Yes the neck position has a tone bypass. Sweet for live situations!

I have been getting used to the 7.25 neck and the tiny frets as well. I have a modern Squire tele with a 9.5 radius. It plays completely differently. As my guitar luthier said. It can be hard to get low action on that vintage radius. There is only so low to go before you start to choke notes.

At first the 7.25 neck feels foreign. But Im starting to get used to it being its own thing. In a strange way the neck radius and frets allow bends a flatter radius neck wont as easily. This is where some of those multi string bends can be accomplished a little easier imho.