neck questions, need to dispel rumours

guidothepimmp

Hi folks, I'm in the final planning stages of a custom build and need some questions cleared up re wood and necks..

I am planning on a 1 or 2 piece birds eye maple neck for said custom but have read in a few places including some reputable custom shops that figured maple necks (birds eye included) are prone to bending heavily every season change. I have never heard or experienced this.

Many of these opinions advise against the use of figured maple. Obviously there needs to be wood movement seasonally, I setup my own guits and find I sometimes need to tweak the truss rod, but warping necks?

My concern is dropping large coin on a custom only for the neck to go all gammy..

Am I right In thinking that if the wood is properly dried, settled etc prior to actually making the neck, that aside from the normal adjustment/ settling period post stringing, that a neck shouldn't just bend or warp?

Apparently I should just stick with quarter sawn rock maple? Birdseye is just so much prettier..

Also, Alan, read your article on woods, any experience with a neck made of koa?

Thabks folks
Gtp

[deleted]

I have a strat with one of the most amazing birdseye maple necks...
Its is so beautiful.
Alan can testify to the quality of this one..

It isn't as rigid 'apparently', but what Tommy @ USA custom suggested to me at the time, that we put two graphite stabilising bars in the neck.
Which I did...
And its an absolutely amazing neck still to this day...
Fits me like a glove and I cant find a more comfortable strat...
(closest feel to an E Clapton signature Strat) I like...

**insert graphite rods in here**

Hope my experience helps a bit

MikeM

No need for quartersawn maple. How thick/thin will your neck be?

AlanRatcliffe

I've played a few acoustics with koa necks - nothing to get excited about aside from the looks of figured pieces. It's so ridiculously overpriced these days too...

Opinions are divided on the figured woods being less stable thing. Personally, I've never bought into it - my Strat has a heavily figured neck too. Nothing to worry about as long as the wood is properly cured and anyway... mahogany is far softer than rock maple and has been used successfully for over a hundred years.

I've always thought the rumours were caused by the Asian manufacturers using figured sugar maple (where flame figuring is much more common) instead of rock maple (where birdseye is more common) for necks when they first jumped on the figured wood bandwagon.

As Brent mentioned, if you are really concerned about it, add in a couple of carbon rods and have done with it.

guidothepimmp

Hmm, interesting with the rods.. Certainly hadn't thought of that. Yeh I'm going with fairly standard dimensions, nothing overly thin or thick, focusing more on shape but I like the carbon rod idea as a fail safe..

I had a brief flurry with the idea of koa but my heart is set on some epic birdseye maple, beig of the harder variety it should be ok..
Once played a prs with an 1 piece ebony neck which was epic.. But alas.. Maple is choice for this build..

Thanks for the input..

Brent, how bout a detailed pic of said neck? ?