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Post subject: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 9:20 am
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Hi all, first post. Last year I bought a used Jeff Beck Artist Series Strat (forget the year, I think it may be a 2008?) I love the sound of this guitar and have been gigging with it, but I have always preferred thinner necks, and this neck is pretty big. I am wondering if there's another Strat model that may better suit me. There are so many models, I coud spend days and days playing them to find the right one, so I was hoping maybe you guys could offer some advice on which models I might want to look at.

This JB is my first American Strat. My previous "Mexicaster" had a neck I liked more, but the sound was nothing like what the JB model gives. I traded that thing in on a Godin Freeway, which has a neck I love (but it just doesn't sound like a Strat :D )


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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 2:17 pm
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Are you playing a rosewood or maple? Either way you might look at the vintage reissue series either 57 or 62. Try them and see what you think. vintage white is an 87/62 AVRI the Seaform is a 86 / 62 Best 8)
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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2012 4:18 pm
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KGF...Welcome to the forum. Just a thought here, if you really like the JB, why not try to find a thinner neck you like and swap it out. Shouldn't change the tone unless you change to a solid maple neck.

T2

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:23 am
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T2Stratman wrote:
if you really like the JB, why not try to find a thinner neck you like and swap it out. Shouldn't change the tone unless you change to a solid maple neck.


+1

Such "transplants" are common and, mercifully, easily accomplished thanks to Fender's standardization of neck pocket and neck heel dimensions.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:30 am
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I have replaced my 2007 MIM neck with a 1985 MIJ neck, they are very thin.
love how it plays now. MIJ's have some of the best necks i have ever played from Fender.
just save your old neck if you ever decide to resale the guitar.

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:24 pm
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Well I heard MIJ have the best necks. I have a luthier that collects nothing but strats (he has easily 200-300) Anyway he loves the MIJ strats because he says the Japanese copied the original strats body and neck specs to a tee ,but he said the electronics don't sound the same so he swaps them out I don't know if it's true but he has an original American strat and he says the necks feel identical. He's all about Mexican strats lol. I personally love V necks for strats and c or u necks for Telecasters.


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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 5:40 am
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KGF wrote:
...Jeff Beck Artist Series Strat 2008?) ... but I have always preferred thinner necks, and this neck is pretty big... I am wondering if there's another Strat model that may better suit me.

Hi KGF, welcome to the Forum.

I've done detailed measurements of lots of Fender necks and in my experience the modern C-shape neck on the American Standard is as consistently slim as any that Fender make. Measuring front to back, that is. Strat necks vary by a mil or a touch more widthwise at the nut - but as far as how it feels in your hand goes I strongly suggest the shape and depth of the back is far more significant than nut width.

So. Try out an Am Std and see how it works for you.

BTW: although the Jeff Beck Strat has a fairly chunky neck inside word is that over the last couple of years or so he has moved to even fatter necks on the guitars he himself plays. Whether or not the Sig model will follow that spec in due course remains to be seen...

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 10:57 am
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Ceri wrote:
KGF wrote:
...Jeff Beck Artist Series Strat 2008?) ... but I have always preferred thinner necks, and this neck is pretty big... I am wondering if there's another Strat model that may better suit me.

Hi KGF, welcome to the Forum.

I've done detailed measurements of lots of Fender necks and in my experience the modern C-shape neck on the American Standard is as consistently slim as any that Fender make. Measuring front to back, that is. Strat necks vary by a mil or a touch more widthwise at the nut - but as far as how it feels in your hand goes I strongly suggest the shape and depth of the back is far more significant than nut width.

So. Try out an Am Std and see how it works for you.

BTW: although the Jeff Beck Strat has a fairly chunky neck inside word is that over the last couple of years or so he has moved to even fatter necks on the guitars he himself plays. Whether or not the Sig model will follow that spec in due course remains to be seen...

Cheers - C


+1

FWIW, I kinda like those baseball bat necks, but could never play one *all* the time.

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:13 am
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A recommendation for "Thin Necks" would be a MIM 60's Classic Series Stratocaster or a MIJ 62 Reissue neck. Both are a nice "C" shape and quite thin, very comfortable, I own both and for a 60's style guitar (like JB's somewhat) these two should be right what you are looking for.

HTH

T2

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2012 3:05 am
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Ever played a Clapton guitar???

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 1:31 pm
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Thanks all for your replies, and sorry it took so long to reply. I had a hell of a time logging in and usually gave up in frustration, until it finally just dawned on me that this forum's usernames are case sensitive!! Never saw that before.

I've seen a couple recommendations for the Clapton guitar so I think I'll try to find one. As for swapping out necks, first off that thought scares me, and second off, if I knew which neck I liked I wouldn't have posted this question. :)

I also like the trem system on the JB, and swapping out necks would eliminate that too.

I guess I'll just have to go through the torture of playing Strats for hours on end :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2013 3:38 pm
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KGF wrote:
I guess I'll just have to go through the torture of playing Strats for hours on end :wink:


That's a cross we all willingly bear.

