Official Luthiers Forum!

Alright, everyone! Let your opinions be known! I recently completed guitars #2, #3, and #4 and I have 2 soprano ukes who's finishes are curing right now. I began work on a baritone uke, but it just isn't keeping me busy enough. So it's time to start #8! I've been wanting to build a nice parlor guitar and am thinking of using claro walnut with an adirondack top. I've been trying to decide what kind of neck I should use and I can't seem to make a decision. I haven't logged much playing time on a parlor, so I don't quite know what kind of feel or sound I'm really for. I have an old parlor built in the 1800s that I keep at my parents house, so that's about the only one I've really played. Anyway, that's enough rambling. So far, I've built with mahogany, sapelle, and spanish cedar. I'd like to try something new, but not something very difficult to work with. My neck carving skills are still developing. So, under my circumstances, what might you use in respect to weight, visual appeal, and workability?

I would add walnut to the list. Easy to work and easy to get.

_________________
Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I've used walnut for a guitar neck and I agree. Cheap, flat-sawn black walnut laminates into a good neck, and not too heavy for your parlour project, either.

Cheers
John
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I would throw in Cherry & soft maple also.
Mc

_________________
Mike Collins

If you really don't want to use mahogany (my favorite for sure) you could laminate some walnut that matches the color of you back and sides. A nice 3- or 5- laminate neck is a really nice look, with the stripe going down the neck. Also is very stable - by neutralizing any tensions in the wood by cutting and gluing back together as a laminate. I've used Peruvian Walnut in neck laminates and like it.