Hsh Strat
Will a Starcaster Neck fit…?
Would a Fender Starcaster Strat neck (70’s style headstock) fit a guitarfetish strat body?
Neck:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Starcaster-Strat-Rosewood-Loaded-Neck-406-/370508226085?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item564402de25
Body:
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Stratocaster-Style-Body-HSH-Lightweight-paulownia-Surf-Green_p_2510.html
Hello there,
I have used a few Starcaster necks on project guitars where I needed a thick heavy neck to get good balance in a guitar. The heel is 2 3/16ths inches wide and rounded like a Strat neck, so it will fit into the neck pocket of any body built to Fender specs. The thickness of the neck can be a problem at times. If you have a body that is not as deep (thick) as a Fender you have to do some modification to get the strings playable.
The Starcaster neck is a older profile, a very thick neck, what I always called Fender clunky C. It is a much thicker feeling neck than what you find on Squier and Fender Strats. I have used mostly the maple fretboard Starcaster necks. You have to do some finishing on them. The fretboard is raw. On rosewood that is okay, on maple it gets dirty fast. You need to work on the fret ends. They are usually quite sharp and need to be worked down to have a playable neck. I have liked the Starcaster necks I have used (after I worked them over), but don’t expect to play the neck without working it over and if you like thin necks you will not like the Starcaster neck.
I have not used a Guitarfetish body, so I cannot tell you how close to Fender specs they are. Many off brand Strat style bodies are only 1 5/8ths inches deep (thick). That can cause problems with the string height (neck too high) or the trem block being too big. I try to stick to bodies that are Fender specs. By the way, if that picture is accurate, I would say that color is not surf green. Too dark, and not enough yellow. That looks like sea foam green to me. I have Strats in both surf green and sea foam green. That body looks like my sea foam green Strat. Also, I would not want paulownia for a Strat body. I would prefer alder for the modern Strat tone or swamp ash for the vintage Strat tone.
That is more than I have paid for any of the 5 or 6 Starcaster necks I have bought. Even the maple fretboard ones did not cost that much. You can buy a used Starcaster for $50 or so. Then sell the parts and keep the neck.
Later,
F n’ G mod – Pickup switching idea for a HSH stratocaster [deprecated]
January 28, 2012 5:24 am 
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