New Valentine - Is this a neck crack?

[Clyde]

Or just a streak in the wood grain? It's kind of hard to tell because there are similar looking streaks on other parts of the roasted maple neck but this one is much bigger and coming right out of the neck pocket. The surface is smooth over it though. I think that since this BFR neck has binding, the neck has a thin satin coat. What do you think? Thanks!

 

[Fro]

It doesn’t look like a crack to me. Looks like the wood grain .

 

[BrickGlass]

Looks like wood grain to me as well.

 

[Mick]

mineral streaks
http://www.woodcraftind.com/downloads/WoodcraftIndustries-Wood-Characteristics.pdf
page 26

 

[Clyde]

Thank you, all. Just wanted to be sure. Loving my new Valentine.

 

[tbonesullivan]

You can see the other mineral streaks in that neck. They are very common in flamed maple, especially when it's from the Michigan/Indiana area.

 

[spychocyco]

I can see why it would cause concern, but it looks like wood grain to me. In the wide shot, I see some other similar streaks in the neck.

 

[Johnny Alien]

In the first photo it looks like a crack to me. In the second it does not.

 

[banjoplayer]

mineral streaks
http://www.woodcraftind.com/downloads/WoodcraftIndustries-Wood-Characteristics.pdf
page 26

this is a good read. thanks

 

[Vadauco]

Loving my new Valentine.

Now post some pics of her, so we can love her too!

 

[Astrofreq]

I think that neck is gorgeous!

 

[Clyde]

Now post some pics of her, so we can love her too!

Gladly!









The neck feels fantastic and I'm loving the tones.

 

[Cutlass Chris]

Beautiful guitar mate. (In response to your original post - it looks like the wood grain to me)

 

[jones4tone]

Pretty! (love the grain on the back... And that neck is really special) Her sister lives at my place. Great guitars. Congrats!

 

[johnnyboogie]

Epic neck, congratulations!!

 

[Clyde]

Thanks y'all! Appreciate the compliments. I'm very happy with it. That's really cool that you have one of these too @jones4tone. Only 44 others have them.

After I bought this BFR online I was a little remorseful and kind of wished I'd gotten one of the standard Valentines. After purchasing, I read somewhere that when the EBMM fretboards have binding that the edges weren't rolled and were a bit more squared off. Additionally, I had assumed this guitar had the standard gun wax oil on the neck (which is talked up so much) but this guitar has a thin satin finish instead. After getting it though, I don't have any regrets. The fretboard edges are a little more squared than they are on my cutlass, but the fretwork is so good and apparently that's what matters. Running my hand up and down the fretboard feels so smooth. The satin neck feels fantastic and is super easy to move around on. The frets are dead level. I really like that the fretboard feels very roomy in the higher registers on this guitar. I read somewhere that while the width of the neck at the nut is 1 5/8, that it widens to about the same width as a Les Paul at the 12th fret. Perhaps that combined with the narrow frets give it the roomy feel. The body shape sits very naturally in my lap and the guitar hangs well on a strap. The pickups sound fantastic. I was surprised at how clear the neck humbucker sounds. The single coil in the bridge is fairly hot and avoids sounding thin.

I see why these EBMM guitars are addicting. This is my second now but I definitely see more in my future. I'll probably have to wait a while before getting another but that should give me time to figure out which one to pick. So many enticing options. So hard to pick.

 

[jones4tone]

The Valentine in general is a great guitar, and these bursts are especially great in my eye. There was one of these burst BFRs on the workbench, not yet fully assembled, in a picture that BP posted here as a tease just ahead of Winter NAMM 2017. At the time, it had a parchment pick guard on it, and I immediately fell in love with that guitar. The wait from then until late spring of 2018, when this model was finally completed, just seemed like forever, so much so that I ended up with a trans-maroon Valentine (one of the original 4 colors, but now discontinued) in the meantime. I love that guitar, too.

I'm glad to hear you're loving yours! Enjoy.