Redwood neck through?

[Gingerpride223]

My dad has a bunch of high quality redwood in his garage and I was thinking of using it to make a neck through guitar, I have ipe from a past guitar build (oily and second only to ebony in hardness) for the fretboard, it will also be a dual hb guitar the problem is that I've heard redwood is so resonant that used as a neckwood it will actually kill sustain, is there anything I could do to reduce/ eliminate this, something I could use for the wings that would offset this?

 

[zebra]

I can't speak from experience, but from what I've heard, redwood can be extremely difficult to work with.  If your not already familiar working with it, you might want to consider the logistics of even working with it at all.  Having said that, I have seen pics of some very pretty redwood guitars. 

 

[bbl4ck]

[size=12pt]Here are a couple pics of a Redwood SG I had built.
Tonar did a nice oil finish for me that I love.
The neck is mahogany, not redwood.  But there is not problems with sustain on this girl...[/size]

:rock-on:

 

[Logrinn]

Ah, the famous Frank SG ... lovely!

 

[Gingerpride223]

Working with it wont be a problem I've made furniture out of redwood and I find it a joy to work with and I know it makes a good body wood but the problems I've heard about it are when you use it in the neck, I've been considering getting a piece of good spalted maple and using that as the neck
With redwood wings

 

[Cagey]

I wouldn't use spalted Maple for a neck. It's not structurally sound. Those interesting lines are fungal growth, which weakens the wood. Think of them like creases in paper, where the fibers get broken so it tears more easily. Redwood doesn't have weak points like that; it's just soft and weak overall. No good for necks, is what I'm saying. It's essentially a pine tree, just freakishly huge.

 

[stratamania]

Mahogany or similar for the neck, it is a nice blend as can be seen on the SG posted above.

Or using the same woods if doing a neck through, perhaps consider laminates. In other words if using Mahogany, saw the blank lengthwise twice, turn the centre piece the opposite way to the two outer pieces of the neck, and even put some contrasting thinner strips of wood in between. It will be strong and look good if you like that sort of thing.

 

[bbl4ck]

Or using the same woods if doing a neck through, perhaps consider laminates. In other words if using Mahogany, saw the blank lengthwise twice, turn the centre piece the opposite way to the two outer pieces of the neck, and even put some contrasting thinner strips of wood in between. It will be strong and look good if you like that sort of thing.

Exactly!!!
If you look at the back of the neck on the SG, you will see it is a laminate.  A strip of walnut down the center, followed by strips of maple beside that, followed by the mahogany neck.  That is the way Atilla, the luthier for Frank, does all his set-neck, neck through, or bolt on Gibson style necks.  Much stronger neck...
Good luck what ever you chose and be sure to post some pics!!!
:rock-on:

 

[Axkoa]

May the Tone Gods BLESS YOU for not putting Pickup rings on that...amazing guitar.