Neck feel of 620/660 vs strat

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:01 am

I hope this hasn't been covered elsewhere, but I was wondering, which neck, the 620 or 660 would play/feel the most like a 1980's American strat?

ozover50 · Post by **ozover50** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:55 am

Interesting question, Jim. I have both (the 660 is a 12 string) and to me the 620 is closer to the Strat than the 660 - especially in terms of neck width. Strats are 1-5/8" at the nut as are 620s. The 660 is 1-3/4". The neck profiles differ, however. The 620 is more a "C" profile, making it a little 'thicker' than a Strat neck whereas the 660 is a flatter "D" - I'm assuming the neck on a 660/6 is the same as a 660/12. I find the 620 a very 'playable' guitar - like my Strats. I also have a 350v63 which has a superb neck - slightly shallower than the 620. Rick necks do vary a bit, so I'd definitely recommend playing before buying if possible.

Perhaps a 660/6 owner can chime in with their impressions.

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:47 am

Thanks, Howard. I love the neck on my '87 Strat, and comparing it to my 370/6, it is slightly wider, but not as deep. The 370 is a great guitar, but takes a bit of adjustment to get used to after playing most of a gig on the Strat. That got me wondering about the 620/660 necks.

sharkboy · Post by **sharkboy** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:52 am

I have had a Strat and played many different Strats. I play a 660 and I like it better, but the neck isn't a lot like my own Strat was. There are some similarities, however. The 1/8" inch feels different, but it isn't an enormous difference. Also, there are soooo many different neck contours for Strats, that those are hard to compare without holding them in the hand. The 660's necks seem a little more Strat-like than Tele-like to me, but I haven't had my Strat in a few years. I also think it is funny that different guitarists are hooked by different characteristics that others aren't.

After having the 660/6 set up for insanely low action, there is no neck on the earth that plays better for me.

If you are trading back and forth between different guitars onstage, it may make the greatest amount of sense to go with the most similar string splay, though in my mind the Strat falls kind of between a 660 and a 620. When I play live, I use my 660's and 650, since they play quite similarly.

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:10 am

Mark,
I agree that there are many different neck contours for Strats. I own 5 of them, and even though some are C shaped, and some are V shaped, they are all more to my liking and easier to play, for me at least, than any LP or SG I have tried. My 360/12 and 370/12 feel more like my Strats, but the 370/6 is more narrow than my Strats, but deeper. This is why I am curious about the 620 and 660 neck.

sharkboy · Post by **sharkboy** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 12:08 pm

I wish you were a little closer, I'd love for you to try them out and see what your hands say. I love everything about my 370/6, but it is just a little easier to deal with the slightly wider neck onstage for me.

Aside from one LP I played in the 70's, I haven't been too wild about the Gibsons, and then there are the tone, feel, balance, weight and aesthetics issues that pushed me to the Fender and then Rickenbacker side of the world. Not to say anything bad about them- they look and sound great on other people.

steambyrd · Post by **steambyrd** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:41 pm

I wish we lived a little closer too, Mark. I would really like to try your 660 or your 370/6 to compare to mine and my Strats. My 370/6 is a 2006 model, and maybe the necks are different now with the new CNC machines. My 370/12 RM is a 1989, and my 360/12 is a 1992 model. I can't fault the finish or sound of my 370/6 VP, I just wish the neck were a little more "Strat like."

sharkboy · Post by **sharkboy** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:08 pm

So, one other thing to think about is the 650c. I was just horsing around with mine and it seems to be a bit more of a rock beast. Because I have so many guitars with single coils, I like it having humbuckers, but you might really like that neck.

The reason I suggest the 650c versus the other 650 guitars is that the neck is finished maple instead of oiled, and would behave more like a Strat. Then you could decide what to do about the pickups.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:28 am

I've owned only two Strats, a 1974 hardtail and a 1993 USA Signature Series Yngwie Malmsteen (yes, the one with the scalloped frets - what the heck was I thinking?!?), and in my opinion, neither the 620 nor the 660 feel like those Strats. Rather, I got the closest "Strat feel" with my 380L PZ and my 650S.

squirebass · Post by **squirebass** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:41 am

The problem with comparing a guitar to a Strat is that you have to ask "Which Strat?" Some Strats have C necks, others, V necks, in either a soft V or hard V. Some of the ones from the 70s have what I'll call U shaped necks, so it really depends... I like the C neck shape on a Strat the best, because it feels like my Ricky 4001. But my 350v63 has a pretty thin neck too, and it feels good to play although it seems to have a different radius than my Strat...

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Fri Jan 19, 2007 10:43 am

Thanks for pointing that out, Gene. I still own one Fender, a 1986 MIJ reissue Rosewood Telecaster, and it's a whole different beast.