Neck wood - Guitar Building Tricks and Tips

RE: Neck wood

Tej — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 04:52:01 +0000

@nsj that’s good to know. I’m looking to make the next build a laminated neck with ash and mahogany now, also temping to throw something else into the mix. I’ve seen many examples of people using thin strips of something like purple heart which look really nice.

RE: Neck wood

NSJ — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:11:25 +0000

@tv101 well seeing as this thread has popped up again I'll just say here and now, none of my ash necks have suffered a single issue. All still perfect and straight as the day I made them. Some are 3 years old at least.

Only time I had a problem was with birdseye maple and yew, yew is terrible for necks lol.

RE: Neck wood

Tej — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:25:10 +0000

@tv101 hey, did you happen to go through with the ash neck in the end?

RE: Neck wood

Clinton — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 16:53:36 +0000

@tv101 carbon fiber is necessary for longer necks not so much guitars but primarily bass guitars especially if using certain types of tonewoods. If you are a bass guitar builder, it is almost always a consideration highly regarded. It is a preventative measure for the natural tendencies of wood such as padauk, bubinga, wenge among other things that are prime neck woods that bass players prefer as opposed to the standard maple that does not require it. All my bass builds are carbon fibered.

RE: Neck wood

tv1 — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 19:37:15 +0000

worst case I'll make a new neck, I like making them lol

It's a lot of time that would be wasted though. I'm not suggesting using CF rods in *every* neck, but if you're using a wood or a cut that wisdom says might be more prone to movement, why not do what you can to push the odds in your favour?

RE: Neck wood

NSJ — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 18:58:27 +0000

@koendb can't fight nature lol

RE: Neck wood

Koendb — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 16:01:56 +0000

do you believe carbon rods actually do anything?

Me too I am wondering this. My guess is that , if wood really wants to warp , it will warp around whatever is in the way.

I also wonder if you add carbon rods in a guitar with a trussrod, does the carbon not defeat the purpose of the trussrod? 🤔

I think I saw that question either here or on another forum, but I cant remember what the answer was.

RE: Neck wood

NSJ — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 14:46:47 +0000

@tv101 meh, worst case I'll make a new neck, I like making them lol

RE: Neck wood

tv1 — Sat, 16 Sep 2023 08:40:49 +0000

do you believe carbon rods actually do anything?

I can't see that they'd hurt - so for the sake of another couple of slots in the neck and a few£ of carbon fibre bar, I see no reason *not* to do it.

Of course, you'd have to use the correct, acoustically-tuned, musical carbon fibre rod, not just any old stuff.

;)

RE: Neck wood

NSJ — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 22:22:57 +0000

@tv101 do you believe carbon rods actually do anything? That somehow they'll stop a neck from twisting if it wants to? Personally I think it's a fad to sell us guitar people more stuff we do...