I am proud to present the first result of a collaboration with Al Mu’min of the HAARP Machine, and the subject of my first ever patent application, the EndurNeck!
The EndurNeck allows you to play longer, faster and better by providing not only better support for the muscles and tendons of your fingers, palm, and forearm, but also acts as a guide that helps you straighten your wrist when playing the lower frets. Drawing on concepts like Jerome Little’s Torzal Natural Twist and Rick Toone’s Trapezoid Neck Profile, the EndurNeck is a brand new innovation that requires no special tools or techniques to manufacture or maintain.
The key is a cross section that forms an asymmetric trapezoid, leaning towards your thumb at the headstock end and one that leans towards your palm at the body end. This means two things: 1) when playing in a classical pinch grip, the surface that supports your palm moves gradually closer to the bottom of the neck, meaning that it is easier to reach around the neck with your fingers and 2) when pressing your thumb against the upper surface of the profile, its gradually sharper angle near the headstock helps straighten your wrist and the gradually more shallow angle near the body again also helps straighten the wrist and shortens the distance between the fingerboard and your thumb for a more comfortable and relaxed grip.
In addition, the shallow angle at the lower side of the neck at the headstock gives you more room right where the index finger meets the palm, again helping straighten your wrist. Combined with a slight fan of the frets that also follows the natural angle of your arm as you move up and down the neck in a “windshield wiper” motion, you are bound to be completely unconstrained by the physical limitations of a traditional guitar neck. The effect is greater and more noticeable for wider necks.
Together, these components of the guitar neck design all help to reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injuries, such as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, and improves your playing as a positive side effect.
The EndurNeck is patent pending and available on all .strandberg* guitars as an option at this time.
I immediately see why this is a great patent. I’m sure you’ll get it. If I were an engineer I would have thought of this long ago, because I always wondered about the mechanics of how I play. Looking forward to all the other new discoveries from yourself and your colleagues.
Genius!
Killa ideaaaaaaa I would def like that.
When you get the patent, you should definately talk to Martin………. All those bluegrass cross-pickers will want a slice of this technology!!
Hi, this seems to be a good idea. People often complain that they have pain in their left hand thumb when they play full barred chords. I never had this problem, since I find it easy to keep the left hand thumb in the middle (center line, where the thumb can have good support) of the neck with full barred chords.
Yet …, partially barred chords, for instance when you have to bar only the first 4 strings (D-G-B-E) has always been a major pain for me, because left hand thumb invariably lands below the centerline of the neck, finally putting pressure in a very inconvenient angle where it doesn’t have enough support (flat surface) to absorb the stress. I would like to know if this kind of profile would help with this issue.
I would imagine that it would work well. I have seen many players play with their thumb following the lower surface very comfortably. Ultimately, I think you would have to try and see if it works for you.
hi ola,
i have a guitar neck design that is loosely based on your endurneck™ design.
do i need a written permission *if* one day i want to build it, or is there any licensing fee?
thanks.
Hi Ricky, thanks for getting in touch. The EndurNeck™ shape is now patented, which means that you are not allowed to use it for commercial purposes without a license. You are permitted to use it or base a design on it for personal use, but you are of course able to purchase the information kit from me to obtain the full information and a license nonetheless.