Busted: Aaron Breaks a AAA Roasted Flamed Maple Neck!

Learn more about the 720 Mod here: warmoth.com/guitar-body-neck-...

[@ChickenJoesToes]

Props to your QC team for spotting a hairline crack. Better they find it than an unlucky customer

[@alexbasson]

Wood glue is generally stronger than the wood itself, so it makes sense that the heel cracked rather than the fingerboard separating from the shaft.

[@shazbotgaming7576]

Can confirm, worked at a cabinet shop. Glue will defeat hardwood easy.

[@geraldhenrickson7472]

Some wood glue can be.

[@hkguitar1984]

Also, figured woods are no where near as strong as straight grained examples. It could be the figuring of that maple compromises the strength. Generally, I've heard it said that for a rock solid/stable neck one should stay away from figuring and chose instead straight grain.

[@DrKevGuitar]

@@hkguitar1984 That's an old internet myth. Decades of experience and customer service data from guitar makers all over the world, and nobody has stopped using figured wood because it less stable.

[@DrKevGuitar]

@@geraldhenrickson7472 Yes, if the correct glue for the job is correctly applied and the surfaces correctly prepared and clamped while the glue sets. Otherwise, no, the glue joint can fail quite easily in the worst case.

[@martymcfly002]

Roasted maple is a pain to work with for chipping, so not surprising that the neck crack occurred there!

[@j_freed]

I would pay extra for a naturally seasoned piece of maple, probably takes decades. But it's better stuff.

[@patrickduguay8]

Very interesting and informative. I will have to remember to take this into consideration for my next build. I didn't even realize that on some guitars, the pickguard will go under the fretboard as shown here. Something to be aware of.

[@AudreyYun]

i JUST got my first warmoth neck a couple days ago. i used to think eh a neck's a neck just make sure it's set up properly and play away. but as soon as i unboxed the warmoth neck my immediate reaction was "WOW" just the attention to detail and quality every little thing was spot on and as soon as i put it in my hands it just felt different i was blown away!

[@michaelb.42112]

There's some weird stuff they use in the water at Warmoth. Every Warmoth neck I play pulls riffs out of me I didn't know I had.

[@stevechambers500]

I love super high grade flame. I have an all maple Warhead neck from you guys that I found in the showcase last year. I chose a clear gloss finish which really made the flame pop.

[@robbysguitars8223]

I ordered a neck from you guys. Birdseye maple all around with abalone dots and markers and a satin lacquer finish. You all have a good name for great necks and, so far, I have to agree. The neck is curing and almost ready to flat sand and polish. I wanted the classic gloss lacquer finish over the whole thing. It's turning out beautifully. I did, however encounter only a couple of things that might need attention. I ordered the neck with a Tusq nut already installed and paid extra for my laziness. As soon as I looked at the neck, I could see that the nut slots were a bit shifted to the high E side. By a strong 1/32". Sounds small but if you play some double bending vibrato on the high E, you're in danger of falling over the edge. I'll handle that situation. The only other annoyance were the fret ends. This was not a cheap neck. Dudes, they were pretty sharp. I realize that's a job that's hard to keep up with in a high production environment, but there's got to be a way to make the fret ends a little more friendly for the price. The praise i have for you guys is various and heartfelt. I moaned about the fret ends, but the frets themselves are really, really well leveled and polished. I rocked the whole neck and I didn't find a high one. That's huge! I'll trade the work I did on the fret ends and the nut for a flat fingerboard. Give the nut guy and the fret end guy a spanking and send them back to work. I'll take pics of the finished neck. Good luck to a great American company.

[@michaelkennedy2190]

That was a beautiful neck! Thanks for sharing the love my brother 🙏

[@andresilva8444]

I like the 720 idea and I would trim a pickguard to have it.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

The videos here are some of my favorite guitar nerd/geek/freak/fiend/addict videos, which I always look forward to watching - appreciated. No "fire and lightening" (leave that to electric car batteries, they seem to be exploding and burning all over the place!), but an interesting and informative video anyways - thanks man. The neck on my 2011 Squire CV Thinline (Nashvillized) is a little thin for my liking and poly finish too thick, so I'm going to see what Warmouth has available to fix my neck problem. Necks are SO important to a guitar's playability and tone, even more important than the body - no? My cool mahogany Squire CV telecaster has great pickups now (Fender Texas Specials), and with a better neck it will make an awesome guitar. I prefer nitro, but the body isn't as important, and that thick poly makes the beautiful mahogany pop. I'm sure I'll want to make an entire guitar in the future, this neck will be my first purchase from Warmouth, who I've been following and lusting after forever. These videos always wet my appetite...........!

