Strat neck for those of us with small old hands

budglo · **Joined:** Fri Jan 02, 2009 3:17 pm **Posts:** 1986

BigJay wrote:

There are several dimensions to consider.

Probably the most important dimensions are the RADIUS, the WIDTH of the neck at the nut, and the SHAPE.

First, the radius basically describes the width and arch of the fingerboard. If you imagine a piece of pie, the radius would describe the distance from one corner of the crust to the other, and the parabola (arch) of the crust between the two corners. The bigger the radius, the larger the fingerboard dimensions. So...there are many standard radii (??) for necks. Generally, Strats come in one of three radius....7.5, 9.5 and 12. (off the top of my head I think those numbers are correct...theyre close anyway). So, if you have baby hands, you might want a 7.5" radius neck.

Vintage Strats all had 7.5" radius necks. Many Vintage Reissue guitars also have a 7.5" radius. Some dont like smaller radius necks because they are smaller....duh....and can affect your ability to bend strings. However, it doesnt seem to bother Eric Clapton in his signature "Vintage" strats.

Second, the width of the neck at the nut is pretty straight forward. Its either wider or narrower. However, you will find that there isnt much difference between the two current extremes....maybe 1/4 of an inch. So I wouldnt worry about that much.

Last, the shape could make a difference. Some necks are V shaped, C shaped, U shaped..."Soft V" shaped. Just think about looking down the back of the neck....what shape is it? V, V-s, U, C?? Well, that shape might affect your ability to reach the fingerboard. The current standard is C shaped. Many officianattos and vintage nuts seem to gravitate toward the V and soft V. The U shape is generally considered to be bigger, so you might want to avoid that. Best to try them all for preference.

I might comment on an earlier post, where somebody suggested a Stevie Ray Vaughan signature Strat. I love this guitar and, if I could, I'd buy that neck for my custom guitar. But I have pretty big hands. After all, the SRV Signature neck has a U-shape and a 12" radius. Its about the biggest neck Fender makes right now.

Actually the SRV neck is narrower at the nut than the Modern C shape.It is all about how the neck feels in your hands ,how it is disperced in your hand as you play.The whole idea that only people with big hands can play a neck like the SRV is a myth.It was a few years before i even played a SRV because thats what alot of people said.I found out that to me it is the most comfortable neck i have ever played and i have small hands.I would recomend trying every style neck to get a feel for the differences and which one feels the best for you.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:11 pm

It is all about how the neck feels in your hands ,how it is disperced in your hand as you play.The whole idea that only people with big hands can play a neck like the SRV is a myth.It was a few years before i even played a SRV because thats what alot of people said.I found out that to me it is the most comfortable neck i have ever played and i have small hands.I would recomend trying every style neck to get a feel for the differences and which one feels the best for you.[/quote].

Your observations are valid. For me, and I wear a 7.5 glove, the SRV neck is unsuitable. For me, my '89 Clapton, '08 Gilmour, the '57 Hotrod, and the EVH guitars have the most comfortable play.

Doc

nikininja · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 5:59 pm

zzdoc wrote:

It is all about how the neck feels in your hands ,how it is disperced in your hand as you play.The whole idea that only people with big hands can play a neck like the SRV is a myth.It was a few years before i even played a SRV because thats what alot of people said.I found out that to me it is the most comfortable neck i have ever played and i have small hands.I would recomend trying every style neck to get a feel for the differences and which one feels the best for you.

.

Your observations are valid. For me, and I wear a 7.5 glove, the SRV neck is unsuitable. For me, my '89 Clapton, '08 Gilmour, the '57 Hotrod, and the EVH guitars have the most comfortable play.

Doc[/quote]

Also i must add Doc. Your dilema with the rosewood neck being not to the size you specified. My CS guitar with its shallow C and rosewood seems thicker front to back than my 57hotrod. Im going to buy a pair of calipers soon and post my findings.
As always neck shape is an enigma. Its how your hand or thumb/index finger join follows the curve.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:03 pm

Also i must add Doc. Your dilema with the rosewood neck being not to the size you specified. My CS guitar with its shallow C and rosewood seems thicker front to back than my 57hotrod. Im going to buy a pair of calipers soon and post my findings.
As always neck shape is an enigma. Its how your hand or thumb/index finger join follows the curve.[/quote]

Quite right....which is why the V-neck suits my hand better. Though the CS may have started out with a Clapton neck profile, the maple cap for the fingerboard is thinner than the rosewood was. The Gilmour neck, by comparison, is a one piece neck at 21 frets. By necessity, the 22-fret Clapton requires a maple cap. I believe your '57 Hotrod is a one piece neck, but the neck carve is decidely different from anything else Fender does. It feels closer to the Gilmour, as my memory serves.

nikininja · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:18 pm

Maybe mate. All i know is that its a thing on its own. The guitars wiring diagram is no longer featured on this site, i think it could be being phased out. CS have released what appears to be a similar guitar as far as spec's are concerned. Deep contour bodies ala 57's have been a staple of the CS for awhile from what i can tell. The neck looks the same on paper. The pickups are a similar variation to appeal to the masses.

A interesting guitar to research and compare no doubt.
http://www.fender.com/customshop/instruments/search.php?partno=0155192

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:27 pm

Specs on the '57 Hotrod speak to a modified soft-V neck and a reference to finish. I don't know that the finish is the modfication. My guess is that its the profile based on my playing it.

You, having one in your possession, would best be able to speak to this.

Doc :wink:

nikininja · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:32 pm

Certainly the guitars standing in my humble but selective collection speaks of its quality.

ZZDoc · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:35 pm

[quote="nikininja"]

It IS 1:30 a.m. on your side :shock:

Now you know why you don't hear from me late a night during the week any longer. Can't do that any more

Doc

nikininja · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:03 pm

Happy days and pleasant nights mate. Enjoy your rest.

You earned it.

mondo500 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:05 pm

Try some different necks out, as you originally suggested... here's what I think for what it's worth (and as usual with me, it's kind of stating the obvious!): I have small hands (especially considering my height), and I find that different necks encourage me to play in different ways. I started out many years ago on a strat, but after a while I got more into playing flamenco so for the past ten years or so I've mostly played a wide neck with no radius at all. Of course, for that type of music you've usually got your left thumb in the middle of the back of the neck, and even a guy with comparatively small hands can develop quite a reach.

I didn't abandon the electric side of things altogether, though, and I've had an ultra with a 9.5" radius for about fifteen years. I liked this guitar because it seemed the closest I could get to a flamenco-style feel in a strat at the time (ebony fretboard, fairly wide neck). It's great, but after a while I was finding that it didn't really lend itself to thumb-over-the-neck wildman bending and general rock-piggery, which for one reason or another was what I wanted to be doing.

A couple of months ago I bought a '66 custom shop instrument second-hand, and this one has a 7.25 " radius with a nice C profile. It actually feels quite beefy, but that's probably because now it's more comfortable to play with my thumb over the top of the neck so it really fills my hand. Let's just draw a veil over all the potential innuendo associated with the satisfaction of being able to run your hand along a nice hefty shaft, and say that if you play a lot with your thumb holding bass notes of chords or you achieve vibrato or bending with more of a clutch-type grip, the smaller 7.25" radius necks may be for you.

If you use a lot of chord voicings that require a bit of flexibility in your left hand positioning, or if you use your left pinky often in solos and consequently have your thumb around the back of the neck rather than over the top, just try a few out and go with the most comfortable... you may be surprised.

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