Wenge neck ~ rosewood fretboard. Is this crazy?

[flyingVpilot]

Okay, the question is about tone.  I want to do a Wenge neck because I've read (yes SEARCHED) that the feel is amazing and because I like the appearance.  It will make a gorgeous "V" head. 
In the interest of looks, I'm thinking Rosewood for its lovely brownness.  There is much rave about Ebony on Wenge but nothing about Rosewood on Wenge.  Is the resultant tone going to be too muddy?

The guitar in question is a Warmoth V, 2-piece mahogany, hardtail, with Carvin M22 super-dist in the bridge (slanted) and M22N in the neck slot.  It currently has a 25.5 inch scale maple on maple neck.  The guitar's tone is awesome.

The neck I'm looking for will be a 24 3/4 conversion and I honestly don't know how the shorter scale will affect the tone but this may be a consideration when discussing woods.  I have a shitload of guitars with ebony necks so I am certainly accustomed to them but then there's the issue of 'variety'.  Its a 50/50 split on that.

Here's the guitar, as it is now:

This is my first post here, thanks in advance for any help/replies!
FVP

 

[Corey P.]

Is there anything steering you away from the fretboard being Wenge as well?

 

[flyingVpilot]

Eh...cost, maybe?

 

[bagman67]

Eh...cost, maybe?

If you're getting a bespoke neck, as opposed to a showcase unit, the cost differential for wenge vs. rosewood is unlikely to be significant.  Buy what you want - a do-over is going to be more costly if you get something other than what you want.  Might as well be satisfied in the first instance.

Also, wenge on wenge is really nice.  The porosity of the wenge is offputting to some, admittedly - but if you are not a player who typically smashes the strings against the fingerboard, and more particularly, if you enjoy enormous frets, it's unlikely to make that big of a difference to you.

Finally, I think your pickups and the neck shaft will make a lot bigger difference in your tone than the comparatively thin sliver of lumber that constitutes the fingerboard.

Happy hunting!

Bagman

 

[flyingVpilot]

Certainly inclined to agree on the 'thin slab'.  The one guitar I own that differs the most from the rest is a mahogany/mahognay neck-thru with ebony fretboard yet it is not so far out that I can't marry it up to the rest of the herd with amp adjustments.

Appreciate the level-headed response as opposed to those who might suggest something like, "it'll destroy your tone".

 

[Patrick from Davis]

The finger board is not going to affect the tone like the neck will.  The Rosewood might warm it up a little, but I don't think it will be a planets colliding type of effect.  If you like the rosewood board, get it.  The wenge will have presence to spare, so I wouldn't think twice about that combo for what you are going for.
Patrick

 

[flyingVpilot]

Yeah, I held up a rosewood neck off another guitar to the mahogany V body and it just looked so awesome.  Even the wife was like, "yeah, you gotta do that."
I've heard Wenge is the tits.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Wenge is my favorite.  I have not tried all of the options, but shoot, it is fun enough I wonder if I want to stray.  I have a Bocote neck, and it is very nice as well.  But for all around use, I like Wenge the best.
Patrick

 

[Stew]

Okay, the question is about tone.  I want to do a Wenge neck because I've read (yes SEARCHED) that the feel is amazing and because I like the appearance.  It will make a gorgeous "V" head. 
In the interest of looks, I'm thinking Rosewood for its lovely brownness.  There is much rave about Ebony on Wenge but nothing about Rosewood on Wenge.  Is the resultant tone going to be too muddy? <snip>

Well, mahogany is a 'darker' sounding wood than wenge and rosewood on mahogany definitely works!

I'm with Patrick, if you like the rosewood, get it!
Because rosewood is a little cheaper too you could spend the savings on choosing from the unique choice fretboards  :icon_thumright:

 

[Tweed]

Aesthetically, unless you're choosing a specific rosewood board, I recommend wenge/wenge because (in the Showcase) Rosewood has major variances in color; wenge is always a consistent chocolate.

My wenge/wenge neck also feels and sounds amazing.
But it's not like anyone would badmouth their own choice.

 

[back2thefutre]

wenge/zircote