I might be confused here, but when I've tried out the Fender American Deluxe V-neck, it seems like the neck starts out thick at the nut, then tapers/slims as you move down the neck.

Is this what a soft-V neck does typically? Is this then the same neck on, say, the Classic Player 50's or the Eric Clapton CS, or the Road Worn '50s? (I've not had a chance to play those...)

Put simply: are there any other guitars that Fender makes that have the same neck profile of the Fender American Deluxe Strat V-neck?

I've played a Deluxe V neck (which I thought felt great), the '50s Road Worn and the Classic Player '50s so I can only comment on those.

They're all a little different, but the closest to the Deluxe V neck to me was the '50s Road Worn. I like the Deluxe V neck better though. The Classic Player '50s had a much sharper V.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird

Thanks for the reply.

Did the Road Worn have that neck taper to it, where it slimmed as you went down the neck?

Hi sbirkey: that's interesting. It can't really be getting actually thinner as you move towards the heel, but maybe it feels that way because the back isn't thickening out as fast as the neck is widening - if you see what I mean? So the perception is that it is thinning, proportionately.

I was measuring thicknesses of guitar necks just the other day (middle of the fingerboard to middle of the back, using digital calipers). I found an amazing variation in the rate at which they taper. Here's some of my results. The first measurement is at the first fret, the other is at the twelfth:

Squier Strat - 20.65mm (0.813") - - - 23.40 (0.921)

MIJ '57RI Strat - 21.95 (0.864) - - - 25.40 (1.0)

MIA 2005 Std Strat - 20.90 (0.823) - - - 25.33 (0.997)

MIK Tele - 22.16 (0.872) - - - 22.88 (0.9)

Les Paul - 21.39 (0.842) - - - 24.81 (0.977)

Yamaha CPX - 21.02 (0.827) - - - 22.44 (0.883) (at the tenth fret)

The particularly interesting ones there are the MIJ '57RI Strat, which has a soft V-shape, and the MIK Tele. The MIJ '57 puts on 3.5 mm along its length, which feels very nice. On the other hand the Tele neck barely thickens at all: it feels like a baseball bat at low frets - and yet is still very good. Two completely different tapers, and yet both are nice in the hand (well, my hand...).

You'll also see that my 2005 MIA Strat has the steepest taper of all, 20.9 to 25.33 mm. The shape is a fast-ish C. I find that very fine for mainstream playing - but I don't think we can lay out rules derived from these experiments. Horses for courses.

I'd be most curious to know the "vital statistics" of that Deluxe neck you played. And I'd be even more curious to know how closely those numbers stay the same across the Deluxe range, and how much they vary from one individual instrument to another...

Cheers - C

Well, I’ve tried two different Deluxe Vs, both 2009s, which I’d swear were ‘fatter’ at the nut than at the 12 fret. But, it could be just the feel as the fret board widens that is fooling me.

I’ve scoured the internet (and the Fender site) and can’t find any measurements. I’m tempted to just ask someone at Guitar Center to measure for me.

I also can’t find any other example of a neck that actually tapers as you move down the neck, as your examples also prove.

But, I have to say, that Deluxe V neck feels super comfortable.

Does anyone out there in the forums own one of these guitars and could confirm if there is an actual taper?

The Deluxe V neck has a compound radius. It's rounder near the nut and it gradually flattens out higher up. That could be what you're talking about when you say it tapers. And it's extremely comfortable, probably one of the best necks I've ever gotten to play.

The '50s Road Worn feels a little chunkier than the Deluxe V, but still has the soft V shape.

_________________
Website: http://www.rebeccalaird.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccalairdmusic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckslaird
Instagram: http://instagram.com/beckslaird

Well, the compound radius is new on the 2010's. I had tried a couple of 2009 V-necks.

Anyway, I've emailed a local shop who have some on hand, and I'll post back if they give me the measurements.

On my '57 RI you can feel the "V" more at the headstock than you can further on up the neck,I haven't measured it like Ceri,but it feels great.It's my favorite Strat neck.