Neck Radius Advice

[blfrd]

Thinking of ordering a neck with a compound radius of 7-1/4" to 9-1/2"

The Peavey Wolfgangs had a radius of '15

the Fender Eric Johnson has a radius of '12

Yngwie's guitar is a '9.5 radius

Standard Gibson radius is either '10 or '12, I think.

What does everyone like?

[lcampz]

Thinking of ordering a neck with a compound radius of 7-1/4" to 9-1/2"

The Peavey Wolfgangs had a radius of '15

the Fender Eric Johnson has a radius of '12

Yngwie's guitar is a '9.5 radius

Standard Gibson radius is either '10 or '12, I think.

What does everyone like?

I have flat as a pancake Jacksons, Les Paul's and 7.25 strats. I thought the strats I built would give me the most problems. I wanted a challenge. I thought I wouldn't be able to bend notes and all the other nightmare stories you hear about. I got it PLEK'd and I can still do step and 1/2 bends with careful finger technique. The strats are my number 1, now. My former number 1's, the Jacksons are the easiest to "shred on" but sound the worst. (The necks are thin, the ones I have, and just don't give the tone the kind of weight I most want to hear, anymore.) Although, the LP fingerboard is flatter than the strat, it's the most difficult for me to play (even with long fingers) because the neck is a bit chunky... sounds awesome though.

IMHO I think it's a combination of radius, overall neck structure and how well the neck/fingerboard/frets have been setup... and maybe most importantly how all that works with your hands. In the end I play guitars because of the way they sound, which means I have to elevate my ability to play them. ...life could be worse.

[fillmore nyc]

Flat like a cat AFTER the steamroller...
Flat like slow natives in a elephant stampede...
Flat like flatulence...
Flat like they thought the earth was BEFORE Chris C...
Flat like my ex... (sorry... I WOULDA bought you those implants...)

Spoken like Frankenstein: "Flat GOOOD"!!!

[nikki-k]

Les Paul (typically) = 12"
Jackson, shred years, = 16"
Ibanez, RG/JEM = 470mm I believe (about 15.8 or so inches I think)
Strat = ... pick a year and model!

For me, I want flatter for my shred guitars, and I like thin necks (front to back). But on a Strat? A real, old maple on maple Strat neck, old and worn? 9 1/2" or so. Compound it up to 12" is cool too. Newer Strat.. eh, depends. I have a MIM that irks the pee outta me because it has a 12" radius. I pick it up and want it to be 9 1/2" on the lower frets.

Everyone's mileage will vary

Oops! Edit to say..
When you pick it up, what does your instinct expect it to be? Does it feel too flat? Too flat only in the lower frets? It is your comfort and expectations. I would say.. pick up guitars with different radii that you know the radius of. Get to know the feel. If I picked up a Les Paul with a 9 1/2" radius, my brain, conditioned to expect 12", would probably be put off. (wow.. that could so be taken in a different way... )

[Roe]

I like everything except a straight 7.25" and a straight 16"

[byzantinechanter]

7.25" with a thinnish 'C' neck on a strat. If you want to bend, just raise the action.

[Tone Slinger]

Yeah, I agree about what ones expectations are concerning a guitar. I expect FLAT on Jacksons and Ibanez. It would be a trip to feel a different radius on one of those.

My favorite guitar is my '68 relic (not by Fender) white strat. I like the straight 7 1/4 radius the best, along with the 1 5/8ths nut width (Pure Fender !) That, along with medium jumbo frets, and I'm 'vibing'. I have very closely compared a 7 1/4 - 9 1/2 compound radius neck against a straight 7 1/4. To me, the (singing) tension that the 7 1/4 radius creates on bends is lost on the compound radius one as you go to the higher, 9 1/2 area. I like the straight 7 1/4. I got the warmoth 10 to 16 radius on another guitar. It's OK. The feel and tension is not there. I really am not very comfortable on anything beyond a '12.

[yngwie308]

What you first mentioned sounds ideal, "7.25 to "9.5 is conservative and retains the original first position goodness of "7.25 for chords and snappy feel , yet flatter higher up.
Personally I do not care for complete "9.5 radius and wish the Malmsteen guitars came with a "7.25 radius as Yngwie's original stage guitars had.
yngwie308

[Tone Slinger]

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

[yngwie308]

I agree Tone Slinger, and one day hope to have a YJM to that spec, whether from private luthier of Fender Custom Shop.
yngwie308

[Guitar-Sam]

I dunno I allways liked the 7.25 Stratocaster necks.
The flatter the fingerboard the less control I feel I have on bends.
That might be good for hammering VH stuff but I've allready proved myself useless in that arena.

[Jammin'John]

I prefer 7.25".
I play a partscaster with a USACG 7.25 - 9.5 and it is a dream to play.
Best of both worlds.

JJ

[JD]

I like the 9.5" on Strats and standard Gibson 12" with a medium thickness profile. Then old clubby Fender 7.25" necks are easy for chording but I get tripped up single note runs and right hand technique. The very skinny necks with flat boards common to alot of the imports are tougher on chords but easier to play fast I guess. Depends on what you're used to, what type of material/style you're doing, etc.

[blfrd]

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....

[fillmore nyc]

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.

I believe this is why Fralin pickups are available with less stagger in the poles as an option, to take better advantage of flatter radius necks.