Koa top - what neck / fretboard wood to pair with it

[ascheetz]

https://imgur.com/a/mBxHJL4

I have a koa top w/ mahogany thinline tele body and am debating what to do for the neck / fretboard wood(s). Any thoughts? Would love to do something interesting but also don’t want to compete with the koa top. Debating whether to go lighter (like maple) or darker (roasted maple, rosewood or ebony fretboard) or whether something that’s a similar color would work.

 

[teleme01]

Rosewood or wenge... my vote
I don't know what fretboard, maybe macassar ebony or kingwood

 

[ctownsend]

Below is Koa with a Pau Ferro (unique choice) fretboard and roasted maple neck:

 

[TBurst Std]

go solid rosewood or pao ferro

 

[Strat Avenger]

Roasted maple neck with pau ferro fretboard.

 

[stratamania]

Pau ferro neck, black ebony fretboard.

 

[PFDarkside]

I’d do mahogany with ebony board and koa headstock veneer. Match the back finish for the neck (clear, vintage tint, etc) and match the headstock finish to the top (I assume clear).

 

[rockandroller]

Roasted flame maple neck with figured Ziricote fretboard

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

I had a defretted Peavey Unity bass many years ago that was Koa body wings on a neck-thru Koa neck, but with
- Rosewood fingerboard
- Purple Heart stringers

The Rosewood was kinda meh, so I'd probably prefer an ebony fingerboard...but the Purple Heart looked so stunning I almost wished there was more of it...like, maybe a Purple Heart fingerboard? But then again, that might compete with the Koa body.

 

[Hodgo]

I think you lean in hard on the flame already present go with extremely high grade, roasted flame maple. Like this neck: https://warmoth.com/vmt-15505-teler-replacement-neck

@aarontunes might accuse you of being “Rococo” for double flame, but I say go hard.

 

[Don O]

The Rosewood was kinda meh, so I'd probably prefer an ebony fingerboard...but the Purple Heart looked so stunning I almost wished there was more of it...like, maybe a Purple Heart fingerboard? But then again, that might compete with the Koa body.

I’m a Purple Heart fan. Just finished my 4th ph fretboard build, the one on the right. Not the best lighting though for the pic.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Canary Fretboard over Mahogany Shaft?

 

[ctownsend]

Along these lines, if the original poster (or others) are looking for a one-of-a-kind Warmoth unique choice Pau Ferro fretboard/Roasted Flame Maple neck with locking Sperzels and/or a killer Warmoth unique choice Koa/Roasted Swamp Ash Thinline with Lollars and Glendale parts, message me before I post these to https://unofficialwarmoth.com/forums/gear-for-sale-or-trade.25/ and I can provide details and pix and we can come up with a fair price. Only sellin' 'em because I swapped 'em out with another Warmoth axe (the third pic is BEFORE the swap) and need to thin my Tele herd. The headstock was professionally bound by my luthier and is worth the price of admission alone!