maple necks warp without a proper finish....

[Chickenwings]

at least that's what it says on the warmoth site, so they wont warranty any maple neck without a hard finish...
But musicman do oil finishes on the axis maple necks and they seem to hold up fine. In fact, people rave about how nice the necks are...
So whats the deal?

[JOLLY]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

I was just reading that and thinking the same thing about my EVH Wolfgang and Charvel the other day. I came to the conclusion that they just want you to pay them to put on one of their finishes.

[Aceman]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

Any neck can warp.

MAple is harder than most

Warmoth is just CYA

[Chickenwings]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

or maybe they are just covering their asses...
i guess if an aftermarket neck warps over time tho, its not that expensive just to buy an new one and repeat the process! Mebbe warmoth just don't want 20 year old warped necks returned to them which i think is fair enough.

[Chickenwings]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

what is CYA ace?

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

or maybe they are just covering their asses...

what is CYA ace?

You already said it: Cover Your Ass.

And stop calling me "Ace."

[DarkMatter]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

Despite maple's density and hardness it is more susceptible to moving with environmental changes than many other woods. Most of the time, even with a thin oil finish they'll be ok. Double truss rod, good thick carve, and a hard fretboard help alot too.

[Chickenwings]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

You already said it: Cover Your Ass.

And stop calling me "Ace."

my bad. lol
can i call you veg?

[ItsaBass]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

I think they're mainly covering their asses, though it probably can happen with the right (or wrong, rather) piece of wood and the right/wrong humidity changes. I live in southern CA, which is pretty consistent in terms of humidity throughout the year, so it's not a tough environment on wood. I have played a bare maple neck, without any oil, even, for close to 20 years, and it plays great aside from the fact that it needs to be refretted, and it's a bit dingy. It even suffered water damage at one point. It split down by the truss rod nut, and I was sure it was a goner, but it dried up fine. It's the white '85 MIJ Strat in this pic:

[Megagwar]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

That's a mighty fine collection you got there. (Drool.......) love the '85!

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

my bad. lol
can i call you veg?

Many do. The rest call me Chris.

[Dr.K]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

Carvel necks are Quarter sawn. A Quarter sawn neck is less prone to warping. IDK about the others. Like Ace said, I bet Wamoth is just CYA.

[Mr. B]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

I had an unfinished neck from Warmoth warp really badly before I got around to finishing it once. Also had an unfinished body from Carvin crack right down the middle before I got around to sealing and finishing it.

[ItsaBass]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

That's a mighty fine collection you got there. (Drool.......) love the '85!

Thanks, man. It's now back to the way it was when I got it. Black three ply guard with EMGs. The neck project is still incomplete, and has been for over a year, because I'm lazy and have other projects going on. I'm refretting it, reshaping the truss rod plug to a more "vintage" shape, and then coating it with Tru Oil, or maybe just rattle can lacquer. The neck was the selling point of the guitar for me. V profile with a 7-1/4 radius and small frets, just like I like 'em! The red and blue Strats have variations of the same profile, and the same frets.

Here is a pic of what it looks like now:



(The 11-hole anodized guard is for sale, BTW.)

[Myaccount876]

Re: maple necks warp without a proper finish....

In reality, they're fine without a finish. And if a neck warps, there are ways of fixing it permanently or compensating for it. An oil finish would do just fine with maple as it puts something into the pores so moisture is more regulated and consistent; not affected by humidity as much. Just Warmoth trying to cover their assests incase something happens so they don't have to take the blame, and to sacre you to spend the ~$100 on a finish.

IMO Warmoth neck finishes are not worth the money because the 'satin nitrocellulose' finish is polyurethane, and it becomes glossy and dull very quickly.