G'Day.

Please bear with me for a bit...

I'm looking at getting my hands on a Strat in the next 4-5 weeks. I kinda have my eyes on a standard MIM which I think I'll upgrade either with custom shop pups or some seymour duncans. Thing is, by the time I do this, the price will be pretty close to a Classic 60s which would be pretty cool. Thing is the Classic 60s (and 50s and 70s) have the 7.25" neck radius.

As I have only ever played a 9.5" with my previous Strat and now my Tele will the smaller radius cause me grief? What are the advantages / disadvantages? Will chords be easier or harder to arrange? Will bends be easier or harder? Even though I've been playing for years I consider myself pretty much a hack!

Your opinions would be appreciated. Oh and Martian if you are reading this, what are your thoughts on a matched set of Seymour Duncan SSL2s in a standard MIM Strat? Main style of music is blues and classic rock. Amp will (hopefully) be a SCXD.

Cheers.

_________________
_______________________________________

MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

Greetings.

The 7.25" radius is easiest for chords as it has the most curvature, hence it is the most ergonomic. On the other hand, because of this curvature, when you bend notes on the unwound strings, you are bending up across a higher curve and these notes will tend to cut out unless you keep the action at least, moderate. So, yes, it will be harder to bend in this sense.

FYI: My main stylings are exactly the same as your's.

If you're going for a completely stock type Strat setup in terms of pickups, of course, my choice would be the SSL-2s. If you want your bridge pickup to be more powerful, put an SSL-6 there. If you want to go totally berserk like I did, put an SSL-2 in the neck, an SSL-6 in the middle and an SSL-3 in the bridge. The Duncan site has soundbites for all.

Regardless of choice(s), don't get into the RW/RP business with the middle pickup.

Lastly, don't forget to bag a blender pot as you wouldn't want to miss out on the Tele aspects.

_________________
You dig?

The Classic 50s and 60s Strats also have vintage frets which some folks, myself included, find more difficult to bend with. That said, I also only use 10s which aren't that much more difficult to bend than 9s but the later is easier.

Thanks guys.
I actually found a place which had a 60s in stock and I then realised it had something I couldn't put up with: a gloss finished neck. Just can't get into the feel of them. So I guess it'll be a stock standard MIM Strat for me as I just can't see myself attacking a brand new guitar neck with steel wool to smooth it down!

Cheers.

PS Martian. Thanks for the idea of the different pickups. If I change them "one at a time" it might also make it easier to sneak it past the missus than if I just spend a big chunk of cash in one hit.

_________________
_______________________________________

MIM Std Tele, MIM HSS Strat, Homemade Mongrel Tele, Blues Jr, Champ600, coupla pedals...sweeeet!

That's the way MANY I know do it!

_________________
You dig?

The higher the radius, flatter the gutar will be. For a lot of bends, high radius guitars like 9.5, 10.5 and even better a 12" are great. Need to have thicker frets too. Jumbo's are great. Best example is the Kenny Wayne Sheperd Strat, 12" radius, Jumbo frets. Note bending machine! Personally, I have a 9.5' radius guitar with medium jumbo (standard deal really) and I love it.