Roasted Maple Fender necks

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skinfreakskinfreak Frets: 200
My partscaster project has has a baby. I couldn't resist a MIM Tele blacktop body off eBay. Think I paid too much for it (£170?) And now I'm concerned about whacking a Squire neck on it. My eye has wandered to the Fender website we're treasures such as roasted maple necks reside. You can order most of them cheaper elsewhere but really what am I getting from fender that I could not get from guirarbuild or guitar anatomy? Besides the badge of course?

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Comments

  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    Have you tried one before? If not, think carefully before buying...

    Awful material - the sooner the fad for it is about as popular as 70s brass fittings, the better. It destroys the strength and solidity of the wood. It’s soft and weak, and feels and sounds dry and insubstantial.

    I know this is not a popular opinion :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • skinfreakskinfreak Frets: 200
    No, not tried one but read a lot about them being better, and I like the look too. But I'll take your points on board.
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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9447
    Ive only played the Suhr roasted maple necks, and they were fantastic.

    Acoustically loud, chimey and stable. Loved em.
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  • SchnozzSchnozz Frets: 1926
    edited April 2020
    I wouldn't like to ding one - I have played them and they're fine, but I can imagine them being more brittle.

    I find myself liking flatsawn maple and quartersawn mahogany necks, with no roasting (maybe some gun oil). Flame and birdseye is still nice, but I'm not fussed.

    Really like the Warwick/Framus wenge stuff, but their profiles can suck.
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  • chris78chris78 Frets: 9166
    I've got roasted necks on 4 of my 6 Fenders. 3 have flame or birds eye and they look absolutely stunning. It's supposed to increase the stability of the wood, not reduce it. I know the custom shop had issues with Birdseye necks from the late 90s and 00s warping and this is the solution. 
    Tone wise? Impossible to tell as 2 pieces of wood sound different whether roasted or not. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    chris78 said:
    I've got roasted necks on 4 of my 6 Fenders. 3 have flame or birds eye and they look absolutely stunning. It's supposed to increase the stability of the wood, not reduce it. I know the custom shop had issues with Birdseye necks from the late 90s and 00s warping and this is the solution. 
    Tone wise? Impossible to tell as 2 pieces of wood sound different whether roasted or not. 
    I don't doubt it increases the stability with regard to temperature and moisture changes, but at the expense of the strength. If you've ever drilled or cut it you will notice the difference straight away.

    Birdseye maple is notorious for stability problems, but if the remedy is to roast the wood and break down its strength and hardness, you'd be better just to use less figured wood.

    Yes, two pieces of wood will always sound a bit different, but when you've played a few you will notice the clear pattern.

    I know very well that I'm out of step with current fashion, but I won't apologise for that :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    Novo guitars are all the proof I need that roasting wood has no negative effects whatsoever on tone and probably only positive ones. In general their Sectis models sound notably less “3D” than their Serus models. Perhaps that’s one reason why they discontinued them...
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    I have one on my Tele .Its actually a 22 fret  12 inch radius  strat neck and a d shape but it plays like a dream ..love it .I did ding it on an  headstock edge and it did damage it so yes more brittle I would say .It plays so nice I dont really care .The rest of the guitar is beaten up  and is my to go tele  so it matches but maybe not so good for the pristine gang .its a player .
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  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 18385
    edited April 2020
    For clarity, are we talking about torrified/torrefied maple here? 
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    It might depend on how it's done.

    Atkin acoustics used baked timbers, and sound stunning; but they don't do it to the extent that it seriously discolours like a lot of the roasted maple I've seen.

    Apparently in the pre-war glory days of Martin, their timber store was up in the rafters of their workshop.  Apparently it got very hot up there.  It was probably cyclical as well, with it getting much colder at times.  Cyclical 40 or 50 C  for months or years might be better than a few hours at a higher temperature.
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  • earwighoneyearwighoney Frets: 3491
    ICBM said:
    Have you tried one before? If not, think carefully before buying...

    Awful material - the sooner the fad for it is about as popular as 70s brass fittings, the better. It destroys the strength and solidity of the wood. It’s soft and weak, and feels and sounds dry and insubstantial.

    I know this is not a popular opinion :).

    IC, what do you think of acoustics with 'baked' spruce soundboards? Quite a few makers of the moment use them.
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  • skinfreakskinfreak Frets: 200
    rossi said:
    I have one on my Tele .Its actually a 22 fret  12 inch radius  strat neck and a d shape but it plays like a dream ..love it .I did ding it on an  headstock edge and it did damage it so yes more brittle I would say .It plays so nice I dont really care .The rest of the guitar is beaten up  and is my to go tele  so it matches but maybe not so good for the pristine gang .its a player .
    I’d like to see that guitar ;-) Post a pic @rossi ;
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  • lysanderlysander Frets: 574
    I have 3 guitars with roasted maple necks, for me the main thing honestly is that they look nicer than plain maple which I often find a bit drab.
    I haven’t found them more stable than standard maple, nor have I noticed a difference in sound.

    It seems at least as hard as normal maple to me, however I could very well imagine it being more brittle - I haven’t done any work on a roasted so will reserve judgement until then.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    earwighoney said:

    IC, what do you think of acoustics with 'baked' spruce soundboards? Quite a few makers of the moment use them. 
    They do seem to sound quite like old guitars - a bit 'dry', but quite lively. I dislike them a lot less than roasted maple necks, anyway! Spruce is not a very hard or strong wood in the first place though.

    I don't think roasted maple is like old naturally-aged maple at all.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    edited April 2020
    skinfreak said:
    rossi said:
    I have one on my Tele .Its actually a 22 fret  12 inch radius  strat neck and a d shape but it plays like a dream ..love it .I did ding it on an  headstock edge and it did damage it so yes more brittle I would say .It plays so nice I dont really care .The rest of the guitar is beaten up  and is my to go tele  so it matches but maybe not so good for the pristine gang .its a player .
    I’d like to see that guitar ;-) Post a pic @rossi ;;;;;;;




    I dont seem to be having any luck with posting pics  using imgur


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  • skinfreakskinfreak Frets: 200
    Just include the direct link
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    edited April 2020
    rossi said:
    skinfreak said:
    rossi said:
    I have one on my Tele .Its actually a 22 fret  12 inch radius  strat neck and a d shape but it plays like a dream ..love it .I did ding it on an  headstock edge and it did damage it so yes more brittle I would say .It plays so nice I dont really care .The rest of the guitar is beaten up  and is my to go tele  so it matches but maybe not so good for the pristine gang .its a player .
    I’d like to see that guitar ;-) Post a pic @rossi ;;;;;;;;;;;;;



    https://i.imgur.com/llbGphJ.jpg







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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699

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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    stopped working again now .
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