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Post subject: This neck thing that's going on...
Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2010 2:43 pm
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Something in another posting reminded me of this. What started me thinking was I was doing research for a Strat (sorry guys and gals, just deal) and my preference is for the "V" style neck, like the Baja.

I'm comfy with it, I like it, it works for me.

But these days, the large majority of the Fender axes come in the "C" neck, which is, well, OK I guess.

However a lot of the vintage and vintage re-issue gear is, of course, the "V" neck. And when you get into the artist series, there's "V" action going on there too. Couple guys with first name of Eric (last names Clapton and Johnson, may have heard of them) are specifying "V" necks on their models.

So is there an evolution going on, from "V" neck to "C"? Something the manufacturer would prefer to build? The old stuff, the '52's and the '57's were just a test with the "V" neck and the "C" is where it's at?

Comments?




(oh yeah, on the strat - looking at either a '57 reissue or what is essentially the same thing, the Eric Johnson signature model)


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Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:10 am
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It was kind of an evolution. But I've heard rumors that the guy hand shaping the necks at Fender around 1957 just happened to make all the necks with a V profile since he didn't know any better. And they were inconsistent also, since there was a LOT of handwork in those guitars back then. Could just be a tall tale though.

Anyways, here is some info from a wealth of vintage Fender knowledge at http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html:
"Neck Back Shapes (profiles), all guitar and bass models.
Fender neck shapes have changed through the years too.

1950 to 1955: Fender neck shapes (all models) have a standard large and chunky "D" profile (big "baseball bat" style neck).
1956: Fender necks change to a large and chunky "soft V" profile.
1957: the "V" shape gets much stronger. This 1957 "strong V" neck profile becomes famous, and musicians like Eric Clapton prefer its shape. Some Fender necks produced have a "small strong V", where the neck isn't so big feeling, but still has a very strong "V" shape (mostly seen on Musicmasters and Duosonics, and the occassional Strat).
1958: the neck profile completely changes, with the "V" shape completely gone. It's back to a conventional "D" neck profile, but not nearly as thick and large as 1955 and prior neck profiles. This neck style is used on most reissue Fenders (regardless of the year being copied).
1959 and later: the "D" profile gets yet a bit smaller and less chunky. With the release of rosewood fingerboards on all models in mid-1959, the "D" neck profiles pretty much stay the same throughout the 1960s with only minor variance from year to year (for example, 1962 necks seem to be a bit chunkier than 1959 to 1961 necks)."

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