Benny Mack
TDPRI Member
Very excitedly picked up a new Musikraft neck for a '68 tele-inspired build. My first order from the company. Need to say the purchasing experience was excellent. Got some great info over the phone from Scott before ordering, and the neck was made, shipped, and at my mailbox within 4 weeks of ordering. No complaints about the quality of craftsmanship. To be clear, this isn’t a “complaint” thread/post. I don’t like how the fretboard looks, but I’m really more curious as whether it’s actually unusual, which it seems to me. Thought I'd share pics & hear peoples' thoughts on maple fretboard grain!
After unboxing, my eye was immediately drawn to the grain across the fretboard, especially the island of dark grain around frets 1-2. I have grain patterns on my other fretboards and don’t mind them, but this ‘birth mark’ of darker wood especially just bugs me. I know this is totally aesthetic (I’m not worried about warping, tone, etc.), and I’m probably nitpicking because I just spent a bunch of money on a custom neck that doesn’t look like the picture that was in my mind. However, I can’t recall ever seeing a standard flat-cut board this distinctly… patchy? I’m wondering if that’s because this would typically be graded down by manufacturers based on appearance. Is this more common than I realize? My question isn’t about whether I should be upset (that’s based on my tastes) but whether I’m wrong to be surprised, and if in fact this is pretty normal. Any other grainy boards out there?
To be clear, I realize that timber is unique, maples vary, and every cut is different. Luck of the draw. One person's 'character' is another's eye sore. It has lots of character all over—the shaft is also an interesting cut with noticeable flaming on the treble side only. I suppose what I’m realizing is that my eye isn’t drawn to this kind of asymmetrical character, lol.
NND is still a happy day, and it feels great (though heavier than I was expecting). 2-piece, rock maple with slab maple cap, SS frets, compound 7.25-9.5 radius, V-C (88-95) profile. The full but not-too-chunky V-C is really nice. Everything’s made to spec and feels great in hand. The frets are quite level, but the ends need dressing—as expected. Overall, it’s a lovely piece of wood to hold, and I’m sure will be to play after finishing.
After unboxing, my eye was immediately drawn to the grain across the fretboard, especially the island of dark grain around frets 1-2. I have grain patterns on my other fretboards and don’t mind them, but this ‘birth mark’ of darker wood especially just bugs me. I know this is totally aesthetic (I’m not worried about warping, tone, etc.), and I’m probably nitpicking because I just spent a bunch of money on a custom neck that doesn’t look like the picture that was in my mind. However, I can’t recall ever seeing a standard flat-cut board this distinctly… patchy? I’m wondering if that’s because this would typically be graded down by manufacturers based on appearance. Is this more common than I realize? My question isn’t about whether I should be upset (that’s based on my tastes) but whether I’m wrong to be surprised, and if in fact this is pretty normal. Any other grainy boards out there?
To be clear, I realize that timber is unique, maples vary, and every cut is different. Luck of the draw. One person's 'character' is another's eye sore. It has lots of character all over—the shaft is also an interesting cut with noticeable flaming on the treble side only. I suppose what I’m realizing is that my eye isn’t drawn to this kind of asymmetrical character, lol.
NND is still a happy day, and it feels great (though heavier than I was expecting). 2-piece, rock maple with slab maple cap, SS frets, compound 7.25-9.5 radius, V-C (88-95) profile. The full but not-too-chunky V-C is really nice. Everything’s made to spec and feels great in hand. The frets are quite level, but the ends need dressing—as expected. Overall, it’s a lovely piece of wood to hold, and I’m sure will be to play after finishing.
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