Chapin

Wood

Maple (Eastern, light birdseye, flamed, torrified) – traditional snap and clarity.
Rosewood (Cocobolo, Indian, Madagascar) – ranges tonally by oil content and density. Balanced, clear, smooth.
Mahogany – full, balanced, earthy growl.
Korina – snap with sing. Clear, slight upward peak shift from mahogany.

SCale Length

I love experimenting with scale lengths, as they drastically alter the sound and playability of a guitar. Here some common ones I’ve used:

25.5” – A clear, defined, precise response and sound.
25” – has a signature midrange which is precise and focused.
24.625” – shift in mids from 25.5”. Easier bends and low-end has a bit more growl and less spank.
24” - way less tension. Has a fatness and vocal quality to the sound. It sings.

shapes

I hand shape every neck to meet your preferences. Some customers give me exact measurements, others give me a desired "feel" or vintage example.

C Shape – round with gradual to little shoulder.
U Shape – more pronounced shoulder with a rounded back.
V Shape – soft or harder V back with almost no shoulder.
V to C Shape – a V shape that rounds out higher up the neck.
Offset – tapers to thinner treble side. Fits well into the hand.

Fretboards

Many woods are available but here are my favorites. Fretboard edges can be rolled to your specifications.

Maple
Indian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood
African Blackwood

FRETS

Dunlop, Jescar or Stew mac sizes available

Nickel-Silver – traditional frets, traditional tone.
Stainless Steel – smooth bending, wear well, a bit more shallow sounding, with a harder attack.

Radius

7.5” – easier chording, higher action needed for large bends without fretting out.
10” – comfortable for chording, allows lower action for bends without choking out.
12” – smooth bends, comfortable chording, traditional feel for 24 ¾” scale instruments.
Compound  10” to 12” – gradually flattens for rounder low register chording and smooth bends.
Compound 12” to 14” – allows comfortable chording, and very low action with clean bends.

NUT Width

1 .65" – easier to play thumb-over style and double stops. Requires more precise technique to avoid finger crowding.
1.6875" – traditional G width, more finger space, easier to fingerpick.
1.75" – extra wide, good for fingerpickers, transitioning classical players, or those with big hands.

FINISH

Any neck or headstock can be bound along with the body. The headstock can also be painted to match the body color.

Zero Drag – My custom and proprietary satin finish. Super fast, silky, and natural feeling.
Lacquer – for a more traditional look and feel.