Why do maple necks need a finish?
Maple is the most common neck and fingerboard material that is finished as it lacks the density and oil content of rosewood and ebony etc and is thus finished to protect it from climatic change and decay.
What is flat sawn maple?
Flat cut maple wood veneer is sometimes referred to as hard maple or white maple. It will accept stains and finishes well but is often finished with a clear coat that preserves the warmth and accentuates the color and beauty of the wood’s natural grain.
Do I have to finish a maple fretboard?
Maple however is always finished. The way it is finished is that the whole neck, fingerboard and frets are usually just sprayed with lacquer and the lacquer removed from the frets later.
Does roasted maple neck need a finish?
Where on a regular maple neck you might do 8-9 coats of oil, you can probably do 4-5 on a roasted neck and it will be just fine. So, the final verdict: yes it needs a finish, but it can be a lighter oil finish that anyone can do successfully.
Is maple or rosewood fretboard better?
Compared to maple the difference is notable, as rosewood will soften the sound, even for guitars with maple necks. This is one of the reasons some guitar players prefer Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters with the option of a rosewood fretboard. The rosewood takes a bright guitar and mellows it out a bit.
What is the difference between quarter sawn and flat sawn Maple?
The image at the top of the page shows a Quarter Sawn neck on the left and Flat Sawn neck on the right. In the photo, you can clearly see the direction in which the grain runs. Vertical grain pattern comes from Quarter Sawn maple and the neck on the right has a horizontal grain pattern, which is Flat Sawn.
Why is flat sawn lumber more expensive than quarter sawn?
Generally 60-70% of the lumber from a log is flat sawn. The rest is quarter sawn or somewhere in between. This makes flat sawn more widely available and therefore cheaper. Logs can be cut to produce more quarter sawn but the yield from the log is lower and therefore more expensive.
What does the vertical grain pattern on this neck mean?
Vertical grain pattern comes from Quarter Sawn maple and the neck on the right has a horizontal grain pattern, which is Flat Sawn. What does this mean for neck stability and where did the Quarter Sawn vs. Flat Sawn debate all start? Here’s John,
What percentage of a log is flat sawn?
Generally 60-70% of the lumber from a log is flat sawn. The rest is quarter sawn or somewhere in between. This makes flat sawn more widely available and therefore cheaper.