Black Korina

[Marco78]

Is black Korina for the neck a special order??

 

[Cagey]

It would seem so, as it's not offered as a choice for any neck style. But, they do make them. There are about 20 of them in the Showcase now. Leads me to believe that if you called them, you could get it done.

 

[line6man]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

 

[Marco78]

It would seem so, as it's not offered as a choice for any neck style. But, they do make them. There are about 20 of them in the Showcase now. Leads me to believe that if you called them, you could get it done.

Thanks Cagey! But is "custom order" very expensive?

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Good question. I like a lot gloss finishes, also as feeling. I have never owned a non finished neck, so I'm a little reluctant to buy a neck without finish, because could be not like. Also I like classic/vintage sound, so Korina should be similar to mahogany with more mids. I have fear that exotical wood give me a "strange" sound to the guitar...

 

[Cagey]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

I suspect there's a large population of people who don't know any better. How many places can you buy raw necks as an end-use product? There isn't a lot of experience with them out there. As you pointed out, most OEMs use either Maple or Mahogany, both of which require finishes. I know I never considered such a thing until I started hanging around Warmoth's site, and even then the first two necks I bought needed finishes, even though one was exotic (Koa).

But, after reading over and over again what a wonderful thing a raw neck was, I took a chance and ordered an Ebony over Pau Ferro part. What an enlightenment that was! Since then, everything has been raw and I've never been sorry.

 

[Cagey]

...is "custom order" very expensive? 

Generally speaking, custom order parts are about 10%-20% more than Showcase parts, but I don't know if that translates to requests for things that aren't normally offered in the Builder.

I understand why you don't want to make the phone call; we've discussed this before. But, your written English is plenty good enough to get your message across so you could send them an email. They're the authority on questions like this.

 

[Marco78]

I understand why you don't want to make the phone call; we've discussed this before. But, your written English is plenty good enough to get your message across so you could send them an email. They're the authority on questions like this.

Thanks my friend, I'll send an email to Warmoth!

 

[Kostas]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Because people like finished necks.

 

[line6man]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Because people like finished necks.

Only until they try raw or lightly oiled necks. How many raw neck players here prefer their finished necks to their raw necks? There is usually no going back, once you've played a good neck. Some people even risk their warranties to have a raw Maple neck, and lightly oiled Maple is popular with instrument manufacturers.

 

[Cagey]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Because people like finished necks.

I know I like finished necks. But, I like raw necks better. Everybody who's played my guitars feels the same way. They're always surprised, especially on the ones I've burnished. This weekend, I had my VIP with the Ebony over Bloodwood neck over one of my brother's house who I don't see very often, and he couldn't believe it wasn't finished. Kept looking at it and looking at it, finally got out his glasses and looked at it some more, and was still questioning his senses. "No oil?" Nope. "No magic dust?" nope. "No silicone?" Nope. Nothing. Just raw wood, with some attention. "Unbelievable". Well, there it is.

Doesn't hurt that everything has stainless frets, which is a revelation in comfort all by itself, or that they've gotten my special attention to those frets.

 

[Kostas]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Because people like finished necks.

Only until they try raw or lightly oiled necks. How many raw neck players here prefer their finished necks to their raw necks? There is usually no going back, once you've played a good neck. Some people even risk their warranties to have a raw Maple neck, and lightly oiled Maple is popular with instrument manufacturers.

What you are referring to is a small percentage of people. The big majority of guitarists play with a finished neck. This is a fact.

Repeating your opinion in every thread does not help. I have three raw necks and a maple, I like em all but I prefer the feel of satin finish. Should I repeat it in every thread? I let people make their own choices, especially when they don't ask for my opinion. The OP started the thread for Korina availability, not for comparison of finished and unfinished necks.

 

[Cagey]

Love is blind.

 

[bagman67]

Love is blind.

