Oak and/or Redwood Neck?

[paulskirocks]

In addition to having this huge 38 year old slab of redwood, I have quite a lot of 2x6 oak that has been stored for about 40 years... I caught the thread about using oak for bodies, and it being heavy, but can give good tones...

Can I put this wood to use in a guitar, other than tops of thinlines? I sure have a bunch of it...

I assume that redwood is too soft for a neck?? Has anyone tried making a 3 or 5 piece neck using both oak and redwood? Or, some similar combo of soft and hard wood?

What about an all oak neck? I will use a rosewood fretboard on whatever I make...

Thanks again, my first build is getting close...

[52Tele_lover]

Ive heard of people cutting the oak into 3 peices for a neck and spinning the middle peice around so its a 3 peice for strength, but you couled put rosewood in between the 3 peices. it should be strong enough but hopefully one of the more experianced guys drop there 2 cents in because they know way more than i do!

[chrisdUK]

According to here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_special Brian May's 'Red Special' has an oak neck, fingerboard, and body.
So it should be fine.

[originalmatthew]

yep, the oak should make fine bodies, especially chambered, and you could use it for necks too. I wouldn't use the redwood for a neck unless you laminate it. I made this guitar out of redwood scrap, all 3/4" thick pieces, and after about 4 months, the neck is still arrow straight.

[paulskirocks]

Originally Posted by originalmatthew

yep, the oak should make fine bodies, especially chambered, and you could use it for necks too. I wouldn't use the redwood for a neck unless you laminate it. I made this guitar out of redwood scrap, all 3/4" thick pieces, and after about 4 months, the neck is still arrow straight.

Ooooohhh... Nice! My intent would definitely be to laminate the neck, no matter what I make...

How does she sound?? Do you have clips??

[paulskirocks]

Originally Posted by chrisdUK

According to here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_special Brian May's 'Red Special' has an oak neck, fingerboard, and body.
So it should be fine.

Thanks for that! I have about 120 feet of old 2x6 oak to do something with...

[originalmatthew]

I don't have any sound clips. Surprisingly, she is very bright and responsive, and clean sounding. Why, I do not know, but I like it. :o) On another note, all the strips were glued with the grains alternating direction for strength and stability.

[thomo5150]

The was a Oak Telecaster body for sale a week ago, body was 6 lbs.

[originalmatthew]

This one is another "recycled" tele sort of that I build for another forums $100 challenge. The neck is 2 strips of oak with a piece of patagonian rosewood down the middle. I did not fill the grain in the oak, just sanded it out to a 2000 gr and used an oil finish. The neck has a very natural feel to it that is just slippery and awesome. Even though its made of scrap and junk parts, it's my daily player for now, it's just so much fun! Gawd I love cheap guitars! lol

[iansmitchell]

The taylor pallet guitars used a 1-piece oak neck, you'll do fine.
As for the redwood, it's strong or stronger than cedar, which can handle the tension of a neck(look up la sinfornetta, western red cedar top/back/sides/neck, by benedetto).

[originalmatthew]

The redwood scrap I used was from plain old Home Depot redwood decking. It scared me how soft it was, but I had all that scrap laying around. It was definitely NOT instrument grade wood. lol Instrument grade redwood will indeed be stiff and strong with tight, evenly spaced grain and could be used for necks.