Greetings,

I just picked up a 2006 Classic Player 60s strat on ebay. I'm not sure if I was taken on this guitar or not. It looks to be relatively unplayed, has the 2 point bridge, and certainly sounds like it has CS 69s in it (read: sounds great). It has the "Custom Shop Designed" plate, the little 60th medallion on the back of the neck, and appears to be true to spec in all aspects except one. I bought this to try out the 12" radius neck. This one has a 9.5" radius neck. Everything I've seen says this is supposed to have a 12", and yet the plastic film and sticker is still on the pickguard, and the sticker says 9.5". The sticker is consistent with what I've seen on other CPs in every regard, except that those ones say 12" neck. Does anyone know if these ever came with 9.5" necks?

Thanks...

Contact Fender with your query, and see what they have to say...

Enjoy that Axe!

I agree with you that the neck should probably be a 12' radius, but you know Fender does some changes in the production line from time to time. Call Fender CS to confirm and in the meantime take the neck off and record the serial number with body serial number. If the guitar came with hang tags (assumption since you say it still has the plastic and it was not played) you should match numbers with the ones on the hang tag.

Hope that helps

Hi waygorked, welcome to the Forum.

As you say, to the best of my knowledge this guitar is supposed to come with a 12 inch 'board. Kinda the point of the thing, really: it's one of the few opportunities to have a Strat with a 12 inch radius neck for less than the price of an Eric Johnson Sig.

Did you buy it at a shop? If so, that's your initial recourse - after all, your purchase creates a legal contract with the shop in the first place, not with Fender.

Though as has already been mentioned, I'd also send an email to consumerrelations@fender.com and double check the specs with them. You then go back to the shop armed with definite information.

Good luck - C

I cant remember that guitar ever having a 9.5". Have you put a radius gauge on the board. I wouldnt take too much notice of a sticker.
Doesnt the spec sheet say that spec's are subject to change without warning or something like that.

_________________
No no and no

My Fender Classic 60s has a 9.5" radius - maybe someone in the factory mixing up Classic 60s and Classic Player 60s? Seems unlikely though.. You did say 2006 didn't you? Surely the CP was introduced a year later than that?

The Classic Player was introduced in 2006 and should have the 60th anniversary medallion and AY innitialed pickups. These guitars have always been incorrectly labeled with a 9.5" radius sticker. Its a 12" radius neck. It can't be confused with a Classic because the classics have 7.25 radius necks. There was a big debate about this when they first came out. Hope this helps

All I can say is there is nothing like checking it out. It is supposed to be 12"but at the bottom of all fender specs for each guitar it says quote;

Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

End quote;

So I am sure it happens!

_________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

The Classic 50s Strat has a 7.25" radius neck. The Classic 60s is 9.5" - I've had radius charts on both. The Classic 50s will choke on big bends on a medium action set-up. My Classic 60s won't, even with the action set low.
But I would agree that the published Specs on 50s/60s/70s Classic series all specify 7.25". As for the Classic Players, the 50s is spec'd at 9.5" whilst the 60s is spec'd at 12" All very confusing..

Just goes to show doesn't it - play before you buy!!

Intersting I had not compared the Classic Player 50's and 60's odd that the 50's would be 9.5" and the 60's a 12" all the more reason I would check it with the gauge. That and the previous reason I stated.

_________________
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

The idea of the Classic Player Strats is that they start off with period-ish specs, but them tweak them. So: two-point trems, five-way switches, RW/RP middle pickups and the more player-friendly fingerboard radii.

(Which has always left me slightly wondering what the '50s and '60s part of the names is supposed to be, other than the one-ply pickguard on the CP '50s...?)

I'm wondering from his first post whether Mr Waygorked has actually measured the radius on his CP '60s Strat himself, or is merely relying on a sticker, which may be wrong - as Yogi indicated (above). Time to break out the radius gauges...!

Cheers - C

I wonder why the 60's classic has a 9.5 when the specs says 7.25 and a vintage 60's strat would have 7.25 too? Thats odd

Perhaps I should have said - MY Classic 60s has a 9.5" fretboard.. Perhaps they were using whatever necks were laying around. I even doubted at one point whether or not mine was actually a Classic 60s (I bought it 2nd hand and only had the shop salesman's assertion that it was a classic series - he was selling it for a friend). However, from what I was able to ascertain from the serial no: MN4136632 - it is a Classic 60s series gtr. Would be interested if any can contradict this!

It says on the here that the current Classic series started in 1999, so maybe they were using different specs before then?

I have yet to measure the radius. However, it feels to be exactly the same as my '93 telecaster, which is I believe 9.5. It feels slightly more rounded than my PRS with it's 10" radius. I don't buy that it is a sticker misprint. I have seen classic player stickers that say the exact same thing as mine, only specifying a 12" radius. And as someone mentioned above, the whole point was to get the 12" radius without having to cough up over twice as much for an Eric Johnson. I'm enjoying it much more now that I've set it up properly, love the AY pickups and the 2 point trem (at least not that my Callaham block has arrived), but still...