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im just getting the body done on my current build and ready to order supplies for the neck. Im building a sitka spruce and figured koa back and sides body and think it would look good with a maple neck bound with koa and headstock veneered with koa top and back. I dont really see acoustics with maple necks on them is there a reason why? I was going to use rock maple from lmii. would i have to do anything differently like add carbon fiber rods or anything. my necks usually end up on the thinner side I would say so would i have any issues?

I've built a few acoustic guitars with maple necks. No reasons against it at all. In fact I believe it has a positive influence on the guitars tone. It's a lot harder to work with though that's for sure, especially if it's curly maple. IMHO carbon bars are not at all necessary but an adjustable truss rod is. I think that combo of maple and koa would look great.

It is harder to cut, and it can make the guitar neck heavy if you are not careful. Other than that, I have no issues with a maple neck on an acoustic. They sure look good when they are done!

We make and sell plenty Maple necks -- so do the high end factories and builders. A solid Maple neck may be a little unusual, but muti-wood laminated necks can be stunning. One suggestion I would make is to use a two-way rod. I had one project I built straight as an arrow using our normal Martin style SATR -- thing was even under tension the darn thing stayed "straight as an arrow" in other words I had to take extraordinary measures to get the required relief.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

The last guitar I built has a very curly big leaf maple neck (claro walnut back and sides). I like it a lot. I found it only a little bit more difficult to work with than mahogany. When jointing the sides of the neck blank, orientation was very important when running it over the jointer on the curly faces. When carving the neck, I had to let the wood tell me when to use a chisel or a rasp, but shaping the neck was easy.

The guitar is not neck heavy. According to the Wood Database, the average density of big leaf maple is 34 lb/cubic foot. The densities of African and Honduran mahogany are listed as 40 and 37 lb/cubic foot. Hard maple (Sugar or Rock maple) is listed as 44 lb/cubic foot so not much heavier than those mahoganies.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I have done a couple Maple necks, both for the same client. This one with curly figure I use carbon bars plus truss rod and they are very stable. Nice contrast with the African Blackwood back and sides. As stated above it is a bit harder to work but worth the extra work.





Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I/ve used soft maple and sycamore for necks , slightly harder carving in these woods . than spanish cedar or h mahogany BTW mistakes in shaping , scraping, sanding etc stick out more . So one has to be more diligent in checking over the details very carefully

I've made a couple maple necks for my luthier customers using wood they supplied and haven't heard any complaints. I imagine that as import restrictions get tighter and tighter this will be more and more normal.

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