50s classic necks

I just bought a '99 MIM 50s Classic from a forum member. I hear the necks on these have changed over the years. What was the profile on these back in '99 like? I had a 2006 MIM 50s Esquire for a few weeks and that seemed to have a really fat neck on it.

It's kind of hard to imagine that the '99 MIM Classic is already a 10 year old guitar!

I owned 2 1998 models they were around .900 U shaped

Can't speak to the '99s, but I've got an '09 MIM '50s Esquire, and the neck is medium, a bit on the slim side actually. C-shaped. Very comfortable to play.

Hmmmmm it kinda worries me that the necks are changing on these or do people who describe them not really know what to call them......... I don't know and no disrespect meant cause I'd be hard pressed to describe a neck against what standard? I know my MIM has a slimish neck, really, flatter than the CV but I wouldn't know what to call it in a way that would be universally descriptive.

Gary

mine's an 04- it's kind of a thick d shape.not so wide. Wider than my mij, not as wide as my 92 or 94 mim.

I have two 98's and two 99's - I think they are chunkier feeling necks - not a ball bat by any means, but thicker than a MIM Standard or the 52RI. I actually love the necks!

my 50's classics:
06 tele
06 esquire
00 strat
all feel quite chunky compared to all my other fenders. (vintage MIA, MIM and MIJ)

for the record, i have a real 1962 jazzmaster and the neck feels exactly like my MIM 60's classic strat.

In the April 2000 issue, British magazine "Guitarist" did a Telecaster head-to-head test putting a '52 RI up against a 50's Classic.

The example that "Guitarist" tested, is discribed as having a "deep V-profile", while the '52 RI had a "shallow V-profile".

They've obviously changed through the years...

But then again, in the good old days you'd buy a guitar, never knowing what the neck was about or different from model to model and you'd play it and get use to it......... end of story.

Gary

In the April 2000 issue, British magazine "Guitarist" did a Telecaster head-to-head test putting a '52 RI up against a 50's Classic.

The example that "Guitarist" tested, is discribed as having a "deep V-profile", while the '52 RI had a "shallow V-profile".

They've obviously changed through the years...

How did the MIM do in the shootout? I'll try to remember what my '52s and Nocasters felt like when I get this and give an honest report. :rolleyes:

wow, deep V? they must have changed!

mine is an '05, i'd say the same width as mark's experience, but i'd say more of a C shape, as it has less "shoulder" than my '69 thinline neck that i'd describe as a "U"

I've had a couple dozen pass thru my hands, and my impression was very similar to post 1998 AVR52 USA Teles.

Hmmmmm it kinda worries me that the necks are changing on these or do people who describe them not really know what to call them......... I don't know and no disrespect meant cause I'd be hard pressed to describe a neck against what standard? I know my MIM has a slimish neck, really, flatter than the CV but I wouldn't know what to call it in a way that would be universally descriptive.

Gary

v neck
c neck
d neck
b neck

How did the MIM do in the shootout?

Well, here's the short version: :wink:

Vital statistics:

Build quality:..... AV '52 RI: 5/5,... MIM 50's: 4/5

Playability:........ AV '52 RI: 4.5/5, MIM 50's: 4.5/5

Sound:............. AV '52 RI: 5/5,... MIM 50's: 4.5/5

Value for money: AV '52 RI: 4.5/5, MIM 50's: 5/5

Verdict: AV '52 RI: 5/5, MIM 50's: 4.5/5

The verdict reads as follows:
"There's no doubt that Fenders Mexican Classic series comes as close as anyone has yet to perfection in the 'bread and butter' market sector. The Tele is a far superior instrument to the Japanese vintage model it replaced, with a better neck, better finish and, above all, infinitely more satisfying pickups. For anyone looking to buy a Tele as their first 'good' guitar, or as an excellent second instrument, the search stops here.

However... the overall conclusion to this interesting meeting must be: if you can afford it, and the little differences matter to you, buy the American guitar. Those seemingly unimportant details like cellulose, not polyester lacquer and premium, not ordinary ash - plus of course those exceptional pickups - have recreated as near as dammit the vintage tone you expect from the very best vintage Telecasters.

It's our old friend 'the law of diminishing returns' again: you pay much more for what seems not much extra. But any real Tele fan will appreciate those little differences - that fat bridge pickup tone and and warbling Stratty neck sound and the fact that their new guitar will mature and improve with them over the coming years.

Fender has no losers here, only winners. Both instruments are fantastic examples of their genre and no one but the most picky of Tele nuts would object to the Mexican guitar. It's just that the American one is even better."

My '04 is pretty chunky.

I know a chunky neck. My '09 '50s Esquire does not have a chunky neck...and it's C-shaped, consistent with Fender's description on their website. I can't speak to the earlier models, or whether the Esquire was different from the '50s Classic Teles.

2006 50's Classic Tele here with a Medium C neck