Neck shape/feel: "V" vs rounded

[jazzgtrl4]

Not sure i like or maybe i could get used to a slight V or full V neck profile. All the mandolins i have now are rounded. For instance there is a nice Gibson F5 in the classifieds and it has a full V profile, not sure i could get used to it. what is the point of them making the V neck?

Like to hear other opinions on this. are there a few who cant stand rounded and only play full V necks? thanks

[pops1]

I have a rounded, nice C shape that I love, I also have a V shape that I play daily. I think you can get used to whatever you spend time on. Some love the V shape, some don't. I find both comfortable, but it is a personal choice. I would try and play a V shaped neck of any brand and see what you think.

[Don Grieser]

I prefer slim shallow necks that have a V to them. Too much meat in the shoulders of D, U, or rounded V neck gets in the way for me and makes it feel like I'm fighting the neck to get around. A V neck disappears and makes playing easy. A V that's too deep gets in the way for me too. I think it's all personal preference.

[Billy Packard]

Personally I got used to and like the C shape. All but one of my mandolins has that type of neck.

But then I acquired a 1923 Gibson A2 that has the most amazing tone AND a hard V shaped neck. At first I really struggled with it, in fact I even took it to luthier Luke Wilson to see if he would re-shape it a bit and he vigorously refused. I consulted with Steve Gilchrist and he also strongly advised against modification.

My point is it's up to us to adjust, which I have. Now I don't even think about it anymore.

Billy

[Eric Platt]

Some can adjust easier than others. My A Jr. has a slightly V shaped neck, the Boeh very round. Both those work for me. As does the smaller V on my Brentrup.

But the mid 1930's Gibson V shaped neck just hurts my hand. Was getting tendon problems including cramping playing an A-50s with that shape. The Kalamazoo instruments from that time period are the same way. Unfortunately I decided to avoid those instruments, even though there are a lot of good ones out there.

That's just me, though. Many others don't have that problem.

[Steve Mead]

I had an Eastman 915 for a number of years then got a Gibson 2 pt. A friend told me that it is obvious that my left hand prefers the Gibson over the Eastman. Well it was obvious to her (professional violinist) but not to me, hah. After much thinking I realized that the Gibzon had a C shape neck, flat fretboard and a wider nut where the eastman had a v shape, radius board and a narrower nut. So, now all my mandolins have the c, flat, wide configuration. For me, it was the combination of all 3 of those things. You will need to play them to find out, not 5 minutes or a day or a week. You likely will need to buy and resell if it does not suit you.

- - - Updated - - -

I had an Eastman 915 for a number of years then got a Gibson 2 pt. A friend told me that it is obvious that my left hand prefers the Gibson over the Eastman. Well it was obvious to her (professional violinist) but not to me, hah. After much thinking I realized that the Gibzon had a C shape neck, flat fretboard and a wider nut where the eastman had a v shape, radius board and a narrower nut. So, now all my mandolins have the c, flat, wide configuration. For me, it was the combination of all 3 of those things. You will need to play them to find out, not 5 minutes or a day or a week. You likely will need to buy and resell if it does not suit you.

[tiltman]

I had an early Gibson F9 with a narrow nut and a pronounced V shaped neck. It caused a fair amount of discomfort in my left thumb. Loved the mandolin but had to let it go…
It was early in my playing “career” - now I wonder if I could have adjusted and/or had the neck reshaped.
YMMV

Kirk

[HoGo]

Much depends on where you put your thumb during playing. Folks who hold the thumb on the very lowest point of neck (like classical guitar players) usually prefer flattish rounded profiles (depending on size of hands more or less deep) and they often hate V necks.
Folks who hold the neck between thumb and index finger without actually pushing thumb tip against neck like v necks and can adjust to D necks unless they are too "full" with neck sides adjacent to finerboard parallel to sides of board.

[TuckerTheMandolinist]

I like to consider myself a V neck fanboy . They're a lot more comfortable than the rounded ones, at least from my experience with them. I don't hate Mandolins with rounded necks, per se, but they aren't my favorite.

[jazzgtrl4]

thanks for the replies everyone, i think i should just go and try a few with V necks see how i like them and go from there.

[James Vwaal]

I love the V neck! My first mandolin had the C shape, so when my hand crafted V neck was delivered, I first thought "What?!" But it took only a few minutes to get used to it. Now, I have a hard time with those shallow C necks. Thus, when I ordered another hand crafted mandolin, I specified a V neck.

Try it!

[Ky Slim]

If Mandolin Cafe were ever to offer t-shirts for sale V-Neck should certainly be an option.

[milli857]

I own mandolins with both C and V profiles and don't have much of a preference. To me, action is the #1, 2 and 3 most important factors in playability.

[JiminRussia]

“V” necks on mandolins are no problem for me. It just doesn’t seem to matter with me. On guitars though, I can’t get used to a “V” neck. In my hands the Martin MLO neck on my D-18 is perfect but the “V” neck on a vintage Martin gave me fits. I briefly tried a vintage Martin D-18 with a “V” neck and rejected it. Now, I have sort of changed music genres and now play a lot of old Celtic fiddle tunes, so it’s a Goldtone pancake GM-10 with a nice “C” shaped neck for me, but I still keep my old Ibanez “F” style (“C” shaped neck) around for the occasional bluegrass tune.

[CES]

I currently have a Kelley A-5, Rigel CT-110, Northfield F-2, and a National RM-1. All have different necks and there are three different nut widths among the 4, though none have a deep V. They’re all pretty darn fine instruments with different voices that fit nicely into the varied music I play. Fortunately, I’m able to adjust quickly to them all, and I’m not sure I could pick a favorite, though the RM-1 neck is probably my least favorite among them (though I still really like that mandolin and don’t mean that to be a complaint).

My first good carved top mandolin was a Silverangel Econo that had a pretty pronounced V-neck. It was an adjustment going from the beefier Kentucky and Flatiron 1N necks I was used to, but it sounded so good it was worth the effort.

I understand that some folks have very specific preferences, and if I were playing 6 hours a day and for a living, I probably would, too. But 2-3 hours is probably my max now. And I’m only playing at home, so I don’t find the variations a big deal.

[James Vwaal]

If Mandolin Cafe were ever to offer t-shirts for sale V-Neck should certainly be an option.

For sure. Just don't order the t-shirt equivalent of a speed neck!!

[mandroid]

Old Gibson A has a ridge, but the sides on either side of that ridge are rounded.

[JohnHHuber]

For the last few years I played a mandolin with a C neck and after an hour or so of playing my index finger on my left hand would start to tighten up and hurt. My new mandolin has a soft V “big mon” and since I have switched, I can play as long as I want with no index finger issues at all. Just fits my hand better.

[DaveGinNJ]

This whole letter-shaped neck in new to me. What’s the difference between a D and a C neck?

[dhergert]

My F-9 came to me with its original V-profile. My left thumb ached every time I played it, and for hours after. I put up with it for a few years, then I got my MK mandolin which has a C-profile, and realized my left thumb didn't ache when I played it.

Realizing my F-9 is a lifetime instrument for me and I didn't want to sell or trade it off, in 2017, after 5 years of putting up with the V-profile pain (and after wearing the finish off the back of the neck), I had Austin Clark gently re-profile the neck to a C-profile, at which time he also speed-necked and french-polished the back of the neck, EVO re-fretted the fingerboard and made a new nut for me.

He did a wonderful job, and to this day I love playing this instrument.