If you’re like me, a thick neck is basically essential when it comes to playing guitar for hours on end.
Sure, I can shred on a thin neck……..but for whatever reason I wear out faster on them than guitars with thick necks (I’m pretty sure this is the opposite of what’s supposed to actually happen.)
Pair this with the fact that thick necks are simply more comfortable……..and thick necks are the way to go.
Thankfully, there are a ton of guitars out there that are great for metal with thick necks.
Note: This is my personal favorite list. Everyone will have their own personal favorites out there.
#7 ESP Ltd viper 400
If you’re unaware, LTD is the budget line of ESPs guitars, and when it comes to budget lines……LTD is one of the best values there is.
On the guitar, you get EMG active pickups (personal favorites) the bridge is equipped with an 81…..whereas the neck pickup is an 85. The scale length is 24 and 3/4” and is equipped with jumbo frets as well which is fantastic of course.
These guitars sound fantastic. I definitely suggest if you like this guitar check out some more of ESPs LTD brand as well. Tons of great options.
#6 Shecter hellraiser c1 fr
This is probably one of the most comfortable guitars I’ve ever played. A guitarist in one of my old bands used to play one and it was absolutely ridiculous how fun it was to play.
Not to mention, they sound absolutely perfect for the styles of metal I enjoy. This guitar is equipped with EMG pickups 81 and 89, and has a 25.5” scale length. Now, do notice the Floyd rose. There is a version without one if you prefer as well.
Not the most important part……but seriously this is one of the most stunning to look at guitars I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous guitar.
#5 Shecter c-1 platinum
Yes, another Shecter……but honestly shecters are just the perfect guitar for metal when you want a thin neck.
What’s interesting about this guitar, is that they’re a STEAL. Seriously if you buy one of these used you can get an absolutely incredible deal on it. Not really sure why shecter doesn’t charge more for this particular instrument. Because of this, they’ve become pretty popular with tons of metal guitarists.
So you’ve got extra jumbo frets on this one, 81s and 85 EMGs for the pickups, and a 25.5” scale length.
#4 Shecter Silver Mountain
Yes, ANOTHER Shecter……I know. But like I said, if you want a thick neck and a great guitar for metal…..these guys are honestly perfect.
These guitars in particular are REALLY HYPED UP to. People seriously are falling absolutely in love with them. Which makes sense, there’s a LOT to fall in love with.
First thing you’ll notice though is the BEAUTIFUL finish that goes all the way around this guitar, from the back…….to the sides…….even to the neck.
Plus, the finish is just GORGEOUS. Having that finish go all the way around……this is a work of art that would honestly be hard to play you’d be so scared of taking it off the wall (or wherever you store your guitars)
But, as obsessed as I am with how a nice guitar looks……that’s not the most important thing right? The most important thing is how it sounds and plays…….and this guitar sounds and plays heavenly.
The pickups are called “sonic seducers” which was designed specifically by fender and sound absolutely INSANE. Some of the best sounding pickups I’ve ever heard. I’m sure that Shecter will now be including these on many of their guitars from here on out now that they know so many people love them.
Seriously, listen for yourself. Great guitar.
#3 Jackson sl1 soloist
Man, I love Jackson and would love to own one of these…..but the price tag…..can’t do it.
This is one of those guitars that people either are absolutely obsessed and are insane about, or couldn’t care for. They’re great for anyone who wants to play metal…..and have a thick neck that does feel great. I suggest going and picking one up next time you’re in a music store. They’re super cool guitars, I envy you if you have a fat enough wallet to get one though.
What’s interesting, and a LOT of people talk about this when it comes to this guitar……..this guitar doesn’t have great sustain at all. Now for us shredders, do we really need that? No. But, it’d still be nice to have.
They sound absolutely phenomenal. Listening to this guitar literally makes my chest hurt I want one so bad haha.
