Why v-necks?

[Kelly_guy]

I haven't played very many types of mandolins, so I was just amazed when I picked up a Labeda in the local shop. I guess he's a Czech luthier. A beautiful mandolin, but the shape of the neck--yikes! At the first fret, the back of the neck practically had an edge to it, the V shape was so pronounced.

I've seen a good variety of neck shapes on guitars, from baseball bat Martins to my Taylor, with a very thin neck (which I like for fingerpicking). But most people play mandolins...well, roughly the same way. I may grip the neck a bit close when I'm playing chords, but for playing melody, I have part of my thumb on the back of the neck. And that V is really uncomfortable!

Do some of you prefer the rounded V shape? Which mandolins tend to have this? I saw a Collings in a local shop (it had been sold already, so I couldn't play it) and that had a similar V neck.

So what's the story here?

With all the permutations of radiused fretboard, bracing, and now add in neck shape, it makes it tough to shop for a mandolin! That doesn't even include the obvious choices of A vs. F style.

Kelly

[Bob DeVellis]

The first time I picked up a Collings, I expected the neck to bother me. You're right, it's very V-shaped. But for some reason, I like it. I sometimes even play with a more classical hand position, with the pad of my thumb at the center of the neck back. Even that position on the Collings doesn't bother me. I don't know why this is. Maybe, I just like the overall instrument enough that it doesn't bother me, but I'm just surprised at how comfortable I find such an uncomfortable-looking shape. Of course, for burying the neck into the V between thumb and index finger, it works perfectly, but I don't use that position much, and still like the neck.

[August Watters]

It's true, Lebedas tend to have pointy V-necks -- this follows the Gibson tradition. More recent Gibsons (and most other mandolins these days) retain the v-shape, but without the point. The amount of pointy-ness to the V-shape varies from one builder to another.

The reason for the V-shape is to fit the shape of the hand -- with the neck resting somewhere between the thumb and first finger. But with more mandolins being played with the thumb behind the neck, these days, I won't be surprised to see more rounded necks and softer V-shapes coming along.

August Watters
http://www.galleryofstrings.com

[Bob Sayers]

I wonder if the deep V-shaped necks on older Gibsons (which also had a thin center laminate) had a structural basis, i.e. to limit the possibility of neck warpage. #V-necks persisted through the Loar years, even after the higher end models received truss rods. #But shortly after they became more rounded. #

Of course, Gibson has now gone back to reproducing the V profile of Loar period mandolins, partly for reasons of authenticity but also became many players (myself included) like the feel of V-necks.

Does any of this make sense?

Bob


Bob

[mcmando]

Rigel necks are very rounded-- almost a shallow "U" shape. I much prefer this profile, but I do play with thumb on the back of the neck.

[Bob A]

The 3-piece old Gibson neck was almost certainly designed that way to eliminate warping. The pre-trussrod necks are deep, and more or less veed. Since this is the kind of neck I first experienced, and played on for a couple decades, I find it quite comfortable.

I've since acquired a taste for bowlbacks, but I must say that many of them have quite shallow neck profiles, and I don't care for the shape. My hands are not huge, but all that space below the fingerboard seems to be crying out to be filled with wood, or at least my left hand thinks so.

I do have a '24 Gibson snakehead, and while it sounds good, it just doesn't feel right. You can count me as one person who doesn't think Lloyd Loar got it completely right. (The F5 had a thinner profile from the beginning, I think. I've seen Loar era F4s with the old style neck, with trussrod in place; I assume Gibson did not intend to waste any neck material, and just drilled right thru the peghead inlay and put a trussrod in there. But of course the old-style neck blanks weren't sized for an F5, so they were a clean-sheet design. The patent, which I think Bob D quoted a while back, indicated that the trussrod enabled Gibson to use cheaper wood for the necks. Of course, that's not what the marketing people told the customers. Even then, spin was in.)

[Charlie Ayers]

Personally I prefer a "U" shaped neck; my favorites have been on the pre-Gibson Flatirons (which also have fairly thick, 1 1/8 inch nut, necks).


Charlie

[straight-a]

The V doesn't bother me on a mandolin but I HATE it on a guitar. I replaced the neck on my Martin because of that.

[Kelly_guy]

OK, August corrected my misperceptions off-list, by email. I gather that pretty much any mandolin I play has somewhat of a V neck, just to a greater or lesser degree. the Lebeda I played had a very pronounced and sharp V, the Webers have a much less pronounced V. And after playing the Lebeda for a little while, I realized that it isn't that big of a deal to play that pointy V. I can see how it would fit into the crook between the thumb and forefinger, for better chord playing.

Kelly