Or rather, Love is purely visual sometimes.  And sometimes it's far less clearly defined.  Many folks like the look of certain wood species that require a finish.  Flame maple, black korina, walnut, koa  - all can be lovely and all require a finish.  Obviously if the only consideration in selecting a guitar part were the stability of the part in the absence of a finish, there would be no reason to offer maple, mahogany, etc.  at all - everyone's mind would already have been made up.  But this is a deeply personal hobby for most of us.  Our decisions are not tied merely to some objective concept of "utility" - they are tied up in visual aesthetics, hope, nostalgia, curiosity, hero worship, and on and on.  Belaboring the "superiority" of a raw neck and questioning the values of folks who don't prefer one is as pointless as the juvenile arguments about whether Hendrix was a better guitar player than [fill in the blank.]  I can go read Youtube comments if I want that kind of tomfoolery.

 

[line6man]

I really don't see the appeal in exotic necks that need finishes. If you're not after the tradition of Maple or Mahogany, why choose anything that needs a finish?

Because people like finished necks.

Only until they try raw or lightly oiled necks. How many raw neck players here prefer their finished necks to their raw necks? There is usually no going back, once you've played a good neck. Some people even risk their warranties to have a raw Maple neck, and lightly oiled Maple is popular with instrument manufacturers.

What you are referring to is a small percentage of people. The big majority of guitarists play with a finished neck. This is a fact.

Repeating your opinion in every thread does not help. I have three raw necks and a maple, I like em all but I prefer the feel of satin finish. Should I repeat it in every thread? I let people make their own choices, especially when they don't ask for my opinion. The OP started the thread for Korina availability, not for comparison of finished and unfinished necks.

The majority of players have finished necks because the woods they use are questionably unstable without them; tradition dictates mass production techniques; and the industry and many players are slow to accept new or unorthodox things.

This is a discussion forum where people discuss opinions. You're welcome to argue differing viewpoints, but there is no need to complain that I've shared my thoughts here.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I've been on many forums and they all have their own groupthink going on. It's a perfectly natural psychological phenomenon. On the Seymour Duncan forum it's all about magnet swapping. If you ask for a pickup recommendation you are pretty much guaranteed to get a recommendation for a pickup with a non-stock magnet in it. A games forum I sometimes go to holds that Ico and Rez are the best games ever made. Some forums say that Warmoth parts are all crap! On this forum it's raw necks, stainless frets and locking tuners. I can go to luthiers in London and be strongly warned off all three of those if I want. I agree with some of it, disagree with some of it.

When you join a forum, you have to remember what forums can do to you. Within a week of joining I very nearly found myself off down the road of an all-exotics telecaster with the above-mentioned holy trinity of options and boutique pickups, before I suddenly remembered that the only reason I looked up Warmoth in the first place was to build a bright yellow 80s Strat with a JB and a Floyd.

You don't need to get the approval of the other forum members for your decisions, or be able to justify those decisions in their terms, is what I'm saying, I suppose.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

On an unrelated note, my next neck, being ordered shortly, is ebony over raw pau ferro with stainless frets and locking tuners.  :doh: Er, carry on.

 

[AprioriMark]

I agree with JJ, and I *hate* group-think on forums.

Personally, I love raw exotics, satin finished maple and sometimes a gloss finish.  I do agree with Joey that raw exotics are awesome, and that everyone I've introduced them to has ended up with at least one.  When they're not exposed to group-think derp, however, they don't abandon their old friends (necks) or ever complain about them.  They often keep them cleaner and use steel wool after experiencing the difference, however.

I've been steadily repairing and modifying guitars for people as my primary means of income for about 9 months now (after fooling around with it for years), and one thing has proven itself over and over:  People prefer to remain ignorant about a lot of issues, almost to the point of it being mystical.  Hey, whatever makes them happy.  I stock bumblebee and orange drop caps even though I don't use them in my own guitars.    I also don't berate them about why I think it's silly.  I understand that this is a labor of love, this music thing, and I don't want to detract from that.  If they ask... well, then the gloves are probably off.

-Mark

 

[drewfx]

I'm one of those where I can adapt to whatever finish pretty easily and don't really even think about it when I pick up an instrument.

Having said that, I've been going all raw. But I think that's as much about getting a nice exotic wood neck without having to pay for a finish as anything else.

 

[swarfrat]

Yes! Let's banish group think! All together now chant:

Group Think is Evil!
Group Think is Evil!
Group Think is Evil!

Uhh a wait what are we doing here again?

 

[line6man]

I'm generally the one to go against the groupthink on this forum. I like my floating trems, solo bass, heavier instruments, etc.