Wenge Baritone Neck Disappointment 😢

[Meshuggener333]

Just received my neck and it feels super rough, raised grain and it looks to be patchy sapwood not the dark, oily tight grained wenge I requested. When I run my finger along it feels like I could get splinters. Super bummed has anyone had this with a wenge neck? I'm looking at finishing it with Rubio monocoat dark roast oil to even out what looks to be moisture patches and hopefully darken it all up a bit more. Will sanding and oil finishing sort this or should I be contacting Warmoth? Any advice appreciated

 

[Meshuggener333]

Does it look like it's had a bit of borer or something too?

 

[HumanisHappy]

I’m probably not adding much value, but what an interesting piece of wood. I hope someone chimes in who can help. I saw a Reddit post where someone just claimed we he is splinter, but then I read something and they said it can be like ice.

 

[stratamania]

In general if there is something you are not happy about contacting Warmoth Customer Services, ideally prior to fitting tuners etc ought to be anyone's first port of call. Perhaps try contacting them in any case, though your options may now be limited.

It just looks like Wenge to me and the characteristics you describe are typical of the species, though it might not match what was expected. Wenge is open grained.

One thing possibly worth doing is "burnishing" it. See listed thread, a lot of photos are missing as it is an old thread, but the information is still useful.

Thread 'Burnishing Raw Necks'

Jun 23, 2012

Tonar mentioned the other day about sitting down with a movie and some 2000 grit and making a maple neck shine. So, I decided to try that, only with an Aframosia neck. There was an appropriately campy movie on (Eight-Legged Freaks) that didn't require a great deal of attention, I had lotsa cold beer (as usual), a generous mittenful of various grades of abrasive... sounds like a party!

Yeah, I'm easily amused sometimes...

Anyway, I started off with some 600 grit. That made such an improvement in the feel of the neck that I almost stopped there. Seriously. If you've just...

• Cagey
• Replies: 420
• Forum: Tech Talk

• 

 

[rockandroller]

Just received my neck and it feels super rough, raised grain and it looks to be patchy sapwood not the dark, oily tight grained wenge I requested. When I run my finger along it feels like I could get splinters. Super bummed has anyone had this with a wenge neck? I'm looking at finishing it with Rubio monocoat dark roast oil to even out what looks to be moisture patches and hopefully darken it all up a bit more. Will sanding and oil finishing sort this or should I be contacting Warmoth? Any advice appreciated

That's nice-looking Wenge, and you will definitely want to burnish it if you want the smoothest possible Wenge neck!!
The thing with with Warmoth special requests (as I understand them) is that (like 'extra-lightweight') it's all relative to their available stock of lumber.

So the neck you got might well have been the most "dark, oily tight grained wenge" that they had on hand...

Wenge can show a wide range of coloration, this is illustrated on the builder page ...

(wenge fretboard on wenge neck)

 

[Spud]

I would rub on a thin coat of wipe on poly to even it out.

 

[Strat Avenger]

I'd hit it with some 320 sandpaper first.

 

[Hodgo]

I would never have put tuners on and returned it if it bothered me

I certainly wouldn’t apply poly or sandpaper or anything else until Warmoth has a chance to get a call from you requesting a return

But I’d personally keep and burnish, maybe with some oil slurry to fill the grain.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Before buying a species new to you seek out that species in a production instrument first.

Schecter and Warwick have both released instruments with Wenge necks that have hit GC.

Wenge is a different animal, but it’s not for everyone. Over time, the feel gets a touch waxy in a similar way that padouk does, and while some might find that undesirable, others clamor for it.

 

[Fartcaster…Undercover]

no experience with Wenge and therefore suppose I’d not have expected a new wood neck of any species to look like that. But if making lemonade is the only recourse now, burnishing sounds like a good plan

 

[Meshuggener333]

Before buying a species new to you seek out that species in a production instrument first.

