Jazz strats

[Clint 55]

Bruh maple has the tone. It feels solid as eff. I think it's pushing the amp harder cuz it's so solid! Assembled this guitar and put the pickguard in that u saw on page 1. I have 4 now. The only one left to assemble is the tele. I went to 12s and 13s, feels epic.

[Clint 55]

The fam with a recording. I played 1 chorus with each guitar: Minis, 59s, PC/Lipstick, Fralin/Dmz.

[JB_From_Hell]

Have you tried an unfinished roasted maple neck yet?

[Mincer]

Have you tried an unfinished roasted maple neck yet?

I'm gonna try that on my next project.

[JB_From_Hell]

I'm gonna try that on my next project.

It'll ruin you for regular maple.

[Clint 55]

I haven't tried roasted. Is it good? I just get regular because it's less expensive and I'm happy with the sound.

[JB_From_Hell]

Roasted doesn't need any sort of finish, and gives it this awesome kind of honey brown hue. My 8 string has a roasted maple neck, and it's absolutely divine. A local guy I know has some awesome old Fenders ('62 Strat, '60 Tele) with the finish worn off the necks naturally. He's had the Strat for like 30 years, and it feels a lot like the roasted necks.

[Clint 55]

Regular doesn't need finish either :P Roasted looks way cooker tho. I just get regular becuase of the price. All my necks and bodies are pretty sturdy except the basswood. The basswood is the only one that is a bit fragile. It sounds awesome tho. The maple body is like playing a stone, it feels and sounds so good. The attack is all quick and precise.

[Mincer]

Actually, un-finished maple has a history of not keeping shape and absorbing all kinds of dirt and stuff from your hands. It isn't that it is impossible to work, but it will look funky and might not work over a long period of time.

[Clint 55]

My oldest neck is about 4 years old and it's doing pretty well. I don't notice any signs of premature wear besides a little dirt that I can just sand off with 220 every year or 2. It's the one on the mini hum strat.

[JB_From_Hell]

4 years really isn’t that old. I also love the feel of raw necks, but on a non-roasted, I still put on a couple light coats of oil then periodically apply Burt’s Beeswax. Speaking of, if you haven’t tried that, it’s pretty incredible, too.

Slight tangent- I used to sand and steel wool until the neck was smooth as glass prior to oiling them. Recently, I’ve found that they feel better if I stop sanding prior to glassy smooth. If there’s a bit of texture, that means less surface area contact, and less friction.

[Clint 55]

I prefer that feel also, 220 or 320.

[Mincer]

On my Ernie Ball neck, I sand with 600, then 1200, then use Birchwood Casey Gunstock Oil. It feels unfinished, but it isn't.

[JB_From_Hell]

On my Ernie Ball neck, I sand with 600, then 1200, then use Birchwood Casey Gunstock Oil. It feels unfinished, but it isn't.

Get a bottle of Burt’s Feed & Wax and put that on after the oil.

[Mincer]

Get a bottle of Burt’s Feed & Wax and put that on after the oil.

I also clean the neck before I sand with Murphy's Oil Soap. It is a regimen that is suggested by the folks at Music Man, which generally have the best feeling necks from production instruments.