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The title say it all. I got a free board of soft maple (curly) which is big enough for a few necks. It is quarter-sawn (most likey flat-sawn, but the grain lines up as if it were quartersawn). I plan to put two strips of purple heart or walnut in the neck (possibly a little of both). Im just curious about soft maple as a neck material. Im worried that it wont have any sustain and that it will lack balls. -Alex

Even though softer than Sugar Maple, it still has density in the range of most Mahogany. In fact much denser than Most of the Bigleaf Mahogany I've been seeing. I would likely use Red Maple before I would Silver or one of the other soft maples, but that is just my preference. Any should be up to the task and make a fine neck.

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Brian

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

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've used it on plenty of necks. It's called "soft maple" but it's still plenty hard.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I used it on this guitar. I cut it in half and laminated a strip of reosewood in the middle. This neck is so stiff I'm having a problem adjusting the truss rod.

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Here is a good link that describes the different densities of different maples.
http://www.wood-database.com/wood-artic ... oft-maple/

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Another day, another dollar.

No worries about using it in necks - actually you might be surprised how many of the maple necks you start seeing these days are actually western or soft maple..
If it can be used in archtop neckss and its used in many many archtops,,,, it can be used in other applications as well.
Its funny - I met local supplier to PRS and Gibson yesterday,(I live in BC) and was surprised to hear how much "soft" maple goes to these factories..
Cheers
Charlie

I'm not surprise at all. The necks for Fenders and other guitars are sold as "maple", and whenever they use hard maple, they make a big deal out of the "Premium Hard Rock Maple" neck

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Old growth, shmold growth!

It should be noted that PRS and Gibson are using Western Big Leaf maple for the tops of their guitars, not the necks. They still use mainly mahogany for necks.

Putting my word nerd hat on for a minute, there are two species commonly called Eastern Soft Maple. They are as follows: Red Maple, acer rubrum; and Silver Maple, acer saccharinum.

Western Big Leaf maple (acer macrophyllum) is softer than Red maple, but harder than Silver Maple. Of course, Eastern Hard [Rock] Maple (acer saccharum) is the hardest of all of these. Word nerd hat off again, except to say that if you are in doubt about what you are buying, drive your wood supplier around the bend until he gives you the botanical name.

As far as "Premium Hard Maple" goes, it sounds like maybe just extra nice Hard maple, which is the standard for Fender guitars and their many imitators. Maybe the grain lines are tighter, or straighter. Maybe just a buzzword.

As far as using Silver Maple for necks, Seagull uses it for the lower five of its seven guitar series'. I would say go for it.

I made a neck out of what I think was poplar recently. Really soft stuff. It worked out fine. One of these days I'm going to make a neck out of the weakest wood out there and see if a good truss rod is all you need to straighten it out.

Irving
I recently bought what I consider one of the best sounding electrics Ive ever heard, and it plays like a dream - its one of these dreaded Gibson Nighthawks, mine was a Nighthawk 2011, which has a poplar body and a maple drop top on them ..... it resonates like a mother and even without a sustain pedal, it rings like a bell.... with my compression sustainer on its notes are neverending....
Many people hate em, the bodystyle - I personally think that they are reminiscent of an old lapsteel... and kind of dig em...
Im personally considering making a couple electrics with poplar core and drop tops, with a thin mahogany back cap for durability,,, double bound.
I think that poplar really gets poo-pooed as a tonewod as it is cheaper wood .....
in fact there were so many complaints about the 2011 nighthawk having poplar backs that they switched up to all mahogany in thier models for 2012 - whatever the reason for the switch I really dunno but this is what Ive heard it was....
anyhoo - anyone else out there that wants to increase the sustain in thier elec guitars ... poplar might be worth foolin around with - and like I said its cheapish, so it wouldnt cost a fortune to try it out.. it dings pretty easy hence my plans for a cap and back.
cheers
Charliewood

I know this thread is about soft maple for necks, but I thought I'd chime in and say that I love poplar if the instrument is going to be a solid color. Nothing at all wrong with it. And I think Fender,Music Man, and a few other companies would agree. Not to mention I know a lot of bass players who love the stuff.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Hold on, you bought a pre-made guitar? - just kidding. I think the Nighthawk is a cool design. My next build will be made from Chinaberry again: massive vibrations and sustain. However, I may check out Poplar.

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