Question About Strat Necks

[mrfire8808]

Is the stripe in the back of strat necks there for looks or does it play an important role in strength? I ask because I am about to order the materials I need to make my own neck and I want to know if Ill need to order another kind of wood for that other than the alder for the neck

thanks

[Bertbart]

The skunk stripe is a filler cap for the truss rod slot when routed from the back on a solid Maple neck...usually I believe it is Walnut. The neckwood isn't Alder but Maple and I don't believe that Alder is strong enough to take the tension of being strung up to pitch without warping over time. I have seen Alder necks on some very in-expensive guitars from the late forties and early fifties...all were acoustics with base-ball bat size necks.

[mrfire8808]

The skunk stripe is a filler cap for the truss rod slot when routed from the back on a solid Maple neck...usually I believe it is Walnut. The neckwood isn't Alder but Maple and I don't believe that Alder is strong enough to take the tension of being strung up to pitch without warping over time. I have seen Alder necks on some very in-expensive guitars from the late forties and early fifties...all were acoustics with base-ball bat size necks.

Just the answer I was looking for.. Good thing you corrected me on the wood, that would have been a big boo-boo

Is there any advantage with routing the truss cavity from the back?

[Southpa]

Its not an advantage, its a necessity for maple necks that do not have a fretboard cap. If you are planning to install a fretboard on your neck then don't bother to order walnut, no skunk stripe needed.

[cherokee6]

Actually, originally the skunk stripe was made of koa, not walnut. I suppose they have used walnut. I know I would use walnut as it's cheaper and easier to get. I also, in my opinion, looks better. Besides, make it your own custom neck; why does it have to be a duplicate?

[Liko]

Its not an advantage, its a necessity for maple necks that do not have a fretboard cap. If you are planning to install a fretboard on your neck then don't bother to order walnut, no skunk stripe needed.

However, many current and past Fenders have the skunk stripe regardless of the fretboard wood. This is done so there's a more solid connection between fretboard and neck, which increases physical strength, creates a more solid tone and allows the neck to adjust for relief more easily. It's also cheaper because the starting process for either fretboard is the same to a milling machine. It's up to you; on a rosewood fretboard it'd be extra work to rout the skunk stripe, but it could look cool.

[spazzyone]

This is done so there's a more solid connection between fretboard and neck, which increases physical strength, creates a more solid tone and allows the neck to adjust for relief more easily.

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[brewu22]

Its not an advantage, its a necessity for maple necks that do not have a fretboard cap. If you are planning to install a fretboard on your neck then don't bother to order walnut, no skunk stripe needed.

However, many current and past Fenders have the skunk stripe regardless of the fretboard wood. This is done so there's a more solid connection between fretboard and neck, which increases physical strength, creates a more solid tone and allows the neck to adjust for relief more easily. It's also cheaper because the starting process for either fretboard is the same to a milling machine. It's up to you; on a rosewood fretboard it'd be extra work to rout the skunk stripe, but it could look cool.

Sorry, but you better re-think that. Not to trying to be mean by the way.

[GregP]

The only reason a skunk stripe would appear on a neck with a separate fretboard is for the looks. Some people just like the look of the stripe.

[Guitar WIll]

could a neck with a truss rod also have a one piece fret board/neck (all in one piece)?

[erikbojerik]

could a neck with a truss rod also have a one piece fret board/neck (all in one piece)?

Uh... ...yeah, that's why it has a skunk stripe....(?) No other way to get the rod in.

The skunk stripe has absolutely no bearing on fretboard-neck adhesion....after all, it never touches the fretboard.

I also don't believe they were ever made of Koa. It wouldn't have been Leo's way to import wood, even if it's only from Hawaii.

[Guitar WIll]

Ah, never thought about it that way, so really the skunk stripes main purpose is to make a decorative feature of an essential cut that was needed.

Thats cleared it up for me at least.

Could I ask however why on my maple neck do I have a skunk stripe, even when the fret board is glued on, is it for aesthetics?

[spazzyone]

correct

the stripe has no real use on a slab board neck

unless liko is correct

and Eric they were originally koa

Edited March 30, 2007 by spazzyone

[marksound]

The original skunk stripes were koa. Knowing Leo's frugality and his tendency to use whatever was available, I'd imagine that he got a deal on some offcuts or something. When koa was no longer available (or became too costly) he just switched to something else (rosewood? walnut? can't remember which).

[erikbojerik]

Koa, really?!?! The very first Fender Broadcasters (ca. 1950) had skunk stripes, so these were really Koa? I have a pretty long list of vintage specs for a 1950 Broadcaster, but Koa skunk stripe was not one of them. Huh...file that under "learn something new every day".

This was this description of the October 1950 Broadcaster specs that led me to believe the skunk stripes were originally (and always had been) walnut...no description of the stripe itself, but the plug in the TR rout was "sometimes maple instead of walnut"...

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender2.html#tele

[Melvyn Hiscock]

Forget all the 'tone' arguments and even the aesthetics. The reason Fender necks have skunk stripes whether they had a separate fingerboard or not is down to economics. It means they factory does not have to reset to make rosewood or maple necks, they all get done on the same machines.

Economics, that is all.

[GregP]

For Fender or large factory guitars, that makes a lot of sense.

For a custom build, adding one when you're using a separate fingerboard would be a matter of aesthetics.

[MiKro]

Forget all the 'tone' arguments and even the aesthetics. The reason Fender necks have skunk stripes whether they had a separate fingerboard or not is down to economics. It means they factory does not have to reset to make rosewood or maple necks, they all get done on the same machines.

Economics, that is all.

So Melvyn, You cut to the Mustard, LOL:)))) Nice to hear from ya.

MK

[Melvyn Hiscock]

Forget all the 'tone' arguments and even the aesthetics. The reason Fender necks have skunk stripes whether they had a separate fingerboard or not is down to economics. It means they factory does not have to reset to make rosewood or maple necks, they all get done on the same machines.

Economics, that is all.

So Melvyn, You cut to the Mustard, LOL:)))) Nice to hear from ya.

MK

Look at all Fenders. They are masterpieces in economical design. Why are most made to 1/7/8 or thereabouts body thickness? It is because Leo bought his wood in 2 in planks and that was left after planing. Whjy use alder and ash? because it was cheap. Same with maple - cheap. Count hte number of manufacturing steps in a Fender neck and then in a Gibson, Fender is way more sconomic. The guy was a total genius.

[VesQ]

I don't fully agree with Melvyn about Leo being total genius. All what Fender did was finding cheap and easy way to do things. At least on me it wont leave impression that he was great guitar builder with lots of skil.

[Setch]

Neither is Stephen Hawking.

Genius isn't limited to the field of guitar construction, and plenty of great 'hands on' guys are no great shakes in the brain department. Leo Fender was unquestionably incredibly gifted at tearing the escence of the guitar apart, and reassembling it in a way which was economical to produce, and still extremely functional and appealing to musicians used to a more traditional approach. Doesn't matter whether he had wood working chops, that wasn't his thing.