There is no reasoning with me on this subject! I am usually a very reasonably person and will agree with someone just to get along; but not on the maple neck and mahogony neck issue!!

Maple necks are the number one reason Fender makes more stable instruments. Mahogony is too soft of a wood to use for a guitar neck unless it has a single cutaway at the body. I owned a 1966 SG Standard and it always had problems staying in tune. The SG's mahogony body added to the muddy tone, by the way. I also had a 1970 Les Paul Custom with single coils, mahogony neck and mahogony top. It was a good gigging guitar but, in my oppinion, it would never touch a strat or tele for tone.

I basically traded the Les Paul for two 2004 American Standard hardtails and coundn't be happier. My old SG would be worth a lot of money by now. I saw one like it on Ebay for over $8 grand. I wouldn't take it back for free if I had to play it. I would show up at a gig with any garden variety Fender and know I was going to be in tune and sound just fine, thank you very much.

Shall I offer a compromise?

I present the best of both worlds:
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-American-Special-Mahogany-HSS-Stratocaster-Electric-Guitar?sku=511165

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I tried to think of something clever to put here but- OH! Something shiny!!!

For me it's always been maple

Is something finally happening in this area, Ceri? Don't tease us!!

I like both. My Strats and Tele are maple and my LP and M80 are mahogany. Like them all, they are all great, just different.

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Ignorance IS bliss - and I am the happiest person here!

Hi Troublecall: I certainly am teasing you - but I'll come through with something in the end, don't worry.

Very cautious about the warping issue with that untried, home seasoned wood, so I'm leaving it for weeks at a time between every step of the process to see if it moves at all. Which is making things slow.

When I have something worth seeing, I'll post it!

Cheers - C (International Man of Mystery)

Sounds like we are in for a treat sometime in the future!! Will there be any instances of domestic woods used for the finger board? Plum maybe?


We'll be waiting for woodworking enlightenment master Ceri!!