Fender Strat vintage nut width vs. Modern Nut Width

[Buddy123]

Even though the widths of the nuts are different, the width at the heal for all fender guitar are the same (am I correct)?

However, at what fret does the vintage neck with the slimmer nut width, meet up in width with a modern strat neck? After all, they have to meet up at some point so that they are equal at the heal. I played a reissue 1960's strat and the fretboard felt much slimmer than the American deluxe I compared it to.

Also, is the spacing of the strings less with the vintage style necks, or just less fretboard on the edges? Thanks!

[Tone_Terrific]

The heel size is the same so the neck width, as they taper, to 1 11/16 vs 1 5/8 should never be the same as they both 'shrink' at a different rate to their respective nut widths and the heel size is maximum.
That heel size can accommodate the wider vintage bridge spacing OK with the wider nut as long as the frets are not beveled too far, the neck is mounted straight and the player is not too vigorous.

[Eagle1]

Vintage Strats were made in a variety of nut widths from 40.25mm to 45mm, designated by ABC;etc on the heal.
It is entirely down to personal taste anyway.
As TT, said the real issue in playability here is how close the strings are to the edge of the fingerboard, the modern string spacing helps here.

[Buddy123]

So the nut is narrower on the vintage strats, yet the strings are spaced wider than the modern strats with the wider nuts? That seems counter-intuitive.

[Buddy123]

Also, the vintage strats with the slimmer nuts would also have a narrower fretboard throughout the guitar compared to a modern strat neck? Thanks!

[shane88]

from what i've read there are a,b,c,d nut widths - the most common is the b which is 1 5/8 - but vintage fenders were hand finished so there's a lot more variation than on today's necks

[Tone_Terrific]

Too many times, now.
Straighten this up or the spelling police will be informed.
Necks have heels. Go figure out why.

heal |hēl|
verb [ trans. ]
(of a person or treatment) cause (a wound, injury, or person) to become sound or healthy again : his concern is to heal sick people | [as adj. ] ( healing) a healing effect on the entire body | [as n. ] ( healing) the gift of healing.
• [ intrans. ] become sound or healthy again : he would have to wait until his knee had healed. ETC.

heel 1 |hēl|
noun
1 the back part of the foot below the ankle.
• a corresponding part of the foot in vertebrate animals.
• the part of the palm of the hand next to the wrist : he rubbed the heel of his hand against the window.
• the part of a shoe or boot supporting the heel : shoes with low heels.
• the part of a sock covering the heel.
• ( heels) high-heeled shoes.
ETC.