Don't fret the Guitar
by Joel Bourque

This past weekend I was picking up the remains of a fallen Peach tree behind my house. As I was hauling the branches to the burn pile, I was thinking of what I would write about this month, then it hit me...literally. A branch slapped me on the forehead providing me with some much needed inspiration. “I'll write about wood”, I thought to myself as I shrugged off the pain and went back to work in the yard.

Most guitars, electric and acoustic, are made of wood. Some common woods used in electric guitar construction are ash, alder, mahogany, basswood and maple. Acoustic guitars use spruce, rosewood and ebony. Today I'll talk about electric guitar necks. Of all parts, on all guitars, electric guitar necks take the most abuse. An electric guitar neck has two basic parts, the neck itself (the rounded back where your palm rests) and the fret board (where your fingertips press down on the strings).

Most Fender style necks are made of maple. Maple is a very durable, resonant wood that can hold up to the tension of the strings. These necks are normally “bolt-on” necks, meaning they actually are attached to the body of the guitar using bolts and can be easily removed. These necks also have the distinguishing “Skunkstripe” on their backs. This is a strip of rosewood that covers the trussrod inside the neck. The trussrod allows for forward or backward movement of the neck. This adjustment is necessary for eliminating any buzzes or rattles from the strings as they hit the frets. Gibson style necks are usually made of mahogany. This wood is a bit heavier than maple, yielding a darker sound. These necks also contain a trussrod, however they are set in differently than a Fender, so there is no “Skunkstripe”. These necks are typically glued- in to the body of the guitar, using a tongue and groove type of joint making them nearly impossible to remove. Which is better? Both have there pros and cons. Fender style necks are bright, favored for country and blues, but typically don't offer the

sustain of glued-in necks. Gibson necks are a bit thicker and fuller, a good choice for rock and jazz, but are more fragile than bolt-on necks.

The fretboard is normally made from maple, rosewood or ebony. Maple is a light, natural colored wood that gives a bright, snappy sound. This is the classic country sound heard from Brad Paisley. Rosewood is darker in color, giving it a darker sound. This is the Stevie Ray Vaughan tone. Ebony is the darkest of the three. This is the fretboard demanded by jazz cats like George Benson. As you can see, the darker the wood, the darker the sound.

So there's a quick rundown of necks, woods and sounds of electric guitars. None of these are rules set in stone, just some general guidelines to help you find what you're looking for. If you want to see all these neck types being played on one stage, check out Los Lobos. You probably remember them from the “La Bamba” soundtrack.

They are a great band and always produce some great guitar sounds.