Wenge is a very stable wood. I haven't owned any wenge necks, but it's typically considered more stable than maple in woodworking circles. He said it will warp funny if it's mistreated. I would say don't mistreat it 
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Wenge Neck
- Thread starter Venturella
- Start date
I had wenge in my old SR505, loved the feel. Am always drawn to them on the Warmoth site. Good to hear they are stable.
Some interesting data points here. I'm happy to hear the OPs ? Answered. I'm not a fan of Warwick basses but that's unimportant. When I've played Wenge necks (never owned one) I immediately notice the feel of the open grain and don't like it. Therefore I've never considered a bass with one. I rarely even pick up a bass if it has a Wenge neck.
I know (I think) if I owned one I'd get used to it in short order. I find it interesting that the thing I don't like about them is one thing that others like about them. Different strokes for different folks.
Today my greater concern is it being 105 degrees here in Oregon today! Haha and I love the heat.
I know (I think) if I owned one I'd get used to it in short order. I find it interesting that the thing I don't like about them is one thing that others like about them. Different strokes for different folks.
Today my greater concern is it being 105 degrees here in Oregon today! Haha and I love the heat.
It's about 85 with 88% humidity right now where I am. Either way, not very pleasant.
Today looks like LA here, very unusual, haze so thick from BC forest fires you can't see an 1/8th of a mile. And nearly 100 degrees at the beach here is unheard of.
Oops sorry for the derail, now back to your regularly scheduled program.
Oops sorry for the derail, now back to your regularly scheduled program.
I have built one bass with a wenge neck. That seems to be pretty stable even though it's a single piece, flat sawn board with slightly spiraling grain. It does have carbon rods and an ebony/bloodwood fretboard, though.
I have to agree that it's a horrible wood to work with, but it's very nice once finished.
I have to agree that it's a horrible wood to work with, but it's very nice once finished.
I live in Houston which has high temps and high humidity. Seems like every time I do an outdoor gig near the beach or bay (salt water) I start getting fret buzz. I either raise the strings a bit or take it to the shop for a setup which always includes a neck adjustment.
That being said, I've played this bass for over 12 years on hundreds of gigs, and I'll keep playing it.
That being said, I've played this bass for over 12 years on hundreds of gigs, and I'll keep playing it.
All the other stuff from your hands means clean the neck periodically. I've bought Warwicks that looked like the neck grain was filled with black clay.
Just learn to adjust the truss rod. I live in FL, play on the water all the time (when I'm not walking on it
) and have even done a tweak between songs. Having said that, Warmoth necks are super-stable.
I vary my string gauges slightly depending on the season because I can't be bothered yanking the neck off to adjust it. Lighter in winter, heavier in summer.
Trying to assign a label of dimensional stability on any wood based upon only the common name with zero regard to or comment on the cut, grain orientation, runout, thickness, density, or radiation ratio generally shows a complete lack of knowledge and understanding of how wood works and how to apply it to create a stable neck. You might as well claim it warps because of the color.
Someone with solid knowledge and good skills can make a great neck that will be very stable out of mediocre woods while in a production environment, generally the first piece of wood on the top of the stack at that particular moment, regardless of quality, is the one that gets used and you get what you get.
Carry on with the, "My brown neck is better than my off white neck." stories.....
Someone with solid knowledge and good skills can make a great neck that will be very stable out of mediocre woods while in a production environment, generally the first piece of wood on the top of the stack at that particular moment, regardless of quality, is the one that gets used and you get what you get.
Carry on with the, "My brown neck is better than my off white neck." stories.....
wenge is one of the best choices for a neck
cheap / poor quality wenge will definitely do weird stuff, just like anything else.
cheap / poor quality wenge will definitely do weird stuff, just like anything else.
Yep. Wenge is super-hard (ie you need very good quality tools) and its sawdust is toxic (impacts and irritates the hell of the lung lining). From what I've heard from people who actually work with wood, not a favorite of those who actually have to shape it into a neck or whatnot.
From Wenge | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)
"Workability: Can be difficult to work with hand and machine tools. Blunts tool edges. Sands unevenly due to differences in density between light and dark areas. Very splintery—care must be used when handling unfinished wood with bare hands, as splinters have an increased risk of infection. Very large pores can be difficult to fill if a perfectly smooth/level finish is desired."
"Allergies/Toxicity: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, breathing Wenge wood dust has been reported to cause central nervous system effects, abdominal cramps, irritation of the skin and eyes, and is a sensitizer. Also, Wenge splinters tend to take longer to heal and are more likely to go septic (get infected) than splinters from other woods. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information."
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MichaelOz
Commercial User
Have a Warwick Thumb NT (1990), and had a Dingwall Z2. Both wenge necks, and very stable.
Definitely not a luthier but have build 7 or 9 basses now, 3 with wenge necks (one piece with 2 carbon rods - I like thin, slim necks. My avatar is one of them). Best necks once you're finished but geez, it is a painful timber to work with.
Regards,
Michael
Definitely not a luthier but have build 7 or 9 basses now, 3 with wenge necks (one piece with 2 carbon rods - I like thin, slim necks. My avatar is one of them). Best necks once you're finished but geez, it is a painful timber to work with.
Regards,
Michael
I always look at the grain of the neck of any bass or guitar I'm interested in purchasing. The last 3 or 4 i was interested in I had to reject because I identified swirly/poor/fast growth grain that I wasn't going to take a chance on. One of them was an American Fender.
