Pau Ferro necks: tonally similar to maple?

[Damon]

I'm in the design phase of a strat project with the goal being a slightly hot, SRV-ish sounding axe (not that I can even begin to sound like Stevie, but I want to get close). I fundamentally have no issue with a maple neck, but ever since I bought a Warwick bass several years ago I've been in love with raw wood necks. So I'm considering a pau ferro neck (probably with some kind of rosewood fingerboard) since it's in the same tonal range as maple according to Warmoth's wood guide but has a similar feel to the bubinga neck on my old Warwick. Plus, I like the look and think it will complement the tiger's eye finished body I'm planning on nicely.

I've handled a guitar with a pf fingerboard, so I'm pretty sure I'll like the feel, but I have no first hand experience with how it'll sound. Any opinions on the tonal similarity between maple and pf necks?

 

[Cagey]

I have a pau ferro neck here, but it's only ever been on one guitar. The only way to know for certain if there's a difference would be to put identically configured examples of both necks on the same body with the same pickups and hardware. But, they should sound very similar. Even if they don't sound identical, I suspect it would be so close that it wouldn't be worth talking about.

 

[Damon]

Sounds like it'd probably be more than close enough for my ears, so I'll forge ahead with the pau ferro neck plan. Thanks.

 

[Cagey]

I'm sure you'll be glad you did. Of all the necks I've ever had, the Warmoth pro standard thin pau ferro one feels the best. It's got an ebony 'board on it, with stainless 6100 frets. It's just sex. Fast moving around on and glassy smooth to play. I'll probably do the same thing on the next build.

 

[Damon]

I'll probably do the same thing on the next build.

That's the best endorsement for it. Thanks again.

 

[-CB-]

Next, after the pickups, the neck is the number one tone producing element of the solid body guitar.

Pau Ferro is a hard and dense wood.  It will likely be very close to maple in tone.

Whats Warmoth say on their web?

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I started out with a MM maple neck on this build:

And ended up with a Warmoth Pau Ferro/ Ebony neck on it:

I'll say the difference in tone is subtle with the Pau-neck having a tad more midt-tone and improved sustain. But then again ... two necks of the same wood can sound different to each other. But overall I'll say its pretty close.

But playing a raw neck just takes the experience way higher ...  :icon_thumright:

 

[B3Guy]

played a bass the other day with a pau ferro neck (a Warwick, I think?), it was MONEY!!!! man, that stuff has sustain like none other, and I could tell it was well on its way to being polished to a glassy smooth surface by player wear. Would this description match with others' experiences?

 

[jackthehack]

I have 2 very similar Strat builds with the same pickups, one with a maple/rosewood neck and one with a pau ferro/ebony neck. The pau ferro/ebony neck is just a hair brighter than the maple/rosewood one.

 

[Disco Scottie]

The Fender SRV Strat has a Pau Ferro fretboard. Might as well go all-Pau. That would be very cool. Someday I want to build my version of Suhr's Reb Beach model... body is Koa and neck/board is all Pau:

 

[AEROCASTER]

Next, after the pickups, the neck is the number one tone producing element of the solid body guitar.

Pau Ferro is a hard and dense wood.  It will likely be very close to maple in tone.

Whats Warmoth say on their web?

I think you're dead on with that comment.  According to Warmoth's site, Pau Ferro is nearly identical in hardness to maple.  I used it on this build for that reason, and love it.  http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13829.0

AEROCASTER

 

[Schlieren]

In my limited experience, between most of these woods the timbral differences are so subtle that looks and playability trump them almost always.  The differences are noticeable, make no mistake, but they wouldn't ever be too much this way nor not enough that way such that how it might feel in your hands or how it looks on a guitar stand could not more than make up for it.

Honestly, from what I've heard of necks and how they affect sound, I say go with what looks and feels good, and you'll grow to love the other part almost always.

It took me a long time to arrive at that conclusion, but once I did it made a lot of these sorts of decisions a whole lot easier.

 

[B3Guy]

I would agree, but to a certain point. mahogany is going to sound quite noticeably different than either maple or Pau for example. not a bad thing, but it is different.

 

[stefan]

Those of you with Pau Ferro necks, is the weight at all an issue?

Nearly decided what to get for my chambered Black Korina body (which feels really light) 'till I read that Pau Ferro can be quite heavy!

 

[Cagey]

I have an ebony over pau ferro Warmoth Pro neck on a very light (3.5lb) ash Strat body, and I don't have any "issues" with it. I mean, there's no neck dive or anything. It is a noticeably heavier neck, though. I was surprised when I took it out of the box because I wasn't expecting the weight. But, "Pro" necks weigh a bit more anyway because of the dual truss rod and ebony's no lightweight wood, so that would account for some of it.