Advice in choosing which neck woods
 

Hi
First time post
I have a new guitar being made by Trevor Kronbaeur. I have a choice of a maple neck for a small jumbo. Can you help me by advising are there any nuances to a maple neck rather than the mahogany on my other guitars. What should I be expecting?
Looking forward to hearing your responses.
Neal

Hello and welcome to the AGF! I hope that you enjoy your time here as much as I do. It's a really great place to visit for guitar and musical information.

I do like my Breedlove neck, which is hard rock maple. I had always had mahogany necks on my other guitars and wasn't sure how I would like the maple, but I honestly like it the best. I have played other Breedloves with maple necks and find them to be very user-friendly.

I know that all the variables need to be considered, such as neck profile, fretboard radius, etc., and I'm sure that your luthier will help you with those concerns. I can only say that the maple necks that I have actually played have had a really great, stable feel to them.

Keep us up to date on which wood you decide on and on the progress of your new guitar!

I dont think the neck wood on acoustics makes much difference except weight. The guitar is naturally a head heavy instrument and when you add a maple neck it is more so. Having said that I think we can learn something from electric solid body guitars which do show a difference in neck wood. Maple gives a brighter tone with mahogany a warmer tone. So there probably is a little of that effect with acoustics. I like brighter tones but dont want the weight so I stick with mahogany. By the way I too am having a guitar built by Trevor. And yes with a mahogany neck.

There's maple and then there's maple. 'Rock' maple, AKA 'Sugar' maple, is indeed quite hard and dense. 'Soft' maple, also called 'Red' maple is not as hard. It's quite similar to European maple in density and hardness. 'Broadleaf' maple, from the Pacific northwest, is variable; most of what I've seen has been on the soft side, but some is harder, although I don't think it's as hard as 'rock' maple.

Maple has a reputation of being somewhat less stable than mahogany. To get around this it is often glued up in book-matched laminations around the center line of the neck, usually with a contrasting veneer. Any wiggle in the grain on one side that might cause it to warp in one direction is balanced out by an opposite wiggle on the other side. It's often possible to find planks of flat cut curly maple big enough to make such a neck, and this can be quite attractive.

All that is just informational; Kronbaeur has a good reputation, and I'm sure he would not knowingly put a bad neck on a guitar. Wood being wood problems are always possible, of course, even with mahogany.

I value your input and knowledge. Trevor had guided me towards s maple neck and I trust his wisdom and experience. However Im trying to learn and everyone's support is awesome. Im taking TK's advice in a custom build that will compliment my others.
I'm enjoying exchanging his knowledge of guitar building with my enthusiasm of roasting coffee and bee keeping.

Maple necks do have an impact on the tone of the acoustic guitars they're on. Everything else being as equal as you can make it, guitars with mahogany necks will generally have a warmer bass response when compared to similar guitars with maple necks. I've been fortunate enough to have been able to compare some Gibson guitars side by side, some factory stock with sunbursts and mahogany necks, others custom shop instruments in all-blond natural finishes with maple necks, and there's an audible difference.

A lot of acoustic guitarists are resistant to the idea of guitar necks having an impact on the tone of the guitars that they're on, almost certainly because it's so difficult to make comparisons. But folks in the business who routinely have their hands on dozens, even hundreds of guitars will tell you neck material has an effect.


Wade Hampton Miller

necked
 

I have as many maple necked guitars as I do mahogany. I also have one of Peruvian Walnut and another of curly ash. They all work well for me. The ash is heavier than the others. I feel the neck's contribution to the sound in an acoustic is minimal and other factors become more important in my view. Mahogany was traditionally used because it is relatively light. It is stable, was readily available and not particularly expensive (then). And it looks good and can be toned to complement other woods. It's a great choice for necks, but is one among several others which are potentially every bit as good.

Is the maple neck paired with a maple body? Almost every instrument I see with a maple neck is combined with maple back and sides. Be difficult to assess the tonal impact, if any, of just the neck in that combination.

No advice here. Are you choosing Maple for the neck to compliment or contrast the wood on the body of the guitar?

+1. Need more details about the rest of the guitar.

Thanks.
The body style is mini jumbo. Will have a mahogany b&s with adirondack spruce top. All solids. Will be for singing/strumming mainly.
Enjoying your responses. All helpful

The neck wood isn't going to have as much influence on the sound as the fret board wood which isn't going to have as much influence on the sound as the back and side woods which isn't going to have as much influence on the sound as the top wood.

I'd go with the neck that looks nicest.

Can't imagine a maple neck would look too good with mahogany b/s unless it is dark stained in which case you might as well get a mahogany neck