You Ask: What’s the holy grail of single-cut, svelte-necked guitars?

Here’s a query from Steve Paterson, who’s on the grail quest for a single-cut electric guitar with a slick neck.

Steve: “For a long time now I’ve been the guitarist in a function band, but after years of making do, I’m now on the search for what I think is my holy grail guitar. I don’t have a specific make or brand in mind, but I know what it needs to be – namely, a single-cut with a fast, thin, flat neck. I mainly play clean, so something with pickups that can give me that sweet, singing tone, but still with a fretboard that’s fast enough to let rip on. Can you think of any guitars that might fit the bill?”

An interesting dilemma, Steve. Many single-cuts out there tend to have chunky necks and ballsy pickups, but you do have a few options. Inevitably, the more metal-focused guitar companies are more likely to cater for your neck needs than the heritage brands, and the ESP LTD EC-1000 Fluence has relatively classic single-cut looks, but with a 350mm/13.7-inch ’board radius, 24 extra-jumbo frets and Fishman’s active Fluence humbucking pickups, which should ensure that your cleans are as crystal clear as you need them to be. You can pick it up in Vintage Black for less than £750.

Alternatively, if you can stretch your budget into high-end territory, Vigier’s GV Rock (£2,769) is a highly-evolved take on the single-cut formula with a supremely playable neck and a mixture of power and clarity. Good luck with the search!

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