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To roast or not to roast?

G

guitardan

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 29, 2011
Messages
141
Location
S.E. Michigan
Okay so I'm considering buying a Cutlass HSS, and finding about a $400 difference between the standard necks and the roasted (RS's).
Never had or played a roasted maple neck, but I've owned a 2017 Cutlass SSS so I know what that is like. Looking for opinions / recommendations if it's worth the extra $$ to go roasted.

Thx - Dan
 
Roasted is nice, but I'm not sure how much material difference you'll notice. Cosmetically it's nicer and perhaps a little more stable. But $400 is $400.

I usually make these kind of decisions based on whether I think it'll be a keeper or not. If it's a keeper, what's $400 over the long run?
 
For me it's the oil and wax finish that makes the difference. Yes, I love my roasted neck, but I have lost no love for the standard maple neck on my silhouette special. The color of the maple doesn't make any difference to me when actually playing. Having said that, one of my guitar students has a 2017 Cutlass with the satin finish neck and it's really nice an' all but I'm always happy to get back to my oil finish neck. If the Cutlass RS was only available with a satin varnish instead of the oil and wax finish my decision to buy may well have been different.
 
Right, the original Cutlass & StingRay guitars with normal maple necks had a thin satin clearcoat finish on them.
The new Cutlass RS & StingRay RS guitars with roasted maple necks have the infamous EBMM oil/wax finish.
 
This is completely random and completely aesthetic, but if the neck is flamed, I like roast. If it's birdseye, I like unroasted. Though I wouldn't turn a roasted birdseye down. :)

Given the choice between satin finish and the oil and wax rub, on the other hand, I'm going oil and wax every time. I love the satin finish on my BFR, and it's about the closest you can get to the oil and wax, but the oil and wax is hard to beat.
 
I have a jp150 with a roasted neck and it is the first non-Floyd for me to hold tune. This thing is rock solid. I put it down to the super stable neck.
We had some really hot days here and it was the only guitar in my collection that didn't need its tuning tweaked.
So I would say if you have the money go roasted.
 
As an owner of both I'd tip the scale to the roasted because they are delightful to play, plus, the fingerboard edges (at least on mine) are smoother on the roasted. However, the satin finish necks are great too - the finish is quite thin and require less maintenance too. Too bad you can't play one of each then decide.
 
Roast all the way! Looks cool and supposedly more stable in the long run, as pretty much all moisture is sucked out. At least, that's what I've read.

What color Cutlass are you thinking of getting? That could be a decider on if the roasted would look better or not. Always remember that in the rock and roll world, image is everything! :)
 
Thanks guys for the feedback. Good points all around. My AL-HH w/ it's all Rosewood neck oil and wax is my favorite guitar, and like I said I had a 2017 Cutlass SSS, and probably the only reason I didn't keep it is because I really need an HB in the bridge. I've owned 2 different Luke II's and they were BEM oil and wax. Also pretty awesome feeling and playing. There are 2 RS's I'm watching on Reverb one Vin Turquoise, and one Firemist Silver. Both are really nice looking. I'm going to visit my local CG and Guitar shops to see what they have and play a few.
Thx - Dan
 
Roasted neck for sure! The roasted flame maple neck on my JP15 is just something else. Plays like butter (not saying that the others don't).

At the end, I think it's personal preference. If it's an EBMM guitar, I don't think either would disappoint!

Good luck! Cheers!

Sent from my Redmi Note 3 using Tapatalk
 
I have 2 with roasted necks and have to say they are as smooth feeling as it gets. That said, the oil and wax finish on the JP6 has this sort of raw, natural feel that I think I like more...on some days...It's a tough choice but I don't think you'll be disappointed either way.
 
Found a great deal on a B-Stock Charcoal Frost Cutlass RS HSS with a rosewood fret board. I do favor the rosewood over a maple FB, so that became the deciding factor for me. Best of both worlds! Thanks for all the input. It should be here this week : )
 
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