Neck Radius Advice

[blfrd]

I have a Don Grosh customized Strat with a 10" radius and I like it.

I've had it for several years now and the frets are getting worn down and I'm noticing some fretting out on the higher frets.

I think I'm going to try a 10" to 16" compound radius from USA Custom Guitars....

[fillmore nyc]

I think I'm going to try a 10" to 16" compound radius from USA Custom Guitars....

I've never tried USA Custom necks, but I hear good things about them. Supposedly they're much better than Warmoth.
My last Warmoth (a Tele neck, rosewood board, comp radius & Dunlop 6100's) buzzes like a bastard on the 6th string only!! All the other strings are fine, but the low E sucks. Visually I cant see anything wrong with it, it has proper relief along the string length, but it still buzzes like crazy. Im probably gonna have to level the frets a bit, but it pisses me off to HAVE to do that to a new neck.

[Jammin'John]

I agree Dave. That very 'charecteristic' clear sort of acoustic type singing quality that single coil type strats get (especially in the neck position) is ACCENTUATED by that curved 7 1/4 radius. Hendrix, Blackmore, Roth and Malmsteen ALL had that quality, and ALL done on pretty much stock cbs era strats

I know this post is old but I just came across some info about old strats, radius and their design.

Evidently the neck position pickup (and the other pickups?) on vintage strats were designed around the 7 1/4 radius. Slapping a newer/flatter neck on an old strat might present a problem, as the pole peices would be closer to the strings.

Point is that maybe that 'singing' quality you've mentioned has more to do with the closeness of the pickup to the string, than the actual radius?

Just thinking out-loud here.....

I'm still on the fence about radius....

That's partly why they staggered the magnets like they did and another reason is because people used to use WOUND g strings which were not picked up well by the magnetic field.
Different era.

JJ

[basile865]

yeah, I've got a 9.5 radius now, but my next strat will no doubt be a 7 1/4. Not to mention most of those original strats had a 42 mm nut width which is skinnier than todays standards. I know its like a mm difference but it DOES feel quite different. My hands feel huge on those vintage style necks, plus theyre comfortable. Yea it takes a different approach slightly but I really like them. Not to mention some of the greatest recorded music ever was on vintage spec strats.

My vote is all 7 1/4 with vintage frets, or maybe the compound 7 1/4 to 9.5 and some medium jumbo frets for a wider range of flexibility.

[blfrd]

yeah, I've got a 9.5 radius now, but my next strat will no doubt be a 7 1/4. Not to mention most of those original strats had a 42 mm nut width which is skinnier than todays standards. I know its like a mm difference but it DOES feel quite different. My hands feel huge on those vintage style necks, plus theyre comfortable. Yea it takes a different approach slightly but I really like them. Not to mention some of the greatest recorded music ever was on vintage spec strats.

My vote is all 7 1/4 with vintage frets, or maybe the compound 7 1/4 to 9.5 and some medium jumbo frets for a wider range of flexibility.

Is 42 mm the same as 1 5/8?

I thought that all vintage necks that were 7 1/4 radius would fret out when you tried to bend the strings? Is this not the case?

[Jammin'John]

I thought that all vintage necks that were 7 1/4 radius would fret out when you tried to bend the strings? Is this not the case?"

If you have very low action and you're always doin' huge bends.
If you bend mostly 1/2 steps & vibrato it's a non issue.
If you have higher action (me) it's not an issue.
Big bends,low action = 12" radius.

JJ

[Tone-Freak]

i like the 7.25 feels better to me