Roasted Maple Strat Necks in the Showcase

[aarontunes]

A limited run of four Roasted Maple Strat replacement necks -  in the showcase now.

These are currently unfinished and smell like maple syrup.

 

[line6man]

Is there a link? I can't find them.

 

[DavyDave53]

Do they require a finish for the warranty to be valid?

 

[Cagey]

I'm curious about the finish requirement as well. Also, how deep is the effect? I mean, is the wood medium rare, medium or well-done? Can the headstock be recut?

 

[bagman67]

I'm curious about the finish requirement as well. Also, how deep is the effect? I mean, is the wood medium rare, medium or well-done? Can the headstock be recut?

I think the roasting caramelizes the wood all the way through.  The machined and sanded wood is what you're looking at in the photos, and I would be deeply surprised if they put finished necks in the kiln for roasting.  So recutting the headstock - it seems to me, anyway - should be a no-prob kinda thing.

 

[aarontunes]

Is there a link? I can't find them.

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?i=vms8456&Body=1&Path=Neck#.U86IS7FUdCg
http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?i=vms8455&Body=1&Path=Neck#.U86IZLFUdCg
http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?i=vms8454&Body=1&Path=Neck#.U86IdrFUdCg
http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseNeck.aspx?i=vms8453&Body=1&Path=Neck#.U86IirFUdCg


Edit: oops....looks like one has already sold.

 

[aarontunes]

Do they require a finish for the warranty to be valid?

Yes, I believe so.

I will get a definitive answer today.

 

[ihavenothingprofoundtosay]

Details on the process, pretty please!  Is there a separate oven y'all have for that, or is it just a setting on the wood kiln?  Is there some sort of compound that they get coated in to roast evenly?  Is there some protection put on the non-maple parts of the neck?

 

[mayfly]

If these sell out, any thoughts on another run of, say, tele necks?  And if so, could I, as a warmoth 'master member' (or was that 'master bater? I can never remember.  but I digress...) order one with particular neck shape and other geometry?

Could be a great neck for that "Don Rich" tribute guitar I've been thinking of forever.

 

[stratamania]

Quite an interesting read here on heat treated wood.

http://westwoodcorporation.com/Worldwide/Finland.pdf

 

[Steiger]

Quite an interesting read here on heat treated wood.

http://westwoodcorporation.com/Worldwide/Finland.pdf

The biggest thing I took out of that was:

"The darkened colour created in the process is not durable in UV-light, unless the surface is
treated with UV-resistant coating. Normal painting processes present no problems, but when
electrostatic painting is used, heat-treated wood requires extra moisturising. "

I'm reading that as the darker colour will fade in time unless you put a uv resistant clear coat on it?

 

[stratamania]

Quite an interesting read here on heat treated wood.

http://westwoodcorporation.com/Worldwide/Finland.pdf

The biggest thing I took out of that was:

"The darkened colour created in the process is not durable in UV-light, unless the surface is
treated with UV-resistant coating. Normal painting processes present no problems, but when
electrostatic painting is used, heat-treated wood requires extra moisturising. "

I'm reading that as the darker colour will fade in time unless you put a uv resistant clear coat on it?

That's probably it. 

 

[Ace Flibble]

I've got a roasted flame maple neck from Musikraft and yes, it does lighten a little. It's not been much of a change though, kind of the inverse of how a regular maple neck darkens. It's been a subtle and slow change and it is still significantly darker than any normal maple neck. It's absolutely stable without a finish, too, weighs a lot less than any other neck I've had before (I don't know if this would be the same for Warmoth with their extra heavy truss rod) and, as far as I can tell with the bodies it has been on, sounds just a little mellower than an all-maple neck otherwise would. Very similar to something like maple with a veneer-thickness rosewood board.
It's currently residing on a friend's guitar as I really wanted a much warmer tone and I didn't think the roasting took enough of the maple brightness off, but it definitely feels and looks nicer than normal maple. Can't recommend the process enough.

edit: forgot to mention. The body the neck is now on? Roasted ash. Lightest full-size, solid guitar I've ever felt, bar a couple of big company custom shop creations. I've yet to hear it plugged in myself, though. Friend's said it's sounding like a Thinline, almost. So hey, Warmoth, get with the times and start roasting bodies, too!

 

[aarontunes]

Do they require a finish for the warranty to be valid?

Yes, I believe so.

I will get a definitive answer today.

Just got definitive word from Mr. Warmoth: Roasted Maple will NOT require a finish for a valid warranty.

 

[ragamuffin]

Do they require a finish for the warranty to be valid?

Yes, I believe so.

I will get a definitive answer today.

Just got definitive word from Mr. Warmoth: Roasted Maple will NOT require a finish for a valid warranty.

Oooooooooooh... That just took me from "curious" to "I want"!

 

[Cagey]

Needs a Warhead. And no fretboard inlays. Then I'm in.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

... caramelizes ...

 

[Surf n Music]

Needs a Warhead. And no fretboard inlays. Then I'm in.

I'll plus one on that. I see one of those in the showcase and I'm jumping on it!!

 

[DavyDave53]

double A, thanks for getting back with an answer.

 

[stubhead]

They have to roast the whole chunk, not single necks. And there is apparently a loss factor somewhat higher than the one inherent in just buying a log and saying, well there's 20 necks. Still I expect it to spread wider throughout the product line. When it reaches the point I can order up my preferred lefty 24-fret Warhead boatneck, I'm in.