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#277063 - 10/06/10 12:26 PM
Strats Necks ! Whats the crack
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Unleashed
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 03/10/09
Posts: 23
Loc: york uk
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Hi all.This is something thats baffled me for a while and its Stratocaster neck profiles.How many profiles(e.g C shape) are there for these and is the radius the profile and how can you determin your own also is there any one profile thats the most popular. 
Dave.
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#277069 - 10/06/10 05:52 PM
Re: Strats Necks ! Whats the crack
[Re: Unleashed]
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elkay
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 23/11/05
Posts: 352
Loc: Croydon
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Hi Dave, 'profile' and 'radius' are two different things. The 'profile' basically describes the lower neck shape, whereas the radius is the curvature on the top of the fretboard. Over the years Fender has used a whole lot of different neck profiles, and even for each specific type there have been individual variations, so I don't think there's a definitive answer as to how many there are. However, the most used have been the hard V, soft V, '50s C, '60s C, modern C, D and U shapes. The point to different neck profiles is that different hands find different shapes more comfortable. Large hands might for instance feel very cramped on slim C necks, and find chunky D profiles more comfortable. Also, V shapes are supposedly more comfortable if you do a lot of chord work. The US and Mexican Standards, which are the biggest sellers, have the modern C profile, so I guess it must be because Fender have ascertained that this is what most people like. If you know the model of your guitar, you can go to the Fender website to determine which neck profile you have.
As for radius, the vast majority of Strats have a 9.5" radius, while some of the vintage models have 7.25", and a very few have 12". What the numbers mean is that if you draw a circle with a radius of 7.25" or 9.5", the curvature on the circumference of the circle is the curvature you get on the fretboard. The longer the radius, the less curvature there is. Some people like an absolutely flat fretboard, such as what you find on classical guitars, but most people like a little bit of curvature, but not too much as this can cause fretting out (i.e. notes are choked off when doing bends). As to how to measure what you've got, you need a template. Here's a link to a site where you can copy one to a piece of cardboard http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguardian/Images/Pickguardian%20Neck%20Radius%20Gauges.pdf Unfortunately, you need to have the strings removed to measure the radius.
Hope this clarifies it a bit for you.
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#277086 - 11/06/10 07:53 AM
Re: Strats Necks ! Whats the crack
[Re: elkay]
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english_bob
english_bob
Unregistered
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Not much to add to that excellent summary aside from to say that you'll probably be able to tell what the neck profile of your guitar is just by giving it a good feel- the letters do correspond pretty closely to the neck shapes they describe- a C shape is rounded at the back, and curves in a little at the fretboard edges, a D shape is similar, but without the curve in to the fretboard. A V shape is noticeably pointed at the back, a U shape will be deeper and flatter on the sides.
C shapes seem to be the most common, but replacement necks from places like Warmoth come in all shapes and sizes and the more unusual neck shapes seem to become more common on more upmarket guitars, or more accurate vintage reissue types.
The other factor that dictates the feel of the neck is the width at the nut- a wider nut width is likely to correspond to a chunkier neck profile (although not always...), and will give you wider string spacing, which is better, apparently, for styles with a lot of legato- you'll often find widely-spaced strings with a shallow neck profile and a larger radius (12", even 14" or 16")on guitars aimed at technical "shred" guitarists (although whatever style you play, you'd be well advised to try a variety of neck types, since it doesn't necessarily follow that what "they" like for a particular style is what YOU like.
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