My Hendrix Woodstock Strat Project

[Tone Slinger]

You want the 'vaneer' fretboard. Just go to the strat neck section and pull the menu's on the features. You will find it there.

The 'round' laminate or vaneer fretboard (with a maple board) was only done by Fender 'SOME' times in the '60's (from '63 to about '70) on a 'custom' order basis. Fender continued to use the rosewood board vaneer from '63 up to about '82 .

A slab board is flat on the bottom and radiused at the top, and is much thicker (Leo Fender had to cut the cost of the imported rosewood, so he used a 'thin' vaneer.) Fender stopped using the tooling for the one piece 'skunk' stripe maple necks, because rosewood was much preferred by players. A few players wanted the 'all' maple necks again. Fender simply used the Vaneer technique used on the rosewood boards, only they used the maple on maple.

The vaneer fretboard is radiused at the bottom and top of the board. The neck is also radiused at the top as well. It looks like a very slight 'smile' that is very thin, when looking at the neck from the bottom of the heel. Fender necks had no skunk stripe from around '63 to '71) the rod was laid into the FRONT of the neck.

I think Musikraft is your only chouce unless you know a real good luthier. Even then, though, the price a small 'local' luthier would charge for this would probably be around a grand. The musikraft can be yours for about $240 or so (the round laminate 'vaneer' is an upcharge).

[harkkam08]

You want the 'vaneer' fretboard. Just go to the strat neck section and pull the menu's on the features. You will find it there.

The 'round' laminate or vaneer fretboard (with a maple board) was only done by Fender 'SOME' times in the '60's (from '63 to about '70) on a 'custom' order basis. Fender continued to use the rosewood board vaneer from '63 up to about '82 .

A slab board is flat on the bottom and radiused at the top, and is much thicker (Leo Fender had to cut the cost of the imported rosewood, so he used a 'thin' vaneer.) Fender stopped using the tooling for the one piece 'skunk' stripe maple necks, because rosewood was much preferred by players. A few players wanted the 'all' maple necks again. Fender simply used the Vaneer technique used on the rosewood boards, only they used the maple on maple.

The vaneer fretboard is radiused at the bottom and top of the board. The neck is also radiused at the top as well. It looks like a very slight 'smile' that is very thin, when looking at the neck from the bottom of the heel. Fender necks had no skunk stripe from around '63 to '71) the rod was laid into the FRONT of the neck.

I think Musikraft is your only chouce unless you know a real good luthier. Even then, though, the price a small 'local' luthier would charge for this would probably be around a grand. The musikraft can be yours for about $240 or so (the round laminate 'vaneer' is an upcharge).

Hmm.. thank you man for the info. Im going to go with musikcraft like you suggested.

But I have a few more questions.

1. Did the 1968 strats have a vintage curved nut style?

2. Also what was the thickness of the 1st and 12th fret of a 1968 strat neck and did it have a C,V,U or D shape. So far Ive gathered what I think that it was a D shape. I cant seem to find this information anywhere really.

[Tone Slinger]

I think the neck has the flat bottom nut. I am not 100 % sure though. The necks of the 50's definately had the curved bottom nuts though. Fender , obviuosly, went through some changes after the cbs buy out ('65).

I have had SEVERAL late '60's strat necks in my hands and find it hard to describe the shape. They were FAIRLY consistant to one another (though some were slighter thicker than others, very close though).

One thing is certain, it isnt the 'u' shape that Fender describes it as on the website. I played a sunburst '69 relic back 8 or 9 yrs ago and it was AMAZING and ACCURATE in EVERYWAY to an original. I actually ordered (my wife did- through a GC dealer) a BOG's looking Black '69, and it was all wrong. The neck felt like the Mexican made '70's reissue and the fretboard (maple/maple neck) wasnt accurate round laminate. I did not finish payment (the salesman wasnt supposed to order it the way he did without FULL payment up front, I didnt know my wife had ordered it, so when I did, and wasnt impressed/satisfied I was like "WTF, we cant afford this. She had put down like $2,000 . We got the money back. Needless to say GC sold that one FAST to someone else).

I can say that the neck doesnt taper much from the neck pocket to the nut. The feel and thickness to me, is that of a medium 'c' actually VERY similar to new American standard neck, only a little thicker, which would lean a little towards a D shape ?