[@patrickkish6662]

Aaron, I just got a rockin' feathered mullet cut. No fear, dude. I'm making it my own. There's always time in rock, to rock. Thanks for everything you do. Best face man in the biz. Without question.

[@warmoth]

Hockey-hair is poised for a comeback! Mark my words! :)

[@patrickkish6662]

@@warmoth Marked, bro...Marked😁

[@americanjoe5486]

One of the first things I do when setting up a Nick bolt guitar is the bud off the end of the screws about a 16th of an inch this stops for one thing pushing up the Fret that's directly underneath of it

[@davedupuis2069]

In my experience roasted wood is a bit more brittle than normal so I'm not surprised that the heel split rather than seperation the fretboard. Wood glue is VERY strong, it's pretty amazon actually. Good video!

[@maxmustardman298]

My thoughts exactly

[@everennui1]

I had never heard that before. Good to know. I heard roasted wood was better for weather acclimation though. Anyone know about that?

[@davidrees1840]

Is it funny or worrying to imagine that autocorrect changed 'amazing' to 'amazon'?

[@rogerio_guitarist]

You guys are awesome. This is off topic but I hope you see it: I sooo wish you would expand the options on the neck pockets to add more ergonomic flanges, like on the newer Charvels or the likes. I own a Warmoth guitar, but I'd own quite a few if you offered that option. It would make it really hard to buy anything else. All the best.

[@valgrathblak]

Very interesting. Another use of the 720 mod would be like in my case, where I had a Kramer neck that I shaped so it fits in a tele pocket but the heel was a couple mms higher, the gap would be too big. So I ordered a body with a 720 mod and now I have the normal gap between the body and the fretboard as I would with a fender/warmoth neck and no 720 mod. Worked great.

[@robertturtle]

I have been having a recurring dream in which I find the my guitar's neck is becoming loose from the body, or the headstock joint is cracking. Def not a good feeling, but I hope this video will have some therapeutic effect LOL. Thanks for sharing, always very interesting material.

[@jackp8583]

Sad that the neck was already defunct. Price of doing business, huh? Aaron as always, these bits of info are priceless. Thank you! 👍✌

[@warmoth]

Yep. It sucks, but it is indeed the cost of biz when you are dealing with organic materials.

[@morbidmanmusic]

This video revenue more than made up for it...

[@davidcook8323]

I just placed an order for my 2nd Warmoth neck. The first neck is just perfect, playing as stable as can be. I didn't have much money so it has no pezaze. The new one I've ordered has everything I've always wanted in a neck. Flame maple neck and fretboard, both 3AA. White pearloid edge band. Mother of pearl double blocks instead of dots etc etc. Can't wait to see it.

[@tool14me]

Lol...every fiber of my being was like "I could fix that neck...nooooo"! All good guys...cool way to make us pay attention to the disclaimers on the page for sure. Will save peeps a lot of $$ in the end.

[@Fotosaurus56]

I just ordered a roasted flamed maple neck with 22 frets to replace a 21 fret Fender maple neck. Thanks for the heads up.

[@TubeAmpNut]

Learned this lesson the hard way about 15 years ago. Had a nice USACG strat body and a Warmoth modern construction neck break off right at the 21st fret. Vintage modern necks work fine with USACG strat bodies but not modern construction - at least in mid/late 2000's.

[@sonicobsessions947]

I use to plug maple dowels where the neckplate screw will go on the neck because some roasted flame maple necks just crumbles and sre brittles

[@j_freed]

The loud wood crack happening when you turn off the camera is why you always have a secondary device like an old iPhone recording continuously… it's also a fantastic backup when your camera mic has died and you were just shooting for an hour.

[@loaf3273]

Somewhere in the multi-verse that neck is making sweet sounds. They also have baby formula.

