Cagey said:
I like the neck you've chosen, but I think if it were me I'd go even simpler. You're paying a premium for curly Maple that for the most part isn't even seen. I'd drop back to a Rosewood fretboard over roasted Maple, which would do three things for you:
1. Lower the price of the raw material
2. Match the body better, color-wise
3. Not require a finish, which feels/plays better while saving another $90
Probably save $200 and end up with a better neck. Besides, you don't want a neck so fancy that it draws the eye away from from the body when the body is fancy. Whole thing ends up looking too busy.
And no, you can't get spalted Maple veneer. The stuff is too frangible to cut that thin.
Also, get stainless frets. I don't care what you've read/heard, they're the ultimate.
Appreciate all the inputs, I did pull the trigger on this neck.
My reasons and comments....
The roasted body, I don't think, would take a waterslide Fender headstock decal nicely, so that's a factor. That's my reasoning for a lighter shaded neck. Frankly if Warmoth made a non-orange tinted vintage tint, I would lean to that. But alas, they don't. (For some odd reason)
The figuring/flaming you can see on the front is well separated from the body, so I don't think it really detracts from it. It also adds some flare to the plain mahogany back, and I'll have a great view of the neck flame from the playing position, because, hey, I'm important too. :laughing7:
This may be my only build, so I wanted to go with premium parts. But, I'll admit I'm tempted by the whole roasted thing for the reasons you mentioned, so if there is a #2 in my future, that's a strong contender.
This neck does have stainless steel frets, so it has that going for it, which is nice. (And MOP inlays)