7.25 or 9.5

Shaw9

Hi All,

Just looking for some opinions of radius. I have always played 9.5 radius necks but I am contemplating buying a AVRI Strat with a 7.25 radius. What's your thoughts on that? Is it vastly different/problematic? 

Thanks 
Andrew

LionAquaLooper

Depends what style music you play (among other things) . But generally you'll probably get responses saying it's personal preference and you really need to try them out and see for yourself. 

fretmeister

Definitely a personal thing. 

ryanverbena

Besides the typical, 7.25 for comfortable chords and 9.5 for less choking on your bends advice, a few things I've observed:

- A well set-up 7.25 will play better higher up the neck than a poorly set up 9.5
- The neck shape itself probably matter more i.e. if you are switching from a C to a V
- The fret height will matter, quite a lot, depending on how much bending you're doing

Are you thinking of buying an AVRI 57 or 62? Necks are hugely different between the two, despite both being available in 7.25 radius.

guitars4you

The question of 7.25 or 9.5 on its own is more about subjective issues rather than better or worse - The issue, certainly for me, is that the bulk of 7.25 radius models come with small vintage frets and this ensures a tougher/stiffer feel, certainly when it comes to string bends, compared to most 9.5 models that have chunkier frets 

The neck shape itself will also come into play but often they will be the same or similar, regardless of 7.25 or 9.50

HAL9000

I’ve got two Strats - one with 7.25” and one with 9.5”. I’m of an age where 7.25” feels like a ‘proper’ Strat but both are perfectly good with no issues whatsoever. Internet wisdom would suggest that 7.25” will choke on bends but, to be honest, that’s a problem with the set up - not with the radius. (In the past I’ve jokingly suggested that 7.25” only started ‘choking out’ since the internet was invented.) As others have suggested you need to go and try a few.

Pete.R

I prefer 12", can live with 9,5" - can't do 7,25"

guitargeek62

I like both, I can live with the slightly more limited bending limitations/choking on the 7.25”, and it is comfortable for chords. What I don’t  like is the vintage-sized fretwire that typically comes with it.

HAL9000

Pete.R said:

I prefer 12", can live with 9,5" - can't do 7,25"

We’re all different; I can’t do 12”. 12” on a Strat feels almost, but not entirely, totally unlike a Strat.

jellybelly

Therea not much difference tbh, I'm not big into bends, prefer 7.25 if I had to choose but would struggle to tell the difference. A Gibson 12-inch feels very flat compared to either. Set up properly you won't have a problem. 

Jimi coped with 7.25. If you like the guitar (and with an AVRI, no doubt you will, fantastic guitars and genuine value for money if you get a good one!)

TeleMaster

jellybelly said:

Therea not much difference tbh, I'm not big into bends, prefer 7.25 if I had to choose but would struggle to tell the difference. A Gibson 12-inch feels very flat compared to either. Set up properly you won't have a problem. 

Jimi coped with 7.25. If you like the guitar (and with an AVRI, no doubt you will, fantastic guitars and genuine value for money if you get a good one!)

I'd say there is a difference. Bending on a 9.5 will be easier and won't choke out easily. 7.25 radius can be hard to get under to bend and really dig in, playing live when it's hot and you can easily slip off the string so I' much prefer 9.5.

I dunno, using one of the greatest of all time isn't a marker that I feel I can live up to. Find someone shit who done it and we'll all feel like we can do it  

Funkfingers

I'm old. I grew up on 7¼" radii. To me, this is normal. Flatter radii and bigger fret wire certainly help for some techniques. 

Have some of each. As you become accustomed to switching between them, it should prove less of an obstacle.

Winny_Pooh

Vintage radius is crap with low action. If you like a medium to high action it's great

TheBigDipper

I've got guitars that go from 7.25 through to 20. It doesn't seem to make much difference to me - yes, they feel different, but every guitar I own feels different because they are (IYSWIM). 

 But it might make a difference to you, so +1 for try it for yourself! :-) 

Blueingreen

I had a 7.25" Strat as my only guitar for many years. I didn't know what the radius was and never gave it a thought. 

I bought a new Strat based on feel in the shop, still unaward that a lot of the difference in feel was down to a flatter radius. Once I got used to the the new guitar I realised I no longer enjoyed playing the old one.

A combination of the internet and a bit more buying and selling has since educated me about what I like and why.  For me 7.25" radius is now a complete deal breaker. 

Of course it's personal preference, and lots of people prefer 7.25" which is fine.  But I'd dispute the suggestion by some that "it doesn't really matter, you'll get used to either".  That hasn't been my experience.

1Strat2many

To me it’s all about the set up. I regularly gig different Guitars with either 7.25, 9.5 or 10” (musicman AL). I guess over the years I have got used to using different guitars for different gigs. I wouldn’t say the differences make much difference to the way I play. 

kossofffan

My main two are a 9.5 Tele & a 7.25 Strat.
Really don’t feel a big a difference as the internet tells me I should.
Enjoy both

rze99

9.5 or 12.
Currently my favourite is 7.25-12 compound

newi123

As others have said, it`s more about the fret size for me.

7 1/4 typically comes with vintage frets, which I struggle with - I`ve had the original roadworn mex and a CS landau with 7 1/4 and larger frets, and both are fine.

BillDL

My perfect neck for a Fender style guitar would be compound radius 7.25 to 10mm.  Most of my Fender style guitars have a 9.5 or 10mm radius and I find it to be the most universally pleasing for most styles of playing.

I think the issue of choking is, as mentioned by @Winny_Pooh, that peoples' expectations of action height became more exacting since the standard was 7.25mm.  In many cases those expectations are unrealistic for the given radius of fretboard but people will still attempt to achieve it and then complain about the smaller radius.

ICBM

I own both (or strictly, 7.25" and 10" since one is a PRS, but there's no practical difference) and can play both with no trouble - as already said, the neck profile and fret size are both more important. That said, given the choice I would pick 9.5".