In this article, I will show you how big a guitar neck is with size comparisons of different guitars.
The guitar neck is the part of the guitar that joins the body and headstock. It can be made from mahogany, maple, or ebony.
It’s also one of the most important parts because it determines how high you’ll have to reach in order to play chords on a fretted instrument like a guitar.
The width and depth of a guitar neck can vary depending on the type of instrument you’re playing.
For example, a mandolin has a thin neck while an electric bass has one with more depth to allow for easier finger access.
Dimensions of an average guitar neck
Most guitars will have an average neck width of 1.7 – 2.0 inches and length of 24 – 25.5 inches.
As mentioned this is not always the case and it can vary depending on the instrument. Different brands and models will use different neck sizes.
Electric guitar neck width
The width of an electric guitar neck is generally 1.65 inches. This is measured at the first fret region or nut. Called nut width. This can vary slightly based on the model and type.
For example, the Fender electric guitar has a neck width of 1.65 inches. A Gibson electric guitar has a slightly larger neck width of 1.695 inches.
Some people will round this number up to 1.7 inches as a normal neck width for electric guitars.
Acoustic guitar neck width
Acoustic guitars can have various neck widths from 1 11/16″ – 1 3/4″ (42.9mm – 44.5mm) and some have widths of 1 7/8″ – 1 23/32″ (47.6mm – 43.6mm).
Although this is a very small size difference between guitars, If you are a guitar player you know how a tiny neck width change can feel in your hands.
Acoustic guitar neck width size comparison chart
| Guitar | Nut Width |
|---|---|
| Gibson J45 | 44mm / 1.73″ |
| Fender Jazzmaster | 42.8mm / 1.685″ |
| Epiphone J-200 | 42.6mm / 1.68″ |
| Savannah SGD-10 | 42.9mm / 1.688″ |
| Takamine GJ72CE G Series | 42.8mm / 1.685″ |
| Masterbilt DR-400MCE | 43mm / 1.69″ |
How to measure guitar neck width
As mentioned, the width of a guitar neck is known as nut width and measured at the first fret region or nut. Usually, nut width is shown in millimeters but it can be displayed as a decimal or fraction.
| Millimeters (MM) | Fraction | Decimal |
| 44.45 | 1 3/4″ | 1.750″ |
The best way to accurately measure the neck width of your guitar is to use calipers, which can be found at any hardware store.
Here is a great video that explains how to measure neck width correctly.
Which guitars have the widest necks?
Although Gibson has been adopting the wide neck design over the years, there are other brands who incorporate the design.
Seagull acoustic guitars are a Canadian company known for designing durable and great-sounding guitars at an affordable price. It’s common to see their guitars have a slightly larger neck on some models.
Ibanez and PRS are also known for having neck widths above 1.68 inches.
Why are classic guitar necks so wide?
Classic guitars will generally have a nut width of 2 inches.
The question of why classic guitar necks are so wide has been asked for decades. The answer is that the width and shape of the neck affect playing dynamics and speed, which is important when playing a guitar.
This wide nut is required due to the nylon strings on classic guitars being thicker and needing more clearance from each other. Also, playing more complex and separate guitar parts on multiple strings is easier with the wider nut and string spacing.
How long is a guitar neck? (scale Length)
A common neck scale length on guitars is 25.5 inches or 647.7 millimeters. This length is often called twenty-five and a half. Many electric guitars such as the Stratocaster, Esquire, and Telecaster will have a neck length of 25.5 inches. A normal neck length for Gibson guitars is 25.5 inches.
Some guitar brands and models such as the Fender Jaguar and Mustang have a 24 inch scale length. A normal neck length for Fender guitars is 24.75″.
How is guitar neck length (scale length) measured?
The best way to measure guitar scale length is to measure the distance between it’s nut and the center of the 12th fret. Once you know this number, multiply it by 2 and you will have the scale length.
Bass guitar scale length – why are they longer?
Bass guitar scale length is the distance between the nut on the headstock to the bridge of the bass.
With respect to bass guitars, the scale length is known as short scale, medium scale, long scale, and extra-long scale. On a modern bass guitar, any measurement less than 30 inches or 76 cm is considered short scale, 30-33 inches is medium-scale, 34 inches (86cm) is long scale, above 34 inches (89cm) is considered extra long scale.
Some basses that have 5 strings or more, can have a scale length of 35 inches.
The longer scale on bass guitars is needed due to the bass playing lower-pitched notes. The longer the string, the lower the note.
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