Just a few small points...
None of the finishes used on guitars are hermetic. They will all allow water to pass and ultimately allow the wood to track the ambient humidity.
Maple necks of Fender design are typically flat sawn which orients the radial fibers front to back. This is good for keeping it from splintering when you pull out a fret. I believe Leo Fender's original reason, besides it being cheaper, was to keep it from being too stiff. He wanted it to pull forward under string tension for adjustment with a truss rod. However flat sawn is bad for stability against shrinkage causing fret sprout.
I think if you visit most Guitar Centers in the winter you can find plenty of Fender maple necks with fret sprout.
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