Nocaster necks

olafgarten

guitars4you said:

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

NoNeck Strat sounds more like a Strat with an extremely thin neck. 

DrBob

I saw a run of Strats on the Wildwood website a while ago that were advertised as "NoNeck Strats" which rather than having no neck as the name would seem to hint at came with the U profile from the Nocaster.

I would very much like one of those ..

Philly_Q

guitars4you said:

effectively the Nocaster neck profile and 54 U are are the same thing

I think they are distinct profiles, Mark.  I chose the 54 U profile for my hardtail Strat after trying the 60th anniversary '54 models and comparing with a 10/56 and Ancho Poblano.  According to the spec sheet the 54 profile is 0.900" at the first fret and 0.985" at the twelfth.  I think the Nocaster U is 0.95" and 1.00".

The 54 is certainly chunky, but the Nocaster (and the Ancho Poblano Strat) feel noticeably fatter, I think.

guitars4you

olafgarten said:

NoNeck Strat sounds more like a Strat with an extremely thin neck. 

NoNeck Strat - custom built for Gladstone Small ????

DrBob said:

I saw a run of Strats on the Wildwood website a while ago that were advertised as "NoNeck Strats" which rather than having no neck as the name would seem to hint at came with the U profile from the Nocaster.

I would very much like one of those ..

They aren't a million miles away from a  54 neck with that big profile - but they have effectively allowed them to be fitted to any Strat - be it 54 or 64

Strat54 said:

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. 

Yep - some are almost parallel at .98" along the length - but they are still using the template from some original Tele/Nocaster and yes they varied somewhat

menamestom

 

I like the Allparts FAT  - 1" going all the way to 1".  The Nocaster necks feel like modern C's by comparison 

Sassafras

menamestom said:

 

I like the Allparts FAT  - 1" going all the way to 1".  The Nocaster necks feel like modern C's by comparison 

That's the one I'm thinking of getting for the Tele body I recently acquired.