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I was going through the LMI website pricing some things for the next project and I notice that they now have rosewood neck blanks. I don't have a lot of experience making guitar necks, but I'm thinking about trying it. Does anybody have any experience using rosewood for a guitar neck? Any pro/cons?

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http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

Wayne--where is Driftwood? Sounds like west of El Paso! (Or east of Corpus?    )
Anyway-- I've made one rosewood neck, and plan on never doing it again. This was at a customer's insistence. (Which is another topic--"Is the customer always right?")
The result I fear was a very neck-heavy instrument that will always feel a bit awkward to play. Sure, it might increase sustain, but that's not the only way to get it, and certainly not the best. It is undeniably pretty--but then so is a good quartersawn piece of mahogany!

SteveSteve Kinnaird38595.6356597222

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

I had a student insist on making a cocobolo neck. The instrument was extremely neck heavy and it was hard to carve as well. It was beautiful though.

My experience is similiar, and to me the feel of the neck was not very nice either.

Steve,

Driftwood is about 20 miles southwest of Austin, so we are pretty much in the central part of the state.

I was thinking that the color of the rosewood might be pretty nice but I was worried that it might make the guitar feel unbalanced if it's too heavy. Did your customer have any second thoughts?

I've only had experience with mahagony and it was pretty nice to work with. I'll probably stick with what works until I have the skill to pull off something unusual .

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53% of all statistics are made up on the spot
http://driftwoodguitars.blogspot.com/

Since it serves no convincing advantage to the sound or playability of the instrument, and several disadvantages to both the player and the builder, it seems like a waste of exotic wood. You could get several fingerboards or neck laminations or headstock overlays from one of those boards!

Arthor Overholtzer who wrote a great book on building classical instruments and whose apprentice's apprentice started Santa Cruz guitars always used Brazilian rosewood to make his necks. He claimed that he could make the neck thinner, (no doubt about that) and that the additional weight was beneficial to the sound. He gave the example of the classical gutiarist who would clamp weights to the headstock to increase volume and sustain of their instruments. He said that his instruments were neck heavy enough that they did not need clamps.

Overholtzer did win the grand prize at the international guitar and violin competition with a rosewood neck guitar.

Del Lange...(I can't spell Del's name but you know who it is) usually has indian rosewood necks on his guitars.

Another maker in Atlanta recommends Brazilian Cherry for necks. BC is a very dense and heavy wood. Just cheaper than rosewood.

I personally don't think it is a good idea. I want to make some spanish cedar necks with lots of graphite inside for strength.

John

[QUOTE=WayneC]
I was thinking that the color of the rosewood might be pretty nice but I was worried that it might make the guitar feel unbalanced if it's too heavy. Did your customer have any second thoughts?

[/QUOTE]

Hmmm, if he did, he has kept them to himself.
Here's a couple more thoughts for you--a fellow in LINT used to drill holes in the tail block and fill them w/ lead in an attempt to balance a guitar w/ a heavy neck. The result was a well-balanced guitar that was good aerobic exercise just picking it up.
Or you could do like some of our lute-building brethren--make a light neck--Spanish Cedar or some such--then veneer it with something really exotic. One of the rosewoods, ebony, whatever. That would be a lot of fun, I think, and fulfill your ambition of doing something a bit different.

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Indeed Del does make his necks from Indian Rosewood, one piece. I just visited him, in fact I wrote an article about him for an up-coming GAL American Lutherie magazine. I was surprised to see those necks, and although the guitars he put them on were a bit heavy they didn't seem to be neck heavy. The whole guitar was rosewood (not the top of course) and so the neck matched the body woods in a pretty way.

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Mark Swanson
Swanson Guitars
http://www.MarkSwansonMusic.com

I'll be making a couple of necks (electric, though) out of rosewood (cocobolo, actually) ordered up some blanks already. It's less of an issue with solidbodies that should balance more easily anyway (strap button location, heavier bodies and all), and I wouldn't call it a massive 'waste' of the wood either. Sure, you could get a couple of fingerboards out of it, and I'd never do it with Brazillian, but the feel of an unfinished, simply polished neck is just very, very appealing. Aking to a lightly oiled neck, which to my mind is one of the ideal neck treatments out there.

[QUOTE= I want to make some spanish cedar necks with lots of graphite inside for strength.

John[/QUOTE]
How about curly spanish cedar?

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Yes indeed Bob. Ya got some to sell?

(Bye the way, did you look at your purfling line on the picture of that honduras rosewood guitar I posted. I don't think the closeup of that line was up when you   responded originally)

I'm working on a 5-piece neck that is rosewood with maple laminations (R/M/R/M/R). I was unsure about the balance issue as well. So the guitar has a 12 fret neck and is getting Waverlys which will hopefully help. I will be carving the neck next week. I think it is going to look great with the EIR on the back of this guitar.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Mark, I saw 5 of Dels guitars at Tonys place getting finished earlier this year. IIRC, 4 had walnut necks and one had a RW neck, The guitars are build rock solid and as you say, seem to be well balanced. Tony had one completed guitar that he bought from Del, other than being a substantial guitar to hold, it played like butta! It gave me a reference point for what a great set up should be like!

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[QUOTE=John Kinnaird] Yes indeed Bob. Ya got some to sell?

(Bye the way, did you look at your purfling line on the picture of that honduras rosewood guitar I posted. I don't think the closeup of that line was up when you   responded originally)[/QUOTE]
John I do have curly spanish cedar and yes I saw the purfling lines the look great. Gorgeous guitar.

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Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498

What I was getting at on the purfling reference was what a nice job you did on that layup. Very even, great figure to the koa.

How much do you want for enough curly spanish cedar to make a few necks. (or is this business best conducted off the board)

John you can send me a PM or e-mail.

_________________
Beautiful and unusual tone woods at a reasonable price.
http://www.rctonewoods.com/RCT_Store
The Zootman
1109 Military Rd.
Kenmore, NY 14217
(716) 874-1498