while it sounds pretty good for the price point, the neck, at times has me 50/50. Not that it's uncomfortable as such, just got me thinking about the electric guitars I have where the necks just always feel a little bit more comfortable.
I know there are Seagulls with narrower neck profiles, so that is one solution to my itch.
I once recored with a bog standard big baby taylor which had a lovely comfortable neck profile. On the other end of the scale I also recorded with a Gibson Hummingbird once upon a time, which also had a really nice neck profile, felt more like an electric guitar type neck. (Are the Epi Hummingbirds using the same profiles, or the many lawsuit/copies of Hummingbirds you see for sale?)
Any other nice neck profiles on a lower to mid end of things price wise?

TheMadMick · January 2021

I have only seriously played acoustics and I've had most any neck profile you care to mention. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the profile on my PRS SE A40. It's the most comfortable and slick playing neck on an acoustic that I've come across.

Jalapeno · January 2021

Taylor are supposed to be the go-to ones for that requirement. Can't confirm as I've never reall played one.

Andy79 · January 2021

What specifically do you mean? Narrow nut? Sharper radius? Slim profile?
The skinniest acoustic neck I played was the Epiphone EL-00. 1 5/8 I think. Obvs mid-late 60s Gibson necks went super skinny but they are clearly not mid priced any more
Hard pushed to find anything narrower than 11/16 with a steeper radius than 12” these days I’d say

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

Andy79 said:

What specifically do you mean? Narrow nut? Sharper radius? Slim profile?
The skinniest acoustic neck I played was the Epiphone EL-00. 1 5/8 I think. Obvs mid-late 60s Gibson necks went super skinny but they are clearly not mid priced any more
Hard pushed to find anything narrower than 11/16 with a steeper radius than 12” these days I’d say

I would think a slim profile or narrower nut. e.g. I notice it's easier to fret some chords on the electric higher up the neck than on the acoustic, but again, that could be down to the Seagull S6 profile, and most other guitars might be that bit narrower.
I had a cheapo Crafter which had a narrower neck but chunky at the same time, if that makes sense...

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

TheMadMick said:

I have only seriously played acoustics and I've had most any neck profile you care to mention. However, I was very pleasantly surprised by the profile on my PRS SE A40. It's the most comfortable and slick playing neck on an acoustic that I've come across.

Never knew PRS made acoustics. Shame on me!

ToneControl · January 2021

are you going to play through the pickups mostly?

If so, you can try to find a very stable neck, probably like a Taylor, and use very light strings with the action very low
Not advisable to drop gauge and tension if you want to just play normally though

Richardrichard · January 2021

I've recently picked up a used Faith Venus Hi Gloss and the neck is very electric feeling. When I got it the action was too high so I attacked the saddle with sandpaper. Despite measuring and drawing a pencil line I must have ballsed it up (or something under the saddle has fallen out and got lost) because it now sits incredibly low and at a bit of an angle so action is higher at the bass strings and tapers down to be just staggeringly low at the high E.

However, by some miracle the thing now plays like a dream, despite being on 12's it plays like an electric on 10's and doesn't fret/choke out anywhere, and no buzz. I have no idea how but it's a revelation.

Pic to demonstrate.

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

Should have mentioned that I currently use light gauge strings on the Seagull and while I have a pickup in the soundhole, I play mainly at home these days, and will most likely for the rest of 2021!

Schnozz · January 2021

Yamaha and Guild Acoustics feel like a Les Paul to me.

CarpeDiem · January 2021

I'd suggest Auden or Taylor. My understanding is that Auden's necks are designed to appeal to electric guitar players.

Davy · January 2021

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Brook. My Taw is probably the easiest playing acoustic you'll ever lay hands on. The neck is nice and slim and the action is ridiculously low and light and yet the strings don't give so much as a buzz, even when you lay into it. I've played some Taylors and, while they were great to play, I'd say the Brook is even easier to play again. I'm really not sure how they do it. I prefer wider nuts and bridge spacing lately but if an electric type of experience is what you're after give some Brooks a spin.

Benm39 · January 2021

I was thinking of doing same @Davy , my Brook Taw likewise has a ridiculously playable neck, albeit I don't know whether they would fit the OP request re low to mid end of market...

Andy79 · January 2021

Davy said:

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Brook. My Taw is probably the easiest playing acoustic you'll ever lay hands on. The neck is nice and slim and the action is ridiculously low and light and yet the strings don't give so much as a buzz, even when you lay into it. I've played some Taylors and, while they were great to play, I'd say the Brook is even easier to play again. I'm really not sure how they do it. I prefer wider nuts and bridge spacing lately but if an electric type of experience is what you're after give some Brooks a spin.

Good call!

richman6100 · January 2021

I happened to have a bash on all three of my acoustics this evening and I was thinking about neck dimensions as I did. Two Audens (parlour and dreadnought) and a Furch (grand auditorium). The Furch has a 45mm nut and feels quite wide after playing my electric guitars. The two Audens are a pretty seamless transition when picking them up after playing electric (body dimensions aside). I had a couple of Faiths - one of which I passed to my son and still play now and then - they're similar to an electric, but not quite as close as the Audens in my experience.

KDS · January 2021

Brook

fastonebaz · January 2021

Ibanez EP9 euphoria. Glorious electric like neck.

I have one.

Davy · January 2021

Benm39 said:

I was thinking of doing same @Davy , my Brook Taw likewise has a ridiculously playable neck, albeit I don't know whether they would fit the OP request re low to mid end of market...

I missed the OPs price requirement but Brook tend to be incredible bargains used. That pretty much applies to anything that doesn't say Martin or Gibson on the headstock of course.

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

I'd probably look at used in any case... some great recommendations here, thanks folks!

JerkMoans · January 2021

My old Yamaha AC3R felt instantly familiar as a primarily 'lecky player

Jonathanthomas83 · January 2021

JerkMoans said:

My old Yamaha AC3R felt instantly familiar as a primarily 'lecky player

I had the opposite feeling with my old AC3R. Sorry :-(

JerkMoans · January 2021

Jonathanthomas83 said:

JerkMoans said:

My old Yamaha AC3R felt instantly familiar as a primarily 'lecky player

I had the opposite feeling with my old AC3R. Sorry :-(

It’s all subjective, man

Cirrus · January 2021

The Taylor GS series can feel quite easy to play - shorter scale means less string tension so the slightly higher acoustic action still feels fast, and the small top gets moving quite quickly so there's not a huge volume difference between chords and single note riffs/ runs, which encourages you to play with a more "electric" mindset.

My Takamine ef-261 has a pretty comfortable neck too - I think they're actually designed with electric players in mind for loud stages. Again, you can riff on that all day if you want, it doesn't have loads of body to its tone acoustically (heavy bracing, I think) so it feels snappy.

Wazmeister · January 2021

I've owned many Taylors, and I do think they have a more 'electric feeling' fretboard.

But as crazy as this is, the best acoustic fretboard Ive played is my current Guild DS240...

It just is perfect for me.

And, £449 new - go figure...

Creed_Clicks · January 2021

I've never played any Guild acoustics, but would be curious alright.

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Acoustics with "electric neck" type feel?

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