Picked up a really nice 60's classic player, got it for a steal too . Got to say I've never been a big rosewood fan, nothing to do with playability, more an aesthetic thing. So I picked up another strat, also really cheap! (love craigslist) body is a beater, but had a really nice maple neck with nice grain. My problem is I'm not sure if I should swap the necks. Part of me likes the look better, part of me says it's a classic player 60's and it already is the way it should be. Not looking for answers here, I know it comes down to personal preference, it's just driving me crazy




OK! I have went ahead and put the nice maple neck on the CP 60's sonic blue, taken from the black strat project I bought. Replaced the black strat with another maple neck I had laying around, and will stay there. Took the rosewood neck from the CP, and put it on an Oly white body I also had laying around. These are pics from todays tinkering. Think the CP will stay with the maple, and still have 2 project strats for thse rainy days!

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

call me crazy but I wouldnt change a thing..I kind of like to think scratches..wear etc is sort of medals for hard work and lots of quality time spent with a guitar

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Mona
"Music is What Feelings Sound like"

My issue is more if I want to put the nice maple neck on the 60's CP(sonic blue btw) because my eyes like it better, or leave it original...guess it's good to have options, it's the purist in me saying leave it alone, the player in me likes the maple neck better.

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

i have one of each and my rosewood neck is a bit darker than my maple( duh) but i wanted that. i love them both.

You and guaranteed, hundreds of thousands of other players share the same conundrum. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if these were our only problems?

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You dig?

I say if the maple neck FEELS better, try it with the 60's classic player body and see if it sounds better. you can always switch the necks back again if you don't like it.

Switch the necks you have the option (thank Leo).

Cheers,
Robin

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http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
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Hey Arnold. You are absolutely right that it's a personal thing! I assume they both have the same number of frets? Personally, I agree that the Maple neck (for me) looks and feels much better, as it seems more solid to me, if you know what I mean. The rosewood necks on these guitars are just as playable, and easy to maintain.
Bottom line, you can switch them around, and if you change your mind, switch them back.
My Tele has a maple neck, and I would never change that. I also have the "Cochran", which has a rosewood neck (you know, with the steerhorn, cactus etc inlays) and that is as playable as it is amazing to look at.
I'm actually looking into buying myself a fender strat soon as I am viewing one nearby, I saw the ad in a magazine. I phoned the guy up, and thinking about it, that's ONE thing I haven't asked him. Thanks for reminding me. I'm viewing it tomorrow so I'll see for myself. I do know it has a blue body of some type...
Good luck matey, and remember, if you do switch the necks, MAKE SURE you have photos of before and after so you can really compare the two "looks"..

INDEED! Not every guitar can you in a few hours swap the neck, pickups, and pick guard, and have a completely new instrument! Genius!

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"Where would rock and roll be without feedback?"

You're not dealing with high end gear such that you're risking much. You have an esthetics question here that's not just simply answered by the neck alone. There's a recent posting where a dude changed the body color and pickup covers on an HH Strat and the total effect was awesome. Not to mention the fact that every neck has a different feel. They are not all finished precisely the same.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Guitars exist to be played. Whatever you need to do to make them play better for you is its own justification.

And that includes the visual perfection of a maple neck on a Stratocaster. As nature intended!

Cheers - C

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If you intend on keeping both guitars I'd be doing it personally.

My thoughts are... you don't get bonus points for keeping a guitar original if you'd enjoy it better with the necks swapped.

However... if/when you ever go to sell, I DO believe that originality helps selling, so at that point you'd likely want to consider putting things back.

YMMV...

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2011 Custom Shop Custom Deluxe HSS Strat
2011 Custom Shop Custom Deluxe SSS Strat
2011 Custom Shop Jeff Beck Strat
2012 Fender Select HSS
2013 American Deluxe Tele
59 Bassman 410, Blues Deluxe 410
Two Rock Studio Pro 35 and 410 Cab

The deciding factor for me is always "what looks better with the finish on the guitar". Some colors look better with maple and some look better with rosewood.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Ditto!!

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"Another day in paradise!"

I prefer the look of maple but the playability of rosewood. Rosewood just feels better under my fingers. Aesthetics vs. playability? I choose playability.