Where to buy a new Strat neck?

Tahoebrian5

Tahoebrian5

Fractal Fanatic
Hey all, I’ve got an EJ strat I bought from reverb. Im not liking how short the frets are. Was considering having new frets installed.

Thinking might be better to just buy a new neck that way I can get different radius while I’m at it.

let me know where you guys recommend ordering from.

On specs, I’m hoping for the “stratiest“ tone possible. Kind of Nick Johnston tone where all the subtle string noises and throatyness comes through. I’m leaning towards a flame maple with ebony fretboard. But that being said I don’t really know what I’m doing.
 
Maybe I'm wrong but I think the fretboard wood has the most impact assuming you use a maple neck (as the vast majority of Strats do).

I don't think of Ebony when someone says "Strat tone"... Maple or Rosewood are typical.

Having said that, I really like the roasted maple neck with Pau Ferro fretboard that both my Charvel DK-24 and Suhr Modern have. That combo feels excellent and looks great, too!

Warmoth has a really excellent reputation. I have a baritone conversion neck from them and it's alright quality.

You can order a custom neck right from their website.
 
I'm a big fan of replacement necks from Warmoth. I've used three of them now. All excellent. Their '59 carve is....muah....so perfect in my hands. Very, very close to my beloved Standard 24's carve which is my absolute favorite neck. In fact, I was just playing my Warmoth-neck-equipped Tele a moment ago and thinking, "It just feels right when I pick it up. Even if it's been a while."

I have one of their necks on another project guitar and another on my Ed O'Brien Strat. EOB is a roasted maple neck with the roasted maple fretboard. It's a little softer sounding than the Tele neck I have from them which is flame maple with a really dark roseboard board. They have a nice tool for picking materials that'll guide you by the sound you're after.

They're also Fender licensed so you can get it with a decal on the headstock IIRC and it's a drop-in replacement so that's nice. No need to drill holes for the screws.

Here is the construction tool: https://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/FenderStyle/Stratocaster/ChooseConstruction.aspx
 
Fender American Stratocaster Neck - Jumbo Frets - Maple Fingerboard, stripe on back ,9.5", C shape
 
SHEPPARD said:
I'd avoid Warmoth. I bought one new from them with massive fret issues.
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Did they not take it back? I had dents in a headstock on one order and they just built me another one, sold that one as b-stock I guess.
 
Check this on Reverb:

Fender American Stratocaster Neck - Jumbo Frets - Maple Fingerboard, stripe on back ,9.5", C shape
 
I bought the neck over a year ago. It's too late to do anything. My fault for waiting to do the project.
 
Another vote for Warmoth, Their work is very good and they stand behind their product.

Or as an alternative The Stratosphere on Reverb sells a multitude of actual fender necks of different specs.
 
Another vote for Warmoth. Have ordered more than 10 necks from them and they have all have been awesome. It doesn't hurt to get a fret leveling when you get it though (and they say that in their neck info).
 
Another vote for Warmoth. You can custom order the neck you want from them, and they're very good. They have CNC profiles for neck and bodies, and can create one that matches your needs. For vintage tone / feel, I like rosewood or maple, but I love stainless steel frets. I have had a few of my guitar refretted with SS, and they are hugely improved (and have zero maintenance). My two most recent guitar acquisitions both have SS frets (Suhr strat and Strandberg Boden), and they have fantastic tone. YMMV.
 
Interested in this myself. My old Strat needs at least a refret, but it's also got a really thin neck which I liked when I got it back in the 80's. Now I like them a little chunkier (thanks PRS! ;-)
 
I bought them mostly from Ebay. Wish I could remember where I bought the one that's on my Crimson Fist guitar came from, cause that's a good one. Not Ibanez Wizard thin, but thin enough to feel comfortable and nice in the hand. And my favorite CBS style headstock of course. I don't think I paid more then $100 for it, which is my limit on what I'm willing to pay on fabricated guitar necks. These days I prefer to make them myself though.
 
Muad'zin said:
I bought them mostly from Ebay. Wish I could remember where I bought the one that's on my Crimson Fist guitar came from, cause that's a good one. Not Ibanez Wizard thin, but thin enough to feel comfortable and nice in the hand. And my favorite CBS style headstock of course. I don't think I paid more then $100 for it, which is my limit on what I'm willing to pay on fabricated guitar necks. These days I prefer to make them myself though.
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If you send them the serial they're pretty good about sending you the specs if they still have them around.
 
I have a couple of guitars with Warmoth necks and have had necks and bodies over the past 35 years, good stuff. Another possibility would be to
get a neck from Fender. They do sell necks and bodies now.
 
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