Fender custom shop - neck to headstock transition

brooom

I've always wondered why lots of fender custom shop don't seem to get the smooth transition/taper from neck to headstock on the back of their necks.

There's always a volute like chunk of wood in that area, that feels wrong and looks awful. I've seen a couple of masterbuilts with chunkier neck that had a nice transition. But for the most part they don't.

Fender japan/greco got this right on their 80s strats/teles. How difficult can it be?

chris78

If I could give you 5 wiz’s, I would

Strat54

This is and £3000 of SVL '61 Reserve.......

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0251/8505/8919/products/svl_reserve_blue_SVL129_1024x1024.jpg?v=1572263610

and this is £2k of Fender Custom Shop....

https://www.coda-music.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/r/6/r64712_02.jpeg

brooom

yes they both look quite bad...

meltedbuzzbox

brooom said:

yes they both look quite bad...

No they dont. 

ICBM

The bottom one looks fine to me - the top one doesn't.

guitars4you

I just sold a 62 Strat the other day - An original version and yes when you compare it to a C/Shop model there is more of a 'volute' - Subtle but still there - Why this is the case then I don't know - I have seen a few comments about it - Does it have any impact on the feel, tone and playability then I very much seriously doubt it 

brooom

meltedbuzzbox said:

brooom said:

yes they both look quite bad...

No they dont. 

To me it does. But it's ok to disagree.

guitars4you said:

I just sold a 62 Strat the other day - An original version and yes when you compare it to a C/Shop model there is more of a 'volute' - Subtle but still there - Why this is the case then I don't know - I have seen a few comments about it - Does it have any impact on the feel, tone and playability then I very much seriously doubt it 

No impact on tone of course. It's just one of the main things I dislike on strat/tele both aesthetically as well as for feel.

Strat54

The super smooth transition from headstock to neck on 50's Fenders was nicknamed the Tadeo taper after the neck shaper Tadeo Gomez.

Ben_McCarthy

Most of the real earlier strats I’ve seen and played have the smooth transition a couple haven’t. I kind of agree with the op that they should have it especially in the top spec stuff. They are meant to be as close as possible to the originals.

Has it, or would it, put me off buying because of that absolutely not. 

tony99

back in the 50's the volutes were considered as disposable as the telecaster 'ash-trays'

people just used to take them off and leave them in the case

brooom

Correct... it seems to elude most fenders coming out of the custom shop. Wildwood guitars currently has a masterbuilt that seems to be done properly, although I attribute it mostly to the fact that it is a pretty hefty profiled neck, therefore it has a great taper.

Early 80s japanese fenders were pretty good in recreating the tadeo taper, IMHO.

My (now gone) August 1964 strat surely had this feature. My now gone as well 63 custom unfortunately didn't, although I regret selling it, it annoyed me to the point that I almost had it reshaped.

brooom

Here's an example of Fender custom shop with a decent taper:

https://wildwoodguitars.com/product/CZ538297/2019-collection-1965-stratocaster-8/?cat_id=21886

Philly_Q

I like it when they're all nice and rounded, but I don't like it if the neck is thicker at the nut than it is at the first fret, for the sake of a smooth transition. 

If the neck's shallow at the nut end then a "step" like that SVL makes sense, although it does look too hard-edged.

My Fenders all have pretty fat necks so the neck to headstock transitions have been done quite nicely, as far as I'm concerned.