Does anyone else actually prefer a vintage fretboard radius on a Strat?

[cjpmmd]

I've played & owned a number of Strats over time, but I always seem to come back to my Warmoth partscaster with the 7.25" fretboard radius.  It really feels good to me, but based upon my reading it seems I'm in the minority.  Anyone else in my corner on this one?

[Stevepage]

A few of the blues guys on here probably do, most likely because they have high action.

I hate it, which is why I got a new neck on the way for my strat (new neck has a 10 - 16" compound radius)

[AndyR]

I'm probably one of the blues guys ... and yes, I seem to prefer the vintage radius on strats.

I'm not actually that sensitive to radius, or scale length for that matter, I swap about between all sorts of guitars. But somehow when I try strats out, they feel more "stratty" to me if they have the vintage radius (so all the ones I own are vintage :lol:)

Funnily enough, the Fender types I own that will take the lowest action (both teles) are 7.25". One of them can go so low without buzzing or choking high up, that I personally find it very hard to play... But my Baja tele with it's bigger radius has the highest action of all my Fenders, and won't go any lower with my strings and playing style - so, from my experience, I personally have ended up not paying too much attention to the "radious v low action" theories :roll: :lol:

But yeah, strats with 7.25 for me (if someone gave me a strat with a flatter board, I wouldn't turn my nose up, though!)

[38thBeatle]

Andy's view is similar to mine. I am no shredder and I like my Strats to feel like they always have to me. Having said that, I don't have much of a sensitivity either because I just play whatever guitar I have and get on with the job. But I don't have any strong views here-to me it is about the guitar I have and getting along with it.

[Frank]

I don't mind the old radius, I'm not a speed player and Fenders just sound nicer with the action high and a bit more neck relief. What I can't stand on old necks is the skinny frets and narrow width at the nut, yeeeeuck.

[Philly Q]

Funnily enough, the Fender types I own that will take the lowest action (both teles) are 7.25". One of them can go so low without buzzing or choking high up, that I personally find it very hard to play...

Not disputing your statement Andy ( :)  smiley to show friendly intentions!) but that seems to defy logic when you're bending strings.  If the high E string saddle is really low and you bend the string so your finger is somewhere "uphill" in the region of the G/D strings, then the string really ought to fret out.  I don't see how it can't.

I think on some guitars the 7.25" radius doesn't tell the whole story - some clever chaps actually put a slightly flatter radius into the high frets themselves to ease string bending.  I had a US '62 reissue Strat like that - on close inspection the higher frets were actually slightly taller at the outer edges of the board than in the middle.  Maybe it was just sloppy Fender workmanship but I think it was intentional!  :lol:

Anyway.... 7.25" is a bit tight for me.  My favourite is 9.5" to 10", but I now have some Warmoth necks with the 10"-16" compound radius so it'll be interesting to see how I get on with those.

One more thought which Frank has already mentioned - I think part of the difficulty with the 7.25" radius may not be the radius itself but the diddy little vintage frets - I hate 'em!!  It seems so hard to get a grip on the strings.  I might be able to get used to a 7.25" radius with big frets.

[Frank]

This has reminded me that I need to refret my tele after christmas, get rid of the skinny frets and put some decent sized ones on there

[HTH AMPS]

I was talking about the vintage radius' on Teles the other day with a mate and we were both saying that the vintage radius is nice up to the 12th fret, but then we like a flatter radius for bending the strings. 

I've never (to my knowledge) played a compound radius Tele - might be the cure.

fwiw, my action is quite high - once I got into SRV I became a high action and big strings fan and its not changed in more than 15 years now. 

[FELINEGUITARS]

When refretting a vintage radius Fender I am often asked to give a little compound radius to the fingerboard where possible (and a little fallaway over the last few frets) to help assist with cleaner high E string bends

[CaptainDesslock]

 PDT_003

hell yeah, its mucho comfy and feels natural to play, so much more so to me than a modern 9.5 radius at least.

[AndyR]

Funnily enough, the Fender types I own that will take the lowest action (both teles) are 7.25". One of them can go so low without buzzing or choking high up, that I personally find it very hard to play...

Not disputing your statement Andy ( :)  smiley to show friendly intentions!) but that seems to defy logic when you're bending strings.  If the high E string saddle is really low and you bend the string so your finger is somewhere "uphill" in the region of the G/D strings, then the string really ought to fret out.  I don't see how it can't.

It is entirely conceivable that "so low" for me doesn't quite reach choking territory... and that this "abominably low" action for me might actually be a "that's a bit bluddy steep, in't it?!" to someone else :lol:

[Philly Q]

It is entirely conceivable that "so low" for me doesn't quite reach choking territory... and that this "abominably low" action for me might actually be a "that's a bit bluddy steep, in't it?!" to someone else :lol:

Could be.  I think I'm similar - I'm no SRV "if it don't hurt it don't sound good" type, but I like the strings (wimpy 10s) to be able to ring without buzzing even when picked hard.  So what I think of as a "low" action is probably "medium" at best.

String height isn't something I'm very fussed about really.  As long as there's not too much relief so it feels like pushing the strings down into a canyon around the 8th fret.

[MDV]

Nope, hate it. Its all problems and no pay off for me.

15/16 inch for me.

[Lukie]

I have a USACG neck with a 7 1/2 - 9 1/2 compound radius. Love the feel for open chords and 12fret+ doesn't really choke out that i have noticed, im not crazy on the big bends though. i got a slightly narrower nut width, would probably go with standard next time.

[dave_mc]

i wouldn't want my only guitar to be 7.5", but assuming i can have several guitars, i quite like it.