Looking at adding a guitar to the collection, and want some advice. Key parameters:
I like big necks and I cannot lie - Gibson 50s/59 neighborhood. My current #1 electric is a Squire J Mascis Jazzmaster - neck is chunky for a Fender, but I'd like more. Absolute minimums are 1 11/16 nut with .83 at first fret. 1 3/4 with .85 would be awesome.
Needs to be at least somewhat bright on the neck pickup - have an Epiphone Les Paul with a neck pickup that's too dark to use by itself, thinking p-90 might be ideal.
Price - could go $1500 if the pickups are potted with unicorn jizz. Ideally less, but I'd like to keep it until Alzheimers makes "Louie Louie" too complex for me.
Strictly on body shape, I prefer something rounded like a Strat or SG to a squared off edge like a Les Paul or Tele.
Jumbo or medium jumbo frets are where it's at for my fat fingers.
Red guitars go faster.
Leaning towards a 24.75" scale.
Hardtail is ideal Bigsby would be ok.
So which guitar am I? Contenders I've identified so far are:
P-90 SG: I'm not sure I want to deal with the neck dive, but fat necks abound and I love a wide suede strap. Best resale value if I don't love it.
Reverend Sensei: I liked the neck on a Roundhouse I tried a couple years ago, didn't like the green finish, and iffy on the Les Paul contours. The Sensei seems like the right contouring and pickups. OK resale value.
Partscaster (Warmoth or USACG or Musicraft): may be the best way to get a Gibson scale p-90 guitar with curves like a Fender. Crap resale value.
Epiphone Riviera or 339-PRO: neck's not as big as I'd like, but checks a lot of boxes for way less money.
Fender American Special strat or jazzmaster - big ass frets, small-ish neck, probably need different pickups to get what I want.
Why not look for a Blacktop Jaguar body loaded with p90's and then make a warmoth neck to suit your specs. The only real difference that I can see off the bat would be the 24" scale vs 24.75". I'm just thinking the Blacktop body suits a lot of your criteria, p90's, hardtail, rounder contours.
If you're looking for a solid body then may I suggest my new Grifter?
1-3/4" nut, nice fat necks, 24-3/4" scale, 22 frets, sculpted heel, hardtail, hi-fi pickups.
The price for these is going to be in the $1,575 zone but if you want to give one a whirl I'd offer you one for $1,500 including shipping and paypal.
It is hard to see inthe photos but the body on this model has contoured edges at the points where it contacts your body. So kind of a combination of contour and square edges.
Also in addition to these two I have a walnut brown one and a shaded finish with lightly figured wood.
Those two aren't assembled yet but the blue and orange ones are ready to ship.
Nelson Instruments wrote:I just got some of the "glossy" shots from my photographer so I figured I'd add them since they better show the contoured edges.
Nelson Instruments wrote:If you're looking for a solid body then may I suggest my new Grifter?
1-3/4" nut, nice fat necks, 24-3/4" scale, 22 frets, sculpted heel, hardtail, hi-fi pickups.
The price for these is going to be in the $1,575 zone but if you want to give one a whirl I'd offer you one for $1,500 including shipping and paypal.
Id hit one of these soooooo haaaaard if they had the original gretsch style headstock. And a 41 mm nut. And a slim neck. And maybe a maple board.
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The Reverend I have (Double Agent OG) has a really excellent playing neck but far from a big fat one. I think all Reverend necks have the same profile. I think it's called a medium C.
Some other options to check out might be the Framus Hollywood and Hagstrom HII, HIII maybe? I know those had really skinny 60s necks back in the day, from what I've read they've stuck fatter ones on these reissues, dunno how fat though. I kind of don't think I've ever played a non-custom instrument or neck that was what you'd think of as 'fat'...they mostly wind up as medium C profiles before having to go custom.
Last edited by repoman on Sat Nov 14, 2015 10:03 am, edited 1 time in total.
I'm liking your P90 Partscaster Strat idea. I just built up a Mustang with a Warmoth '59 roundback neck, and I'm digging that profile. Pretty close to some of the fatter fatties in my stash. (Old H44 Stratotone and an LSL Topanga being the fattest.)
Hell, maybe you should check out a Topanga. Expensive but fantastic. Might not be contoured enough for you though.
or… maybe 
