I've been a maple/maple, maple/rosewood neck guy my entire life but I'm in the middle of a new build and am becoming more open to trying a raw neck with a compoung radius. The new build will be a alder hardtail strat. I don't have unlimited funds so I'm going to have to live with whatever I buy for the foreseeable future.I really like the looks of the Canary necks in the showcase. Convince me, push me over the fence!!
Tell me why I need a raw neck
- Thread starter jwl68th
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B3Guy
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I took the plunge on my first guitar, and I'm never, EVER going back. Sure, I'd like to try lots of different types of raw wood, but finishes, nitro or gloss, have completely lost their hold on me. Pau-Ferro is king, IMO. I have a pau neck, and it basically sounds like maple, as far as I can tell . . . but its angel skin smooth, man. Canary is a lighter complexioned wood, and also fairly closed grain, but a bit different . . .
Just try it you'll love it.
Just try it you'll love it.
Patrick from Davis
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There are lots of reasons, but mainly it is the feel of the neck. The non finished ones just have a great feel, that you don't get caught up on. You like Mahogany, there is Gancalo Alves. A little brighter? Wenge. Still more brightness, Bubinga, Canary, Pau Ferro, Bloodwood, Ebony... I have missed quite a few in there as well. There is a look/sound/texture to fit you in an unfinished neck. But mainly it is the Feel. I am a Wenge guy myself...
The easiest way to try some of the woods out is to find a shop that carries high end basses. The Bass Guitar world adopted the exotic neck woods a while ago, so you can take them for a test spin there. Then you can form more of an opinion. I would suggest this if you are in the, "once I buy it, there is no going back," situation. But yeah, it was a life changer for me. I got a Bass with a wenge neck in the 90's, and was forever spoiled.
Patrick
The easiest way to try some of the woods out is to find a shop that carries high end basses. The Bass Guitar world adopted the exotic neck woods a while ago, so you can take them for a test spin there. Then you can form more of an opinion. I would suggest this if you are in the, "once I buy it, there is no going back," situation. But yeah, it was a life changer for me. I got a Bass with a wenge neck in the 90's, and was forever spoiled.
Patrick
Ever since I owned one of the old rosewood teles I've been a sucker for exotic wood necks. I've had a few since then and right now two of my guitars have raw necks. One is Brazilian rosewood (quarter-sawn, one-piece) and the other is padouk. I have a couple of other guitars with finished necks that still feel fast, but there's something about the raw wood necks that feel better somehow. I don't think I can even explain it quantitatively. I just like how they feel.
AprioriMark
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Canary is probably the best possible choice for your first exotic neck. It's tight grained and sounds a lot like maple. I always suggest Bloodwood, because it's amazing, and pau ferro is also super nice. Purpleheart rocks, but is hard to match visually.
-Mark
-Mark
This is a question that I've wondered about as well. I'm in the same situation and from the comments on this board, I've become convinced that I want a raw neck on my next build even though I've never played one.
With my first build, I got my first neck with SS frets. I was a little worried when I ordered it, but a friend assured me I would really like them. Then I saw all the comments on the board regarding SS frets. So, not only will I always get SS frets on any build, I've also learned to trust the consenus of this board.
Ahh yes. The "feel" or the "sound". Isn't it funny how this could describe a lot of why any of us prefer some particular aspect of a guitar even when we can't pin down anything definitive.
With my first build, I got my first neck with SS frets. I was a little worried when I ordered it, but a friend assured me I would really like them. Then I saw all the comments on the board regarding SS frets. So, not only will I always get SS frets on any build, I've also learned to trust the consenus of this board.
MSP said:
Ahh yes. The "feel" or the "sound". Isn't it funny how this could describe a lot of why any of us prefer some particular aspect of a guitar even when we can't pin down anything definitive.
I was a maple guy and after making the leap I won't go back unless it's one hell of a maple neck. My wenge necks are SO comfortable. We have a Bubinga neck in that we've yet to bolt on, but I can tell that it will also have a wonderful feel to it.
What I like primarily is that during my gigging if my hands get clammy/sweaty they don't slow down on the finish.
What I like primarily is that during my gigging if my hands get clammy/sweaty they don't slow down on the finish.
animal control
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I have become one of the converted... pau ferro with ebony board, SS frets. Never going back to finished necks.
Tipperman
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I had a green Les Paul from Warmoth. The neck was the Warmoth headstock, wenge neck in Standard Thin with an ebony fretboard. It played and felt great.
I went back to Maple/Rosewood. Still planning to do a build with raw woods and stuff, but Maple/Rosewood from Warmoth is a great decision to make. They do a nice Slab Board for you, very sexy stuff.
I went back to Maple/Rosewood. Still planning to do a build with raw woods and stuff, but Maple/Rosewood from Warmoth is a great decision to make. They do a nice Slab Board for you, very sexy stuff.
I like canary better than rosewood, personally. Wenge was the best though, for some reason. And I like exotic more than maple. But I don't think that neck wood is a reason to pick up one axe over another - the setup and sound are far more important. I think the difference between a good satin finish and a sticky, glossy finish is larger than the difference between satin and exotic.
Ace Flibble
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I've wanted a 1-piece all-rosewood neck for a while (Warmoth shan't be getting my money though, as I want 24.75" scale and I don't want ''pro'' construction for it; Warmoth, sort that out, give us 24.75" scale with vintage modern construction already!), and I've got a raw purpleheart neck that is very nice, but I do agree that a properly applied oil or satin finish is just as good. Well, Warmoth's satin finish is disappointing since it buffs glossy within a week of use, but things like the Charvel Pro Mod oil finishes or even the Epiphone satin finish that they're using now, are just as ''fast'' as a raw neck.
I would like to add, the most comfortable, fastest and most resonant neck I've ever had was on a Gibson VOS R9 with a gloss nitro finish over mahogany with a standard trussrod and a somewhat thin rosewood fretboard. The regular finish and construction techniques do work wonderfully if they're done properly. That's the key.
As such, I wouldn't say anyone ''needs'' a raw neck. It's nice and you know it's going to come out feeling good without worrying about having the finish done to an almost ridiculous (and expensive) standard, but that's it. It's convenient, the most straight-forward way to get a slick neck. Other ways do work just as well though.
I would like to add, the most comfortable, fastest and most resonant neck I've ever had was on a Gibson VOS R9 with a gloss nitro finish over mahogany with a standard trussrod and a somewhat thin rosewood fretboard. The regular finish and construction techniques do work wonderfully if they're done properly. That's the key.
As such, I wouldn't say anyone ''needs'' a raw neck. It's nice and you know it's going to come out feeling good without worrying about having the finish done to an almost ridiculous (and expensive) standard, but that's it. It's convenient, the most straight-forward way to get a slick neck. Other ways do work just as well though.
S
swarfrat
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If they were substantially more, I'd be conflicted. But the exotic wood premium (except for the most exotics) is considerably less than the cost of finishing. So....
1) you get a spiffy wood choice you've always wanted to try
2) you can play raw
3) it's more cost effective
The only downside is the finish keeps the neck clean if you're using it to kill zombies.
1) you get a spiffy wood choice you've always wanted to try
2) you can play raw
3) it's more cost effective
The only downside is the finish keeps the neck clean if you're using it to kill zombies.
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