#2 Jackson pc-1
This particular guitar is absolutely ridiculous looking to me. I feel like this is something that a sleezy mobster would play if he played in a metal band. Pretty funny image I got going on in my head lol.
But, this guitar just SOUNDS absolutely ridiculous. The tone is just unreal and the pickups make the tone just sound absolutely huge. The clean tones sound just as nice as well.
This guitar is also pretty versatile. While this isn’t necessarily the perfect guitar for metal……it makes up for that by being able to sound good for basically all styles.
Man, I just cannot get over how this guitar looks though. Maybe it’s just all that gold that gives me the sleezy vibes. Idk.
#1 Jackson B7D
I had to go and include a 7 string. But not for no particular reason.
This guitar is amazing, and feels incredible to play. I used to have an even more expensive s series Ibanez and even though I adore Ibanez…..it didn’t feel as good as this guitar in my hand.
Which brings me to the point I want to make. This guitar in particular doesn’t have as fat of a neck as the other guitars on this list…….but since it’s a 7 string, it feels just as comfy. Weird, I know.
All I’m trying to say here by this, is that if you can……always go out and play whatever guitar you’re interested in in a local music store if you can. It will save you an absolute TON of headache in the long run.
Seriously though this guitar is sick! Check it out. Also you can find ridiculously good deals on these used.
Some things about thick necks You Should Know:
Just because you’ve played a thick neck before, doesn’t mean that all thick necks will feel the same. In fact, most don’t unless you’re playing the same brand of guitar with the same neck shape.
Necks shape is VITALLY important to the feel of your guitar, and can make or break the actual feel of playing for you.
For instance, the way a Shecter’s neck feels…….almost perfect for me. Those super thick baseball bat style necks…..awesome.
BUT, I’ve played very similar almost baseball bat sized necks on Ibanez guitars…….that while they do still feel good, they don’t feel the same. This just comes to down to the neck shape as I said before.
Neck shape can also be referred to as neck profile.
So, when it comes to neck shapes. There are 3 main ones you should know.
These are – C, V, and U.
As I’m sure you can imagine, these neck profiles look exactly like the letters that represent them. Which does make them easy to memorize.
What I recommend you do:
Go to a local music store (the biggest one around if you can) and test out the different neck profiles. Try a few Vs…..then switch to a few Cs…………then a few Us.
NOTICE THIS AND THIS IS IMPORTANT:
Just because two guitars have the same neck profile…..does not mean they will feel the same.
Each guitar brand makes their neck profile slightly different. You can play two U style necks from different companies…..and they be very different from each other.
Also, AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
Neck profiles can change drastically as well just based on the year. Even with the same style guitar, the necks can change drastically over the years for certain models.
Don’t believe me? look at all the differences in older strat models. INSANE.
https://www.strat-talk.com/threads/60s-strat-neck-shapes.351970/
What I’m trying to say by all this, is that neck profiles are hard to determine online. If you want to get the absolute best neck that feels comfortable for you……either get a model you’ve played before, or go to a store! It’s not like they’ll kick you out for trying out all the guitars. Plus it’s always fun.
Conclusion:
Hope you enjoyed this top 7 list! This is my personal list, and I hope you found some value in it! If it’s not obvious yet, I love Shecters……I wish I could’ve done only them for the list…..but unfortunately that would make a really bad article. lol.
Thanks again for reading! If you didn’t. check out my small section on things you need to know……yes, some of it is obvious for most guitar players…..but not all of it. And the stuff there IS important, if you don’t know it already.
If you’re not going to read that section, Ill just say this. It’s best if you just go check out the guitar you’re interested in in person. A good guitar for metal that has a thick neck is based SO much on personal preference that unfortunately it’s hard to make a decision online.
If you really want to make the best decision, you’ve got to actually go out and feel for yourself what the best neck is for you. Really sit down and play the guitar for an hour or two even after you’re 110% positive this is the one. I promise it’s worth it to do your due diligence on this.
Again, thanks for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed this article!!! Please leave a comment if you have anything to add.