Go with vintage small frets (if you use pure nickel Fender 150xl's) if you use 10 guage or bigger (never use steel strings, they KILL the frets) I'd recomend getting slightly larger frets (like 6105). Fret jobs are more expensive than new necks, and since you are probably gonna get someone to spray this neck and put a 'FENDER stratocaster' logo on it, you probably will not want to change it.

I would say that neck is around .830-.850 or so at the 1st fret. I think it would only go up to around .930-.950 at the 12th fret, which isnt a huge difference. I would reccomend the '63 strat neck shape or there abouts (medium 'c') .

Just make sure that there isnt a HUGE taper from the 12th fret to the first fret. Keep it within .100 difference.


I always get a neck ordered a little thicker than normal, and sand the back down to my likeing. Some may not feel comfortable enough with thier skills, but I knew that only I could know what felt right for me. You do this real slowly 'feeling' the neck as you go often.

Check Musikrafts specs again and go for the thickness like I mentioned. Pretty much medium 'c' without alot of taper from the 12th to the 1st fret.

I would call up a couple of BIG name vintage guitar dealers and ask them about the shape. I feel they will pretty much second what I have said, THOUGH, they may be a bit more 'hip' to the necks back contour 'names' than I .

[Xplorer]

very nice infos there ...
thank you.
it makes me wanna get this particular neck replica; musikraft right ?
too bad, i have troubles to see their pictures, i wrote to them.
and a nice nitro body, endly.

[AccaDacca]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum here but I'm interested in Jimi's Woodstock strat too. I was wondering if his white 1968 strat might have had a slab fretboard instead of veneer. I found some images on ebay of several other 1968 maple cap necks and its difficult to tell what the construction is but it looks like they could be slab style.

Here are the ebay links:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-ORIG-MAPLE-CAP ... 519938faeb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-ORIG-MAPLE-CAP ... 51920521e2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-Orig-maple-Cap ... 5194883384" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've noticed also that you may be able to tell the fretboard construction by looking at the front of the headstock just behind the nut. You can actually see the seam where the freatboard meets the neck and so if anyone has any closeup shots of Jimi's headstock it may be possible to tell whether his was slab or veneer construction. If the seem is flat then its slab and if its curved then it is probably veneer. Just some thoughts, thanks.

[yngwie308]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum here but I'm interested in Jimi's Woodstock strat too. I was wondering if his white 1968 strat might have had a slab fretboard instead of veneer. I found some images on ebay of several other 1968 maple cap necks and its difficult to tell what the construction is but it looks like they could be slab style.

Here are the ebay links:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-ORIG-MAPLE-CAP ... 519938faeb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-ORIG-MAPLE-CAP ... 51920521e2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://cgi.ebay.com/1968-Orig-maple-Cap ... 5194883384" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've noticed also that you may be able to tell the fretboard construction by looking at the front of the headstock just behind the nut. You can actually see the seam where the freatboard meets the neck and so if anyone has any closeup shots of Jimi's headstock it may be possible to tell whether his was slab or veneer construction. If the seem is flat then its slab and if its curved then it is probably veneer. Just some thoughts, thanks.

No they are full slab fingerboards, a veneer would not isolate the truss rod enough resonance wise I would say.
All my modern maple cap necks, my Washburn SS80 and my recreation Hamer SS-3 is the same.
These are the coolest sounding Hendrix axes for sure.
What are the specs on the Custom Shop '69's like, they should be a mild C with the "7.25 radius, I wouldn't go with 6105, the vintage profile are fine, imho.
Cool thread..good miss Billy!!
Dave

[badfinger]

Hi, The Custom shop 69 specs are a real mixed bundle. a lot were made as custom order team built Strats, built to customers individual querks. Then due to the long wait time, never collected and paid for, so put onto the market as a custum shop 69 model with really only a large headstock in common with the original. I have seen them with one piece necks and skunk stripe, every fret type and radius going. And of course there are some that are true to the original spec.

So if you are considering one of these check out the individual guitar very carefully.

[badfinger]

I coudnt resist another photo, its such a beautiful guitar

[somethin'else]

Heyah Brandon, I'm curious if you're digging the Desperado neck? Got an update on this build? I've got Joe on a neck build now too, and am starting to get the butterflies! Cheers. Nice build man.

[Bahadir]

69 Strat polyester finished.Also Warmoth body shape is wrong.They are now offer a vintage shape but i dont know anything about it.