You are currently viewing 22 Electric Guitars With Thin Necks – Slim & Smooth

Last Updated on March 1, 2024 by Teemu Suomala

If you are one of us and have really small hands, you probably love electric guitars with thin necks…

And you are going to love this article.

Also, some people with men’s hands have also fallen in love with smooth and fast playing electrics with slim necks. But finding guitars with thin necks is not always easy…Why?

Because most music stores and manufacturers don’t display neck measurements on their websites. And that’s a bummer. 

But I got your back. That’s why I’m here by the way. I went into deep research mode and dug up neck measurements from the World Wide Web. 

And now, I’m here to present you with a full list of electric guitars with thin necks. I also reveal which brands do display neck measurements on their websites, plus a couple of other helpful online music stores that provide neck measurements for some models. And I reveal my 3 favorite electric guitars with thin necks for different situations and budgets.

Excited? I sure hope so…let’s get started!

photo reveals owner of guitaristnextdoor.com

Author: Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I love guitars and have played dozens and dozens of different guitars through different amps and pedals over the years, and also, building a website interested me, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website.

I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have also been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as SongsterrMusicnotesGuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar.

I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog (I guess that went the right way…).


Thin Neck Electric Guitars

After doing some brainstorming and research, we decided that electric guitars having a neck that measures under .807″ (20.5mm) from 1st fret can be considered to be an electric guitar with a thin neck.

Also, these brands reveal the thickness of the guitar’s neck on their website(if you have found more, please let us know, leave a comment or send me an email):

  • Ibanez
  • Cordoba(makes classical guitars)
  • Schecter

I also used Wildwood Guitars and The Music Zoo websites when doing research, they are awesome because they reveal neck thickness for some models.

Note that the exact neck thickness can vary between different copies of the same models.

Full List 22 Electric Guitars With Thin Necks

Ibanez RGA42FM is a great budget electric guitar that features a thin Wizard III neck.

Price symbol meaning:

$= 200-800 Dollars

$$= 801-1500 Dollars

$$$= 1501-2000 Dollars

$$$$= 2000-3000 Dollars

$$$$$= 3001- Dollars

*Consider all links in this post to be affiliate links. If you purchase, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. It helps us to keep the lights on, thanks! 🙂

ModelNeck ThicknessNut WidthPrice RangeCheck Price (Affiliate links)
Charvel Pro-Mod DK24.750″ (19.05mm) 1st fret – .830 (21.08mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86″)$$Sweetwater* – Thomann*
Charvel USA Select DK24 HH.760 (19.3mm) 1st fret – .840 (21.3mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86″)$$$$$Sweetwater
Ernie Ball Music Man Sabre HH.740 (18.79mm) 1st fret – .890 (22.6mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86″)$$$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH Striped Series Frankie.790 (20.06mm) 1st fret – .820 (20.82mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86″)$$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH 5150 Series Standard.780 (19.8mm) 1st fret – .820 (20.82mm) 12th fret1.685″ (42.79mm)$$SweetwaterThomann
EVH Wolfgang USA – 5A.780 (19.8mm) 1st fret – .890 (22.6mm) 12th fret1.625″(41.275mm)$$$$$Sweetwater
Ibanez AZ2402 Prestige.807 (20.5mm) 1st fret – .885 (22.5mm) 12th fret1.653″ (41.9mm)$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez AZ2204 Prestige.807 (20.5mm) 1st fret – .885 (22.5mm) 12th fret1.653″ (41.9mm)$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez GRX70QA.767″ (19.5mm) 1st fret, .846″ (21.5mm) 12th fret1.653″ (41.9mm)$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez J Custom RG8570Z.669″ (17mm) 1st fret, .748″ (19mm) 12th fret1.692″(42.97mm)$$$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez High Performance RGA42HPQM.748″ (19mm) 1st fret, .826″ (21mm) 12th fret1.692″(42.97mm)$$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez RGA42FM.748″ (19mm) 1st fret, .826″ (21mm) 12th fret1.692″(42.97mm)$SweetwaterThomann
Ibanez S6521Q Prestige.669″ (17mm) 1st fret, .748″ (19mm) 12th fret1.692″(42.97mm)$$$Sweetwater
Jackson MJ Series Dinky DKR.780 (19.8mm) 1st fret – .830 (21.08mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86mm)$$$$Sweetwater
PRS Guitars SE Custom 24.790 (20.06mm) 1st fret – .890 (22.6mm) 12th fret1.6875″(42.86mm)$$SweetwaterThomann
Schecter Keith Merrow KM-6 MK-III Hybrid.748″ (19mm) 1st fret – .787″ (20mm) 12th fret1.653″ (42mm)$$Sweetwater
Schecter BälSäc E-1 FR.748″ (19mm) 1st fret – .787″ (20mm) 12th fret1.625″ (41.3mm)$$SweetwaterThomann
Schecter Synyster Gates Custom-S.748″ (19mm) 1st fret – .787″ (20mm) 12th fret1.625″ (41.3mm)$$SweetwaterThomann
Schecter Banshee GT-6 FR.748″ (19mm) 1st fret – .787″ (20mm) 12th fret1.625″ (41.3mm)$$Sweetwater
Schecter C-1 Blackjack .787″ (20mm) 1st fret – .866″ (22mm) 12th fret1.643″ (42mm)$$Sweetwater
Schecter C-6 Deluxe.787″ (20mm) 1st fret – .866″ (22mm) 12th fret1.625″ (41.3mm)$Guitar CenterThomann
Schecter Damien-6 FR.787″ (20mm) 1st fret – .866″ (22mm) 12th fret1.625″ (41.3mm)$Sweetwater

Our Favorite Music Store in The World!

