7.25” fingerboard radius: No biggee or WTF/ PITA?

[topekatj]

I’ve not played a vintage spec Fender for many moons. I’m looking at some Mexican Fender Esquires and they feature vintage approved 7.25” radius fingerboards. What say ye, yay or nay?

ETA: I don’t play fast. at all. But I do like to bend strings. A lot.

[Dave Scepter]

I personally need at least 12 inches to satisfy me! 🤣

[hamerhead]

I never got comfortable with the 7.25" radius. The Hamer Daytona was a revelation. Finally, a Strat that played like it should! I will never not own one. The perfect Tele is a T-51 with the 14.5" radius. Especially for a Gibson player.

Or slap an Allparts neck on the Tele of your choice:

https://www.allparts.com/products/tmo-22-replacement-neck-for-telecaster?_pos=1&_sid=9af52cbc4&_ss=r

 

 

 

 

 

[kizanski]

If you're a bender, 7.25" radius can be problematic.

[alantig]

No biggie.  My Silver Sky has the 7.25" radius - no issue with action or bending.  The closest thing I've had to an issue is that there is (occasionally) a very small adjustment period for my right hand because of the radius.  But no issues otherwise.

[RobB]

My Strat has a 12”r fingerboard and medium jumbo frets. Certainly makes life easier. 

[velorush]

BITD we set them up where the B and small E strings were significantly higher off the fretboard than the A and large E strings (rather than follow the fretboard radius). Sort of an upside-down Nike swoosh profile. That allowed bending without choking out. It also allowed more finger under the string to help bending on the tiny frets.

That said, I much prefer the newer 9.5" radius over the 7.25" radius as it requires fewer of the described compromises.

[tbonesullivan]

Honestly, it's just too much. 9.5" noticeably different, and there's a reason that is now pretty much the "standard" fender radius. I love how my Jazzmaster and Telecaster feel with that radius. When I tried a 7.25 it was just a bit too much.

[RobB]

I had a 50th Anniversary Tele refretted with Jescar 6150s and PLEKKED. Super-low action, and buzz-free everywhere. Any 7-1/4” board can made to play with low action with proper fret leveling/crowning, be it traditionally or computer-assisted.

 

[Jakeboy]

I bought my first 7.25” guitar recently…a vintage MIJ Tele neck from the early 80s. No issues for me and I am a blues bending machine. 

I did have to tweak the action some. My only issue is playing slide in standard. With the radius, I have to be careful to angle the slide a bit to match the radius. But it isn’t a problem. Just a quirk of the radius.