The Watering Hole

I've been trying to get a hold of these MusicMan guitars in guitar stores but lucked out so far.
I keep reading about the best feeling necks etc. all over the place.
Unfortunately these are a bit rare to find it seems and I was only able to find the lower priced models with non-asymmetrical necks.

Have you guys ever tried one of these (I think they're called Axis or EVH models) guitars and how do these asymmetrical necks play? I'm having a hard time imagining how an asymmetrical neck will feel. I imagine my hand would have a tendency to go off-balance or that it would just feel totally strange...
Anyone tried one and likes or dislikes these?

I had a Musicman Axis on loan for a few months a while back. It had a stripped back (just oiled) neck just like the EVH models. Great guitar and the neck felt really good but a bit chunky for my liking.

The Levinson Blade I now own and love also has an asymetrical neck profile and is the only guitar I own that I'll never sell.

I'm willing to bet that once you play either of these for any length of time, when you then go back to a 'normal' profile neck, that's when it will feel strange.

For those who don't know, the neck profile on both the MM and the Blade is like a standard C neck but the treble side is shaved a little thinner giving  an 'off center' point/apex to the C shape.

Wonder why it feels more comfortable? As quoted to me by Gary Levinson himself..."Hold your fretting hand up in the 'inverted spider pose' (back of the hand to the floor and fingers/thumb relaxed) and look at the shape of the flesh between the base of the thumb and the base of the fore-finger". NOW you can see why it makes sense.

If you find a Levinson in a shop Schniedas (better if it's an old one with the headstock shape the same as my avatar) try one. The MM will have a similar feel but slightly chunkier.

Hope this helps.

The Axis, to me, doesn't have nearly as pronounced an asymetrical design as the Peavey Wolfgangs (almost to the point I was rather surprised when you mentioned that).  The Axis, which originally was the EB Van Halen model, might have had a more pronounced when it was Eddies sig.  

I used to own a Peavey Wolfgang (USA, non-archtop in white) and there is a big difference in neck shape.  We've got an Axis SuperSport at the store and it is not NEARLY as fat as the Peavey (in fact, it's rather slime ala original Ibanez Wizard).  You can really feel the asymmetrical neck shape on the Peavey.  It feels a little weird at first, but it plays well.  

MusicMan necks are the bomb.  I have a Petrucci6 that just kills!!!   The gun-stock oil/wax finished neck feels so stinkin' sexy!!!

Obligatory pics:

You really shouldn't have that much of a problem finding an Axis, I used to see them everywhere.  I had one for a few years and it was one of my favorite guitars.  It's what August plays as well.

As for the neck, it has a very small radius which makes it easier to play.  I liked the neck so much that I used everything except for the scale on my custom necks (I went with a PRS-like 25" scale).

This was mine.

Heh, Dearth's post wasn't there when I posted mine or I would have mentioned that the Wolfgang's neck is NOTHING like the Axis.  Before I had the Axis I had a nice Wolfie, but the neck is VERY chunky around the 12th fret (good for tapping I guess) and I hated it.

Actually, the neck radius on the Axis was the smallest I had (around 14") and the neck radius on the Wolfgang was the largest I had.

Obligatory blurry pic of my Wolfie at the top left of this pic.

CraigBert — Aug 10, 2008Heh, Dearth's post wasn't there when I posted mine or I would have mentioned that the Wolfgang's neck is NOTHING like the Axis.  Before I had the Axis I had a nice Wolfie, but the neck is VERY chunky around the 12th fret (good for tapping I guess) and I hated it.

Actually, the neck radius on the Axis was the smallest I had (around 14") and the neck radius on the Wolfgang was the largest I had.

Obligatory blurry pic of my Wolfie at the top left of this pic.

Surely you are talking about fretboard radius here Craig and NOT neck profile. A 14" radius neck profile would result in a neck so wide you would have 1 1/2 " between the strings :o.

A 14" radius fretboard is about in the middle of the range (old Strats had 9", modern metal axes have much flatter 18-24" radius.)

We were talking about the profile of the back of the neck.

Don't mean to jump on you, just wanted everyone on the same page ;).

As it happens, I had a Wolfie for a while as well. I made 2 mistakes with this purchase.

1. I thought it was a USA axe. It wasn't, it was a Korean made which explained the price.

2. I thought it would be close in neck profile to the MM i had been loaned. It wasn't.

I did however manage to sell it some weeks later to a young EVH fanatic for a few £'s more than I paid for it.

HATED that guitar!

It's asymmetrical but no mind-blowingly so... Warmoth shows the profile compared to a normal strat here...

http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=back_profiles#custom

Great infos guys.

Spud, yeah, I guess it makes sense looking at my hand in the inverted spider position.
I still have some troubles imagining how it will play (I'm imagining that I'll be constantly and akwardly tilting my hand somehow). I'll check into the Levinson blades. Thanks for the tip.

Chris, The MusicMan Petrucci is a beauty! I'd love to own a 6-string model of these but it's so damn expensive. I briefly played the 7-string version in the store this weekend - and it was not for me. The wide yet thin neck felt like I was holding a football-field. The 6-string will feel great though I'm sure.
I didn't know the Peavey Wolfgang's had a asymm. neck aswell. Makes total sense though. I'll see if they have one of those. So, you liked the Peavey neck and could play as well as on 'regular' necks?

Craig, sorry I didn't get you, did you hate the neck thickness or the radius?

Charge, thanks man, I know that page well...

If you think regular Petrucci's are expensive, take a look at the Ball Family Reserve version.  A few hundred more easily.

The 7-string option on the Petrucci really increases the price a fair amount, especially if you load it out with options (piezos, matching headstock, artist inlays, or Mystic Dream color).  Mine was somewhat reasonable since I didn't go for Piezos or Mystic Dream color (the paint they use for that is mucho expensive).  

The Wolfgang neck played fine, but I do like the Axis neck more.  It isn't as chunky.  Honestly, it isn't that weird.  No weirder than learning to play scallops.   ;)

Its funny how I hated the Wolfie after owning the Levinson for some time. Also funny how the Levinson was the first and only guitar I have ever owned that felt 'Just So' straight away and still does 4 years later. I've had my Fender Strat Plus for about three years now and to be honest, It comes out the case so rarely, it'll be going to a new home pretty soon I think.