Inserting the skunk stripe
The Stratocasters made between 1954 and the mid of 1959 were all equipped with one piece maple neck; in some cases this wood could be beautifully figured, but Freddie Tavares remembers that Leo Fender actually preferred to reserve the use of the most striking necks to a few special models because very rare.
Due to the fact that the truss rod was inserted from the back of the neck, it was possible to note a strip of walnut, called skunk stripe, which served to cover the void at the point of insertion, and a walnut plug at the level of the nut, sort of walnut "teardrop" sticking out where the skunk stripe was anchored. Some Stratocasters had the walnut plug painted; the reason was not clear, but it was probably due to mask a not correct or anomalous inserting of the truss rod.
Since mid-1959, Fender has started to equip the maple neck with a thick Brazilian rosewood fretboard, probably after the complaints of some musicians or dealers who badly digested the tendency of maple fretboards to darken in no time. Compared to maple, if used with the same pickup and amplifier, the rosewood had a minor attack and made the guitar sound darker. Given that the contact base between the two woods was flat, these fretboards were called slab board. As it was no longer necessary to insert the truss rod from the back of the neck, the skunk stripe disappeared.
Due to the fact that the truss rod was inserted from the back of the neck, it was possible to note a strip of walnut, called skunk stripe, which served to cover the void at the point of insertion, and a walnut plug at the level of the nut, sort of walnut "teardrop" sticking out where the skunk stripe was anchored. Some Stratocasters had the walnut plug painted; the reason was not clear, but it was probably due to mask a not correct or anomalous inserting of the truss rod.
Since mid-1959, Fender has started to equip the maple neck with a thick Brazilian rosewood fretboard, probably after the complaints of some musicians or dealers who badly digested the tendency of maple fretboards to darken in no time. Compared to maple, if used with the same pickup and amplifier, the rosewood had a minor attack and made the guitar sound darker. Given that the contact base between the two woods was flat, these fretboards were called slab board. As it was no longer necessary to insert the truss rod from the back of the neck, the skunk stripe disappeared.
1957 Stratocaster with the skunk stripe (realvintage.it)
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1964 Stratocaster without the skunk stripe (ReCaster)
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Walnut plug on a 1955 Stratocaster (realvintage.it)
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Painted walnut plug on a 1954 Stratocaster
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Since August 1962 and until mid-1983, Fender had used thinner fretboards than slab boards with an arched and no longer flat base, known as veneer or round lam, which since ’63 has become even more subtle.
It is common opinion that this step was due to the desire to save the rosewood, even if, according to Dan Smith, Leo decided to use the veneer fretboard only because of the different expansion coefficient of rosewood and maple. In fact, the two woods contract differently according to the different humidity conditions and, as this difference could determine some problems in the way the slots of the Stratocaster frets were cut, Fender decided to modify the fretboard type: «On the most of slab boards, slots are cut straight across, parallel to the flat back. They go almost all the way through, so instead of a solid hunk of wood, the effect is to have a bunch of little blocks. When the weather changes, and the rosewood and maple expand or contract at different rates, they can twist or warp. It's not a big problem with deep slots, because the fingerboard is more flexible and there's some “give.” But Leo used a swing-arm fret slot cutter, and the slots were curved on top and not as deep, so he had this thick beam of rosewood running down the neck, and it could twist or bend with shifts in the weather; it didn't “give”. He didn't want to change the way he cut slots, so he went with a thinner, curved piece of rosewood».
It is common opinion that this step was due to the desire to save the rosewood, even if, according to Dan Smith, Leo decided to use the veneer fretboard only because of the different expansion coefficient of rosewood and maple. In fact, the two woods contract differently according to the different humidity conditions and, as this difference could determine some problems in the way the slots of the Stratocaster frets were cut, Fender decided to modify the fretboard type: «On the most of slab boards, slots are cut straight across, parallel to the flat back. They go almost all the way through, so instead of a solid hunk of wood, the effect is to have a bunch of little blocks. When the weather changes, and the rosewood and maple expand or contract at different rates, they can twist or warp. It's not a big problem with deep slots, because the fingerboard is more flexible and there's some “give.” But Leo used a swing-arm fret slot cutter, and the slots were curved on top and not as deep, so he had this thick beam of rosewood running down the neck, and it could twist or bend with shifts in the weather; it didn't “give”. He didn't want to change the way he cut slots, so he went with a thinner, curved piece of rosewood».
1961 Slab board
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1963 veneer fretboard
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In 1965, the Brazilian government, to favor local businesses, imposed an embargo on the export of Brazilian rosewood, which could no longer be exported as it was, but already partially cut into blocks. Fender, which was not satisfied with the quality of the blocks of wood from Brazil, therefore stopped importing this wood and soon ran out of supplies, preferring the Indian rosewood. The transition was not sharp but gradual, and it is possible to find Brazilians dated October ’65. Finally, the Brazilian rosewood was included in CITES protected species in the summer of 1992.
Since May 1967 the maple fretboard has returned to being available, on request, as an alternative to rosewood. However, the new maple fretboards, called maple caps, were glued on a neck which, differently from those of the ‘50s, was no longer composed by a single piece of wood. It is possible to distinguish the maple cap necks from the 1-piece maple necks (or fretted maple necks) of the ’50s Stratocasters thanks to the absence of the skunk stripe and of the walnut plug and because of those of the ’70s were polyester finished, differently from those of the ’50s which were covered by a thin nitro lacquer that often turned yellow over time.
At the beginning of 1970 Fender replaced these optional necks with maple fretboard with those fretted maple neck (always on request).
At the end of 1971 Fender returned to insert the truss rod from the back of the neck, also in the Stratocasters with rosewood fretboard: consequently, these guitars were equipped with skunk stripe too.
Since mid-1983, simultaneously with the introduction of the BiFlex truss rod, (Indian) rosewood fretboards have returned to being slab boards on both the Stratocaster Standard and the Elite.
Since May 1967 the maple fretboard has returned to being available, on request, as an alternative to rosewood. However, the new maple fretboards, called maple caps, were glued on a neck which, differently from those of the ‘50s, was no longer composed by a single piece of wood. It is possible to distinguish the maple cap necks from the 1-piece maple necks (or fretted maple necks) of the ’50s Stratocasters thanks to the absence of the skunk stripe and of the walnut plug and because of those of the ’70s were polyester finished, differently from those of the ’50s which were covered by a thin nitro lacquer that often turned yellow over time.
At the beginning of 1970 Fender replaced these optional necks with maple fretboard with those fretted maple neck (always on request).
At the end of 1971 Fender returned to insert the truss rod from the back of the neck, also in the Stratocasters with rosewood fretboard: consequently, these guitars were equipped with skunk stripe too.
Since mid-1983, simultaneously with the introduction of the BiFlex truss rod, (Indian) rosewood fretboards have returned to being slab boards on both the Stratocaster Standard and the Elite.
Finally we must remember that, although those actually made were very few, between 1965 and 1967 Fender gave the opportunity to have a fretboard with binding.
At the beginning of 1960 also some fretboards in cocobolo and necks in American walnut (hickory) were produced.
At the beginning of 1960 also some fretboards in cocobolo and necks in American walnut (hickory) were produced.
