Neck Wood Options
From plain white Maple to colorful tropical exotics, we offer a rainbow of musical instrument woods. There is no one "best" wood. The choice you make should be based upon your application and personal taste or preference.
Part of the beauty of wood is the uniqueness of each piece. There are wide ranges of color, striping, streaking, figure size, interval, etc. all varied by the touch of nature. Our pictures are for general reference only.
If you have specific appearance expectations, please contact our Customer Support team by emailing sales@warmoth.com or calling (253) 845-0403 to determine availability and price.
"Afra" Afromosia - Pericopsis elata
The short name is Afra - About the same density of Hard Maple with a very similar sound. Medium fine grained. Occasionally we find some of this wood quartersawn and offer it in neck form. This is a great way to get a darker look to your neck without a finish doing it for you!
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | Only on one-piece necks |
| No Finish Required |
Bloodwood/Satine - Brosimum paraense
We know this as Bloodwood because of its dark red color. A very dense, hard, tropical wood with a waxy, smooth feel. Super tight grain pattern almost like Ebony, this wood is super fast to play on. Extended sustain and brilliant highs. Truly an incredible clean looking exotic.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Bocote - Cordia elaeagnoiders
Often referred to as Mexican Rosewood, striking grain patterns are the trademark of this dense, smooth wood. The grain is very tight so the feel is extremely fast and luxurious. Because of Bocote’s dense nature, you can expect great sustain and nice attack. Along with the usually wild figure of light and dark brown stripes, light yellow and light green hues are not uncommon and add to the uniqueness of this fine exotic. Limited availability.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Brazilian Ebony - Swartzia stipulifera Harms
Also commonly known as Gombeira, Wamara, or Coracao de negro. Although not a true Ebony, the properties of Brazilian Ebony are similar. It is heavy, smooth, and dark, with a fast feel and great sustain. The tone is bright. The heartwood color can range from yellow to olive brown, to rich chocolate brown and sometimes a purplish hue, and will usually darken to a deep brown/black color with age and exposure to air and light. The sapwood features a sharp demarcation, and is a creamy white/yellow color. While this is not an endangered wood, it is not a commonly exported wood and is seldom seen here in the northern hemisphere.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Bubinga - Guibourtia demeusei
Fine grained and super smooth, Bubinga has long been a favorite of the discriminating ears of the famous. Used by companies such as Rickenbacker for fretboards and Warwick for bodies. As a bass neck, it brings bright midrange and a thick, well defined bottom. Bubinga is also a very stiff wood adding strength and stability to its list of assets. This is one formidable tonewood!
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Canary - Centrolobium ochroxylon
More properly called Arariba. What we've had of this wood is primarily a yellow color with deep red streaking. Canary has a density that is comparable to Maple with a tone that has a similar brightness to Maple as well. You can apply a finish or play it raw!
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Cocobolo - Dalbergia retusa
A true Rosewood species and gorgeous to behold. Unfortunately this extremely oily wood is difficult to glue. Worse yet, the dust is very irritating and toxic. Limited availability.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Ebony - Diospyros melanoxylon
Ebony has a smooth, fast feel, a bright tone, and fantastic sustain. Its inherent hardness has made it a preferred choice for fingerboards for centuries. It is especially well-suited to fretless necks. The pure black color most often associated with this species has become exceedingly rare. Today's Ebony is usually black with light brown or gray streaks, or dark mineral spots - beautiful in its own right, and still highly-prized by instrument makers the world over.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Ebony (Macassar) - Diospyros macassar
The distinctive chocolate brown stripes of Macassar Ebony are hard to miss. A beautiful wood for those wanting the feel and tone of ebony but a more exciting look! Lots of sustain, attack and stability from this dense wood and the feel is very smooth to the touch. Primarily used for fretboards but sometimes available for solid necks too! No finish required.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Goncalo Alves - Astronium fraxini folium
Very dense smooth texture with a waxy, fast feel. Color is tan with darker chocolate stripes (used by Smith & Wesson for pistol grips). With an articulate, clean, warm tone, Goncalo gets rave reviews for its overall well balanced tone and great looks. Primarily used as a neck wood, it mates well with Pau Ferro or Ebony fretboards.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Indian Rosewood - Dalbergia latifolia
Here we have the most popular fretboard wood! Indian Rosewood has the warm "rock-n-roll" tonality you've heard on many of the most famous rock albums in history. The warm tone is also a favorite amongst blues players. Rosewood contains natural oils so a finish is not required. The feel is also smooth and fast. Colors range from brown to dark purple to lighter purple with yellows and sometimes hues of orange and green.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Kingwood - Dalbergia cearensis
Affectionately referred to as "the wood of kings" and for good reason! From South America, this wood is very hard and dense with a fine, smooth texture to it. Sonically you can expect great articulation, fast response and ample sustain. Often the grain is highly figured and varies in amazing ways. Truly an excellent fretboard wood choice and a customer favorite.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Koa - Acacia koa
Koa comes from the Hawaiian Islands. Koa is similar to Mahogany in density and strength though it can look remarkable! Stripes of tans and brown can create interesting figure. Sometimes even flame figuring is available that really comes alive under a clear gloss. Koa sounds especially good when combined with a Pau Ferro or Ebony fretboard. Koa is highly prized in the wood market because of its limited availability, so it is expensive. Koa must be hard finished.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Korina/Limba (Black and White) - Terminalia superba
