Conference napalm::guitar

    Necks are such a subjective thing, there is no single right combination.
    
    I like rock maple for a Fender-style neck. I admit that curly maple
    looks nicer, but there is always the chance that curly maple will
    warp. Warmouth warns of this in their catalog. They will sell a curly
    maple neck, but don't advocate it.
    
    As for the fingerboard, I prefer Rosewood or Ebony. Maple boards
    are generally lacquered and have a slick feel to them. Some people
    like this and other do not. 
    
    As far as neck dimension and shaping, this is a very subjective area.
    I like big fat baseball ball necks, or heavy V-necks. '57 Strats have
    great V-necks. 
    
    Many people advocate that the neck has more affect on tone than the
    body. I think there is something to it. It has to do with transmitting
    the string vibration to the bridge and pickups. The more ridgid the 
    neck is, the better the transmission of energy. In technical terms,
    the neck is acoustically coupled to the body. The mass of both
    the body and neck will affect this coupling. 
    
    Mark
    

    
    Preferred Neck Wood... none!!  I prefer composite graphite.

    re .2
    Know any one who makes composite graphite strat necks?
    
    Rich

    Wouldn't a graphite neck sound horrible?
    Sure, it would fix the warp, but so would aluminum.
    
    Mike
    

    Graphite necks are used on some very high-end guitars and basses
    including "Modulus Graphite" and "Steinbergers". Although it is
    not my cup of tea, graphite does seem to work well for guitars 
    necks. Is is light, strong, resonant and very stable. Graphite 
    is impervious to moisture, and is unaffected by heat or cold.
    
    Reagarding a previous reply:  Weight is not the only factor in
    tone-woods. If it was, oak and hickory would be considered fine
    tone woods. The wood's ability to resonate and to transfer that 
    resonance to the body is the most important factor. Luthiers have
    had hundreds of years to experiment with tone woods. Many woods
    have been ruled out for musical instruments because they lack the
    necessary acoustic prorperties. The woods that are generally 
    favored for necks include mahogany, maple, and to a lesser extent
    Cedar. 
     
    Mark

    I prefer necks to be made of flesh and bone so I can wring out
    every note with feeling...
    :-)
     

    re: .5
    Aren't Steinbergers like playing a metal truss with a pickup attached?
    (hey, just kidding-put the knife down!)
    
    Just not my cup of tea, those industrial strength things.   In the 
    early 80's, Gibson experimented (at the customers expense) with non-
    wood guitars.  They used a material called "resonwood".  I suppose it
    meant resonant.  I don't remember the time well (musta been cheap
    drugs), but I heard there was fear of a wood shortage.  I guess Gibson
    didn't want to be left out with nothing to make guitars from.  
    I have a Sonex made in '81 or '82.  Weighs just 3 oz. less than a full
    grown Wooly Mammoth.  The tone was rather decent for a cheap guitar. 
    I'd like to know why Gibson gave up on the reson-wood idea.
    
    I also had an Ovation electric.  (shudder)    Aluminum truss neck-thru
    with plastic formed to a body.  I'd have to call it an interesting
    sound.  Because the neck had no flex, and was perfect all the time,
    the action was down to nothing.   You could play really fast, but then
    you'd get lots of no-tone notes instead of just a few.
    
    I may have to try the graphite.  I'm sure they have done some
    refinements in recent years.  What about splinters?   [ ;-)  ]
    -Mike
    

    If Gibson drops a particular model, it usually means they weren't
    selling.
    
    Mark