Nocaster necks

cbellanga

I have a nocaster with a mahoosive u shaped neck and thought all of them would have more or less the same neck profile. Popped over to guitarguitar in Camden for a browse and was really surprised that all nocasters there had much slimmer necks! Is that a recent change? The difference is quite a big so wouldn't say that's only a "each one is handmade" type of excuse I heard! Any thoughts?

guitars4you

Historically a Nocaster has a chunky neck - however as the name Custom Shop portrays, they have poetic licence to adapt and adopt as required - Not everyone can handle that big neck, so many are now often spec with a Large C profile, that is slimmer than your 54 U profile - I noticed the last batch of Custom Shop models allocated for the UK had all been spec'd with the slimmer neck but a) special orders can be placed with a chunky neck and b) I dare say the next batch will be spec'd with a chunky neck - each to their own

DaiCapp

there were some reissued as part of a limited run to celebrate 21 years (I think) of the first Custom Shop relics that had the U neck of which your may be one (I have one of those and love it) but as above really - CS guitars can be spec'd to suit and I expect most CS orders won't have them as they are a bit of an acquired taste

guitars4you

effectively you can order a choice of 4-6 neck profiles - 22 or 21 frets with a choice of fret sizes  - 7.25, 9.5, 10, 12 fingerboard radius or even a 9.5-12 compound radius - top nut end truss rod adjustment - Danny Gatton style compensated saddles, 60;s steel thread saddles - many other options available - All will still attract the Nocaster name , albeit with tweaked customised features - But it sounds like you have the more 'traditional' format

thermionic

Seems strange for Fender to call those options a Nocaster. Telecaster, yes, but "Nocaster" means a very specific set of features which were present during a very short period of manufacturing.

Brize

Yep, the recent Nocasters I've seen in the UK have either the mid-60s oval C shaped neck (which is quite slim) or the the 65 C profile (which is a medium-sized neck).

cbellanga

thermionic said:

Seems strange for Fender to call those options a Nocaster. Telecaster, yes, but "Nocaster" means a very specific set of features which were present during a very short period of manufacturing.

that's exactly why I was wondering. I guess the "period-correct" on that case is a bit of a marmite thing .. the neck on mine is ridiculously big so I've replaced it with something a little bit less chunky (original is still here, in the case)

Brize

thermionic said:

Seems strange for Fender to call those options a Nocaster. Telecaster, yes, but "Nocaster" means a very specific set of features which were present during a very short period of manufacturing.

I think all it really means is Nocaster blond with no 'Telecaster' decal on the headstock. Once you've flattened the radius and fattened the frets, does the neck profile really matter?

guitars4you

Brize said:

I think all it really means is Nocaster blond with no 'Telecaster' decal on the headstock.

correct - but that is all it was anyway

@thermionic - Seems strange for Fender to call those options a Nocaster. Telecaster, yes, but "Nocaster" means a very specific set of features which were present during a very short period of manufacturing.

But that is the perk or feature of a Custom Shop - adapt and adopt as required - You can have pure vintage if required inc 7.25 and vintage frets - but if you take the popular route of 9.5" plus chunkier frets plus Compensated saddles, you've already enhanced the playing performance anyway, so why not the neck if it suits you

thermionic

I get your point about the Custom Shop, but if you change the essential Nocaster features it stops being a Nocaster and becomes a Telecaster. It's a Nocaster in name only. Or in no name only. Or something.

Gassage

I must be one of the few that adores the deep U shape. So much resonance from them it's untrue, really makes the telecaster sound big.

cbellanga

Gassage said:

I must be one of the few that adores the deep U shape. So much resonance from them it's untrue, really makes the telecaster sound big.

Hey James, I thought about the same and even though I'm using a different neck now the resonance is still immense! I think those bodies as well are probably hand-selected (or at least mine was haha) it's the one with longer sustain out of my 3 gibbos and 2 fenders

Gassage

Claudio, teles are all about low output pickups and great wood. Basically, unless you're a cretin, you can't make a bad one. The 1965 bitsa I have is to die for.

guitars4you

thermionic said:

I get your point about the Custom Shop, but if you change the essential Nocaster features it stops being a Nocaster and becomes a Telecaster. It's a Nocaster in name only. Or in no name only. Or something.

