On the string spacing, are you just talking about the nut size, which varies by 1 or 2mm. Or does the bridge come into play also?

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
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'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
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Great info, Thanks.

No not just nut size. The string spacing across the bridge.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

You can go to "fender.com" look under stratocaster and find the "classic player 50's" . It does have the wide spacing. The two point tremelo was throwing me off. I didn't know they made a two point trem with vintage spacing. With Vintage spacing, the bottom and top strings will be directly over the poles on the pups on the neck and middle pups. Not so with narrow(modern) spacing.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Thank you Bshane...Great info!!!

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Interesting, I was just playing a Classic Player 50's today and comparing it with my Highway One today. My Highway One definitely has wider string spacing (I measured), and I thought that the Classic Player 50's had normal import spacing. I always thought there were just two different spacings, American and import. What does vintage wide and wide screw/narrow strings mean exactly? Are they in between American and import or Amercian and import by different names?

To the OP: Yes, the radius is another thing which is extremely important to the feel of the neck. My Squier has a 12" radius too and it's my favorite. 9.5"s, like what's probably on your MIM, do feel different. Fret size is also a factor, but if you're using 9's or 10's then you can get away with smaller frets than if you used 12's or 13's like SRV. The SRV signature guitar has Dunlop 6105 jumbo frets.

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Your highway one should have narrow string spacing and wide screw spacing, NOT wide string spacing.

American and Import spacing aren't always mutually exclusive to say An American instrument = American Spacing, Import instrument = Import spacing.

The reason it is called (Vintage) American Spacing is that from 1954-1980 +/- All Strats had the same screw spacing and string spacing. Some time in the 80s is when different string spacing first came available. Now some American strats share the narrower spacing with import guitars, but import guitars usually have the narrow string spacing and narrow screw spacing. A Few models have the screw pattern stay wide vintage but have the string spacing be narrow ( The Highway one). This means you can replace that bridge with a Wide mount/Wide spacing bridge for vintage spec, but a Narrow mount/narrow spacing wouldn't be a direct fit for the screw holes. I know its a bit tricky to understand, but just know there are generally three types of bridges:

Wide screw/Wide string ( Vintage Reissues, MIM Classic, JV, Artist series with 6 point bridge)

Narrow Screw/ Narrow String ( MIM standard, MIA Standard)

Wide Screw/Narrow String ( Highway one/American Special)

Vintage (as in real vintage, not a model line) nut widths. I don't know if Fender still uses this or not, but it adds to the confusion.

From March 1962 to 1969, Fender marked their necks with an "official" neck width letter at the butt of the neck (in front of the date code). The "B" neck width is the normal width, as used on about 99% of all Fenders from this period. All other sizes were available by special order only. Also all pre-1962 Fender necks have a 1 5/8" nut width (though I'm sure there are some exceptions, but none I have seen).

A = 1 1/2" wide at the nut.
B = 1 5/8" wide at the nut (normal size).
C = 1 3/4" wide at the nut.
D = 1 7/8" wide at the nut.

So if you are looking to match a neck you need to know the fretboard radius, the neck profile, and the nut width. Then to match a certain guitars "feel" you need to know the string spacing at the bridge. Anything else?

A guy could learn a lot hanging around here. So am I correct by what I read above that the American Mahogony Select that I liked has narrow string spacing. How about the American Deluxe HSS that I just ordered?

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

You could try to locate a cp 60s neck, it definitely not srv
But has a 12 in radii, however it is worth exploring TGS suggestions
On string spacing As she is in the know everything and anything
Srv.

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

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The American Deluxe will have narrow spacing and should be a two point.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Hello bluesstrattone. Who is TGS? Just curious. I may need her advice or input also someday. Thanks.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Just thought of something. My Highway One is a 2003 model, did they still have the wide screw, narrow string spacing before the upgrade in 2006?



TGS = Texas Guitar Slinger. I just tend to know a lot about SRV because I've done a lot of research (nothing you couldn't do yourself, just reading interviews and such). I'm a big fan of SRV and so naturally I wanted to know as much as I possibly could. So if someone has an SRV related question, especially if it's about gear, then sometimes I can help.

Just to be clear, even though I'm from Texas I didn't know SRV or anyone else who was really close to him. In fact, he died before I was born. I do know one or two people who were his friends and played with him. And I've talked to some people (including guitar players) who did get the chance to meet him and I've picked their brains about anything they can remember on it.
But really that's it, I'm just a Fender/Strat/SRV fanatic.

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Great Info thanks....

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Ok so a 60's reissue has the right radius and the right string spacing if i digest all this right??? Sound right to you TGS?? Am i on the right track?? TGS whats's your opinion on the maple fret boards then?? Do you think it really does accentuate treble???

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