Daniel Sorbera Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 I found a peice of very high grade wenge thats big enough to make a neck through guitar where the whole body and neck is 1 peice! Is wenge a good wood to do this with? 1. is it strong enough for a neck? 2. Does it weigh a ton? 3. Is it hard to work or finish? 4.How does it sound? thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 It is strong, needs no finish, it is heavy, it is a BITCH to work and it is worth using. Don't know about how a body would sound but it makes fabulous necks if you keep it out of excess compression with the right trussrod. It's hard and very coarse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Warmoth wood info They have some really good info about various neck woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skibum5545 Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Warwick basses use unfinished wenge necks; I've always loved the feel of them. Warwicks sound good too; I'm pretty sure the wenge has a lot to do with it. From various reports I've heard, it imparts that sweet growl that bassists adore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 I used Wenge laminates in the neck of my JS-7, and I must say Wenge is bit of an animal to get used to. It has these dark and lighter brown chocolate streaks in the wood......it's almost like two different types of wood combined into one. They both react differently to sanding and shaving. Not to say you can't get it really smooth. Then there are all these open canal pores in the wood. And even when sanding the wood really smooth...these pores will still be open. You have to consider this when finishing. I'm using Tung Oil on neck so I'm not too worried about it....but say spraying clear over Wenge Body....you wann make sure you go these pores filled before spraying...... Recently I have seen a LP with a Wenge Top. This looked really cool. I have never seen a body made of just Wenge. I'm curious though..... I have seen Wenge used as fretboard...this also looks cool. Tone wise I have heard it has tonal capabilities in between Maple and Mahogany. I'm not sure what kinda guitar you have in mind.....but would be cool to make Wenge body with Maple/Wenge/Maple/Wenge/Maple laminated neck, with Wenge fretboard.......... If you want something easy use Alder or so....if you want something special do it with Wenge. Good luck and keep up informed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted February 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 wow thanks for all the replys! It looks like i'm gonna go with wenge! I found some wenge pen blanks in my shop just lying around and looked at them and cut them up and it looks like a wood I would want to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 1. Very stong, pretty stable. 2. Yes, it weighs a ton. 3. It it tuff to work with, especially tricky to shave. When sanding a mask is a must. Irregular and open grain makes it a bit of a challenge to finish. 4. My experience with it's sound is from a bass. It seems to really add to the mids. Punchy and loud. It's a wood that I would use again on a bass. It is pretty heavy. Take your time getting used to shaving. Some parts of the wood cut like Ebony some cut like hard Maple. If you drag a blade down the back of the neck it will cut hard then easy then hard etc.. Good sharp blades are a must (and Wenge seemed to really dull my edges quickly). Wenge is beautiful when finished. Best of luck to dude!!! ,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted February 18, 2005 Report Share Posted February 18, 2005 Do you mean a one piece guitar, or a one piece neckthrough? It seems a bit pricy. I can get wenge for $12 bf. Edited. I swear when I read this earlier you mentioned a specific piece and price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted February 19, 2005 Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 A guy named Heath over at the USA Custom Guitars forum made an entire Jazzmaster (body, neck & fretboard) from wenge, and he loved it (especially the bass response). As I recall, the guitar weighs in at around 14 pounds. wenge jazzmaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted February 19, 2005 Report Share Posted February 19, 2005 Makes VERY sharp splinters, wear eye protection on the tablesaw especially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.