Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Discussion of newer designs, copies and reissue offset-waist instruments.
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Rockabilly69
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Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Rockabilly69 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 9:39 am

When I switched the 9.5 CV neck to the 7.25 Player neck on my Jaguar, I immediately bonded with the 7.25 radius. I just liked it better for playing chords. I've got the action so it's setup so it doesn't choke out when playing leads and it's at a perfectly reasonable height, so I'm loving it.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:11 am

All my Fender guitars are pre CBS, so it used to feel really strange to play a flatter radius. 7.25 just felt right. Lately I have been playing a Gretsch quite a bit, and it seems so much easier to play, so I might have to reconsider.

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Rockabilly69
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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Rockabilly69 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:50 am

fuzzjunkie wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:11 am
All my Fender guitars are pre CBS, so it used to feel really strange to play a flatter radius. 7.25 just felt right. Lately I have been playing a Gretsch quite a bit, and it seems so much easier to play, so I might have to reconsider.
It was on my 1960 Musicmaster that I first realized that I liked the 7.25 radius, and my new Jaguar confirmed it.

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Nevets
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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Nevets » Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:51 am

Most of my guitars are 7.25 so I guess I prefer it? I also like 9.5.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by marqueemoon » Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:03 am

I’m not that picky as long as it’s set up well. Giant frets and superflat boards like 16” are the only dealbreakers for me.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by fuzzjunkie » Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:50 am

marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 11:03 am
I’m not that picky as long as it’s set up well. Giant frets and superflat boards like 16” are the only dealbreakers for me.
Yeah, not a jumbo fret fan. I never played a scallop neck but I imagine that would get a hard pass from me too.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by vistavision » Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:09 pm

My 3 main guitars are 7.25" ('97 MIJ Squier Jagmaster, '83 MIJ Squier Telecaster), and 7.5" ('84 G&L SC-3). I find these the most conducive to playing and being creative.
I also have 9.5" (Fender Player Jazzmaster & a Nashville-tuning Partscaster) and the oddball 13.75"(!) on my Yamaha Revstar RS420. The Revstar wasn't the deal-breaker I thought it might be. Apparently I'm more radii-malleable than I thought.
I'm sure some Fender dealer in '64 looked at the new Duo-Sonic II and thought, "That's not a Duo-Sonic. That's a Mustang".

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Telliot » Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:20 pm

7.25” and vintage-sized frets for me, please.
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Jaguar018 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:02 pm

Telliot wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:20 pm
7.25” and vintage-sized frets for me, please.
Moi aussi.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Kyon » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:11 pm

7.25 and vintage frets myself, anything above 12'' just feels weird for me

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Fiddy » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:17 pm

As long as it doesn't buzz, or the action is too high.. Just bring it. Whatever radius.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Singlebladepickup » Sun Apr 04, 2021 1:36 pm

I do. I can live with other radii and fret size, but I like the vintage fender specs best.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Rockabilly69 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 2:32 pm

Wow, more people like the 7.25 radius then I would have thought. None of my local guitar friends like it. But none of them are offset people so maybe that has something to do with it.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by jvin248 » Sun Apr 04, 2021 2:48 pm

.

I find it kind of funny ... other than those chasing vintage guitars, most forums prior to three years ago had posts hating 7.25in necks. Most vintage chasers grudgingly accepted them. Some players would try to level frets to 9.5in on 7.25in necks the hate was so high. Then Mayer and PRS Strat came out and 7.25in fans were everywhere while more players were interested in trying them out. It all reminded me of the 7, 8, and 9 string guitars were hugely popular for a few years until most people tried them out and went back to 6-string. Before that many wanted to try fretless guitars and multi-scale/fan-frets. They are all fads. The 7.25in necks will return to a love-hate relationship from owners and most players will return to the 9.5in-12in more common neck fretboard radius patterns. So if you are curious about 7.25in necks, see if you can borrow one from a friend for a while to fully test drive one before buying in.

.

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Re: Who prefers the 7.25 radius?

Post by Zeus » Sun Apr 04, 2021 2:56 pm

Telliot wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 12:20 pm
7.25” and vintage-sized frets for me, please.
Same, at least on Fenders.

I think it's a minor tragedy that Fender themselves are so ambivalent about their traditional specs, i.e. their USA-made vintage 'reissue' line now only featuring 9.5 radius and super tall frets.

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