Schecter and Warwick have both released instruments with Wenge necks that have hit GC.

Wenge is a different animal, but it’s not for everyone. Over time, the feel gets a touch waxy in a similar way that padouk does, and while some might find that undesirable, others clamor for it.

I love the waxy feel of the near black ebony neck I played once. I think I'll keep and burnish.

 

[Meshuggener333]

That's nice-looking Wenge, and you will definitely want to burnish it if you want the smoothest possible Wenge neck!!
The thing with with Warmoth special requests (as I understand them) is that (like 'extra-lightweight') it's all relative to their available stock of lumber.

So the neck you got might well have been the most "dark, oily tight grained wenge" that they had on hand...

Wenge can show a wide range of coloration, this is illustrated on the builder page ...
View attachment 67594
(wenge fretboard on wenge neck)

Thanks for the reply mate. Yes I think burnish and some playing time will be the trick. Maybe a slightly tinted Rubio oil finish too.

 

[Meshuggener333]

In general if there is something you are not happy about contacting Warmoth Customer Services, ideally prior to fitting tuners etc ought to be anyone's first port of call. Perhaps try contacting them in any case, though your options may now be limited.

It just looks like Wenge to me and the characteristics you describe are typical of the species, though it might not match what was expected. Wenge is open grained.

One thing possibly worth doing is "burnishing" it. See listed thread, a lot of photos are missing as it is an old thread, but the information is still useful.

Thread 'Burnishing Raw Necks'

Jun 23, 2012

Tonar mentioned the other day about sitting down with a movie and some 2000 grit and making a maple neck shine. So, I decided to try that, only with an Aframosia neck. There was an appropriately campy movie on (Eight-Legged Freaks) that didn't require a great deal of attention, I had lotsa cold beer (as usual), a generous mittenful of various grades of abrasive... sounds like a party!

Yeah, I'm easily amused sometimes...

Anyway, I started off with some 600 grit. That made such an improvement in the feel of the neck that I almost stopped there. Seriously. If you've just...

• Cagey
• Replies: 420
• Forum: Tech Talk

• 

Hugely helpful dude thank you. Gonna keep it and give it some tlc

 

[Tretgeraet]

I love the waxy feel of the near black ebony neck I played once. I think I'll keep and burnish.

If you expected wenge to be like ebony, it's no wonder you're disappointed.

Still, I agree with the others and might add:

Many woods don't look like you'd expect when they're "fresh", or rather; when whatever you build out of it, is new:
Purpleheart is quite ugly, something between brown, yellow and gray, before oxidation turns it purple;
one of my favorite woods, black cherry, is almost white with a hint of pink at first, turns yellow when you oil it and darkens to a beautiful reddish caramel brown when it ages... And then direct sunlight can destroy all those beautiful wood colors over time and turn them yellow!

So, yes, I too would burnish it, like the others said. And also give it some time, it might still get darker on it's own!

This might still become your favorite guitar neck.

 

[Meshuggener333]

Hugely helpful dude thank you. Gonna keep it and give it some tlc

If you expected wenge to be like ebony, it's no wonder you're disappointed.

Still, I agree with the others and might add:

Many woods don't look like you'd expect when they're "fresh", or rather; when whatever you build out of it, is new:
Purpleheart is quite ugly, something between brown, yellow and gray, before oxidation turns it purple;
one of my favorite woods, black cherry, is almost white with a hint of pink at first, turns yellow when you oil it and darkens to a beautiful reddish caramel brown when it ages... And then direct sunlight can destroy all those beautiful wood colors over time and turn them yellow!

So, yes, I too would burnish it, like the others said. And also give it some time, it might still get darker on it's own!

This might still become your favorite guitar neck.

Great Intel here man thank you. It was a wenge neck I played not ebony but it had very little visible grain and was a very uniform slick looking dark chocolate brown. Most likely heartwood not sapwood like the one warmoth has sent me. I should have done more research on how much it can vary!