1963 vs 1964 ES-335 Neck Profile

[opdev]

Are they the same?

If not, what is the difference?

 

[garywright]

they're not all the same, even within the same year... the neck on my early '63 335 is very thin as in yardstick ...I've only kept this one as it sounds the best out of all the 335s that i've owned ( so much for big neck =big tone theory ) ...I had a later '63 that was perfect ( for me ) with a medium round C shape ...the neck on a '64 I once owned was very large/round and almost a little to large for my taste ..so, for me the later '63 neck was it. ...fwiw, I played a '62 330 that had a great medium round C shape ...go figure :hmm

 

[brandtkronholm]

+1 on garywright's response.

 

[OKGuitar]

IN GENERAL: The early 63 is usually like a 62-wide, flat to medium profile-anywhere from .79" to .83" at the first fret with the average around .81 or so. Later 63 (usually the ones without the mickey mouse ears but not always) are more like a 64-call it medium chunky and generally 1 11/16 at the nut but sometimes 1 5/8" (rarely in 63 more common in 64). The first fret measured on more than 15 64's and late 63's is .84" to .88" at the first fret. By the time you reach the 12th fret, the depth is over 1". Interestingly, my 62 330 has a very 64 like neck-same as noted by garywright. The only consistency seems to be the lack of consistency.

 

[roysessions]

I am no expert but-

I bought 2 64's about 6 months ago and they both are very different in depth at the nut. Like OK guitars said, one is about .84 (which is too small for my taste) but I love the tone. I may sell it to find another with a thicker neck profile. The Stoptail cherry 64 I own is perfect and has more depth and more shoulder-much closer to what I believe a typical chunky 64 neck to feel like. I played a 59 345 last week and was shocked by how thin that profile was- smaller than my thinner 64! So much for that 59 neck profile thing! They are all different!

It is clear nothing is the same so you need to try them all!