American Standard Strat Neck

[Trussrod]

I saw an American Standard Strat at GC recently and noticed the neck did not have a separate fret board. The frets were set directly in the maple neck. Seemed really cheap to me. Is that how Fender has been making these guitars?

[Matt_B]

Umm...a lot of companies do that and have been doing for years. It's a little less expensive than gluing on a separate fretboard but not by an appreciable amount (in the context of mass production). In a way, it's more expensive but it's riskier. If you screw up the fingerboard, the whole neck has to be trashed.

With that said, why does this seem cheap to you? As I recall Charvel does it on the Pro Mods.

I have to say I find it interesting how folks will pass judgment on a manufacturer's building methods without understanding why something is built a certain way.

[j2379]

very common thats why there is a skunk stripe on necks.

[Grandturk]

Its the only way I take my maple. 1-piece necks. Rear loaded truss rod. Adjustment at the heel where its supposed to be!

[DonP]

Its the only way I take my maple. 1-piece necks. Rear loaded truss rod. Adjustment at the heel where its supposed to be!

While I prefer this because it is the traditional Fender way, there's no denigning that my HM Strat with a glued on fretboard sounds incredible.

To the OP,

Supposedly you get a better tone because the frets are right into the neck, no glue in the way. etc.

[Trussrod]

Supposedly you get a better tone because the frets are right into the neck, no glue in the way. etc.

Do people get a better tone with this design?

[DonP]

Do people get a better tone with this design?

You'd have to ask someone more into Fender's (or similar) than I.

I have a HM Strat and two MIM Strats, one of which I've almost neve played. I will say that's how the originals were made...

[j2379]

better and tone is an opinion. tho ide venture a guess the fact one pieces necks have vintage type truss rods, effects the tone more than the construction.

[toejam]

Its the only way I take my maple. 1-piece necks. Rear loaded truss rod. Adjustment at the heel where its supposed to be!

Doesn't Fender still use the truss rod adjustment at the nut, though? It's still a rear-loaded truss rod and that's why there's a skunk stripe.

[warlok]

My MIM maple has adjustment at the nut and a skunk stripe.

[DonP]

Newer MIM Classic 50s adjust at the heel. I'm not up on all Fender models.

[KevinDguitar]

Its at the heel on the 50s, b/c they repros and that's where the rod adjustment was in the 50s.

[Grandturk]

Doesn't Fender still use the truss rod adjustment at the nut, though? It's still a rear-loaded truss rod and that's why there's a skunk stripe.

Yep - on the Am Std Strats (and Tele's I guess). The AVRI's all have period-correct truss rod adjust at the heel. Probably also use double-acting truss rods on the new ones too.

[Shawn Lutz]

the skunk stripe is just for easy truss rod installation. I've seen maple lam fretboads with skunk stripes...

[Grandturk]

the skunk stripe is just for easy truss rod installation. I've seen maple lam fretboads with skunk stripes...

The Adrian Smith has ebony board and skunk stripe.