All About Fender Custom Shop Music Zoo NoNeck Stratocasters: Big Guitar Necks and Bigger Tones!
Pairing the chunky "U" profile of a 1951 Fender Nocaster with the chime of a 1960s Stratocaster has produced the longest-standing Music Zoo x Fender Custom Shop Exclusive: the NoNeck Stratocaster!
Watch our 2026 video detailing the NoNeck Stratocaster available at The Music Zoo
Watch our original 2010 video detailing the NoNeck Stratocaster with former Fender Custom Shop Manager Mike Eldred
Since first launched in 2010, the NoNeck Strat has been a beloved Music Zoo run with the Fender Custom Shop combining a '60s Stratocaster body and pickups with the neck profile of a 1951 'Nocaster' - arguably the chunkiest neck profile which Fender has ever produced. Despite the idea of a 'big neck' being for bigger hands, we find that most players who pick up a NoNeck Strat take to it quite quickly!
Watch now as Music Zoo staff member Jordan Usatch talks about the history and ideas behind the NoNeck Stratocaster as well as demoing a few licks and telling us about the customizable options when it comes to ordering your own Music Zoo NoNeck Strat!
Fender Custom Shop Music Zoo NoNeck Strat Specs Available
- Alder or Ash Body
- Maple Neck (Roasted Options Available)
- 1951 Nocaster "U" Neck Shape
- 25.5" Scale Length
- 9.5" Fretboard Radius (Other Options Available)
- 1.650" Nut Width
- 21 Medium Jumbo Frets (Other Options Available)
- 3 Custom '60s Single-Coil Strat Pickups with RW/RP Middle Pickup (Other Options Available)
- 5-Way Switch
- American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo or Hardtail Bridge
- Fender/Gotoh Vintage-Style Tuning Machines or Locking Tuners
- Nickel/Chrome/Gold Hardware
- Neck Specs are Generally Around .940" at the 1st Fret up to 1.04" at the 12th Fret
Shop Fender Custom Shop Guitars Now:
Contact Us For Fender Custom Shop Gear!
Contact us at (516) 626-9292 or sales@themusiczoo.com
Watch it & read it
All About Fender Custom Shop Music Zoo NoNeck Stratocasters · 5:13 · 8 chapters
Chapter 1 · 0:00
Fender Custom Shop Nocaster Stratocaster: Specs and Overview
The Music Zoo Nocaster Stratocaster is a long-standing Fender Custom Shop run known for pairing a Stratocaster body with a substantial Nocaster-inspired neck profile.
From the video
Hey everyone, it's your old pal Jordan here at the Music Zoo. Today I want to talk to you about one of the long-standing Music Zoo runs with the Fender Custom Shop, the Nocaster Stratocaster. Let's get into it.
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Chapter 2 · 0:41
The Story Behind the Music Zoo Nocaster Stratocaster
Jordan recalls discovering the Nocaster Stratocaster when he first started working at The Music Zoo and explains the concept behind its distinctive large neck.
From the video
So, the Nocaster Strat first came about around 2010, which is actually when I first started working here. I remember I was in our showroom at the time and I picked up the Strat off the wall and had
this really big neck profile. It was really something that I never felt before. I asked a fellow coworker. I said, "What's the deal with this Strat? Why is the neck so big?" And he told me, "That's one of our new Nocaster Strats that we're doing with the Fender Custom Shop, a collaboration where we took the Strat body and paired it with the neck profile off of a 1951 Fender Nocaster."
Chapter 3 · 1:12
Why the Large Nocaster Neck Is Comfortable to Play
A large guitar neck does not necessarily mean a difficult playing experience. Jordan explains how the depth of the Nocaster neck can allow the player's hand to form naturally around the neck.
From the video
I think the point I really want to drive home about the Nocaster is that when people hear big neck, they think about the size of their hands and how it's going to affect the way they can play the guitar.
That maybe a big neck is going to like hinder getting around your chords or something like that. But for me, you know, average size fella, not the biggest hands in the world, it's always been a really comfortable guitar.
There's something about the way the depth of the neck kind of like lets your hand really form to the neck. I'm not really stretching out to the shoulders too big. It's always been a really fun guitar to play.
Chapter 4 · 1:43
Nocaster Stratocaster Neck Specs and Custom Options
The typical Music Zoo Nocaster configuration uses a 9 1/2-inch radius with narrow tall or medium jumbo frets, while Fender Custom Shop orders can be customized with different radius and fret options.
From the video
To get into some more tech specs to the neck, we usually go with a 9 and 1/2 in radius and some narrow, tall, or medium jumbo frets.
Of course, being the Fender Custom Shop, if you are ordering your own Nocaster and you prefer perhaps a vintage 7 and 1/4 radius or any other different size frets, there's no reason you couldn't put that with this neck profile, but that's usually the one we go to is a 9 and 1/2 radius with those modern size frets.
Chapter 5 · 1:58
Nocaster Stratocaster Pickups and Roasted Quartersawn Maple Neck
The Nocaster Stratocaster is highly customizable, with the Music Zoo typically specifying handwound 60s Strat pickups and a reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup for quieter two and four positions.
From the video
The pickups in a Nocaster, again, customizable. Usually, we go with a set of handwound 60 Strat pickups with a reverse wound, reverse polarity pickup in the middle position, so that when you're in the two and four positions, it's nice and quiet.
Right here, I've got one in candy apple red metallic with a roasted quartersawn maple neck.
We generally like to use quartersawn maple for these necks just because it adds a little bit more sturdiness to the guitar. The grain always looks beautiful and with that big neck profile, it's a really sturdy piece of wood.
Chapter 6 · 2:31
Music Zoo Nocaster Stratocaster Finishes and Current Stock
The Music Zoo Nocaster lineup can be ordered in a wide range of finishes and configurations, with Jordan highlighting several examples from current stock.
From the video
As you can see behind me, we have a bunch of Nocasters in stock right now.
I really like the way the rosewood looks with that teal guitar right there.
Right there, we have a really cool aged natural/blonde finish over an ash body with the roasted neck.
And then this one's really cool, too.
Shell pink with a matching headstock and of course the roasted neck and the black pickguard look really cool.
Chapter 7 · 2:50
Nocaster Stratocaster Tone, Volume and Sustain
One of Jordan's favorite characteristics of the Nocaster Stratocaster is how it responds acoustically. He discusses the idea that the additional wood mass from the deeper neck helps the guitar ring out when played unplugged.
From the video
One thing I really like about the Nocaster Strat is that we think that the added depth of the neck adds a little bit more to the volume and sustain of this guitar.
I really love picking up a Nocaster just playing it unplugged.
That extra mass from the wood just kind of lets the guitar ring out a little bit more. So if you're just playing one on the couch, really fun one.
Chapter 8 · 3:10
The Music Zoo Nocaster Stratocaster: Custom Options and Final Thoughts
The Nocaster Stratocaster has been a Music Zoo Fender Custom Shop run for more than 16 years. Jordan highlights its flexibility as a platform and encourages players who have never tried a chunky Strat neck to give one a try.
From the video
There you have it. That's the Nocaster Strat. It's a guitar that we've done for over 16 17 years.
There's a really fun old video with Mike Eldred when he ran the Fender Custom Shop hiding way down in our YouTube channel. It's fun to watch at our original location in Queens.
But the options on a Nocaster are endless. You want to put a humbucker in there? [snorts] Go ahead. You want to change the neck to be some other type of wood? Let's give it a shot.
It's a really fun platform to play. And I think if you've never tried a chunky neck on a Strat, now's the time to do so.
If you want, email us sales@themusiczoo.com. Come visit us. Try one out for yourself.
