What are the neck shapes of Strats?

[357mag]

My American Vintage 62 is supposed to come with a C-shape neck but it feels chunkier. My tech said it's actually a D-shape neck. I've never heard of a D-shape.

So I'd like to find out what are the different neck shapes that Fender uses. I got this online:

The neck shape of a Fender neck is given a letter-name to describe it’s shape. For example, the now-standard ‘C-shaped neck’ roughly follows the curvature of the letter “C.”

‘V-shaped necks’ comes in two varieties: ’soft V’ and ‘hard or strong V.’ The ‘hard-V’ more closely resembles the letter ‘V’, while the ’soft V’ is somewhere in between the ‘C’ and ‘hard-V’ shapes.
There are also thicker, chunkier ‘U-shaped necks,’ which are commonly (and wrongly) called ‘D-shaped necks.’ The confusion comes from the letters used by Fender to describe the ‘width at nut’ of their necks, and the fact that the ‘D’ width is so wide (see above.)

So is there a separate U-shape and a D-shape? They're not the same thing?
My tech also said Fender has neck shapes that are A-B-C-D but this article said that refers to neck width not neck shape.

So my understanding is then neck shapes are either:

C-shape
V-shape
Soft V-shape
D-shape(same as U-shape?)

Correct? No?

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: What are the neck shapes of Strats?

the thing with necks is no two are exactly the same.

the CNC machine gives it the basic shape but somebody has to 'finalize' and sand it. that's one of many reasons that no two guitars are exactly alike.

 

[Blue313]

Re: What are the neck shapes of Strats?

This is one of the largest misconceptions about Fenders. The only way to get close is to measure the neck circumference at the 1st and 12th frets (other than making a mold of an existing one). The lettering system misconception isn't bad since it gets you in the ballpark, it's just not very accurate.

But Empty Pockets is also correct. Hand work makes a huge difference. Neck contours varied from year to year at Fender.




http://www.fender.com/support/faqs.php

Fender uses the letters V, C and U to describe "neck profiles"—the actual shape of the letters roughly corresponds to the shape of the back of its instrument necks.

V-shaped necks come in two different versions, a more rounded "soft" V and a more pointed "hard" V. U-shaped necks are chunky and rounded, with high shoulders. The term "C-shaped" generally refers to oval and modern "flat oval" neck profiles, even though these profiles don't strictly correspond to the shape of the letter C. The use of these letter designations is often more easily understood when actually feeling the back of a Fender instrument neck.

There is occasional confusion about V, C and U neck profile designations and A, B, C and D neck width designations. From the early '60s to the early '70s, Fender refered specifically to the nut width of its instrument necks using the letters A (1 1/2"), B (1 5/8"), C (1 3/4") and D (1 7/8"). These letters were stamped on the butt end of the necks and had nothing to do with neck profile.

 

[357mag]

Re: What are the neck shapes of Strats?

So my neck is probably a U-shaped then? My tech called it a D-shape. It does feel chunky and meaty and it adds weight to my Strat. This new Strat I picked up has two things which have thrown me:

1. I was expecting a C-shaped neck but it feels much more chunky and beefy like a D-shape or a U-shape.

2. I was expecting a fretboard radius of 7.25 but this neck is easier to play than that. It measures closer to a 9.5.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: What are the neck shapes of Strats?

I don't know what year American Vintage '62 yours is (mine is a few years older I think), but I've always felt it was more of a modern C shape. It is a little thicker than some of the American standard series, but not as thick as the 50's ones. I've just been going through this myself because I've been on a search for thick Fender necks. Apparently for strats, the '54s are the beefiest. The 10/56 neck on the '56 strats are supposed to be very close, just a hair thinner (I guess I'll find out the size myself). It's supposed to be a full C with a soft V at the end. As far as Telecasters, the Nocaster necks are supposed to be the biggest followed by the G.E. Smith model.