I have a couple of questions. First, why are some curved and some flat? What would be the advantage to each? Also, are most Fender rosewood necks curved and most maple flat?

Also, I've been looking for a used American Standard HSS strat, and all I can find is the rosewood fretboard or neck, not the maple. I like the strat HSS body, but the maple, or more specifically Tele, neck. Anyone know why most AS HSS guitars have the rosewood vs maple?

Do you mean fretboard radius? Standard radii are 7.25", 9.5", 12", 16" and maybe flatter. There are also compound radius necks that vary from 9.5 at the first fret to flatter at the last fret. Vintage guitars tended toward 7.25" radius with some 9.5". Modern, shredder type guitars are usually flatter, 12" or 16". Some people find 7.25" easiest for chording while bending strings is easier with a flatter radius. 9.5" is a good compromise between the two offereing easy chording and bending. Roseward or maple is irrelevant as far as the radius goes.

American Standard HSS is available with maple necks:

http://www.fender.com/products/search.p ... 0110100700

If you are finding that most used ones are rosewood, that is simply because they are more popular. Or maybe people are unloading the rosewood board guitars so they can buy maple boards.

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Bill

Thanks for the info. I didn't know that stuff, so it helps.

You're welcome.

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Bill

Also, with the tighter radius boards (7.5") you can sometimes have bent notes choke out too soon, or not sound at all after a slight bend, if your setup is not just right Flatter radius = less chance of choking out in bends. I love the 7.5 radius.....it feels better to me, since I play with my thumb over the top of the neck a lot!

X2, although I think the standard vintage Fender radius is 7.25, to be precise. I do the "thumb over" thing a lot, and it just feels better to me on a rounder fingerboard. I've never had a problem with bent notes choking out. Set up your guitar right and it won't be an issue.

Actually, that is not true. Like I said in my first post "Vintage guitars tended toward 7.25" radius ". If you read "The Blackguard Book" by Nacho Banos (yes, that really is his name), he examines dozens of Blackguard Telecasters from 1950 through 1954. The neck radii varied from 7.25" to 9.5". Some even had compound radii with both 7.25" and 9.5". Very fascinating read with great photos of many early guitars completely disassembled.

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Bill

Interesting. I'll have to check it out.