Koa Neck?

[Diminished Triad]

I've noticed that Warmoth offers a large selection of neck woods when ordering other than vintage necks (which is what I've always ordered in the past). The Warmoth strat options for neck (non-vintage) include 10-14 compound radius, and Koa wood for the neck. I've played just a few koa-bodied instruments (one guitar and a few ukuleles) and aside from the ukulele never a guitar with a koa neck. The koa guitar sounds beautiful, and I'm wondering if anyone has experience at all with a koa neck? I'd be using either rosewood or ebony as the fret board on a koa body guitar. Schaller Floyd Rose tremo w/ locking nut..........and either SSL-1 or psychedelic '69 pickups out of custom shop.
Every heard or played a guitar with a koa neck?
Thanks!

 

[kilphody]

Re: Koa Neck?

I would put Koa close to rosewood tone-wise. Somewhat warm lots of mids. Get a Macassar eb board, the long grain w/koa looks killer. Too bright? Use your tone control w/ a 10 band eq.
PC

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Koa Neck?

Thanks! Will look at that...

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Never used Koa as a neck but I would say warmer is the tonal characteristic that comes to mind. +1 To the Macassar Ebony board for a killer combo!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Koa Neck?

Here comes the science bit. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/koa/

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Here comes the science bit. http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/koa/

Cool website!

 

[dystrust]

Re: Koa Neck?

I've played a few vintage B.C. Rich guitars with Koa necks. They were all neck-thru, so this may or may not apply to a Strat. Tone-wise I'd say it sounds generally like mahogany, but slightly brighter. Weight was about the same a medium mahogany, and lighter than the boat anchor stuff.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

Koa sounds a lot like korina if you've ever played a korina neck. It is slightly more middy than mahogany with a touch more articulation.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Koa sounds a lot like korina if you've ever played a korina neck. It is slightly more middy than mahogany with a touch more articulation.

I was curious about Korina as a neck–doesn't look like Warmoth has it available right now but they do have it listed as "sporadic" for neck material.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

I was curious about Korina as a neck–doesn't look like Warmoth has it available right now but they do have it listed as "sporadic" for neck material.

Korina is extremely soft but so is mahogany. Korina is even softer than mahogany though so it can dent pretty easily but still, the tone is good if you take good care of it.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Korina is extremely soft but so is mahogany. Korina is even softer than mahogany though so it can dent pretty easily but still, the tone is good if you take good care of it.

Spruce and Cedar are very soft too but they sure sound awesome!

I've always been intrigued by Korina--think it would make a killer guitar for a Korina body and neck with an Ebony board.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

I love my Warmoth with the chambered Korina body! I do not have a Korina neck on it though, just wenge with a ziricote fretboard. It's an awesome guitar though,

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

I love my Warmoth with the chambered Korina body! I do not have a Korina neck on it though, just wenge with a ziricote fretboard. It's an awesome guitar though,

I have a wenge pickguard that feels like it would be an aweomse fretboard material–intrigued about it being a neck material. How does it feel/respond?

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

I have a wenge pickguard that feels like it would be an aweomse fretboard material–intrigued about it being a neck material. How does it feel/respond?

It feels very alive, you feel the notes jumping off the neck as they vibrate through your wrist. The touch is smoooooth and fast. I often refer to it as a voodoo neck. The tone is unlike any other wood. Sure, it has a a middy tone but unlike bubinga, purpleheart, ziricote and other middy woods there is a howling mids tone in there. It's eerie almost and you really hear it on solos. Even though it has big lows they are very tight and focused so it's really a tone monster IMO. Very responsive wood to dynamics too, it's almost sad I have a ziricote fretboard on it because that smooths it out a bit.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

It feels very alive, you feel the notes jumping off the neck as they vibrate through your wrist. The touch is smoooooth and fast. I often refer to it as a voodoo neck. The tone is unlike any other wood. Sure, it has a a middy tone but unlike bubinga, purpleheart, ziricote and other middy woods there is a howling mids tone in there. It's eerie almost and you really hear it on solos. Even though it has big lows they are very tight and focused so it's really a tone monster IMO. Very responsive wood to dynamics too, it's almost sad I have a ziricote fretboard on it because that smooths it out a bit.

Very very interesting...sounds like I need a Wenge neck lol Sounds like Ebony would be good for it...or do you think I'm crazy? lol

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

Nah, you're not crazy at all. Ebony and wenge go together like peanut butter and jelly man. I think Mincer from around the SDUGF has a wenge and ebony neck and he loves it.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Nah, you're not crazy at all. Ebony and wenge go together like peanut butter and jelly man. I think Mincer from around the SDUGF has a wenge and ebony neck and he loves it.

Haha! That is good to hear! lol I didn't know if that was along the lines of what you were thinking or not.

I was going through many acoustics (such as my former Gibsons J45 and AJ...still kinda wish I had those lol) that sounded almost perfect but something was just slightly off. A friend of mine had a Martin HD28 and I was like bingo...the Ebony board completed it for me. My current Warmoth project has a Mahogany neck and Ebony board, looking forward to that!

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

Haha! That is good to hear! lol I didn't know if that was along the lines of what you were thinking or not.

I was going through many acoustics (such as my former Gibsons J45 and AJ...still kinda wish I had those lol) that sounded almost perfect but something was just slightly off. A friend of mine had a Martin HD28 and I was like bingo...the Ebony board completed it for me. My current Warmoth project has a Mahogany neck and Ebony board, looking forward to that!

Honestly, I am really tempted to try a wenge neck with a wenge fretboard in the future.

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Koa Neck?

Honestly, I am really tempted to try a wenge neck with a wenge fretboard in the future.

Could they do a one-piece Wenge I wonder...although from what we talked about before, some say a glued slab is stronger than a one piece. That would be very interesting though!

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Koa Neck?

Wenge is so incredibly strong that I don't think you'd have any structural issues no matter which method is used to make it