mikhailgtrski Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 OK, if you've been following along... The plan for my next two projects is: a solid body singlecut and a semi-hollow singlecut. Both will have a mahogany back and a carved maple cap. The necks were both going to be mahogany, but now I have a brazilian rosewood board on the way that might work out as a neck blank. I've played exactly (1) guitar with a rosewood neck... of course it was at a Guitar Center, so it wasn't exactly the ideal environment for listening for subtle nuances and comparing it to a similar guitar with a mahogany neck. From what I can tell, a rosewood neck will tend to have a little more midrange clarity than mahogany, so my gut tells me it would complement the rounder, woodier tone of a semi-hollow body. But I'm just guessing here. Whatdya think? Thanks for your input. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 My mahogany/bubinga semi hollow has a cocobolo neck and I love it. Great sound and amazing looks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 My instinct would be to save the BRW for another project. The odds are against your first couple of necks being perfect. They may well be very nice, but after you've built another 2 or 3, you'll soon come to realise how much you've improved. Given the extreme scarcity or BRW, I would save it until you've got a few more necks (preferably at least 1 made from another RW) under your belt. In short, BRW is not a wood to learn on, especially since it will present it's own unique challenges as regards workability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Good advice as always, Setch. The first neck will be mahogany for sure. I'll see how that one goes before touching the BRW. I will likely be doing a lot of the work under the guidance of a friend that has his own bass luthiery business (and some nifty tools in his shop) so perhaps the learning curve will shorten up a bit with some good tutelage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 Hands on instruction makes a big difference. One thing that is tough to get a handle on is honestly assessing the quality of your output, and experience really helps here. Having an experienced buddy to look it over will be a big help - make sure he won't pull punches to save your feelings, it won't help in the long run. I know I raved about the quality of my first neck, and was extremely pleased with my second, but I now know that it wasn't until my 3rd that I actually produced a really nice neck (same goes for my tops carves, fretwork etc). That 3rd guitar has a few imperfections in the finish work and binding, but it is a killer player. If you're really lucky (irony mode on!) you'll get to the point where your ability to critique your work grows faster than your ability to improve it Still, it keeps you humble... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted August 28, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 If you're really lucky (irony mode on!) you'll get to the point where your ability to critique your work grows faster than your ability to improve it Still, it keeps you humble... Well said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted August 28, 2006 Report Share Posted August 28, 2006 (edited) I'm going through the same thing making my own fret boards. I started out making maple before going with rose wood.rose wood is vary cool and I would like to try one. I would think build a few before going with the rose wood. I can make all the mistakes on other woods like cherry or maple before going with solid rose wood that cost $$$ compaired to maple Good luck. Edited November 4, 2006 by prs man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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