Jazzmaster neck suggestions!

[DingDong]

OKAYokayokay.  I'm building my first jazzmaster.  I've got a light swamp ash body, avri trem, mastery bridge, antiquity 2 neck & bridge (i may do a tele bridge pu), vintage mustang pu in the middle (i could be persuaded to change pus if you have any good suggestions_).  I'm probably going to do flat wound 11-12's.  I'm looking for full articulation across the board with distinct percussion and sustain, but hopefully a bit airiness because of the swamp ash.  I want jazzy lows on the neck, and  smooth jangle mids with hammer and bell highs.  I don't want ice picks!.  Think 72' fender rhodes bells.  Also i live in the pacific northwest where it is MOIST most of the time, but dry in the summer.  I prefer standard thin shape.  

I'm not opposed to exotic woods.  My first intuition is q-sawn maple neck w/ bubinga fretboard.  Bubinga is my favorite looking board.  I'm thinking I may be way off from what i'm looking for tone-wise, but i really don't know.  I don't want to stray too far from the classic jazzmaster vibe, but I want it to be *my* version.  Something like a mad luthier scientist would dream up.  The body is painted a yellowed olympic white, and i'm either going to do a gold anodized pickguard, white, or tortoise.

I've also never used stainless frets..  should i go for it?

I play out of a 65' danelectro dm25, or a 71 twin reverb.    

Suggestions please! :hello2:
       

 

[dNA]

Cagey is going to say something wonderful about stainless steel frets.

 

[dNA]

as for neck tonewoods, I would go for something that's not as hard as maple or bubinga. The nicest "bell" tones I've gotten have been out of mahogany guitars with heavy strings through a Fender amp. On the other hand, you're going for heavy guage flat-wounds so it probably won't hurt if you go for the brighter tonewood. But it wouldn't be my first inclination. Of course I've had limited experience with maple necks, but that experience has been that maple = thin. not full or bell-like.

 

[Kostas]

... The body is painted a yellowed olympic white, and i'm either going to do a gold anodized pickguard, white, or tortoise.

I've also never used stainless frets..  should i go for it?

My preference for white body + gold pickguard is an all maple neck (tinted or not tinted).
With tortoise pickguard I'd go with a maple/pau ferro neck.
For stability I would prefer two piece maple neck but Warmoth does not do that. On the other hand if you are going with a PRO neck stability will be fine, I always go for vintage type truss rods.
Definitely SS frets.

If you can try a PRS with a wide fat neck profile and you like it you are safe to order a '59 neck profile, they are close. '59 is not fat, you 'll get used to it really quick and the extra thickness helps stability & tone.

 

[Cagey]

If you're going to use flatwounds, you're going to need all the help you can get to achieve any articulation at all. Flatwounds are fine on a bass, but on a guitar they sound dead. I don't know why they even make 'em. In any event, you may want to consider a Pau Ferro neck vs. the Maple. The feel is just so much better, and while it's more expensive, by the time you put the required finish on Maple you've more than paid the difference. Pau Ferro doesn't need a finish. Actually, I think there's a law against it. Or, there should be if there isn't <grin>

Bubinga is an attractive wood, but it has a slightly more open grain than I like on a fretboard. Rickenbacker used it for many years on a number of their models, but they generally finished it so the grain wasn't an issue. On the other hand, the fretboard is a wear point so finishes don't last. I prefer denser, unfinished woods such Ebony or again, Pau Ferro. But, that's just me. You should know, though, that while not always true, Pau Ferro and Bubinga can look very similar. If you like one, chances are you'll like the other. I have necks made of both here, and I have to look close to remember which is which sometimes.

Pau Ferro over Pau Ferro​

Ebony over Pau Ferro​

As for stainless frets, you're nuts if you don't use 'em. They don't affect the tone, but it'll feel like you're playing on glass. Super smooth. Plus, they're attractive right out of the box and stay that way damn near forever. It's tough to wear out SS frets.

 

[Updown]

Stainless Steel Frets  :icon_thumright:
Pau-Ferro Neck wood / Ebony Fretboard  :icon_thumright:

If I could put a Pau-Ferro Neck on all my guitars ...... I would  :toothy10:

 

[DingDong]

so...  now i'm thinking pau ferro/ebony w/ nickle ss6150, 59 roundback. wound 11's or 10's.. I will decide pickguard after i get the neck.  I'm not picking my neck by what pickguard i use.  I can probably just use my dbl 10" cab to get some more low end if i want it.  I may not even want it after hearing it with 12" speakers. 

& it's about the same price as my old build!

 

[AutoBat]

you can't have nickel ss6150s.  the ss stands for stainless steel. (you want stainless steel)
ebony fretboards are a dream to use too. i like the 59 roundback profile, but profile preference vary greatly depending on playing style and hand/finger size.