[@2swecompany]

Hello Aaron! You should make a video about non-recessed and recessed Floyd Rose routes - and the different alternatives for a floating or dive-only setup. I was informed of a 'Off-menu' option for getting the non-recessed route without a angled pocket, and it would be interesting to learn which alternative to choose for which application.

[@ricksigurdson2016]

Also have seen it happen from installing a custom metal pickguard that was almost twice what the original was. Very similar damage to what you caused got us to see. Repair was new neck with flush cut fretboard. Got to keep them playing.

[@sublimingmule6356]

I actually own a Jackson with a 720 neck pocket, I pulled 2 of the pickups out of it, and wanted to cover the holes with a custom pick guard, so I took it to a local tech, who didn't realize the 720 pocket, so he cut the pick guard for the pocket, and put it back together. Luckily, there was no damage when he put it back together, I just brought it back and had it cut around the pick guard so everything fit nice. No issues, it looks awesome, and doesn't have a bunch of ugly pickup holes in the top of the body. Win win, and lesson learned. Double win win.

[@sublimingmule6356]

I noticed because the setup was terrible with the pick guard underneath the fretboard, so the neck angel was wrong and notes choked out on the 22nd fret

[@jamesrobinson529]

I remember reading a very old article about Warren DiMartini, quite some time ago. I believe it was either Guitar Player or Guitar World magazine. The article stated that during Warren's early career, he used to rummage through Charvel's garbage for parts, as they couldn't afford new guitars. Just sharing a memory...

[@funnycy]

Can I get a deeper neck pocket option like 720 mod in custom bass bodies ?

[@Mark70609]

Funny hearing about people wanting the fingerboard just above the body. I prefer the neck to be higher up on a Strat so my fingers don’t strike the body of the guitar when strumming, also the knobs and switch is lower down and I have less risk of striking them as well. I wonder when more guitar electronics will happen? Yep, the effects of copper insulation, as well a notable internal guitar electronics such as active tone controls etc. I was wondering if there will be any comment on Friedman guitars using dowels to position their necks so they don’t move? Then there is the matter of using inserts and threaded bolts instead of the traditional wood screws.

[@4stringz.]

Hey Aaron! In the next Q&A, can you explain and show an example of “drop-top binding”? Thanks! 🎸

[@yjmsrv]

Chatoyance! I love people who actually know what the flame is called! You're the man Aaron~

[@SuperBriansmoke]

I’ve used ‘Chatoyance’ at work to describe wood figure, and received numerous odd looks from colleagues!

[@jamesfetherston1190]

Flame and chatoyant are often related, but not synonymous. Flame is the of figure, chatoyance is the variation of the reflectance of the cells that give extra dimension- which is evident when seeing the surface from different angles.

[@yjmsrv]

@@jamesfetherston1190 Completely true- however most people don't know "chatoyance" is the refective, 3-dimensional quality that they're seeing- the flame is the actual path- but the 3-d effect is called chatoyance. It's the cat's eye or tigers eye we'd see in "cat eye" marbles as kids- it's also what gives it it's apparent "depth" is is really an illusion. But a beautiful one! Correct me if I"m wrong here- I'm no expert- but know the term and was impressed that Aaron did too! As a guitar builder one should know what chatoyance means.

[@autodidacticprofessor869]

I can see where a person would want the neck to go lower into the neck pocket and even mod the pick guard to get it there but Ieft mine alone. I only sanded enough to get the fretboard flush with the pick guard to get the action and bridge height as low as possible but when you put a Floyd on a regular Strat, it simply isn't going to go into the recess. Better to have a higher bridge than to ruin your guitar trying to get it there. :)

[@rebelbusiness901]

can mahogany be used as fretboard... and what are the pros & cons of using it as fretboard /fingerboard.... loved your efforts ❤❤❤

[@robinhaag3417]

.@ warmoth got a question how close would a tele sound in a 24.075 scale length with the classic Les Paul wood combo if it was compared to a Les Paul ?

[@warmoth]

I believe you could get them to sound close IF you also use a TOM/stoptail bridge. I feel that is an important part of the LP recipe.

