Unfinished roasted maple neck longevity

[Shellcaster]

Maybe I missed this digging around the forums so apologies if I have but as I am about finished fixing up the last guitar I find myself wanting to do one singular build more and more and after seeing Tim Pierce with a similar guitar to what I'm planning I've already got the lists ready.I want to build an unfinished guitar and now roasted maple necks are more easily available I want to get one with my preferred ebony fretboard for a totally unfinished look.

My question is has anyone else got a roasted maple neck and left it unfinished and how did it hold up if so? I know it says technically it doesn't need a finish bbbbuuutttt all 3 of my last remaining brain cells cannot accept the idea of unfinished maple.

Not so worried about the body but for obvious reasons I figured I better ask if anyone has tried it out? As always thank you for stopping by, I await my own roasting in the responders below

 

[WrongPickguard]

If it's just the neck, then I can't imagine it "not holding up." An unfinished roasted maple fretboard gets filthy, though.

If we're talking about the back of the neck only, then unfinished is probably the smoothest and nicest "finish" for a roasted maple neck in my opinion. (I currently have a gloss, satin, and raw roasted maple neck from Warmoth.)

 

[Scab Pickens]

My question is has anyone else got a roasted maple neck and left it unfinished and how did it hold up if so?

"hold up" to what? I'm confused.

 

[Scab Pickens]

An unfinished roasted maple fretboard gets filthy, though.

Wash your hands, man!

There are, apparently, people who will pay extra for that. I have never, and will never, understand the whole relic guitar deal. I thought it was a joke when it first appeared. But, it seems to keep getting stronger. I just don't get it. Car manufacturers should start selling brand new cars with dents and rust for a slight upcharge. Uggh ...

I love my unfinished roasted maple necks and haven't ever given any thought to how they would "hold up". They seem to be doing fine so far.

 

[Shellcaster]

Wash your hands, man!

There are, apparently, people who will pay extra for that. I have never, and will never, understand the whole relic guitar deal. I thought it was a joke when it first appeared. But, it seems to keep getting stronger. I just don't get it. Car manufacturers should start selling brand new cars with dents and rust for a slight upcharge. Uggh ...

I love my unfinished roasted maple necks and haven't ever given any thought to how they would "hold up". They seem to be doing fine so far.

Ok, first things first, in my mother-tongue of "American basic redneck" the phrase "hold up" in this context refers to how an item or group of any items stand up to use and/or abuse over time. For example, my parents beat me and I've held up just fine. If I got beat a free more times I might if finished college.

Now that matter is settled, to make myself clear, I don't like the whole "relic" thing and think it's "silly" to put it nicely to go "breaking perfectly good guitars" as the song goes. Warmoth got my last order because I bought a 25 year old guitar and the neck wasn't "reliced" by age but by straight up abuse.

That said I have wanted to build an unfinished guitar for some time and let it naturally age with use, just like all my other guitars. None of which have ever worn through their finish. Even my brown guitar which is basically a mahogany butcher block with little horns and a neck bolted on hand finished with Minwax deck stain hasn't worn down to bare wood gm yet. There's a few places it feels worn and the satin finish on the maple part of the neck has yelled with age but not worn through.

I just want an unfinished guitar and an unfinished roasted maple neck with ebony fretboard to match . I was just curious as to how roasted maple compares to non roasted finished maple in terms of it's durability with regular use

I failed English 3 times in school so sometimes I know I have trouble communicating my question or statement but if you give me a few years to learn how to use AI I'm sure one of them thingies could do it for me. .

Thank you for your help as always

 

[stratamania]

Roasted maple necks that do not require a finish to meet warranty requirements "hold up" just fine.

Some leave them unfinished - a few use a little tru-oil which tends to bring out the beauty of the grain even more, but that is not required.

 

[Shellcaster]

Roasted maple necks that do not require a finish to meet warranty requirements "hold up" just fine.

Some leave them unfinished - a few use a little tru-oil which tends to bring out the beauty of the grain even more, but that is not required.

Thank you Sir! For a Vulcan your tolerance of my sarcasm is beyond reproach. Live long and prosper

 

[ruscio]

Roasted maple necks that do not require a finish to meet warranty requirements "hold up" just fine.

Some leave them unfinished - a few use a little tru-oil which tends to bring out the beauty of the grain even more, but that is not required.

Would a little tung oil have a similar effect to help make the grain pop?

 

[stratamania]

Would a little tung oil have a similar effect to help make the grain pop?

Probably. I say probably as not all things sold as tung oil are created equally.

 

[rockandroller]

I recently installed one that had been "holding up" in the original box for more than five years... still perfect in every way.
My recent 7/8 strat with roasted maple neck has had heavy heavy play for about two years and its still perfect and pristine...

 

[aarontunes]

... still perfect in every way

Completely off-topic, but I can no longer hear this phrase without thinking:

 

[Strat Avenger]

I highly recommend a Tru-Oil finish on roasted maple. Not only does it look nicer, but it keeps, dirt out of the grain.
If you lightly brush it with 0000 steel wool, it feels like bare wood.

 

[Shellcaster]

I highly recommend a Tru-Oil finish on roasted maple. Not only does it look nicer, but it keeps, dirt out of the grain.
If you lightly brush it with 0000 steel wool, it feels like bare wood.

Good to know thank you. My unfinished dinky may have to wait for a bit though. I'm not going to name names but the largest guitar store's website I think has pissed me off the last time refusing to process my PayPal. The exact reason I use my PayPal is because I don't trust their jankie website with any of my actual accounts, empty or otherwise. I may just be building a bass first

 

[Spud]

I highly recommend a Tru-Oil finish on roasted maple. Not only does it look nicer, but it keeps, dirt out of the grain.
If you lightly brush it with 0000 steel wool, it feels like bare wood.

I like a little dirt in the grain!

 

[Strat Avenger]

I like a little dirt in the grain!

But if you rub it on your face, it'll be a big disgrace.

 

[Shellcaster]

But if you rub it on your face, it'll be a big disgrace.

Only if you're waiving your banner and kicking your can all over the place!

 

[stratamania]

Unless you want to waive correct spelling and word usage it is waving your banner.

 

[Shellcaster]

Unless you want to waive correct spelling and word usage it is waving your banner.

I'm blushing, not from embarrassment but because you're not wrong

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

Serious Question: How long has "roasted maple" been a thing in guitar building?

...because to my mind, it's such a relatively recent thing that the only correct answer to OP's question is "We don't know ...yet!"

Are there roasted maple necks that are more than a decade old? I guess that's a decent threshold for "holding up".

Though personally I'd rather put the threshold around 20 years...because that's about the age where all of the major malfunctions appeared in any of my guitars that had one.


EDIT: Google AI says the first roasted maple electric guitar necks appeared around 2008 - 2010 ...so, okay, I guess we can know whether they'll hold up.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I don't understand why this is even a question.