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maple necks and the people who hate them

exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
edited January 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
ok. maybe it's just me that hates them. why does fender insist on finishing their damn necks *after* they've been fretted? am i just ignorant to the realities of finishing a maple neck?

my rickenbacker with it's damn gloss fretboard is the same way thought it's not had the chipping problems and i just got the frets edged.

what a mess. my tele neck was pretty much a horrible, unplayable mess after a few years. because the finish surrounds the frets you get chips everywhere around the frets. it feels horrible to play.
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Comments

  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Well, it's either that or keep a rosewood 'board well-oiled...

    At least with the maple, it's set-and-forget.

    But I hear ya on the laquer messin' with the frets and chipping... I've got half a mind to replace the neck on my Tele Deluxe to a pre-CBS Strat neck with a rosewood 'board. The only problem I have is that the guitar has a three-bolt pocket, so getting a Strat neck to work would mean getting an undrilled neck from Warmoth and drilling it myself, or having it drilled for me. Fudge it...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    get the warmoth and drill it yourself. it's the only way to get the neck you want. i haven't seen a rosewood 70s neck in ages if i have at all.

    i just went and put the strat neck back on my tele. the maple neck is a lost cause without a few hours of tech labour.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    exhausted wrote:
    get the warmoth and drill it yourself. it's the only way to get the neck you want. i haven't seen a rosewood 70s neck in ages if i have at all.

    i just went and put the strat neck back on my tele. the maple neck is a lost cause without a few hours of tech labour.

    There's a Suhr currently on Ebay, made out of mahogany and rosewood. it's very nice and warm I'm sure.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    Pacomc79 wrote:
    There's a Suhr currently on Ebay, made out of mahogany and rosewood. it's very nice and warm I'm sure.

    you've seen more high end guitars with maple necks than i have. do they all finish them that way, over the frets?
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    exhausted wrote:
    you've seen more high end guitars with maple necks than i have. do they all finish them that way, over the frets?

    many do, because the luthier and the finisher are two different companies, and it's pretty easy to damage the finish if you do it after.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    i think i'd like a raw maple neck more. maybe just oiled or something.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    exhausted wrote:
    i think i'd like a raw maple neck more. maybe just oiled or something.


    birdseye maple with a smooth satin finish is awesome, I just love the "old" yellow look and feel with the lacquer. The crap should be polished off the frets though.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    the problem with what fender does is the finish is so fucking thick that the wood has no chance to change without the finish cracking. there are places where it is literally pulling off the wood because it's stuck to the damn frets.
  • MissYouAllDayMissYouAllDay Posts: 939
    This problem sounds brutal. I haven't noticed it happening on my bros strat (mex). Why don't you just stick to rosewood? Do you find it is rougher moving your fingers over the board or something?
    I miss you already, I miss you always
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  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    MissYouAllDay wrote:
    This problem sounds brutal. I haven't noticed it happening on my bros strat (mex). Why don't you just stick to rosewood? Do you find it is rougher moving your fingers over the board or something?

    i prefer rosewood in feel anyway so it's not a big deal. i just realized last night as i was working on my tele what a mess the neck really was.

    it's just annoying. it probably didn't happen back in the days when fender used thin nitro.
  • Pacomc79Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    exhausted wrote:
    the problem with what fender does is the finish is so fucking thick that the wood has no chance to change without the finish cracking. there are places where it is literally pulling off the wood because it's stuck to the damn frets.


    yeah it's almost like they dip it.

    The custom shops, are not like that.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    exhausted wrote:
    get the warmoth and drill it yourself. it's the only way to get the neck you want. i haven't seen a rosewood 70s neck in ages if i have at all.


    I'd probably go the Warmoth route... I want pre-CBS, so Pre-70's headstock... but I definitely prefer the compound Warmoth profile/radius over the standard boatneck.

    My next toy will likely be one of these:

    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/515207/

    With the Aztek Gold finish and some form of Classic 57/Burstbucker/PAF pickup. I'd probably also swap in a second volume for the tone control (I like full-on tone anyways) and forgo the coil tap.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • exhaustedexhausted Posts: 6,638
    mccreadyisgod wrote:
    http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/515207/

    With the Aztek Gold finish and some form of Classic 57/Burstbucker/PAF pickup. I'd probably also swap in a second volume for the tone control (I like full-on tone anyways) and forgo the coil tap.

    that is a fucking brilliant guitar.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    exhausted wrote:
    that is a fucking brilliant guitar.


    Set neck, carved top, graphite nut, rosewood neck with abalone dots, cream body and neck binding (binding on a Fender! Yes!), and what looks like a new strap-lock design... I believe it's a 25-inch scale (I always prefered 24.75" over 25.5"). The DiMarzio's are probably really good by themselves, but I'm looking for that Tele/Les Paul middle ground, you know... With the slim mahogany body and all the features, this thing is actually an SG in hiding.

    Only thing I don't care for is the Tele headstock (always prefered the smaller Strat stock) with the matching body color.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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