Anybody with an all rosewood neck?

[Drkorey]

What are your thoughts on them? Isn't the tone supposed to be close to mahogany?
Any drawbacks to them?

 

[squank]

What are your thoughts on them? Isn't the tone supposed to be close to mahogany?
Any drawbacks to them?

I own a few of them, and have owned >20 guitars with RW necks over the years.

They do NOT sound like mahogany necks. RW imparts more low end and a bright sizzle to the top. You can dial out the EQ extremes most of the time, but there's no denying that mahogany necks are just warmer sounding. The differences in tone are most noticeable when using high gain.

But unfinished RW necks feel absolutely wonderful. Nothing like them at all. Also, you need to be careful if you take them outside the U.S. and want to bring them back. Recent silliness with the Lacey Act, etc.

 

[Tone Zone]

I had one of those EBMM Axis Super Sport "Rosewood" models with a rosewood neck, rosewood top, and a basswood body. It had a darker tone than most guitars I've had in the past, but in a good way. I thought it sounded good in combonation with the DiMarzio p/u's that come in those Axis. The back of the neck was soooo smooth. It's probably the only guitar that I really miss. I would've kept it if I had the fingerboard shaved down to a 14" or 16" radius, refretted with stainless steel frets...but, in the end, I didn't want to spend the money to have it done.

 

[Drkorey]

squank - how does it react under high(er) gain? In general a good combo?

 

[Beardyman]

I recently got a Warmoth "Supertele" with a rosewood neck/ziricote fretboard, mahogany body. The guitar overall sounds "big". But it remains super clear, and articulate. It never gets muddy, and I use it primarily for metal. I attribute a lot of the clarity and warmth to the rosewood neck. Besides that its the most comfortable feeling neck i've ever played. My favourite neck wood by far, I think the feel alone is worth the cost.

 

[ibanez4life SZ!]

LOVE them! I have a EBMM JP6 with a rosewood neck, and a PRS Singlecut trem with a Rosewood neck. The feel is the biggest thing for me....SOO smooth.

I have a second rosewood neck JP6 for sale too

 

[bigangryguitar]

I have a PRS singlecut trem with a solid indian rosewood neck and it sounds killer for just about everything. It is a touch darker than a mahogany neck and adds a piano like timbre (subtle) to the sound. I agree with the others the feel is out of this world and it's why I will never part with this guitar. My singlecut has the PRS #6 pups in it that are typically really bright but are perfect in this guitar. I wouldn't shy away from it my friend.

_Shane

 

[squank]

squank - how does it react under high(er) gain? In general a good combo?

I find low output pickups the best match for a RW neck and high gain. It gives you the most flexibility when EQ-ing the amp. And you'll need to dial out some of the low end under high gain situations to avoid the muddiness.

I love my RW neck guitars, and the feel great to play. You can get good high gain tones with a RW neck. But it's easier with mahogany.

 

[Beardyman]

You can get good high gain tones with a RW neck. But it's easier with mahogany.

I'm going to have to wholeheartedly disagree with this. Of course this is completely up to preference, but I don't think a neck wood is whats going to make or break a metal tone. I personally love what a rosewood neck does for metal tones.

 

[Drkorey]

Thanks for the responses guys. From this and other research I've done, it seems like a pretty safe bet overall and each individual piece will be a little different in sound like any other wood.

Hey Shane hope things are well back in the land of snow, corn and Slipknot. I got back there this past summer to visit family and did a few sit in gigs with my old cover band - one was a "block off mainstreet" show in Story City for Scandinavian Days! - good times

 

[sandman]

adamofangels? i think is his name here on rigtalk...he had a warmoth all rosewood strat neck for sale in classifieds awhile back...might contact him if interested

 

[bigangryguitar]

Thanks for the responses guys. From this and other research I've done, it seems like a pretty safe bet overall and each individual piece will be a little different in sound like any other wood.

Hey Shane hope things are well back in the land of snow, corn and Slipknot. I got back there this past summer to visit family and did a few sit in gigs with my old cover band - one was a "block off mainstreet" show in Story City for Scandinavian Days! - good times

Korey, everything is great in Iowa. I have graduated to the cover band myself these days but i'm having a blast with it. My old drummer Jason from Angry Gods (also Dogtown) actually plays guitar in a great stoner rock band called Superchief now you should check them out. Their lead player is really good and is a gear whore like the rest of us

 

[squank]

You can get good high gain tones with a RW neck. But it's easier with mahogany.

I'm going to have to wholeheartedly disagree with this. Of course this is completely up to preference, but I don't think a neck wood is whats going to make or break a metal tone. I personally love what a rosewood neck does for metal tones.

Well, certainly tone is subjective. And I do think you can get some good metal tones with a RW neck. But there's no doubt that solid RW necks have a very strong impact on the tone (more than the body wood, in my experience). Mahogany has a warm openness to it that allows for big, clear distortion. Rosewood is more compressed, esp when you crank up the gain.

 

[the4thlast1]

I had a Prs with a IRW neck... I didnt care for the high gain tones with it. I tried a couple different highend pickups in there which did not help. The guitar sounded a bit messy on the lowend and had a sizzle on top I didnt like. Neck felt great to play but tone is just as important to me.

 

[JTyson]

I have a PRS Eagle (a very early one) with an unfinished Brazillian RW neck, it rings like a grand piano. I dont notice it having a hard time doing heavy tones at all, it does them with total conviction. Its the most resonant guitar I've ever played. I'm not sure how much of it is due to the neck vs the other parts, but its almost twice as loud acoustically as my McCarty's, and they are also very resonant guitars.
To each his own, but I'd get another BRW in a second if I could. The Indian RW honestly just did not ring like the Brazillian, at least the handful of them I've heard