telecaster string spacing

[bobbyg67]

is the string spacing on the telecaster different than the strat or other 1-11/16 width guitars?. i played some telecasters recently and the first position fret seemed to be not as cramped as other guitars i tried. ii'm wondering if something is different or just my imagination.

[terrapin]

Not unless someone had a custom nut installed. Perhaps the fretboard radius was different giving the impression of different string spacing.

[jonfields45]

Bridge spacing does vary by model and vintage; something on the order of 2 1/16" for a modern bridge to 2 5/32" for the original, more less, I think... I prefer the wider design. For my tastes, I always check the string centering at the last fret on any Fender or Fender-like guitar. It seems getting that perfectly centered is one of the tougher problems when building a guitar from fully completed parts. I suspect the narrower spacing appeals to individuals used to Gibson 2 1/8" bridges and makes the end of the fretboard easier to hit with both E-strings. One reason Fender went with a looser neck pocket route and larger than the screw neck bolt holes in their bodies for the original 70s 3-bolt design was to make string centering a simple yank on the neck (or decentering a simple hit on the guitar case). Jon