[@maryannmoran-smyth3453]

Roasting Maple necks Makes the wood more brittle and prone to cracking Which is why I’m not a fan of roasting guitar necks because it makes a great neck wood not so great when it comes to drilling holes and putting tension on the wood in the way of screws and mounting hardware it could be an issue so tread lightly….. Great show as usual… Keep on rockin…

[@soursnatch7108]

It'll still make a good towel bar, send it to me!!!

[@iOnRX9]

I didn’t know you guys did roasted aaa flame maple necks

[@dragongoff]

Along with a difference in tone, there've been reports of roasted necks cracking when screwing things onto it. Must be something in the process to where the wood doesn't assimilate the drying process and becomes brittle in places.

[@warmoth]

I talk about this very thing in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGPVYoF8q7hrf9E

[@obican]

For a moment I thought you were going to test whether a roasted neck is more brittle than a regular neck.

[@Furtheronmusic]

I wonder if it broke like that because it was roasted. Roasted necks seem more brittle to me when I've shaped them

[@warmoth]

Seems likely, for exactly the reason you mentioned.

[@JohnShalamskas]

That would also imply that roasted necks are more rigid than normal necks, which would impact the tone as well as reducing the need for a truss rod.

[@RickMcCargar]

I was hoping to replace the roasted maple neck on my sweetwater select American Pro strat that came with jumbo frets. Love the neck..but would prefer the same neck with rosewood fretboard...Fender doesn't sell that combination. The best part is the size and rounded fretboard edge. I contacted your company...and they don't round the fretboard edges. Seems like a very common attribute now on even inexpensive guitars from Asia. Any chance you plan to do it in the future?

[@warmoth]

Here is a blog post that explains our approach to rolled fretboard edges, among other things: warmoth.com/blog/warmoth-fret-installation

[@wilhelmtheconquerer6214]

Is it possible to custom order a neck with tilt-back construction when it's not available on the website? (I was thinking about a tilt-back slapshot neck, to be even more specific)

[@warmoth]

I know we can do certain headstocks in a tiltback version even though they are not specifically mentioned on the website (Warhead, e.g.). However, I am not sure about the Slapshot. Send an email to [e-mail] and they will be able to tell you for sure.

[@CaliRaftDude]

"Always press record, always press record!"

[@garybrady9531]

it wasn't easy to watch it being abused that way but it was already DOA thank you for the video and handy knowledge

[@skinball]

I’ve been waiting on my roasted maple CBS Jaguar/mustang neck/fretboard for over a year now, I only ever got a confirmation of purchase.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Over a year... there is a problem then. Call them.

[@staleyexplores]

any chance ya'll will be opening a retail spot in puyallup anytime soon, I'm in Tacoma, just curious if I could come in person and buy a neck/body/parts. cheers and ty for all the great work!

[@warmoth]

Nope, no plans to ever do so. All our sales are via the website for the foreseeable future.

[@staleyexplores]

@@warmoth bummer, ty

[@ronmorey3475]

I'm sure the fact that this is roasted maple made it that much more vulnerable in this situation. Thank you for the demonstration! I feel bad for those who had this happen to them. Hopefully others see this and avoid the tragedy.

[@warmoth]

Yep, agreed. If it had been regular maple the outcome would likely have been different.....but just as tragic!

[@valentino3191]

Everyone that I’ve let play the builds I’ve done with your parts always comments about the quality of your company’s products.

[@Barney5G]

You should play the Black Keys “Busted” as an intro for this series

[@HighlineGuitars]

I find it mildly amusing how people think flamed Maple is so rare and exotic.

[@liamtahaney713]

I remember in my high school gym it was all over the floor boards hahaha

[@morbidmanmusic]

We don't, but we acknowledge that it is somewhat rare on most guitars for some reason. And less so, in higher quality. ... for whatever reason.

[@fanoboss]

somebody get that man a cordless drill

[@parker97boy]

Please do an episode on travel restrictions in rosewood and why certain inlays cannot be exported to other countries

[@kennethmeeker6369]

Has warmoth ever made necks for fender ? I know you did Pacificas for Yamaha.

[@WAMilyFamily]

Watching you screw the neck on was like watching someone blow up a balloon until it pops.

