Hi Metalligun, maple necks don't need much sanding as they already come pretty smooth in the box. Over sanding them makes it hard to take a stain too.

Due to the number of planks used and the cross grain variations some sections can polish up quickly with light to moderate sanding. It is when things get too shiny that the pores have very little chance of soaking up much colour. It is a bit of a trade off where if a dark colour is really important to you, best to take a safety first approach as you can always get things as shiny as glass afterwards. It just takes a bit longer and lots more clear top coats too but worth it in the end.