Neck for a Fender Tele Deluxe body

[jangoux]

Hello everyone,

I am new here but have been flirting for the last few years of doing a Warmoth build. A couple months ago, I found a great deal for Fender Tele Deluxe RI body, and now I need a neck for it. Let me tell you a little bit of my guitar-liking background before anything: so far, most of my guitars have the mahogany/rosewood combo. Currently, I have a Gibson SG Standard and a Cort M600. My wife has a Ibanez Telecaster from the 70s, with a mahogany body and birdseye maple neck. It plays wonderfully, fast, and doesnt have the stickyness that I feel on the mahogany/rosewood necks. So I bought this Tele Deluxe so I can have my own guitar on a similar direction (or different direction from what I already have).

For the last couple months, since I bought the body, I've been looking at an all birdseye maple neck to join the alder body, but lately I've been bored with this selection. I've played twice live with my wife's Tele and a friend's Fender Tele Deluxe, and I found both to be somewhat scooped exactly where my other guitars aren't, and I really want something not so far from my other guitars. I've been thinking of a Maple/Ebody neck, but from what I've read, it is as bright as maple, so it wouldn't make much of a tone difference.

What would you suggest that doesnt feel as sticky as Mahogany/rosewood, and can give me a little bit more mid range/crunch than the regular fully maple neck? Btw, the guitar is Walnut-colored and I want it far from the regular rosewood neck-looks.

CHeers,
Ivan

 

[reinhold]

Have you given any thought to exotic necks?  Canary sounds pretty similar to maple and looks better IMO and doesn't require a finish, plus it's used for both shafts and fingerboards.

 

[jangoux]

No problem with exotic necks but the only options for necks on the custom neck builder atm are maple, rosewood and mahogany (this Tele Deluxe body accepts only necks with Strat heels, so I am looking at the strat neck options). How does it sound?

 

[jackthehack]

Canary doesn't sound substantially different from maple.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

No problem with exotic necks but the only options for necks on the custom neck builder atm are maple, rosewood and mahogany (this Tele Deluxe body accepts only necks with Strat heels, so I am looking at the strat neck options). How does it sound?

Which strat-neck-type do you choose in the builder? If you choose a Pro you should get every exotic choice in the shop.

 

[dNA]

No problem with exotic necks but the only options for necks on the custom neck builder atm are maple, rosewood and mahogany (this Tele Deluxe body accepts only necks with Strat heels, so I am looking at the strat neck options). How does it sound?

Which strat-neck-type do you choose in the builder? If you choose a Pro you should get every exotic choice in the shop.

sounds like you're choosing the Total Vintage or Vintage Modern option, in which case the traditional woods are the only ones that pop up as options. If you're looking for a total vintage neck design, I'm pretty sure W could do that in an exotic wood if you requested it. and they have Vintage Modern exotic necks in hte showcase all the time. not really sure why they don't just put those options in builder

from what you've described, it sounds like an exotic neck might be up your alley. No gloss finish necessary, and you have plenty of warmer sounding tonal options. people here consistently rave about wenge and goncalo alves.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

While the Tele Deluxe does have a Strat neck heel, once you get a Strat neck, you can have them cut it to the Tele headstock shape if you were so inclined.  Mahogany does not have a sticky feel, rather the finish applied to mahogany does.  If you were set on a mahogany neck, get a different finish than the others.

 

[jangoux]

Yeah, choosing the vintage neck because the Tele body has that 3 bolt system, and Warmoth won't do the Warmoth Pro necks with the 3 bolt system. I am starting to just mod the body into a regular 4 bolt, because its a PITA to find a neck for it.

 

[jangoux]

How would a Wenge/Ebony neck work with this? My only 'concern' is the headstock color lol

 

[Cagey]

You want a Goncalo Alves neck with an Ebony fretboard. It'll sound sorta like a bright mahogany, and won't need a finish. And spring for the stainless steel frets. You won't be sorry.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Wenge/ebony would sound great.  Goncalo can be muddy in the wrong setups (darker humbuckers)  Wenge is a very slick and fun to play exotic.  It has mid presence, bass guitars use it for this to cut into the mix.  It is not bright, nor dark sounding, but because words fail, it has a lot of presence.  For what you are asking, it is a nice fit.  I have one on my Warmoth Les Paul, and it is a brighter guitar than a regular Les Paul, but not like maple.  Very fun sound.
Patrick