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I struggled for months with my 62 AVRI Stratocaster before I finally gave up and put it back in its case and slung it under the bed in the spare room . . . Id always wanted a 62 AVRI as I was born in 1962 and I love Fender Stratocasters but every time I played it I simply got frustrated in minutes . . . . The skinny frets and the 7 1/4 " Radius on the neck meant that huge bends were out and it actually felt difficult and cumbersome to play . . . My fingers always felt like they had run a marathon after the shortest time.
I left it under the bed for ages and wondered if it was worth keeping . . . The guitar sounds so good through my amp and it would be such a shame to let it go especially as Id been so fortunate getting it in the first place. . Eventually I called the Manchester Guitar Technician ( our very own Steve Robinson ) and asked his advice . . . Steve suggested a refret with a more sensible and modern fret wire plus a full setup so a couple of weeks back I dropped the guitar off with him and crossed my fingers. Steve did the work in two or three days and then gave me the call to pick it up. I was there the very same day with cash in hand to pay for Steve's labour of love.
What a massive difference ! ! ! My 62 Stratocaster is a completely different guitar, its so much easier to play and the setup is truly spot on . . I've always loved the way that it sounded and now I can noodle around with it for hours rather than minutes. The transformation is simply amazing. I probably don't have to tell anyone around my area ( Manchester ) how good Steve is but to anyone further a field all I can say is that he wouldn't disappoint but the inside story here is that you don't necessarily have to buy and sell guitar after guitar to find the right one.
A good setup or refret, or pickup change, or whatever may be all that's needed to unlock the full potential of your current squeeze.
Kind Regards Mark W
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Comments
Anyway, glad it's sorted now - amazing what a bit of work can do!
GAS . . . enough said :-)
Feedback : https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58125/
Feedback : https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58125/
It took the refret to get the best from my AVRI Stratocaster but it was worth the investment . . .
Feedback : https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58125/
You also have to remember that not everyone likes jumbo. I'm ok with medium jumbo but jumbo would definitely put me off.
Smaller frets also mean you are a lot less likely to pull notes sharp on open position chords. When I had a CS Tele with huge frets I found myself pulling these chords sharp. Over time I adjusted my technique but it was always an issue for me. I grew up playing acoustic and maybe I press harder on the strings than most but I'd never get something with absolutely monster frets again.
On the linked subject of fretboard radius, some people actually prefer a lower radius. For playing chords lower down the neck a 7.25" radius is actually very comfortable. If that's what you mainly do then it's going to be more comfortable than a flatter one.
Different people have different preferences, but if you offered me the choice of an Eric Johnson Strat with its 12" radius or and AVRI with 7.25" I'd go AVRI every time.
For me there is something very comfortable about the vintage neck and radius. I was playing for something last year where we had a couple of long (4 hours plus) practices. The first one I used my SG which has a neck that's very easy to play, bigger frets, shorter scale so less string tension, and I wound up with a sore wrist afterwards. For the second one I used my AVRI Strat and I was absolutely fine.
I had the fretboard levelled to 12" and had 6000 size wire. Much better, a real joy to play now.
To be fair to Fender they do offer a good range of vintage correct and modified models, e.g. the Classic Series came with the vintage radius and Classic Player had more modern appointments. Both available around the same time and neither with a custom shop price tag.
I think the AVRI should be as vintage correct as possible, given the name, and lots of players prefer the 7.25 radius anyways.
All that being said, I think 9.5 and medium jumbos is a good compromise.
A good luthier will refret a guitar for ~£150 - £200...
I know what I'd do...
PA Hire and Event Management
PA Hire and Event Management
Feedback : https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/58125/
What's the point of stifling choice by making everybody have thick frets?
Choice is good.
I'd love a Clapton Strat, but not with those tiny frets. The only guitars Fender make that are non CS with a vintage neck & beefy frets are the Kotzen's. I'm suprised fretwire size isn't more of a purchase critical issue.