GASing for a Petrucci: I dislike thin/wide neck, and I don't shred!

[Pott]

GASing for a Petrucci: I dislike thin/wide neck, and I don't shred! Neck questions...

I've no idea why... the original JP6 is just so beautiful I don't like the new shape at all (JPX/XI/12/13) but man that old one... perfect size, curvaceous body... I played one once many many years ago and loved the tone (much more characterful than other shred guitars I could think of).

However what I love about MMs is the 41mm nut width. The JP is 43mm which makes me cramp very quickly now (I had a Charvel M4 with the same kind of neck).
I don't however remember the neck depth: What's the JP neck like? Any people who thought they wouldn't like the wide nut and ended up liking it?

(there is no way to try one here, there's no MM dealer in the city)

 

[joe web]

hard to say how you will like it.
order one from thomann.de and if you don't like it, send it back.

 

[fjk1138]

FWIW, I have the JPXI-6 and I love the thin neck. I wasn't sure at first, but it only took about 5 mins for me to realize I would really dig it. I've played the BFR JP Koa and did not like it as much - not sure if that is the same neck width you are referring to though.

 

[Pott]

Well it's hard to suddendly come up with €3k to just test a guitar I'd want one second hand first, and without much in the way of testing one out first I want to hear as much feedback as I can.

Yesterday for the very first time in my life I tried playing holding the pick through its side instead of back, and with the thumb at the back of the neck as opposed to over the neck. A wider, thinner neck made a lot more sense then!

 

[uOpt]

FYI, although the JP6 has a wider nut than the other MM guitars the string spacing is right back where the others are.

So this might not be an issue. Or a big issue for people like me who need wider string spacing and would have to put a new nut on their JP6.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I have always disliked 'shred' necks, but I was very surprised how much I liked the JP when I tried one. The only thing that put me off was the wobbler and the 24 fret neck.

 

[T- Bone]

I tried to love mine when I had it. I had the first incarnation with the mystic dream paint job. The neck was too thin, the pickups were too 'scooped' sounding, the pickup selector was in my way and the volume knob was way too low.

...but I'm not John Petrucci and that obviously works for 'him' but not for me

Just a beautifully crafted guitar though. The trem was awesome and the overall balance of the guitar was excellent. Man I really wanted to like that guitar

 

[Pott]

Yeah... I'll have to try one if I ever see one in person. In Europe though even the rather basic models are €2.5k+, a little of a bummer given our favorable euro vs. dollar and that they'd cost less than $2k in the US! Few shops carry MusicMen in general and I didn't even bother going rue de Douai in Paris today because of those prices.

 

[bwow]

I tried to love mine when I had it. I had the first incarnation with the mystic dream paint job. The neck was too thin, the pickups were too 'scooped' sounding, the pickup selector was in my way and the volume knob was way too low.

...but I'm not John Petrucci and that obviously works for 'him' but not for me

Just a beautifully crafted guitar though. The trem was awesome and the overall balance of the guitar was excellent. Man I really wanted to like that guitar

Man, after playing PRS custom 24 (w/rotary switch) for a year, I'm GLAD the pickup selector on my JP is "in the way" lol

 

[sixstrings]

I too loved the whole jp6 design and the way it sounded, but hated the neck, just way too thin.
You can always do what I did - get a nice silo and pimp it up. Just take a look at that:

http://forums.ernieball.com/music-m...houette-special-petrucci-pups.html#post931385

Man, it's a beast.

 

[Pott]

Ha! Good one. I was playing my Axis a few days ago and its ONLY default is the lack of forearm contour which dug into my arms a bit. The AL doesn't have this, but sounds very different. Maybe a Silo is what I'm really lusting about... not as pretty as the JP6 to be fair...

 

[Nazgul666]

Original JP6 is still my favorite of all the models.

 

[JAMz]

The JP is certainly a rock guitar. Get a Silo, you won't regret it.

 

[Astrofreq]

I dislike the JP necks as well. GREAT guitars, but if it doesn't feel like a baseball bat cut in half, it's just too thin.

 

[Tollywood]

...but if it doesn't feel like a baseball bat cut in half, it's just too thin.

haha, +1 on the baseball bat

 

[Guitardom]

To take this a bit further, are there certain JPM,s that have a flatter, slimmer neck than the others?? I am also in an area where there are none to check out.

 

[Pott]

Meh I also wanted to check out the Sterlings but...:
Sterling by Music Man JP100D Electric Guitar Ruby Red Burst | Musician's Friend
Sterling by Music Man - John Petrucci JP100 RRB Ruby Red Burst : Guitares électriques

Pretty much a 100% price increase for EU.

 

[mnwst]

To take this a bit further, are there certain JPM,s that have a flatter, slimmer neck than the others?? I am also in an area where there are none to check out.

I have a 2010 JP6 BFR in Cherry Burst. I had the same reservations regarding my JP6 for the last 2.5 years- that if I could design my own, I'd make the neck rounder, move the volume pot closer, 22 frets, non-floating trem, move the output jacks. But I love everything else- the body shape, sound, the trem is the best design ever for me, piezos, access all the way up the neck, and I admit its gorgeous.

Just last week I took my 2010 JP6 BFR to a local shop just for fun. They had an identical JP6, an Axis, Axis Sport, and a Silo. I did a side by side with all of them. This Axis necks felt nice- round, filled my grip, played great. The Silo felt a little chunkier than my JP6, but flatter than the Axis. I think this could have been the one. The interesting thing was the new JP6 BFR's neck felt chunkier than mine. Noticeably.

So I was wondering if they changed the specs, or as things are hand sanded, etc, did mine get shaved a hair more?