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:53 am
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These are just my own personal opinions and I'm usually the odd guy around here so PLEASE take them only for what they're worth to you...

When I'm considering a new guitar, the main thing I usually pay attention to is the feel and not the sound. With a Strat at least, it's really quite easy to change the sound, but the feel, as you've discovered, is something that you're pretty much stuck with and if that's not there, it really just don't matter how great the guitar may (or may not) sound as you're just not going to enjoy playing it. When I got my '96 MIM for example, this was precisely the case. I had also been looking at another Strat...forget which model, but it had the finish I wanted and the sound was just incredible but that neck....uuuhhhgggg...can't even call it a baseball bat...was more like a boat oar! LOL!!! Then there was this MIM Standard...Lake Placid Blue, which I really didn't care for in those days because I really wanted a sunburst and those mid 90's Mexican pickups were just -flat-...very little sparkle at all. But the feel...oh, the feel...I closed my eyes, turned the amp off and just ran my fingers up and down the neck and yes, that's the one that came home with me that day! It took a couple of sets of pups and a Callaham trem block before I really found her "sound" but yea...very well worth it. After a few years (and a change to black face cosmetics) the LP Blue finally even grew on me :-)

For that matter, I recently picked up a '94 Mexican-made Fender "Squier Series". At first glance I was just going to walk away from this thing...aside from the really cheap import hardware, it was just this HORRID Jaundice green...looked like someone puked on it then tried (unsuccessfully) to wipe it off. Then I made the mistake of playing it....WOW! This thing is really just one contradiction after another...although rumor has it that this is an American body and neck, it had the cheap Squier hardware, pickups/electronics, etc...and she's one of the sweetest playing, sweetest sounding Strats I've ever picked up! I have since swapped out the bridge for a regular Mexican Standard big block and I replaced the cheapo chrome covered tuners with some vintage style Kluson knock-offs...and yes, I did a quick and dirty rattle can yellow enamel over the top of the horrid green (damn thing made me sea sick every time I looked at it!)...I'll do a proper refinish on her later this year. That said, for something that I got in trade for a set of Rototoms, she's just a wicked instrument to say the least! Already used her at a gig and I really couldn't be happier!

Now that said, I'm just not big on the Signature Series instruments...I know what -I- like and I have simply never found it in ANY artist model. In my mind, that's just more of a sales gimmick than anything. I love Clapton's music for example but that doesn't mean I need a "Blackie" in order to play his stuff...although like the original Blackie, I did finally build my own. Nothing wrong with a good partscaster if it gets you where you need to go! While I haven't tried the Jeff Beck if that's the sound you're after, it shouldn't be hard at all to find out what kind of pickups and hardware and such one has (I suspect you could start right here on Fender.com for the specs) and just apply that to a guitar that's more inline with the feel you're after. Remember that MANY of us change out pickups, hardware, strings, etc., to get the sound and feel we're after...we all have different tastes. Again referencing Eric Clapton, as I recall the story he had gone out and picked up like 6 misc Strats or something and essentially took the parts that he liked the most to build the original Blackie himself...and the rest as they say, is music history. Again nothing wrong with a good partscaster at all! If it's good enough for Eric...who am I to argue? :-)

As far as making any suggestions as to an individual or specific neck/model...yea...I get that there's A LOT of Strats out there, but as with most things guitar, I'm not sure I can really recommend anything specific at all as not only do we all have our own personal tastes, virtually every guitar/neck has it's own character and personality...tis the nature of the beast. The only thing I can really suggest is to take an afternoon and hit every guitar shop within driving distance and play AS MANY AS YOU CAN. Again, don't worry too much about sound (I wouldn't even plug into an amp...at least not at first)...find the FEEL that you're after...your hands will tell you when it's "right". Then find out what kind of pups are in that Jeff Beck model and pick up (no pun intended) a set of those and go from there.

Again just my own thoughts here, but something to think about...
Peace,
Jim


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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 8:48 am
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I've gone back and fourth several times with a guitar neck size. I've had several Strats over the last few years and played a few more I didn't own. I prefer the boatneck sized guitars, since I use the claw grip on the neck. Feels much more comfortable to me with a thicker neck.

Ceri is right, try out an American standard. If you like the tone of the pickups and the ease of the controls, swap the neck.

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Post subject: Re: Strat Advice - necks
Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 11:05 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
KGF...Welcome to the forum. Just a thought here, if you really like the JB, why not try to find a thinner neck you like and swap it out. Shouldn't change the tone unless you change to a solid maple neck.

T2


I really believe thickness of necks definitely affects tone. That's why I think I like my Fenders as much as I do, my liking them is new to me. I'm a Jackson/Charvel guy and have been for over 30 years.

I firmly believe after pickup and wood selection, neck thickness matters as much as string gauge choice.

Thicker necks just seem to resonate better. They seem to bloom more than thinner necks.

Maybe I'm just smoking too much. :lol:


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