GuitarMaestro Posted June 4, 2005 Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Hi! I never used hard or sapwood for a neck. Additionally being no native speaker I don't know what sapwood exactly means. I suspect it's the same. I remember heaving read somewhere that heartwood is very unstable and has a tendency to twist. This is not what you want of a neck to happen. Any opinions on this one? Thanks, Marcel! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted June 4, 2005 Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Sapwood is the outer part of the tree which has not become heartwood. As the name implies, it carries sap up and down the trunk. If you have used hard maple for a neck, you have used sapwood. In maple, the heartwood is less stable, and darker colored, so the good stuff is selected for sapwood. In woods like walnut and cherry, it is selected for heartwood, for the dark color. In these woods, the sapwood is only an inch or two thick. It is confusing, because the term "heart" also refers to the very center of the tree which is usually very unstable and prone to cracking. In higher grade lumber, this is left out entirely. The "heartwood", between the "heart" and the sapwood is stable in most woods, maple being an exception. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted June 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Thanks alot! Exactly what I wanted to know. When you say maple heartwood is not as stable as it's sapwood do you mean: 1) it is not as hard 2) it is prone to warping, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted June 4, 2005 Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 It is actually harder than the sapwood, but it is more prone to cracking and twisting. Also has darker streaks and blotchy coloring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted June 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2005 Is it only prone to cracking, etc. during drying or even afterwards? The reason I ask in such detail is that I have a very nice birdseye maple piece in my ebay watch list. It has outstanding figure and perfect dimensions for a neck. It is heartwood however.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orgmorg Posted June 5, 2005 Report Share Posted June 5, 2005 Are you sure it is heartwood? Most birdseye maple on the market is sapwood. Sometimes it has streaks of heartwood, but that tends to lower the value. Partly because the eyes are much smaller in the heartwood-they get a little bigger each year. What color is the wood? Light brown, or mostly creamy/white? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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