It has a 9.5" radius - the curvature of the fretboard.
A scale of 25.5" - length of the neck.
With 21 "Medium Jumbo" (oxymoron, anyone?) frets.
Since 1972 when I bought my first Strat I have always felt that Fender guitars just didn't "fit" me well.
The radius of the neck combined with the scale made the curve of the neck feel very pronounced.
My Gibson has a flat neck, no radius to speak of. And it feels much more natural.
But the sound a Strat makes - It is God Himself playing - is not to be denied.
I could have found an alternative...a company that makes Strat copies with flat necks. But I want the real thing. I want a Fender.
I have recently rediscovered the Classic Players Jaguar. It has two pickups with higher output than a Strat, a control setup that resembles a Jetson styled car, and this particular model is "aged." That is, it's made to appear to be an older Jaguar. The pick guard is "mint green," what happens to a white pick guard over time. The frets are bronzed and the pickup covers are "lightly" aged...whatever that means. Headstock is pure old school with the small model designation.
They retail for $799 and are MIM - Made in Mexico.
The control setup is fascinating. It allows for two independent set ups in terms of both volume and tone that are changed with the flick of a switch. Nowadays people spend good money on A/B switches to accomplish the same thing.
And here is the secret all guitarists lose sleep over.
SIZE does matter.
The Jag has a shorter scale - 24" and one more fret, 22.
The effect is a flatter feeling to the fretboard. Add to that the cutaway on the body. While the Strat appears more "balanced" to the eye, it is the Jag that in reality is a better fit. It sits well when standing or even while seated. Something most guitars do not do well. They excel at one or the other...usually.
It is a most comfortable instrument! It's one drawback is weight; very close to eight pounds.
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| Mine is in the middle. |
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