Flamed or Birdseye maple neck?

[MrDan666]

Ive had an ebony neck and it cracked because a friend of mine who borrowed my guitar kept it in his basement. They are very prone to cracking if you don't watch the temperature.

Well my GMW with the ebony board is doin great as it gets played all the time and it never gets left anywhere other than my bedroom at home (which is kept at fairly regular temperature!). All my guitars are kept that way, because i never trust anyone else around them

So given the circumstances, think Ebony would be fairly safe for me?

 

[MrDan666]

My latest build is swamp ash body, maple/ebony neck.

How does it sound???

 

[Gainfreak]

Ive had an ebony neck and it cracked because a friend of mine who borrowed my guitar kept it in his basement. They are very prone to cracking if you don't watch the temperature.

Well my GMW with the ebony board is doin great as it gets played all the time and it never gets left anywhere other than my bedroom at home (which is kept at fairly regular temperature!). All my guitars are kept that way, because i never trust anyone else around them

So given the circumstances, think Ebony would be fairly safe for me?

Depends! I cant really say since I have been burned before and I new a guy with a LP custom that had the same thing happen to him when gigging. I think Maple is a more solid piece of wood and Ebony sounds prety close to is, so i would not take a chance!

That said I went to the site and Im positive that you can get a top put on a charvel body bro. Id definitely call them to make sure but there page lets you configure whatever you want!! I speced one out with a charvel body and quilt top routed floyd and it came out to $349

 

[MrDan666]

Depends! I cant really say since I have been burned before and I new a guy with a LP custom that had the same thing happen to him when gigging. I think Maple is a more solid piece of wood and Ebony sounds prety close to is, so i would not take a chance!

That said I went to the site and Im positive that you can get a top put on a charvel body bro. Id definitely call them to make sure but there page lets you configure whatever you want!! I speced one out with a charvel body and quilt top routed floyd and it came out to $349

In that case their page isnt loading up on my computer properly! I just went and checked again and theres no top option for me How weird is that?!?! Its probably my browser playing up! Anyway, if it came to $349 then atleast thats a ballpark figure i can go by for now!

If maple's gonna be harder wearing and more stable, while sounding pretty close to Ebony.. then il just go with Maple!

 

[Gainfreak]

Depends! I cant really say since I have been burned before and I new a guy with a LP custom that had the same thing happen to him when gigging. I think Maple is a more solid piece of wood and Ebony sounds prety close to is, so i would not take a chance!

That said I went to the site and Im positive that you can get a top put on a charvel body bro. Id definitely call them to make sure but there page lets you configure whatever you want!! I speced one out with a charvel body and quilt top routed floyd and it came out to $349

In that case their page isnt loading up on my computer properly! I just went and checked again and theres no top option for me How weird is that?!?! Its probably my browser playing up! Anyway, if it came to $349 then atleast thats a ballpark figure i can go by for now!

If maple's gonna be harder wearing and more stable, while sounding pretty close to Ebony.. then il just go with Maple!

That is wierd!!

I went here

http://www.musikraft.com/Strat-Body_p_0-7.html



Then all you have to do is use the drop down menus.

Ah hell, Id just call!!

 

[Gainfreak]

Ok I get it now!! Im going to the fender body page and then using the drop down menu to select a charvel body!! Methinks that they need to get there webpage squared away!!

 

[MrDan666]

Ok I get it now!! Im going to the fender body page and then using the drop down menu to select a charvel body!! Methinks that they need to get there webpage squared away!!

Ahhhh thats how your doin it!!! LOL

In that case, il check it out now!

Thanks again Ralph!

 

[MrDan666]

The nitro is curing, won't be done for a while yet.

Hope it sounds great when its done!!

 

[Gainfreak]

Ok I get it now!! Im going to the fender body page and then using the drop down menu to select a charvel body!! Methinks that they need to get there webpage squared away!!

Why not just go here finocchio?

http://www.musikraft.com/Charvel-Bodies_c_42.html

Becuase it wont allow me to put a pretty top on the guitar lol

If you go to the strat section you can customize the shiat out of everything but I guess it would pay to call because im not sure if that page is legit!!

 

[Jakem]

Dammit! Now I'm GASing for a maple fretboard, fender-style reversed headstock superstrat.

 

[MrDan666]

Dammit! Now I'm GASing for a maple fretboard, fender-style reversed headstock superstrat.

Reverse stratheads rock My GMW is an ebony board reverse strathead.. looks sexy as hell!!

 

[mysticaxe]

When Vlad posted his build, that sparked something deep down in me (it was either his build or the chimichanga I just finished). That something said, "you want a redonkulously birdseye maple neck on single/hum superstrat."