But essentially a 51 Tele and Nocaster are the same thing other than 'cut off' part of the decal - and maybe somewhat crazy, but as far as my Custom Shop sales figures go, I sell far more Nocasters than 51 Teles

As it happens I favour the chunky neck - I don't have big hands, but with an easy action I have no problem to handle one - When I've A v B tested chunky neck v slim neck there is instantly something extra in the tone of the big neck as though the extra mass adds some resonance and that is audible on an unplugged test - It has been said before that big neck ='s big tone

As a guitar player I'm on your side - As a salesman I'm very much 'each to their own' and glad options are available

Strat54

The variations in neck profile are actually vintage correct because there were subtle variations in the real 1951 Nocasters due to hand shaping. I've played an original and it was not as chunky as the 2003 Nocaster I had from the Custom Shop and before someone challenges me the 1951  Nocaster #0514  was 0.89" deep at the 1st Fret and 1" at the 12th where as  Nocaster #1477 was 086" at the 1st and 0.99" at the 12th.  

Philly_Q

I may have this wrong, but - just to confuse things more - they seem to actually use the "Nocaster" name to describe more than one neck profile.

If the guitar's an actual Nocaster (with no model name on the headstock) and the neck profile's described as "Nocaster U", it's going to be the big fat neck, almost an inch deep all the way along.

But a couple of years ago there was a limited run of '52 Teles, black over candy apple red wth a neck humbucker, with a neck profile called "Nocaster" - but it was a slimmer profile.  Some dealers listed it as "Nocaster C", I think.  I don't know why they didn't just call it a '52 profile or something. 

Gassage

@Strat54 your post re hand shaping made me laugh as I was once told by JW Black that the reason v neck 57 necks happened was some lazy apprentice was a little heavy handed leaning against the sander but when he'd finished Freddie Tavares liked the shape so they made some more! 

It was so Heath Robinson it's untrue.

DaiCapp

Gassage said:

I must be one of the few that adores the deep U shape. So much resonance from them it's untrue, really makes the telecaster sound big.

Nope - adore mine, guess we may be a dying breed but it is so comfortable to play for me it's untrue!

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

But a couple of years ago there was a limited run of '52 Teles, black over candy apple red wth a neck humbucker, with a neck profile called "Nocaster" - but it was a slimmer profile.  Some dealers listed it as "Nocaster C", I think.  I don't know why they didn't just call it a '52 profile or something. 

That is wrong in my view - effectively the Nocaster neck profile and 54 U are are the same thing,  just which tag you use - But to call it a Nocaster neck with a different profile on a different guitar all together is not logical - I can understand a Nocaster Guitar having different physical dimensions today from the Custom Shop, but if any Custom Shop model has been spec'd with a Nocaster neck that should mean chunky - so I can see the confussion and agree it should be tagged 56 or 58 profile if that is the case

I've seen Strats that have been built with a Nocaster neck and acquired a tag NoNeck Strat

Strat54 said:

The variations in neck profile are actually vintage correct because there were subtle variations in the real 1951 Nocasters due to hand shaping. I've played an original and it was not as chunky as the 2003 Nocaster I had from the Custom Shop and before someone challenges me the 1951  Nocaster #0514  was 0.89" deep at the 1st Fret and 1" at the 12th where as  Nocaster #1477 was 086" at the 1st and 0.99" at the 12th.  

agree there are subtle variations, but those dimensions you have given are bloomin close anyway - granted I bet you can feel it - I dare say 2/3 C/Shop models will have a similar .001-.003" variation anyway due to final hand sanding etc - but yes original 50's models would be different due to the hand built nature of the day

Strat54

Yeah you can feel it, small on paper but big enough in the hand to notice the difference. Some of the Esquires and Tele's from 1951 were a little larger than the two I've quoted but again on the whole none were like the huge U's from the Custom Shop. I think Mr Eldreds team who created the profile and specs may have got a little carried away there. Aren't some of those 0.99 at the first....big shoulder too. 

Strat54

Gassage said:

@Strat54 your post re hand shaping made me laugh as I was once told by JW Black that the reason v neck 57 necks happened was some lazy apprentice was a little heavy handed leaning against the sander but when he'd finished Freddie Tavares liked the shape so they made some more! 

It was so Heath Robinson it's untrue.

I'm sure Jay was right, he's a mine of info.....his guitars are uber cool too.