Greetings My Fellow Fender Forum Comrades,

This is something that has intrigued me with the Deluxe line, rolled fingerboard edges. My stance is that although Fender pay attention to detail on these fingerboards on Am Deluxe, you could easily overlook the feature if you didnt know it was there. So I want to test your observation skills.

Here is the test. I have four pics of fingerboards and one of them hasn't got a rolled fingerboard, and the other three has got a rolled fingerboard (as far as I know). I will not tell you the models, untill later on in the thread.

Here we go:









So gang, I would like your feedback and your guess as to which strat doesnt have the rolled fingerboard edges. I will tell you the model with the non-rolled fingerboard edges later on

Have fun!!!

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Hi Blertles: looking that the angle of the fret tang in each photo I'd have assumed the last one doesn't have the rolled edges, if any. But: that is the one with abalone dot markers, so I guess you are going to tell us that is an Am Deluxe and in fact has the rolled edges. So then maybe it's the third pic down that doesn't have the edges.

But really I'm none the wiser.

Bound to say, the rolled edges on my Am Std are very apparent compared to my non-rolled edges, and I like the feature a lot. Far more important than some other "upgrade" features I can think of, far as feel is concerned.

BTW: is the fret in focus in the first photo lifting a little in the middle? Choking problems fretting middle strings at the position below, perhaps? ...You ain't going to post pics here and hope not to have them analysed!

Cheers - C

I'd say they all have a rounding to them. Whether thats through play or was included by design I cant tell.

Get your frets looked at mate. The one Ceri pointed out is indeed rising.

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No no and no

Basically what Ceri said!

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A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski~

I'm agreeing with Ceri based on the break angle on the fret ends. Those abalone dots are a puzzler though...

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Custom Shop '59 Stratocaster
AV Hot Rod '52 Telecaster
AV '56 Stratocaster
'65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue

It's hard to say for sure, but No. 3 looks like the one without rolled edges to me.

#3 was my guess, too. But my question is ... don't all Strats have rolled edges, with some being hand rolled and the rest being machine rolled?

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

If I didnt know better, I'd say the first two photo's were of the same guitar from different angles. One picture has lots of red in it, the other lots of brown. The flaming on the neck looks the same though.

Blertes sorry mate, its been bugging me all day.

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No no and no

damn good eye... niki your a gun..

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

I don't know, I think you're seeing the reflection of the stripes below the neck from whatever it's sitting on. Look at the ends of the frets too, one neck they all seem flush with the edge, the other they don't.

Going by the cut of the tang on the fret #4 gets my vote even though I know its a Deluxe by the abalone dots and the tangerine body. I'm guessing maybe an 02 model. Exactly when did handrolled edges become standard on the MIA Deluxe?

I had to look at it like Ceri did. Looking at the tangs going into the fretboard would have me believe it's #4.

The fret ends in pic #1 look like the frets on Squier CV necks with that hard angle. I'm becoming less a fan of that the more I play them. I don't like the feeling of walking a tight-rope on the high E. Although it may initially feel nice and smooth, I'm more likely to slip the string over the side sometimes due to that hard angle.

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Argh~!! Ceri now you have me worried- Ill pull that guitar out and have a closer look. That guitar hasnt had much play in its lifetime, so it's worth a decent look I'll perhaps post a pic up if I find anything


And Ninja- all guitars are different. I must say however, the poll results dont surprise me

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Yeah I see it now that Joe's pointed it out. The material underneath is reflecting up onto the lacquer.

I think the 3rd one down has less roll than the others. You can see the 4th's tang is set well back and catching the eye. Yet the actual fretwire is set back slightly from the edge of the fingerboard. Its far too obvious.

3 looks straight though it has a natural amount of rounding.

Whats the answer Blertes?

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No no and no

Ceri- some of the frets seem to have a slight gap between the fret and the finger board between frets 6-14. I have my bridge set flush to the body and I like my action med-low but not too low. (mind you, this guitar hasnt been set-up to 'my' settings at all)

Ive given this one a good play- chords, single notes and bent notes ring with no buzz or choking, notes sustain all up the neck. As I have said this guitar has had very little play and has no fret wear at all, even down on the first three frets.

Strange though- perhaps I shall take it to a tech for a set-up...

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