Fender Mexican Standard Stratocaster Maple Neck review

The Mexican Standard Maple neck - 2018 example

The Mexican Standard Maple neck rear - 2016 example

The Mexican Standard Maple neck peghead - 2018 example

The Mexican Standard Maple neck was retooled at the end of 2014 and the profile was improved and made easier to play, I noticed this on a 2015 Sunburst Standard that I swapped for a 50's Mexican Stratocaster. It was much easier to play than a 2013 standard.

Gloss face on the fretboard and peghead

The Mexican Standard as above is styled on the 1980 'Smith' style Stratocaster redesign necks. These were part of the Stratocaster 'back to basics' type of design that occurred when the infamous '3 bolt neck' guitars were discontinued in 1981. 

The old '3 bolters' suffered from a cost conscious compartmentalised CBS Fender, the 3 bolt guitar quality reputation led many to rediscover the old Pre-CBS guitars or the new impersonators - guitars made in the style of the early Pre-CBS instruments by Tokai, Fernandes, Columbus and many others.

The problem was that the impersonators were making great guitars! Fender CBS wasn't which is why it almost died as a company. The guitars had heavy bodies, U shaped necks, and the contours were not cut deeply, plus the Poly paint was trowelled on thickly.

But in the last glow of fire in the Fender ashes, Dan Smith revamped the guitars to go back to what Fender CBS should have been producing and the so-called 'Smith era' guitars were produced, but it was too late in the day to save Fender CBS.

 Staggered height locking tuners eliminate the need for a string tree

 The 'Smith' style of neck has largely remained in production since, that being a one piece maple neck with skunk stripe and with the small headstock, (bigger CBS type logo in recent years) and truss rod adjuster at the nut end. Essentially the evolutionary next step of the old pre-CBS 1958 neck.

The 'vintage' one piece neck is still made for the 50's vintage and Custom Shop guitars. The vintage is a shallow v and is a nice easy player, not far from the feel of a C shape.

The 'modern' Smith style neck is a shallow C shaped neck, nice to the feel and finished in satin poly lacquer on the back with a gloss finish to the front and the headstock face, the best of both worlds.

The frets are medium jumbo for easier fretting and the radius is a 9.5" somewhere between the vintage 7 1/4" and the modern 12". I find the 9.5" radius an easy to play neck, it is the neck that should have been made from 1973 rather than switch to the U shape, Bullet truss rod style of neck.

 Staggered height locking tuners rear view

I really find no fault with the new Mexican Standard neck, for my recent project guitar I'm using one on I purchased some locking tuners made by Fender and they fitted perfectly, as you can see above.

The price of the Fender neck was high when compared to other Fender lookalike necks on the market, but at least the Fender decal is genuinely applied by Fender and it has other Fender parts that fit without any modification.  

I have found the 2015 Mexican guitars whether Standard or Vintage reissues, of high quality and the feel and playability is excellent. Whether you are a serious part-time player or earn money from your playing, you'd have to go someway to beat these guitars and I've played pre-CBS instruments too. 

If you're looking to build a custom Stratocaster, then these necks are well worth using, the vintage counterparts being made in Mexico likewise if you seek that style for your project. 

Guitar reviews for you - Tokai TST50 Stratocaster in Fiesta Red 1983 lawsuit model

                                         

Tokai TST50 (lower) and Fender 59 Stratocaster (top)

The best maple neck Stratocaster that Fender made originally was the 1958 and 59 models. The slim C-shape neck was a joy to play and players like Buddy Holly and Hank Marvin of the Shadows.

In the 1970's a bloated CBS run Fender Musical Instruments suddenly became aware of a whole industry of Asian usurpers who were making guitars like theirs only better. Having owned a 75 Stratocaster and a 1983 Tokai, the Tokai is the better guitar.

The TST50 really hit the UK market bigtime in 1983 and 1984 although it had been in production since 1982. Essentially it was a replica of the 58/59 Fender Stratocaster. Having been precisely measured from a 1950's original, it could not fail to be a highly playable and amazing sounding instrument. It did not disappoint.

With a slim C shape neck, deep cut out contours on the body, it was a revelation. If you going to buy a copy, this high end guitar was going to be it. Until they fell foul of a trademark word on the strapline of their decal and Fender took action.

The original Tokai guitars had the Tokai name in a 'spaghetti' style as on the vintage guitars, during legal action, the logo became a block letter logo. It later reverted to a spaghetti style.

Essentially, Tokai had replicated the original Fender Stratocaster to a degree that was unheard of, having to change some wording to escape easy pickings for a lawyer, at a distance, the guitars looked like the real thing.

Although now available again with the Fender headstock shape that they had been forced to abandon in the 90's, the guitars are essentially superb as they ever were.

Original Tokai TST50's were £199 in 1983 with an optional tweed hard case at £50 on top. Second hand these guitars are around £400-900 depending on age, condition and finish.

They are amazing to play and I regret selling my first one and had to wait 18 years to find another. So if you do see one for sale, they are a good investment as well as player.