chocolate maple

[csd]

so..... what is this chocolate maple neck thingy goin' on!??
more to come when?? can you give us a little??!!!??? huh huh please huh can you?

[markus]

I've actually seen it. Very cool! And it tastes great too!

[tom]

you know us, we always make some guitars with new stuff then play them for a good long while to see if it's something we really want to get into. since last january we've been playing around with some maple, from our regular maple supplier, that has been treated with a heat process that turns it a lovely chocolate brown through and through. it also gets some other fun properties along the way. i've been working one into my regular giging rotation to see if all the claims held true. we're about ready to start releasing it so roy, when he gets back from vacation, will be revealing more news about it.

[sylvanshine]

My guess is something similar to this...

http://themusiczooblog.blogspot.com/...1_archive.html

[markus]

I think you got it all wrong, Jay! I believe it's more like this:

[tom]

i have heard of a couple different processes that sound similar but the one above is not the one we're using. the weight is not substantially changed on the wood we have used. i did speak to a wood guy from canada about "cooked" maple a while ago. this is a different process but the moisture stability is certainly a part of both.

[Fender58]

Originally Posted by markus

I think you got it all wrong, Jay! I believe it's more like this:

That's awesome.

[dave]

are you trying it for both neck and body, tom?

[tom]

hard maple body = bad.
he is trying the same process on some lighter softer woods, but i'm not sure it's something we really need. not so much demand for dark brown body wood.

[Devnor]

What's the verdict?

I have a guitar coming with this style of wood; but they are calling it vulcanized maple. It should be here before the seven string order window closes. I'm really curious...more like concerned with the tone, color and esp the smell of this new wood treatment.

[darren]

Sounds interesting!

[tom]

i always hate to make a blanket statement without lots of pieces for reference, but so far it sounds like maple, and seems very stable to the elements. i have one here that has no finish on it and we've had some crazy dry weather and it has not moved. the other has finish on the back but a bare fingerboard. also not moving. i would like to do them with naked fingerboards but finished back and headstock.

[darren]

Would a colour-matched headstock face be an option on a guitar with an opaque finish?

[SonicGator]

Originally Posted by darren

colour-matched headstock

Yes, this.

[tom]

on chocolate, yes. cause it's dark and looks like a dark fingerboard.