Gibson Artist Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I did some trades few weeks ago and got myself a vintage amp and mim strat for an extra taylor i had. I noticed something strange about the strat, it had an unusually thick neck, and after not having a strat for a few years i was kind of desperate for one so i took it anyways. The odd thing is my Gibson 335 guitar is twice the size, yet it has a slim neck and super comfortable neck (to my hands), the strat by contrast feels like a baseball bat. I am not sure if they made mim strat necks in different sizes or only the American ones, but this is one is quite thick. Being a shorter guy (only 5'8) i have smaller hands than many friends who are 6' and over so i find it difficult and uncomfortable to get around on a chunky neck. My question is this, do mim strats come in chunky size? Because if they do that is exactly the one i have atm. Kind of a bummer because all i play is my Gibson atm, not a bad thing mind you, i paid near 3 grand for it, but id like to enjoy all my guitars and i love the colour of the strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skilsaw Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I have learned that if it doesn't feel right at the beginning, it won't get any better. I have a couple guitars that I should move on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted December 12, 2015 Author Share Posted December 12, 2015 I have learned that if it doesn't feel right at the beginning, it won't get any better. I have a couple guitars that I should move on. You're right. I let my gas for a strat overwhelm the priority that my small hands should have had because i just cannot get around a fat neck easily or comfortably for that matter. Strangely, i have a friend 6'6 who has huge hands, he has the exact opposite problem. He loves the chunky necks and wide fretboards, the bigger the better for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I don't know exactly what they make now, but I have had Strats with all kinds of neck shapes and sizes. I am quite certain you can find one in the neck shape you want. I might suggest replacing the neck, or having a good luthier widdle it down, but unless it's a REALLY nice Strat, it's not worth it. "Standard" series MIM Strats aren't more money than a neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 ... The odd thing is my Gibson 335 guitar is twice the size, yet it has a slim neck and super comfortable neck (to my hands), the strat by contrast feels like a baseball bat. I am not sure if they made mim strat necks in different sizes or only the American ones, but this is one is quite thick. ... To my experiences neck profile, angle, and fretboard radius along with the personal playing posture applied to the particular guitar all contribute to the playing feel, including fretting and picking as well. The compound-radiused neck of my American Standard Telecaster feels fatter than the 50's rounded one of my Les Paul Traditional although it isn't. My Fenders seem fatter to me in general due to zero neck angle I think. Adding some using their adjustment screws would further limit string action and increase pickup height, the latter in particular on Strats, so it's not an option for me. I have learned that if it doesn't feel right at the beginning, it won't get any better. I have a couple guitars that I should move on. It can also be a thing of getting accustomed to. I have wide fingers calling for wider necks and longer scale but short reach calling for shorter scale. There would be two ways out: having custom guitars built, or trying to get around with what I can get off the shelf. OK, the third way would be to give up playing guitar. After some disappointing experiences two friends of mine have with hand-built custom guitars, I decided to go with what's available stock. Perhaps I should add that, other than me, one of these guys is a serious player, and the other a crazy wizard on any guitar, bass, banjo or mandolin he gets hands on, and he felt that custom-built instruments didn't further enhance his abilities. With her wider neck and larger fretboard radius, my SSS equipped Ibanez RG 430 with FR vibrato has been a respectively comfortable step into the Fender world so to say in 1987. Twenty-five years later I decided to give Fenders a try for their tone and adapt to their necks, and I can't complain - it works for me. All in all one will have to decide to accept or avoid a challenge. Just my two cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 I have learned that if it doesn't feel right at the beginning, it won't get any better. I have a couple guitars that I should move on. This used to be my experience 30 years ago, but now find I can adapt very well to most anything. Given a little time! So it depend on GibsonArtist and his adaptability. I would suggest playing the Strat exclusively for a few days, or at least 8 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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