How much do you care about neck specs on guitars?

[Farview]

I actually had an Ibanez PS-10 for a few years in the '80's. It was the standard Paul Stanley model: black with abalone binding and mirrored pick guard.

I never played it on stage, because it was too associated with Paul, being his signature model. The Iceman I played on stage was a 1978 clown-burst IC-400.

Got rid of it way too cheap. About 10 years ago, it was worth almost $10k. I think I sold it for $400 in 1987,

Most pictures that exist of me playing have either the explorer or the IC-400.

[Lt. Bob]

I like the Iceman ..... I saw one called, I think, the Cracked Iceman and it had a mirror front with cracks all thru it like a broken mirror.
It was very cool.

That's Paul Stanley's guitar.

yep, that's it. But they must have had a production model 'cause I saw one in the hands of a kid at some jam

[miroslav]

I've just been cruising around a few boards reading stuff, and I've come to the conclusion that I really don't care about a lot of the stuff that a lot of guitarists obsess over.

I have no idea what fretboard radius any of my guitars have - I have necks of various thicknesses and various scale lengths. I have rosewood, ebony and lacquered maple fretboards.

I never go "OMG I can't play this, it's terrible because it's got a 12" fretboard radius! Quelle horreur! It's shit. Burn it!"

I don't obsess over it...but I have found out purely by playing many over the years that I prefer a bigger neck radius...and 12" to 15" is what I like...more toward 15"...but, that is also tied to the size/shape of the back of the neck.

A lot of it has to do with your hand...size of palm, lenght of fingers...etc...that will determine what feels most comfortable.
I mean...there is no one size fits all...but I think most guitar players can pick up any axe with whatever radius, and make do with it .
Also...it has something to do with string bends, if you do them often, and you like doing string vibrato, then neck radius can come into play.

AFA the back shape/size of the neck...again...it's about what feels most comfy, but most any shape/size is playable for most guitarists.
I've been playing the thinner/flatter back necks for a long time, so a big fat C-shaped neck is a bit full in my hand, but it's easy enough to adjust for it, especially for single-note playing.
When it comes to barre chords...if the neck is a bit awkward for what you are use to...then you work harder to grab the chords.

The fretboard...whatever...that I never paid as much attention to, though most of mine have a rosewood or "rosewood type" of fretboard.

I think it comes down to what kind you buy for keeps, and not so much what's playable in general.
Find what feels the best and go with that. I have one guitar with a small radius...my '52 RI Tele...I will never buy another with that small a radius, I mean, why would I, if 12"- 15" feels a lot more comfy... but if someone gave me one, no problem, or if I just picked one up to play because that's all there was.

[Farview]

That's Paul Stanley's guitar.

yep, that's it. But they must have had a production model 'cause I saw one in the hands of a kid at some jam

There were a few guys out there that would put that finish on it. I knew a couple (they were the ones that did the mirror ball Washburn guitars, when Paul was endorsed by Washburn), and almost had it done on a cheaper Iceman. But when I played a couple guitars with it, it was just made the guitars really heavy, and you had to be extra careful with it.

As far as I know, there was no production run of mirror ball Ibanez's.

[Greg_L]

The cracked mirror Icemans were a production run and they are fucking expensive.

[Farview]

I remember the original PS-10 in 1978 was $1200. A Les Paul Custom was only $800 at the time...

That production run must have been in the 90's, when he went back to Ibanez.

[Lt. Bob]

As far as I know, there was no production run of mirror ball Ibanez's.

actually. I remember there being one sold by MF now that I'm pondering it. I remember thinking it might be cool to have but was too spensive

A quick google shows it as an Ibanez Paul Stanley signature model

[Bubba]

I don't like fat necks. Other than that, I'll get along with anything. Horses for courses is my watchword. For live playing with this band it's a Gibson-style neck with humbucking pickups. Every other band I've been in, I've favoured my Jap Strat. It's the perfect neck for me. It's supposed to be based on a 70s Strat, but I played the original USA version that mine is meant to be copied from and there was no comparison. The USA one felt like a baseball bat.

I like bound necks, too, but most of my guitars aren't bound. I don't really like the 7.25" radius of my Jag, If I'm honest. It chokes out on leads, even with a relatively high action. But I love the sound of it, and it's appeared on more of my recorded tracks than any of my others.

[JD01]

I don't like fat necks. Other than that, I'll get along with anything. Horses for courses is my watchword. For live playing with this band it's a Gibson-style neck with humbucking pickups. Every other band I've been in, I've favoured my Jap Strat. It's the perfect neck for me. It's supposed to be based on a 70s Strat, but I played the original USA version that mine is meant to be copied from and there was no comparison. The USA one felt like a baseball bat.

I like bound necks, too, but most of my guitars aren't bound. I don't really like the 7.25" radius of my Jag, If I'm honest. It chokes out on leads, even with a relatively high action. But I love the sound of it, and it's appeared on more of my recorded tracks than any of my others.

The Japanese Strats have smaller frets too, don't they?

I couldn't get on with a 7.25" radius either, especially above about the 7th fret. I went for a compound radius on my custom, can't remember the exact measurements but I think its 265mm down at the nut flattening out to 400mm above the 12th fret. Not sure exactly - but it is pretty much flat high up.

[Bubba]

The Japanese Strats have smaller frets too, don't they?

I couldn't get on with a 7.25" radius either, especially above about the 7th fret. I went for a compound radius on my custom, can't remember the exact measurements but I think its 265mm down at the nut flattening out to 400mm above the 12th fret. Not sure exactly - but it is pretty much flat high up.

I wouldn't like to call it on every Jap strat, but mine has medium frets, identical to my '96 USA tele. My (Japanese) Jag has thin, high, vintage frets. They don't feel great. Both 9.5" and 12" radii feel fine to me. A compound radius sounds like a good Idea for your style. I don't think it would confer any advantages to mine!

[Lt. Bob]

ya' know what I DO like a fat neck on?
My bass ..... I like it because a really big neck forces me to play differently and helps make that disconnect from being a guitar player.