Played a couple of strats today.

Calum13

So I played a strat a few months ago in a shop cause I liked how it sounded but the neck just felt wrong. It had a 9.5’’ radius. A few weeks ago I saw a candy tangerine fender MIJ strat (traditional 60s) with a 7.25 radius and it just felt right. I played a limited edition American ash strat with a 9.5” and I preferred the other MIJ despite it probably having cheaper pickups. What radius do you guys prefer and why? One had a thick finish on the neck and the more expensive one had a satin finish I think but I still preferred the MIJ.

GoldenEraGuitars

Admittedly, various neck profiles and radius never seemed to bother me. I’m quite happy with variety as I’ve found my left hand adapts to the neck quite quickly and forces me to play in a different style. 

Kittyfrisk

GoldenEraGuitars said:

Admittedly, various neck profiles and radius never seemed to bother me. I’m quite happy with variety as I’ve found my left hand adapts to the neck quite quickly and forces me to play in a different style. 

+1   I change styles depending on guitar characteristics too. Just seems natural?

Sassafras

In your place I would buy the MIJ.

GoldenEraGuitars

Kittyfrisk said:

GoldenEraGuitars said:

Admittedly, various neck profiles and radius never seemed to bother me. I’m quite happy with variety as I’ve found my left hand adapts to the neck quite quickly and forces me to play in a different style. 

+1   I change styles depending on guitar characteristics too. Just seems natural?

The funny thing is, you still “sound like you”. But the approach is different. Having said all that, the most popular neck spec I sell with my full builds is a modern C, 9.5” radius. I’m quite partial to a chunky V profile and a 9.5” but I’m happy to play anything at all.

DannyP

I have a MIJ with a 7.25 radius board that was really comfortable, but bends around the 12th would choke on the higher frets. I had it recambered to a combined radius so that it was still 7.25 on the lower frets but flattened off as it gets higher up the neck.

A bit of a radical and expensive solution, but I love the guitar so I felt it was worth it.

Bigger frets help, but again, that will change the feel.

tony99

I've seen a nice tangeriney MIJ strat, very very fuckin tasty

think my strat's radius is a 12'er, don't think I can tell the difference if am honest

Calum13

I don’t know why I don’t like playing a 9.5” radius strat when  my Squier VM jag is 9.5” and my Epi sheraton is 12”. 

brooom

MIJ/CIJ fenders have super comfortable neck profiles, they just have a really nice feel to them. MIM classic series are also quite nice feeling. Coincidentally or not they all have 7.25" radius, but I think it has more to do with the back shapes.

In fact I remember some time ago I posted here a photo of a custom shop 63 strat, a MIM 60s classic strat and an original 1964 strat I owned at the same time. The MIM neck was notoriously closer to the original then the custom shop one. In that it had a little bit of a V taper on the transition of the back of the headstock into the middle of the neck and an overall closer shape. All of them were quite satisfying guitars to play, despite the obvious price differences.

black is the 63 custom shop, blue is the MIM classic 60s, sunburst is the 1964.





In my opinion, definitely go with that MIJ, if you like it. They can be great guitars.

lovestrat74

I do think that the vintage radius (and a nice rounded or v handful) necks have more feel to them in my experience.  I have an allparts v on my strat and it us the most playable neck I own. I've owned custom shop and Japanese fenders too. 

It's all about the feel and that is a personal thing

TINMAN82

Imo it’s mainly about the setup, although clearly other variables like neck profile and scale length are important. I think there’s less room for error with 7.25 and they can be difficult to handle with a bad setup. If well setup it can be difficult to differentiate from 9.5. 

monquixote

Do they have different frets?

I used to think radius was a big deal and then I got a vintage radius guitar with jumbo frets and a flat radius guitar with vintage frets and realised that made a bigger difference.

BeardyAndy

I've a MIM Tele that i assume has a 9.5 radius and a late 70s Strat that i guess is a 7.25 radius. First time i played the Strat it was a bit "odd" but within minutes i'd forgotten all about it. I guess if you were playing live and had to swap guitars for different tunings or snapped a string it would pay to keep em similar but otherwise I think variety is the spice of life!  

stickyfiddle

monquixote said:

Do they have different frets?

I used to think radius was a big deal and then I got a vintage radius guitar with jumbo frets and a flat radius guitar with vintage frets and realised that made a bigger difference.

A lot of this, for me. And neck profile also feeds into that. 

I used to think I was big on 12" radius and that would always be my first choice, but I can actually be very happy with anything between that and 7.25, provided the frets (and neck profile) aren't tiny and the setup is good.  I have dismissed buying more than one old Gibsons in the past due to low frets and not wanting to be "the guy who does the first refret" (though it would make them much better players). 

rossi

12 inch .i have a Joe Trohmann Tele neck thats on a strat and love it .9.5 is fine .Dont like 7.5 at all . Maybe my hand size who knows.On the other hand I played a Road worn tele and it was fine .

Calum13

Orange Stratocaster ordered from andertons

Funkfingers

I am old. When I was learning, Fender offered any radius you want, as long as it’s seven and one quarter inches. That is what I grew up with. It feels normal to me.

Obviously, shallower radii enable some playing styles. Some of my instruments are like that. 

About five weeks ago, I traded two MIJ Stratocasters (and some other stuff) with HarrySeven. Both MIJ guitars had been a pleasure to play but, in any A/B comparison, my AVRI Stratocasters were always more rewarding.