Revelation with maple necks...

[Edward]

Maple is stiffer than mahogany and doesn't deflect when tuning up/down.

I don't ever play in alt tunings, but have for a long time now kept certain guits half-step down for "those" songs: a strat, tele, a dred, for example.  Well with Fenders, these are maple necks so never gave the difference any thought.  But my Taylor 210 has been that half-down guit 90% of the time, and occasionally bring it up to standard.  But for a few days now, I've tried my other DN with maple neck (which is always in standard) at half down and there is zero felt difference in neck relief.  When I go back and forth with the 210 (mahogany neck), I always felt the slight diff, but never really think think twice about it.  Now I notice! 

None of which is a game changer or anything ...just an interesting observation that struck my geekiness.  That I can change tuning with a maple-necked acoustic and feel no difference in action, but with a mahogany neck tuning down/up changes action a hair.  And for those of you who do play with alt tunings, perhaps this is a consideration for ya.  Happy Saturday, all!  And have an awesome Presidents-day weekend ...may you do something that celebrates freedom! 

Edward

[donlyn]

Edward,

Thanks for posting. I have 3 maple neck guitars, and while this info may not be useful every day, you never know, so I will file that away in my brain for a rainy day.

My guitars with maple necks include my maple laminate bodied Alvarez AJ60S, my maple laminate bodied Epiphone EJ-200, and my solid maple bodied sunburst Epiphone J-200.

Be well,

Don

 

[Edward]

Hey Don,

Yeah, food for thought, anyway.  Like I said, I'm not making any changes due to this revelation: my DN (maple) will still be my standard tuning guit, and my 210 still the half down guit, especially since I keep the 210 at half down 90% of the time so I simply tweak the TR for that and leave it.  I figured this finding may help someone who switches tuning regularly, so a maple-neck guit may be a help to that player. 

Edward

[Earl]

I don't have any guitars with maple necks, but I certainly believe you.  Several of my carbon fiber guitars do not have truss rods, and the ones that do virtually never get adjusted.  These guitar necks simply don't change perceptibly when working through the 6-7 tunings that I regularly use (the lowest being CFCFAC = taro patch F) or when changing from light to medium gauge, or when using using heavy gauge (59-14) tuned down to C or C#.  My goal with those changes is to keep the overall total tension about the same as lights. 

My Rainsong WS-1000 generally wears mediums and stays tuned D-d, as you say for "those" songs.  My guitar student and I actually just changed to this lowered tuning for his lessons.  It is easier for his voice when he sings the songs he has chosen to learn.  I have now gone as far as using my Emerald X30 jumbo as a short-scale pseudo baritone.  It is wearing 68-15 strings and tuned B-b.  A new nut to was needed to make that work.  Those are fairly light gauge for baritone tuning, and I really should take another pass on making a new nut for best setup.

When people ask here about lighter tension strings for easier play, the first thing that I always suggest is tuning down a half-step to Eb, rather than changing gauge.  That takes the typical light gauge set from ~165 pounds of total tension and drops it to ~150 pounds or so.  Much easier on the fingers.  That MAY require a minor truss rod tweak, or maybe not..... and probably not with a maple neck.

[DennisG]

I have a 114 (tuned to open D) and an 814 (tuned D-D) that I've put medium strings on to compensate for any tonal deficiencies and neck-relief issues.  In the two years these guitars have been tuned down, I have not needed to touch the truss rod which, actually, has surprised me.

[Strumming Fool]

Perhaps a bit off topic, but I'm very impressed with my 614's maple neck with its hand-rubbed stain and satin finish. It feels closer to mahogany than any maple neck I've ever played/owned before. Thanks Taylor!