tsl602000 Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 Okay, I was planning to use a curly maple neck (with Brazilian rosewood fretboard) for my spalted top strat. I ordered a neck blank a while ago from Stew Mac (the curly maple). However, it seems it's too weak... I can easily bend it with two hands. I don't recall my other flamed maple necks were so weak . Carbon rods are not an option for me, so I guess I'd better throw this away. Anyone with more info on this subject? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted February 29, 2004 Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 You don't think the truss rod and fret board would strengthen it up enough to make it worth the effort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted February 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 29, 2004 I'm not sure about that... I left the maple thicker than normal and was planning to use a slightly thinner fretboard. There's just so much more "flex" in this neck than my other maple necks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 You know, Eastern Hardrock Birdseye Maple (which makes great strong necks BTW) is very commonly marked with long dark mineral streaks. Look at any offering on e-Bay for Birdseye Maple and 90% of the boards will have mineral streaks in them...some more, some less, but it's hard to find a 100% clear board of that stuff. And I think that a mineral streaked neck would look (match) *surprisingly* like your Spalted body...you diggin' me here? I wonder if you called Warmoth or USA Customs if they wouldn't have something like that for (maybe) a reduced price, since they'd go out of their way to NOT have mineral streaks in their nice Birdseye necks. They might toss those pieces as inferior, but it would work right into your hand, so to speak... ...Just an idea... ...but a good one. And nothing saying you couldn't buy one of those e-Bay streaked boards to make your 'board out of, so the entire guitar would 'match', with the odd light/dark figuring/pattern/motif of the Spalt material continuing right into the mineral streaked/stained/disfigured Birdseye neck. Then you could also make a pickguard out of the same mineral streaked Bird Maple material to bring the two looks together. Then you could buy those SC pkps that have birdseye covers. hehehe... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 hahaha, I can hear you Drak, but I'm too impatient to wait for another neck blank coming in from the US. This Stew Mac neck blank is beautiful, all I am worried about is it's strenght. Here's two pics. as you can see it's not birdseye, but flamed.. Stew Mac sells them as "Curly". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Are CF rods ruled out because of availability or something else? A Martin style trussrod epoxied into the neck will add a good deal of stiffness. Where you planning a skunkstripe and traditional compression rod? If so you could use ebony or any other very stiff wood for the stripe, though peghead flex might still be an issue... Eitherway, you *can* work around this, and that flame is far to pretty for firewood! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 is it just me or does that wood look more quilted than the curly? because if it is quilt , then thats soft maple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Setch, I'll use a LMII style trussrod and Brazilian rosewood fretboard, no skunkstripe. I love my necks huge. the full 1" at the 12th fret and about 0.900" at the nut. I don't want to use CF rods because it takes alot of wood away, other than that 'll have to order a special router bit. I can buy a nice flame neck blank here in Holland for about $40, that'd be cheaper than order CF rods in the US. I just think it's kinda weird.. Stew Mac sells these as neck blanks.. It's just quite alot less stiff than my other necks. Maybe I'll just take the risk and finish this neck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fidgec94 Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Would Stewmac actually sell a line of neck blanks or (an individual neck blank of a normally adequate material) that wasnt suitable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Would Stewmac actually sell a line of neck blanks or (an individual neck blank of a normally adequate material) that wasnt suitable? exactly.. that's what I'm wondering about... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 well its quite possible that in every batch there is one bad apple! but hey, i`d finish it! its a beautiful piece of wood! john. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdog Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 It is difficult to tell from the photos, but it appears to me that your wood may be eastern red maple....which is a soft maple. That would explain the extra "flex". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Yes, I think it's Eastern maple. It's really less stiff than normal hard rock maple. I'm still tossing and turning whether I'll finish this neck or not. I sent an email to Stew Mac and explained this.. wondering what they'll have to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 I'd put it together and see what happens. If you use a stiff fingerboard and a Hot Rod you should be fine. It's hard to judge from your description how soft the blank actually is though. If it doesn't work you can always pull the fingerboard and re-use the truss rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 i`ll take it off your hands if you dont want it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKGBass Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 i'm with john, it does look rather quilted, not flamed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 That piece looks like curly maple not quilted at all!!!! I bought the same stuff for a Strat neck like tsl, but unfortunately I screwed up the thickness of the peghead due to a very stupid mistake and therefore I never completed the neck. To me it feeled quite stable though.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 I just got an email from Stew Mac... If I have any questions concerning the quality of the wood, they would rather send me a new piece..... Now, that's service!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 cool....but I think you are just to critical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 cool....but I think you are just to critical! no such thing...he is a perfectionist and it shows in the quality of his instruments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 ok....you gotta point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsl602000 Posted March 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 I just got an email from a contact person from Stew Mac stating that he'll personally pick a rigid piece of wood and send it out today.. no charge. Excellent customer service! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarMaestro Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 I made the expirience that stewmac has excellent customer service as well....I can only recommend them! Only LMII is even better!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKGBass Posted March 2, 2004 Report Share Posted March 2, 2004 *wheels spinning....* so now you have 2 neck blanks.....? Hmmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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