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Can soft maple be used for electric guitar necks or do I need use hard maple or rock maple?
Found some beautiful curly soft maple I would love to be able to use. I intend to use a dble action truss rod.

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Sure......I don't see a problem with that.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I agree with Brian - because - the bending strength of Soft Maple is greater than African and Honduras Mahogany. (13,400 vs 11,600 psi) Stiffness is also greater (1.64 vs. 1.45 Mpsi).

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Thabnks for the info fellows.

Steve where might I find info on difference species with the numbers your quoting?

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David,

I had to correct my numbers - typo! Now it reflects the strength of soft maple vs an average of two different mahogany species.

Here is one source of the data I quoted: http://workshopcompanion.com/KnowHow/Design/Nature_of_Wood/3_Wood_Strength/3_Wood_Strength.htm

Another: http://www.wood-database.com/

Cheers,
SBC

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

Sure David, get a feel of how stiff your piece is.
I've had some that was very stiff, and some that was limber.
Some very light, and some heavy.
Guess all Maple is not the same.
I'd go for stiffness when selecting a piece.
Dan

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Adding carbon fiber reinforcements will stiffen the neck significantly, and make up for uneven density in the piece you are working with. The notes will ring more true with even volume and attack on all frets.

I second Steve Courtright: The Wood database is my favorite resource for finding the physical properties of woods. They cover a huge range of woods, and have the most detailed information.

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If what you see is what you get, then Stevie Wonder ain't got nothin'!

If your piece seems more bendy than you might like, you will want to have the grain vertical. If you have a blank about the right size for a neck with slab grain you can even saw it into three or four long strips, turn each strip 90 degrees and glue them together with the grain vertical.
With curly maple I think we all take chances because it looks so good!

A friend of mine made a LP Junior with a poplar neck. That worked great, and has a very nice tone. The old Danelectros also had poplar necks (which is where he got the idea). The original Parker Fly guitars had basswood necks. If you are worried about it being too flexible, add some carbon fiber rods. They also make the notes more even.

I think it would be no problem, but it depends on the the weight and stiffness of the wood. I'm milling a stack of soft maple for drawer boxes, and some of the boards are as light as pine, while others are as heavy as jatoba.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Note that "soft maple" is a market term and not a species designation. There is considerable diversity among the group. Although nearly any wood can be used for a neck with carbon or other stiffening / strengthening elements, the strength and stability of the underlying wood is important. Of the "soft maples" your best bet is Eastern Red Maple, and specifically the upland variety called "White Maple" by the woodsmen. However, it may be hard to identify or find out what you have in your sights. You can tell a lot by tapping it on its end and listening to the tone. Clear and high is a stiffer piece. Also look for evidence of spiral grain, which will lead to twisting of the neck over time. Maple makes a fine neck if chosen well.

Speaking of poplar Im playing a Gibson Nighthawk 2011 which is the curly maple top with a poplar back (maple neck)…
http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric ... Specs.aspx
I was blown away at just how close this guitar can come to the tone of a LP even with the smaller body, and the 25 1/2" scale and 5 way selector yield some nice Strat tones as well… It has a set of Burstbuckers and a rail pickup in the middle.. two coil taps also help achieve the Strat tones.. But the most amazing thing is the poplar back and maple cap are extremely resonant together and you can feel the ring against your body, its quite pronounced ..
Im thinking of experimenting with this combo polar/maple cap in different body styles myself.
Ive seen people get mixed results with Big Leaf maple caps on guitars, with some sounding great and some sounding dull and dark.
Be discriminating, and pick some nice tight grain… and by all means let us know how it goes.
cheers
charlie