Norstorm
Well-known member
..does it have any playability benefits, or is it a more esthetic thing??
- Thread starter Norstorm
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joe web
Well-known member
a normal unfinished birds-eye mapleneck feels great and smooth, but the unfinished roasted necks feel a lot smoother as the regular ones. it´s really a step further...i wish all my guitars would have those roasted necks. 
meckintosh
Well-known member
The roasted maple of my JP BFR ist by far the most comfortable neck I have ever played. That is the thing to go for..for sure!
Norstorm
Well-known member
Unfinished necks, I would actually understand it.. Sanded dry wood ex.
But the painted ones..?
But the painted ones..?
Barny
Well-known member
Speaking specifically about the reflex I think it is really tough to say what the roasted maple adds tonally to the guitars as both runs have used other woods that are not part of the standard insturment but it adds something. So the first run had finished roasted maple necks with Ebony fingerboard, I find my reflex from that PDN run to be very bright and resonant and has a bit more twang than the normal rosewood/maple neck reflex.
The latest PDN reflex has the roasted neck, Pau Ferro fingerboard and the normally basswood section of the body is Mahogany instead, mine is about twice as resonant as all my other reflex guitars, it was set up identically to all the others from the factory but I have had to lower the pickups as the guitar is so resonant it was overloading the input on my normal setup. Also the guitar is 80% tonally different from all my other reflex guitars edging more in to LP'ish territory and it cuts through backing tracks like a hot knife through butter. This is currently my favourite guitar, hands down, no contest.
I personally think that the roasted maple adds something to the "wood chemistry" (as do all the other non standard woods used), the finished neck feels great but the unfinished on the latest PDN is the best feeling MM neck I have ever played. On top of all of that the roasted maple looks really cool as well.
The latest PDN reflex has the roasted neck, Pau Ferro fingerboard and the normally basswood section of the body is Mahogany instead, mine is about twice as resonant as all my other reflex guitars, it was set up identically to all the others from the factory but I have had to lower the pickups as the guitar is so resonant it was overloading the input on my normal setup. Also the guitar is 80% tonally different from all my other reflex guitars edging more in to LP'ish territory and it cuts through backing tracks like a hot knife through butter. This is currently my favourite guitar, hands down, no contest.
I personally think that the roasted maple adds something to the "wood chemistry" (as do all the other non standard woods used), the finished neck feels great but the unfinished on the latest PDN is the best feeling MM neck I have ever played. On top of all of that the roasted maple looks really cool as well.
Norstorm
Well-known member
Very interesting! Hmm...
jzeijen
Well-known member
If I have to describe the difference with regular necks in one word: Resonance!
Ok, Barny gave a pretty good description too..
Ok, Barny gave a pretty good description too..
Tollywood
Well-known member
Hello Norstorm,
I have a finished roasted neck (Black Sugar) and an unfinished roasted neck (Dark Lord). These are the best necks I've ever played. The guitars both sound amazing and the necks feel wonderful. I agree that they resonate quite well.
The finished roasted neck is on an Axis and my son has an Axis with a finished non-roasted maple neck. Both finished necks feel the same to me. I can't compare tone since the woods are so different, and he has a hardtail versus my Floyd.
It's the unfinished necks that feel so different: the roasted neck feels smoother and faster to me. It feels like an unfinished neck feels after you play it for 15 years or so (when they darken from years of playing). I can use household wall paint as an analogy: an unfinished non-roasted maple neck is like a flat finish, and an unfinished roasted maple neck is like a satin finish.
That being said, I highly recommend the roasted necks in either guise.
Good Luck!
- Bryan
I have a finished roasted neck (Black Sugar) and an unfinished roasted neck (Dark Lord). These are the best necks I've ever played. The guitars both sound amazing and the necks feel wonderful. I agree that they resonate quite well.
The finished roasted neck is on an Axis and my son has an Axis with a finished non-roasted maple neck. Both finished necks feel the same to me. I can't compare tone since the woods are so different, and he has a hardtail versus my Floyd.
It's the unfinished necks that feel so different: the roasted neck feels smoother and faster to me. It feels like an unfinished neck feels after you play it for 15 years or so (when they darken from years of playing). I can use household wall paint as an analogy: an unfinished non-roasted maple neck is like a flat finish, and an unfinished roasted maple neck is like a satin finish.
That being said, I highly recommend the roasted necks in either guise.
Good Luck!
- Bryan
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Barny
Well-known member
I have to admit something......I used some steel wool to take the edge of the finish on the finished roasted neck. I found it too sticky squeaky for my liking and a few quick passes with steel wool sorted out for me, I would never take the finish totally off but once you are used to the natural necks the finished neck was just too much (don't get me wrong it was great workmanship and quality just not for me).
musikarero
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2004
- Messages
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I have a Black Sugar AL with a finished roasted neck. I love the neck and apparently one of the few that prefer a finished neck over the oil/wax. As far as tonal benefits I can't say because it seems no matter what guitar I use I end up sounding pretty much the same.....LOL!
Tollywood
Well-known member
I love my finished neck, as is. I like that it feels a little different than the unfinished. I wouldn't change a thing about it.
jzeijen
Well-known member
mizzle
Active member
I keep on seeing roasted necks with rosewood fret boards. Are there any that are maple boards as well?
Nope, I agree 100%, I prefer the feel of the finished roasted neck over the oil/wax treatment. Not sticky at all and smooth as silk.
What hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and perhaps the main reason of roasting/vulcanising the maple is to bring about solidity and stability to the maple... i.e. more resistant to environmental temperature changes. Soundwise, I'm not convinced it makes much difference, there's always too many other factors on guitars to say if roasting changes the tone.
dannymusic
Well-known member
does the roasted neck require any ongoing maintenance? ...other than fretboard oil?
DrKev
Moderator
No. Same finish as a regular EBMM maple neck. Treat it the same way.
coldsummer
Well-known member
I have an AL HH with rosewood neck and an AL HH PDN with a roasted neck and Pau Ferro fretboard. The std AL has a more 'organic' and vintage vibe whereas the PDN has a more focussed and tighter tone. Both are amazingly comfortable to play, the roasted neck is undoubtedly smother in feel. I couldn't say one is better than the other but if I had to choose only one then it would be the std r/w but that is probably more to do with the overall tone than the feel of the neck.
FWIW, I love them both and to me they sound and play twice as good as some of my other make guitars which cost twice as much. Go figure
FWIW, I love them both and to me they sound and play twice as good as some of my other make guitars which cost twice as much. Go figure
guitarp77
Well-known member
Roasted = heaven