Why?

– Excellent Customer Service (4.7/5 Trustpilot Score)

– Fast & Free Shipping

– Gear is Inspected, Tested, & Ready to Play When it Arrives to You (We love this)

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Visit Sweetwater:


Thank you for visiting us here at GND. You are the reason for us doing this. We live in tough times. Every one of us have a ton of stuff going on and our own problems. Never give up. Never settle. You can do it.

Teemu – Founder of GND

3 Best Electric Guitars With Thin Necks

Best Budget – Ibanez GRX70QA

What I like

  • Really versatile
  • Really effortless to play
  • High value for the money
  • Solid tuners and hardware
  • Neck humbucker offers meaty tones
  • Affordable

What I don’t like

  • My test-copy had rough fret edges
  • Some fret buzz out of the box
  • The sound can be a bit treble heavy sometimes

Who is it for?

Ibanez GRX70QA is my favorite guitar under $200, and the best pick for beginners or players on a budget that want versatile tones and easy playability. Can handle music from jazz to metal.

But of course, this axe can have some budget guitar issues, frett buzz/uneven frets, and sharp fret edges, but still, the value for money is really high. And you can’t expect the perfect guitar with this affordable price tag.

If you like to play all sorts of music, but rock and metal are your favorite genres and you also want smooth playability, this Ibanez is a great option for you!

Read my full review of this guitar: Ibanez GRX70QA Review

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Best Overall – Ibanez High-Performance RGA42HPQM

What I like

  • Smooth playability
  • Really thin Wizard III neck shape ( .748″ (19mm) 1st fret, .826″ (21mm) 12th fret)
  • DiMarzio Fusion Edge Humbuckers offer versatile tones 
  • Coil-split
  • Beautiful quilted maple looks
  • High-quality build

What I don’t like

  • Lemons sometimes slip through (can happen with any model tho)
  • The neck is still quite wide 1.692″(42.97mm)

Who is it for?

If you are ready for a mid-priced guitar that offers versatile tones, is smooth playing, has a high-quality build, and a really thin neck, this Ibanez is a great choice.

Check Today’s Price on


Best Premium – Jackson MJ Series Dinky DKR

What I like

  • A bit smaller Dinky body shape
  • 12″-16″ compound fretboard radius
  • Mean & hot metal tones
  • Not just a metal guitar
  • High-quality Gotoh locking tremolo
  • Really fast & easy to play

What I don’t like

  • Expensive
  • Some prefer hardtail or TOM-bridge over floating tremolo bridge

Who is it for?

If you are looking for a guitar that offers fast playability, high quality, and mean tones but can also handle softer stuff too, this Jackson is a great option.

Check Today’s Price on


FAQ

Is A Thinner Guitar Neck Easier to Play?

A thinner guitar neck can be easier to play, especially if you have small hands and/or short fingers. But of course there’s no rule that thinner necks are easier to play, for some players guitars with thick necks fit the best. You should make research and test different guitars out to find the right neck size for you.

Which Guitars Have The Thinnest Necks?

Based on my research and experience, Ibanez electric guitars with Wizard necks have the thinnest necks. They can be thin as .669″ (17mm) when measured from the 1st fret. In general, the thickness of Wizard necks varies from .669″ (17mm) to .787″ (20mm) when measured from the 1st fret.

Are Thinner Guitar Necks Better for Small Hands?

They can be. I have tiny hands and I have found thin or at least medium-sized necks (when it comes to thickness) work the best for me. I would pay attention to both the thickness and width of the neck and test different guitars out to find the right fit.

Couple of articles that will help you out:


Conclusion

I personally prefer slim and thin necks because of my small hands. I can handle a thin but wide neck, but if you hand me a guitar with a really thick neck, that can give me a hard time. In this article, you found some of my absolute favorite guitars. They are my favorites because of their awesome playability, but they also offer great value and sound. I hope that you found the right one for you.

If you have any questions just leave a comment. I wish you all the best and keep rocking!

Teemu Suomala

I first grabbed the guitar in 2009. I started this website in January 2020 because I couldn’t do window installation anymore due to my health problems. I also noticed that most guitar websites don’t do a really good job, so I decided to just go for it! I got lucky and managed to get awesome people to help me with my website. I also got lucky because I have you visiting my website right now. Thank you. I do all this for you guys. If you have any recommendations, tips, or feedback, just leave a comment, I would love to chat with you. I have been fortunate to produce content for several large guitar websites, such as Songsterr, Musicnotes, GuitarGuitar, and Ultimate Guitar. I spend my spare time exercising and hanging out with my wife and crazy dog(I guess that went the right way…). Expertise: guitar learning techniques, electric guitars, and guitar amplifiers. You can connect with me on LinkedIn or just email me.
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Mike

Great review, thanks 🙏

LFC

The Ibanez ORM has a neck that’s just as slim as the Wizard necks but the profile is different, more like a Gibson. They’re also a 24″ scale guitar like a Jaguar or Mustang, so they’re great if you’ve got small hands.

joe

You failed to address the elephant in the room: Scale length. All your choices are 25.5 scale lengthy aside from the 25 PRS. For people wiry small hands that’s more important than neck thickness (For most). This page is useful for anyone who simply feels more comfortable with a thin neck, but smaller handed folks need short scale AND then if possible, a thin neck.

joe

Wiry = with in above comment. Damn Android!

Chaco

Thank you! Wish you would of added the weight of those guitars. Very often shops put the weight of the package and not of the guitar. Being a left handed woman with small hands, it’s a bit of a challenge to find a guitar which answers all my needs and looks fabulous (left guitars are usually black, brown , white or some horrible color)