Black and White Korina both come from the same tree. Black is the heart or bottom of the tree; white is from the outer and upper part of the tree. In body woods, it is not uncommon to see both white and black in the same board. Though Limba is its true name, Korina is the name most guitarists recognize for this wood. Its light yellow-green color is unique and looks aged even though new. In both tone and texture Korina is very similar to Mahogany with just a touch more highs. Korina is only suitable for neck stock, not fretboards. Availability is limited or sporadic.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Mahogany - Khaya ivorensis
Commonly called African Mahogany. This is the wood most associated with Gibson guitars. Mahogany is known to provide the warmest, fattest guitar tones. An open grain wood requiring more work in finishing to fill the open pores. Usually a dark to medium brown with only subtle grain patterns.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Maple (Birdseye) - Acer saccharum
Birdseye is a type of figure found in Hard Maple. It shows best in flat sawn wood. There is a wide variety of sizes and shapes in the "eyes." Under a gloss finish, the Birdseye takes on a 3D look for a beautiful visual appeal. There seems to be a recurring rumor that Birdseye Maple is unstable and not suited to guitar necks. Having made tens of thousands of Birdseye necks, we can assure you that it is no different in stability than plain maple. AAA grade means the wood will be a bit more figured than our standard.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Maple (Flame) - Acer saccharum
While there are several maple species that show the flame figure, the only one hard enough for making necks is Acer saccharum. Identical to plain Hard Maple, except for the highly prized flame figuring. For even more flame figure, AAA grade can be requested. A different species of Flame Maple is used for body laminate tops.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Maple - Acer saccharum
This is the most traditional Fender neck wood. Dense, hard and strong, offering great sustain and stability. The tone is bright. Maple must be finished to protect from warping. The figure varies greatly and does at times contain some birdseye. Most often flatsawn with quartersawn available as an option.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Maple (Quartersawn) - Acer saccharum
Quartersawn Maple is easily differentiated from Flat Sawn by its straight, parallel grain pattern. A board cut from the exact center of a quartersawn section of lumber will exhibit grain that intersects its face at a perfect 90 degree angle. This angle in subsequent boards will decrease gradually, as they are cut progessively outward towards the edge of the section. The angle on the outermost boards is about 60 degrees. Though all are considered quartersawn, Warmoth uses only the best boards - those with an angle between 75 and 90 degrees - for our quartersawn necks. Quartersawn necks are prized by builders and players for their renowned stability. They have the same bright tone and quick feel as normal Maple. A finish is required.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Maple (Roasted) - Acer saccharum
Roasted Maple is maple that has been heat treated to remove sugars, moisture, and other impurities that can affect its stability. The result is a neck that is slightly lighter than normal and extremely stable. Because of its enhanced stability a finish is not required, making it the maple of choice for those who prefer the smooth, quick feel of natural wood. The roasting process also brings out a beautiful caramel color in the wood.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Padouk - Pterocarpus soyauxii
Bright vivid red color which oxidizes to a warm brown with use. With an open grain texture like Rosewood, the sound is very similar to Maple; well balanced and tight. It is very stable in use and requires no finish. Feels very natural to play on.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Palisander Rosewood - Dalbergia baroni
The color varies from light violet to darker purples, sometimes with darker stripes. The best smelling wood around. Very hard with a somewhat open cell structure. As with most Rosewood, the tone is warm and the natural feel is fast. Limited availability.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Pau Ferro - Machaerium villosum
An excellent dense, hard wood with a very tight pore structure. This means it’s fast, smooth and extremely durable. An excellent choice for fretless fretboards. Not only is it resistant to wear, but often the wood figuring is striking with variations in color from light tan to a dark coffee. The tone is brighter than Rosewood yet warmer than Ebony with plenty of articulation and attack. One of our favorite woods for fretboards! No finish required!
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Purpleheart - Peltogyne pubesens
The trademark purple-like color is striking and it is gaining in popularity. A very hard, dense wood for excellent sustain and similar to Bubinga in its thick, well defined bottom. Looks great combined with bodies sporting purple finishes!
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Walnut - Juglans nigra
Walnut is the only North American dark wood. It is somewhat softer than Maple though stiffer than Mahogany. The sonic properties combine especially well with Ebony fretboards. Under a gloss, the grain is very deep, thick and rich looking.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Wenge - Millettia laurentii
A black hard wood with chocolate brown stripes. Very hard, coarser textured wood with open grain and very stiff. This wood makes awesome necks with strong midrange tones and warm lows. Combine it with an ebony fretboard for added highs. Bass players will be wowed by the punchy-ness, and guitar players will be awe struck at the howling mid-tones of their solos. Playing-wise, the coarse grain translates to less surface drag for your thumb while sliding. So though it's coarse, it's actually very fast while playing on it.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Ziricote - Cordia dodecandra
This dark gray to brown to black wood is similar to Ebony in weight and density. Some pieces have gorgeous striping and spider web grain patterns. The feel is buttery smooth and slick. The density translates to great sustain with a nice, medium tone. Limited availability and a bit expensive.
See Wood Uses
| Options | |
|---|---|
| Shaft Wood | |
| Fretboard Wood | |
| No Finish Required |
Due to international restrictions, Warmoth is currently prohibited from shipping certain organic materials outside of the USA. These include Abalone, Mother of Pearl, Bone, Mahogany and Padouk. Please contact us for help in determining the best alternatives. Shipments of these products within the USA are not affected.