Think the tinted maple neck/fretboard looks really good. More orangey looking than the non-tinted maple.

What do you long time Strat fans think of the tinted maple? Is this considered desirable or not so much?

Also, what about the lacquer/varnish finish? Any opinions from the seasoned Strat vets are appreciated.

I voted for Sweet!

The necks finished in polyurethane need some tint in my opinion because they will stay pale for a long time since they won't darken naturally quickly like a nitro finished neck. Poly is more UV resistant than nitro.

Look at old pictures from the Fender factory floor in the 50's and you can see the just recently made maple necks look just as pale as a brand new 2010 maple neck. But the necks from the 50's started to yellow as soon as they saw sunlight.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

+1

I think the re-issue necks could stand with a little less of the orange tint but I prefer them to the bleached-white look of the contemporary instruments.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I agree with Arjay. The bleach white stays that way for too long under poly.

Sweet! I so love my tinted maple neck..
ABS