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I've got a maple neck blank and fretboard. I'd like to create some separation between the two. I was thinking of using a darker wood veneer sandwiched between the two. Should I anticipate any problems? I'm wondering specifically about when it comes time to sand, will the dark wood dust from the veneer stain the lighter maple?

My experience has been that once you get to the higher grits the sanding scratches no longer seem to hold the dark sawdust..

My experience is the same as Clay's regarding this. Maple is hard and has very small pores. I've never had a problem. The picture shows EIR sides w/blue side purfling next to maple binding. No sanding dust got into the binding.

Depending on your veneer, you might need to be careful about color bleeding from it to the maple when you apply finish. There are ways to manage this. If your veneer is walnut, it probably won't bleed much; if it's cocobolo, look out. They are all different. Just test first on a sample before you finish.

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Tim Allen
"Never hurry, never rest."

I glue the neck, veneer, and fretboard all at the same time.
Some water-based glues will expand and then shrink the veneer which can cause warping.
I cut the veneer into three long strips to add “expansion” joints.
I have no idea if this is necessary, but I figure it can’t hurt.

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Once you get to about 220 grit the sanding scratches are smaller than the pore size, so it's not a problem.

I have found that the key to using water based glues for large joints is to leave things in the clamps until the water dries out. Sure, the glue may be hard in 45 minutes, but it can take a lot longer for the water to get out. Once it does you're fine. I try to wait at least over night, and 24 hours is even better.