Fender innovation...

haven't seen much talk about it but they are changing the way the fretboard meets the neck.
The fretboard will be inlaid into the neck.
 
Just something new and different-at least I've never heard of it being done.
 
Advantage? None that I can think of.
Just visually is all I can come up with it. I guess that could be a disadvantage too.
Won't have to deal with seeing the sides of the fretboard or the fret tangs if that's a bad thing.
It'll look like the fretboard is bound.
It'll take the worry out of getting or seeing a glue line between bottom of fretboard and neck.
 
Disadvantage? It's sure going to make it hard for builders to copy that don't use a CNC.
It'll make it a little harder for the folks that do a refret job. ( a little more work trimming tangs)
 
I guess the ones that know how much wood types and wood grains will effect the tone will have something new to talk/argue about.
 
Well if it helps them stay in business selling guitars that's a good thing.
 
 
 

"What do I know" --I'm with you on that.
 
I guess if shimmed roller nuts and neck tilt adjustment don't kill the tone(s) then this won't matter either.
 

Bound necks and binding around everything is appealing to folks so it's going to have that going for it.
 
CNC is the only way they are going to get the fit that they'll be after...and quickly. The added work will be nipping/fitting the frets and that's not a biggy.
 
I can't say what's easier, faster, better when it comes to what happens in a factory but in a shop without a CNC...forget it. Inlaying a fingerboard was tuff enough for me! LOL.
 
And all that just so the fretboard isn't seen from the side and appears to be bounded. ? Ok. Raise the price.

I remember seeing those some time ago. I don't really have much of an opinion one way or the other.
 
But I do love me some LSR roller nuts, shims and all. 

Mystic38
with two different woods aligned like that, given the massive swings in both temperature and humidity that i see in the NE, this inlaid fretboard just seems to be a dumb idea... 

I've wondered about that too since it's a new idea/design.
 

drewfx1
I remember seeing those some time ago. I don't really have much of an opinion one way or the other.
 
But I do love me some LSR roller nuts, shims and all. 

I've never owned a Strat with a roller nut. I wouldn't have a problem building one that had it. I do have a deluxe Strat with a metal nut that is something like a zero fret (metal rod) and it's a nice guitar.
I've also had to tilt a neck on a Strat so the fretboard would clear the (custom) pickguard and I didn't notice a change in the tone. Seems a lot of things like that are no more than what's comfortable or agreeable to the person playing it.
 
The main thought I had with the inlaid fretboard is that it's just something that would be hard (for me) to do right without a CNC machine. Not so much any advantages or disadvantages. Just doing it and how it looks.
 
 

Leadfoot
I've got a roller nut on one of my guitars and don't like it. It causes a nasty string resonance between the nut and the tuners that comes through in my recordings. I ended up putting some foam under the strings to stop it. I want to put a regular nut on it, but the foam has taken care of it for now.

It sounds like something is very wrong there. Is it a Fender-style or a tilt back headstock? Fender/LSR roller nut or something else?
 
The only actual problems I'm aware of with the LSR's is like anything they need to be installed properly (including using the right shims), they may not work with tilt back headstocks, they require a 1 11/16" nut width, they aren't available left handed, they have some limits on string gauges, and they require a different shelf for mounting than a normal nut slot (so they aren't an easily reversible mod).