What a difference a neck wood makes...!

[Boleslaw Gers 666]

I changed the neck on my Dave Murray signature strat that I made from Rosewood to his preferred maple, and let me tell you: the difference in the hot rails from rosewood to maple is night and day. The bridge clean with rosewood sounds too shrill and earsplitting, but with maple it sounds smooth and very nice. The cleans overall are MUCH improved when you're using maple. But the difference I like best is the neck pickup. Dave's solo tone is that thick neck hotrail singing.... I love it. With rosewood it's pretty close, but with the maple I have nailed it! Wow! Anyone who has hotrails: be sure you're using maple fretboards. You'll thank yourself. Now I'm reconsidering my rosewood decision on my 59 Custom hybrid/Texas Hot RP/Texas Hot strat that I'm making. Should I switch that one to maple too?

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

wait, your saying the sound got thicker and more full with maple over rosewood...that's real odd since maple is known to be brighter than rosewood. hey, either way as long as you like the sound, GOOD!! oh and i like maple necks on fenders (and fender like strats and teles) better anyway, so good choice!

-Mike

 

[presa_tito]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

wait, your saying the sound got thicker and more full with maple over rosewood...that's real odd since maple is known to be brighter than rosewood. hey, either way as long as you like the sound, GOOD!! oh and i like maple necks on fenders (and fender like strats and teles) better anyway, so good choice!

-Mike

I was thinking the exact same thing....This can't be right.
Sometimes changes do have an unexpected effect.

 

[theodie]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

I changed the neck on my Dave Murray signature strat that I made from Rosewood to his preferred maple, and let me tell you: the difference in the hot rails from rosewood to maple is night and day. The bridge clean with rosewood sounds too shrill and earsplitting, but with maple it sounds smooth and very nice. The cleans overall are MUCH improved when you're using maple. But the difference I like best is the neck pickup. Dave's solo tone is that thick neck hotrail singing.... I love it. With rosewood it's pretty close, but with the maple I have nailed it! Wow! Anyone who has hotrails: be sure you're using maple fretboards. You'll thank yourself. Now I'm reconsidering my rosewood decision on my 59 Custom hybrid/Texas Hot RP/Texas Hot strat that I'm making. Should I switch that one to maple too?

????????
I just put an all maple neck on my strat instead of the old rosewood one and it had the oppisite effect.
?????

 

[FELIX57]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

wait, your saying the sound got thicker and more full with maple over rosewood...that's real odd since maple is known to be brighter than rosewood.

+1 thats wat i was gonna say b4 reading urs
+.5 tito xessive beat u to it

 

[JeffB]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

Well..IME, maple boards are tighter....and on hot pup...that really helps...it helps define the bass & treble frequencies...which can make them sound clearer...

however, it's also possible you jes got a much nicer /more resonant piece of wood than what was on it...

 

[MattPete]

Re: What a difference a neck wood makes...!

Maybe I'm wrong, but all my memories are of Dave Murray using a strat with a rosewood board.