[@warmoth]

lol

[@beepas]

can i put your pickguards on a fender jag?

[@smith981]

'59 Roundback fan in here before you!

[@chillpillology]

do you need a special low profile bridge for the 720 mod? or is there enough adjustability in the saddles to use a normal strat or tele bridge?

[@warmoth]

IME the 720 mod works best with bridges that can have a "recessed" rout. AKA Floyd Rose and TOM. On bridge that can't be recessed you can run into an issue where the saddles can't be lowered enough for low action.

[@chillpillology]

@@warmoth thanks!!!

[@mattcopeland2386]

Has Warmoth thought about doing another Peel and Play event? It was so fun watching the guitars people received.

[@warmoth]

It was a ton of fun, but won't be happening again any time in the foreseeable future. Our paint dept is so swamped right now that we don't have time for anything extra. I don't see that changing for a year or more.

[@BrantleyAllen]

I did that with a neck recently. It was this exact scenario and I just didn't know.

[@warmoth]

Gah! I'm sorry!

[@kaptainskarlett9927]

It’s for more than Science; it’s for Music!

[@warmoth]

Indeed!

[@zbaby82]

Nice looking rosewood. I don't trust roasted woods. I think it makes the wood more brittle.

[@thetownspeople6486]

Hey are you the guy from the Doobie Brothers? Oh Black Water, keep on rollin’

[@chrislestermusic]

I just did that to a neck I bought and it indeed did break the overhang part of the fretboard. Bummer.

[@warmoth]

NOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo.......

[@MixingGBP]

Wood glue is much stronger than native wood. I would almost always expect the wood to fail and not the glue joint, assuming the glue joint was done properly that is.

[@rb032682]

@Warmoth - Great video. I love the look of roasted, figured maple. Are roasted woods prone to more defects such as the hairline crack in this video?

[@warmoth]

I wouldn't say they are more prone to defects, but it is certainly more finicky to work with.

[@xF1revolution]

the wood becomes more brittle, so make sure you aren't stressing/forcing anything

[@rb032682]

@@warmoth - Cool. Thanks for your reply.

[@rb032682]

@@xF1revolution - Thanks for the info. I'm an old man. Everything I do is stressing or forcing something; it can't be avoided. lol

[@xF1revolution]

@@rb032682 You'll be fine. Drill your pilot holes square and definitely lube your neck plate and tuner screws with some wax!

[@zyxwfish]

I have an idea for a video. Build two identical guitars as far as wood and pickups but put a tune o matic on one and a fixed hard tail on the other for a tone comparison video.

[@CaptainRudy4021]

As far as the 720 mod goes, why is it a bad idea to get the 720 mod for a guitar with a bound neck?

[@warmoth]

Great question! It is because the binding is thicker/deeper than the fretboard. This means the clearance at the 22 fret overhang won't be big enough.

[@onewiththings]

Those are the same sounds my knees and back make when I play live and do all my rock n roll moves. Fortunately, the pickups don't hear those and send them to the amp.

[@warmoth]

I feel your pain!

[@michaelogden5093]

I use the whole buffalo too. I use my bad playing on most of what I play. No waste.

[@warmoth]

LOL!

[@IamHubertus]

(Please forgive me if this is the wrong place for video suggestions.) How about some videos showcasing interesting customer orders? I’m waiting for my first order from you guys and would be interested to see how other customers have gotten creative with your extensive “menu”.

[@michaelb.42112]

You guys at Warmoth should have the COPS theme music playing ! WARMOTH F@*CKING RULES the bass world.

[@thisisshaun1]

Point 1 you should have added in a Hollywood explosion that would have been cool. Point 2 how about some fancy strat type book ends with the bodies that are no good, like the horns.

[@waynestuntface]

And there's me thinking he was gonna do a Pete Townshend !!!

[@chuck672]

Bonus points for referencing Brad Gillis....it shows our age....and taste. 😎

[@davinci8388]

perhaps quartersawn wood will minimize such thing to happen

[@Axman66]

+++ omg that hurts so bad+++

[@RedArrow73]

G & L neck pockets, Aaron? Maybe G & L necks?

[@BradleyWilloughby]

Aaron needs some therapy after this. I could feel the sorrow in his voice every turn of the screw.

