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My first build is going to be a tele with ash body and one piece maple neck. I'm wondering if theres anything I should know about the neck wood I select?

there will be a lot more question to follow

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" Blues is a low down achin chill, if you ain't never had it, I hope you never will."

Robert Johnson

Welcome to the forum! Get you a book and study it a while, then come back for clarifications and/or complicated stuff. Personally I recommend "Building Electric Guitars" by Martin Koch. It's a great reference and explains a bunch of ways to build and design a guitar.

To answer your question, the best wood for a neck has very tight, straight grain. Some highly recommend quartersawn wood for the added stability and I'm with them on that. Fender has been known for using wood that's off quarter and my Fender guitar confirms this. If you don't know what quartersawn means just look it up on Google and you'll find out very soon. Tight, straight grain is very important though, as that will give you a very strong, stable neck that isn't likely to move as much as one that isn't. Good luck

Well, fender use off-quarter necks... to save money. And then, all these necks are twisted.

First, Quartersawn is really important or, maybe, perfect flatsawn...
Second, tight grain, straight.
Third, I would not recommand a one-piece neck. Cause it's not stable, and more difficult to do. If you put a FB, it's gonna be more stable, and easier to work. And if you make some mistake at slotting the frets, you scrap a FB, and not the whole neck.

If you can't find Q-sawn wood, you can take flat-sawn, or rift-sawn, cut them and do a 2,3,4,5 pieces neck.

Good Luck!
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

Not that I don't agree that quartersawn maple necks are more stable (although less stiff than flatsawn), I don't agree that all, or even most flatsawn maple necks fender (and others) make are unstable or twisted.