one piece or laminated neck

[bud]

I'm having a new mandolin built by a gentleman in Virginia. I am trying to decide on the neck material. He has some beautiful quilted maple from the same wood as the back, but not enough to make a one piece neck. He has offered to make a laminated neck, 2 pieces of the maple with some rosewood in the center. I think this will be stronger, but not sure what to do. Any comments appreciated.

Bud

Acutally what it is called is a 3 piece neck. I love 3 piece necks and I do think it is stronger. Alot of people use ebony in the center though.

[Mike Crocker]

I like the look and function of the 3 piece neck. I'm waiting on a guitar-bouzouki with a mahogany/purpleheart neck right now. In a mandolin, I believe the truss rod isn't really necessary with the 3 piece neck, especially once an ebony board is figured into the equation, though carbon fiber rod(s) might give the buyer more confidence.

I'd go ahead with the idea, the quilted maple around any other wood will look nice, though I'd choose the centre wood to compliment some other wood in the instrument.

Peace, Mooh.

[Tom C]

Look under the BRW thread over here at my BRW with 3-piece quilted maple neck
over here (http://www.mandolincafe.net/cgi-bin/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=13;t=12161;st=150)

[sunburst]

Actually I prefer and use one piece necks. I prefer the look over a laminated neck and it's one (or two) less glue joints to worry about. That said, I like the look of matching wood, and I don't dissagree with the stability arguement for laminated necks. In your case I might decide on the matching wood.

[Mike Crocker]

Oh, I don't think glue joints are something to worry about, most of the time they make the piece stronger. I agree that sometimes the look of matching wood can be preferable, I've got a guitar with a curly maple neck and a centre seam and a well matched grain...might have been nice with bird's eye too.

Peace, Mooh.

[joshags03]

I've almost finished my first F-5 which I used a 3-piece neck on. At first I didn't think I'd like it but now I want to build more with 2-piece necks. It seems to add a whole new dimension or "sharp" look to the instrument in my opinion.

[sunburst]

Mooh, I don't really worry about the glue joint itself, tho I've seen them fail, It's the procedure of producing the glue joint that I don't want to worry about.

[cameron]

A good glue joint is stronger than the wood itself,yes? I really like 3-piece necks(not sure about joshags03's 2-piece neck). Some of the earlier Loars had 3-piecers(?) Last year I got Red Diamond(#149) with birdseye back/sides/neck;and Don was able to use very nicely figured pieces for the neck since it is a 3-piece. The neck pieces are more highly figured than the 2-piece back. I am still trying to learn how to post pictures..............

[sunburst]

A good glue joint is stronger than the wood itself,yes?
Yes...at room temperature at normal humidity. In the trunk of the car in the Holiday Inn parking lot in Atlanta in August, well sometimes the wood is stronger. A glue joint in a neck is not usually a problem, it's just not my preference, and besides the wood is usually strong enough by itself.

[Mike Crocker]

Good point, play the odds and have fewer glue joints I guess. As for Atlanta in August, I'm Canadian...LOL. Mooh.

[crawdad]

I lived in Atlanta for four years. August is HOT and damp! Not good mandolin climate--especially in the trunk of a car.

[Rob Grant]

Three piece necks are my preference when it comes to looks and structural integrity. I've been building mandolins and mandolas with three piece necks since '97 and I've never had a problem with the glued joint between the different timbers. This is using a water based glue similar to Titebond and living in a hot, humid, tropical climate typical of North Queensland. I generally use New Guinea
ebony (black) or "red ebony" (Cooktown Ironwood)for the center strip.

One builder's advantage of the three-piece neck is that it gives you a bloody good, permanent center line to relate to when carving the neck.

I live in Georgia and have had 3 piece necks out in the heat and there never has been a problem on them.

[UncleNorm]

One of the other elements to consider when choosing wood, one piece or three pieces, is sound transmission. Quilt tends not to be as hard as rock or sugar maple. The builder should be able to give you advice on this aspect, or maybe already has?