 

[Copperhead]

I've got a few beautiful birdseye necks on my Wolfgangs, but Lee at GMW sez the flame maple is a tighter grain and harder wood, so he's got me convinced to go flame on my Tele project....

 

[thiswaythatway]

IMHO, if you take a birdseye maple neck from a guitar and swap with a flame maple neck, you probably won't hear much difference at all. You'll probably hear more of a difference if you went from 9's to 10's or raised your action a little, or maybe swapped a pickup. Switching the entire neck for say, a solid Mahoganey neck would proably change the tone a little though.


I may be wrong but i thought Hgainiac told me that birdseye maple is not as stable as solid maple for a neck. Not that it isn't stable or anything, just that it's not as stable and may require a slight tweak more often.

 

[MrDan666]

IMHO, if you take a birdseye maple neck from a guitar and swap with a flame maple neck, you probably won't hear much difference at all. You'll probably hear more of a difference if you went from 9's to 10's or raised your action a little, or maybe swapped a pickup. Switching the entire neck for say, a solid Mahoganey neck would proably change the tone a little though.

I may be wrong but i thought Hgainiac told me that birdseye maple is not as stable as solid maple for a neck. Not that it isn't stable or anything, just that it's not as stable and may require a slight tweak more often.

That makes sense! Im thinking... if flamed maple is more stable than Birdseye maple, then maybe thats the better option to go for. I mean if it feels as good, sounds hardly different and needs tweaks less often, then its a no brainer!

 

[MrDan666]

I've got a few beautiful birdseye necks on my Wolfgangs, but Lee at GMW sez the flame maple is a tighter grain and harder wood, so he's got me convinced to go flame on my Tele project....

Very good to know! Thanks bro!

 

[Anonymous]

IMHO, if you take a birdseye maple neck from a guitar and swap with a flame maple neck, you probably won't hear much difference at all. You'll probably hear more of a difference if you went from 9's to 10's or raised your action a little, or maybe swapped a pickup. Switching the entire neck for say, a solid Mahoganey neck would proably change the tone a little though.

I may be wrong but i thought Hgainiac told me that birdseye maple is not as stable as solid maple for a neck. Not that it isn't stable or anything, just that it's not as stable and may require a slight tweak more often.

That makes sense! Im thinking... if flamed maple is more stable than Birdseye maple, then maybe thats the better option to go for. I mean if it feels as good, sounds hardly different and needs tweaks less often, then its a no brainer!

Here's my take.... I've had many birdseye maple necks and birdseye maple (interesting enough) looks like it does because it is actually diseased wood. I know some are down on it saying it is unstable (I know Lee at GMW does not like working with it and won't warantee it), however, I've never had one neck go bad. Never had one warp or bow. Never more than average attention was required to keep it working fine. I've never had more than oil finish on any of them. I've also had several flame maple necks and never had a problem with only oil finish. I've even had a quilted maple neck and no problem there either... I can't hear any difference between plain, flame, quilted or birdseye maple necks. As far as I'm concerned it all comes down to cosmetics... Which do you like the look of better? I'd go for that...

Oh yeah... never had a problem with an ebony fretboard either...

Steve

 

[Copperhead]

My only experience is with my Wolfgangs. The USA Specials have a hard rock maple neck and the Standards have the birdseye. Depending on where we are playing in regards to temp, humidity and elevation, I could be sharp or flat. It seems as if higher temp and humidity, and lower elevation and I'm a little flat, colder, dryer and higher I'm a little sharp. It's lots easier to adjust the truss rod a little to get in overall tune than it is to open up the nutlock and retune.......
That said, the hard rock maple necks on the Wolfgang seem to move a little more and require more adjustment than the birdseye necks do.

 

[MrDan666]

Here's my take.... I've had many birdseye maple necks and birdseye maple (interesting enough) looks like it does because it is actually diseased wood. I know some are down on it saying it is unstable (I know Lee at GMW does not like working with it and won't warantee it), however, I've never had one neck go bad. Never had one warp or bow. Never more than average attention was required to keep it working fine. I've never had more than oil finish on any of them. I've also had several flame maple necks and never had a problem with only oil finish. I've even had a quilted maple neck and no problem there either... I can't hear any difference between plain, flame, quilted or birdseye maple necks. As far as I'm concerned it all comes down to cosmetics... Which do you like the look of better? I'd go for that...

Oh yeah... never had a problem with an ebony fretboard either...

Steve

Thats cool Steve! To be honest i love the look of Flamed maple more than other types of neck woods

 

[MrDan666]

My luthier told me, as beautiful as birdseye can be, it moves a lot and is not nearly as stable as rock maple.

Well i have heard that too from several people, and that after about 20years or so.. it gets more unstable. I have no experience with it personally!