All you need to know about the Stratocaster Neck
The Fender Stratocaster is widely acknowledged as the most playable guitar in the world, this is mainly due to the Stratocaster neck featured on these models. This article is going to explain to the reader a little bit about the Stratocaster neck and justify why it is one of the best guitar necks you can buy.
Maple is the most commonly used wood in all the Stratocaster necks produced these days, this tone wood produces a much brighter sound than mahogany and tends to be a lot harder too. Maple is commonly used in guitar necks to prevent them from bending under the tension of the strings. Previously every Stratocaster neck was made entirely from maple, although Fender now offer the option to purchase a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard because the variation between the two woods really enhances the sound of the notes played.
A standard Stratocaster maple neck usually comes with 21 frets and a 14” fingerboard radius; these are the general dimensions which will suit the majority of players. Having said that there are a huge range of Stratocaster necks to choose from, super jumbo frets are available for players who prefer to have a large surface area to fit their fingers in, whilst narrow V-necks are also available for players who prefer everything tighter together. A V-neck will generally be more suited for lead players who want to play solos; they provide easy access to the lower frets and are designed to facilitate fast playing.
A Fender Stratocaster neck will usually be bolted on to the body of the instrument, although some do use glued necks. In fact, the Fender Stratocaster is prolific for its bolt on neck. There is no ‘best’ way to attach a neck to a guitar; it is more down to individual choice, having said that there are some benefits to using bolt on necks. Because Stratocaster necks are usually bolt on, they are far easier to replace, this means if you damage the neck or want to exchange the neck for whatever reason it will be easy for you to do so. A Stratocaster guitar neck is installed using 4 bolts to secure it to the body of the instrument.
A replacement Stratocaster neck with a maple fingerboard will cost around £50 ($75) from an online retailer, many players like to paint or add their own logos onto these necks to customize their guitars as much as possible. A Stratocaster guitar neck is very easy to install and can be done without the help of a professional, all you need to do is slide the neck into place and tighten the bolts to the body. If you are in doubt and don’t have much confidence in your ability to do this, then just head down to your local music store. There should be trained technicians in the shop who will attach the guitar neck for you, for a small fee of course (well worth the peace of mind).
That’s all you need to know about the Stratocaster guitar neck guys, it’s probably the most playable neck to play and definitely makes adjusting and replacing it easy. There’s a huge range Stratocaster necks to suit every player, whether you’re a rocker or like your jazz, there is a neck to suit your needs.
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Tagged With bolt on neck, Fender Stratocaster Neck, Stratocaster Guitar Neck, Stratocaster Maple Neck, Stratocaster Neck, Stratocaster Necks, super jumbo frets
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