eddiewarlock Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 So, i finally bought that hard maple. Now, this is my first time using maple for necks. I have worked with purpleheart, mahogany, spanish cedar, apamate, lignum vitae...just not maple. I have this quartersawn piece, that has the grain straight but it curves gradually to a side. The other piece has a more straight grain, but it's rift sawn... which one would be better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Need pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Quartersawn piece: Rift sawn piece: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 The quartersawn piece is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 I always use the piece with the straightest grain for a one piece neck. If you have grain runout, one thing you can do is cut the piece in half and glue it back together so that the grain lines are opposite to each other (mirrored). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Yeah i was thinking about laminating it. I rarely use one piece necks, but i have just moved to Spain and left every tool i had to make guitars...so i have to buy a shitload of clamps...but if you guys say it's fine, then i feel safer. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Btw what is the problem with rift sawn timber? I have seen plenty of bolt on necks with rift sawn maple...would it be ok for a neck thru guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted April 6, 2013 Report Share Posted April 6, 2013 Well,it's more about lines of stress.It's tough to explain,but rift sawn timber has a tendency to cup towards where the center of the tree used to be...or is it away from? No matter...because of that tendency to move,it has a reputation of moving in unflattering ways for a neck.The reputation is only slightly deserved IMO,but with riftsawn I make laminate necks with the grain opposing when looked at from the end. Still,I have seen plenty of necks made from riftsawn wood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 My PRS CE22 has a riftsawn maple neck. Works fine. That said, I'd rather use the quartered piece. My $0.02. Chris 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Yep, if you can use flatsawn or even better quartesawn wood, then great, but when you've bought a plank of hard maple at a great price, that happens to be fairly straight, seems to be a waste not to use just because it's rift sawn... There are several guitars i would like to make, some for me and some for sale, obviously that the ones for sale will have the best pieces of wood, and was wondering what the problem was with rift sawn maple as i have found little information about it. But i didn't think PRS would use it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 Cool, so, well, i have to buy a shitload of clamps like i said, i rarely used one piece necks, no matter what wood was it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar2005 Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 I've used rift sawn maple on necks with separate fretboards and haven't had any issues. Check that the grain is fairly straight along the length of the neck, make sure that the piece is well acclimated and seal the wood. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 7, 2013 Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 What everybody else said. I would add that if the grain isn't perfectly straight in some way then maybe carry out build processes slower than normal, taking time between each one for any movement to do its thing. Also, pay a little more attention to grain direction when routing as those few degrees can make one side a dream to work and the other more of a "surprise". Personally they both look fine to me. You're not using anything that would not be regarded as satisfactory by many respected manufacturers. Laminating is excellent insurance though. No real point in staying one-piece unless you have a reason to do so. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted April 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2013 yeah well, the only thing why i didn't wanna laminate it it's because i have just moved to Spain, so i don't have my tools here...and well, the wood shop near me i don't know how good are their machines... But it should be fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted April 8, 2013 Report Share Posted April 8, 2013 Time to get a nice hand plane, perhaps? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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