[@warmoth]

Hahaha...I've needed therapy for a loooong time.

[@AmateurMusicianJourney]

I like your long hair, Arron. Give me back the vintage way!

[@warmoth]

Haha.....I'm working on it every day! ;)

[@shable1436]

Send it to me, I'll fix it 😂

[@zeppo20]

What profile is that neck?

[@charlief.]

Hi Aaron, does Warmoth sell any damaged parts that have subsequently been repaired for a discount?

[@kodykindhart5644]

Y would they pay to repair them Just to sell at redudced price???

[@charlief.]

@@kodykindhart5644 Because they can still make money from it. Guitar manufacturers do this all the time. It’s called a factory second.

[@kodykindhart5644]

Can’t make money if you have to pay labor to fix … also don’t want rep on line for defunct parts Sure other industry can benefit and have much bigger margins and markets to handle such things

[@charlief.]

@@kodykindhart5644 I don’t understand what your deal is. Yes, other guitar manufacturers do sell repaired guitars that were damaged in factory and make money. Don’t know what Warmoth’s margins are, so that’s why I asked.

[@kodykindhart5644]

Who what? I don’t deal I shoot straight 🤣

[@robphillips8351]

Would it have cracked if it weren't roasted maple? Roasted being more stable but unroasted more flex and give

[@clockwork914]

Blinded me with Science S C I E N C E❗️❕❗️

[@SuperBriansmoke]

I have a very similar Warmoth flamed roasted maple neck on my main guitar. It was fretted to my specs with Jescar Gold frets and it’s in fact perfect. This did make me cringe.

[@JRLopez13]

Jumbo frets right?

[@Psichlo1]

I watched a video recently of a person that ordered a Warmoth replacement Fender neck for his strat. I didn't realize that Warmoth doesn't dress the frets on their necks. This really made the decision a no go for me. I can't see paying the price of a new neck and then have to pay for a fret level and polish on top of that. I had dreams of doing my own Warmoth build, but I think I will just stick to what I've got. Interesting and informative video though.

[@warmoth]

The vast majority of Warmoth necks are playable as-is. That said, a level and polish will only make them better. It's always best to do fine fretwork after the neck has been installed and allowed to settle in to the tension of the strings, the new climate, etc. Do it before that you'll just end up paying for it twice.

[@robphillips8351]

Ouch said Mr rosewood to Mr maple which Will say uncle first!

[@michaelsilva3513]

I would have bought that neck at a discount of course

[@HiHello-ku1fl]

I feel the neck could have been saved. I wouldn't have damaged it in this way to show what not to do. Just telling folks would have been good enough. I would have did a give away of the neck with a warning that it has the tiny fissure or crack up top. Might have been just fine..

[@Eric_S]

Roasted flame maple is weaker than the glue and rosewood. I figured thatʻs why Warmoth talked me out of doing a skunk stripe one piece construction for a two piece-both in flame maple. Too much danger of chip outs when cutting the skunk stripe channel, I reckon.

[@helixworld]

Warmoth don't offer their modern style necks with skunk stripe, you have to specify vintage/modern if you want a skunk stripe. Nothing wrong with them either.

[@rastan17]

Beautiful neck Aaron! But... Not a good idea!...😄But I understand you're very professionnal and serious and perfectionnist! ^_^👏😎

[@ziggylayneable]

You don't look too bad with the haircut man

[@warmoth]

Haha....thanks. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.

[@zeusapollo8688]

@@warmoth cooler

[@deanallen9660]

Unsellable? I'll give you $100!

[@craigparse1439]

OUCH!!

[@TepidJean]

Roasted maple would sure pair nice with sage green, don’t you think Arron?

[@warmoth]

I admire your tenacity, but it's not going to happen any time soon. :)

[@TepidJean]

​@@warmoth ok, Fine, Olive Green would look nice too. We love you guys!

[@ethaneriksen2707]

I see Warmoth ended up hiring Aaron's shorter-haired twin, Darin.

[@warmoth]

LOL.

[@comment.highlighted]

The Stress 😬 Aaaaahhhhhh……

[@oneshot3552]

You guys can keep your roasted maple necks. The wood is way too brittle