Trapezoidal Neck Profile

What the...?!

Rick's losing it...everyone knows neck profiles are smooth curves. Rounded. Tradition and all that.

Perhaps not anymore.

I've been thinking about how the fret hand leverages the neck for playing, and I've noticed most players use two basic grips — particularly when playing bass:

Classical grip — with the thumb planted opposite the fretboard on the back center of the neck.

Pinch grip — with the neck held pinched between the thumb and the base of the index finger.

1. So why not design a neck profile specifically for those two grips?

2. Why not run the center thumb rest all the way up the neck into the heel? Would a player maintain better form and orientation to the fretboard?

3. Would the fret hand wrist curve straighten, relieving stress on tendons?

4. Would the fingers gain a natural mechanical advantage?

5. Suppose the neck core was .75" square tubing — hollow, incredibly stiff, lightweight, and machined out of aircraft grade aluminum? How would it transmit vibration? How would it sound?

Let's experiment...

ORCHID SERIES:

Orchid Design
Orchid (Explained)
Stacked Laminate Neck Construction
Orchid Body
Orchid Neck Construction (Trapezoidal)
Trapezoidal Neck Profile
Skipping Ahead
Purple
Orchid Assembly