Members Elias Graves Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 I love set neck guitars, but from some of the {censored} that I've seen posted on the internet over the years I really wonder just how tight some of those joints are prior to being glued up. As soon as you put a certain thickness of glue between the wood it loses the benefit of better transfer in my eyes.Now atleast with a bolt on you can in theory smash the {censored} out of two pieces of wood together with nothing in between them. I mean someone may shim a neck, but you can always work the joint and remove that in most cases.It's an interesting topic, but the question I have is how much does any of this really matter from one guitar to another guitar? I mean if it sounds good than it sounds good, if it sounds like {censored} than it sounds like {censored}; the neck joint construction isn't going to change my mind. I agree. I was merely talking theory. When it comes to an electric it doesn't matter all that much. From a joinery standpoint, it makes a difference but electric guitar sound really doesn't have much to do with that. I'm not criticising bolt neck guitars, merely pointing out a structural difference. What I love, though, is some folks will argue that the neck joint doesn't make a difference but the finish does. To my tin ears, I can hear a difference between a humbucker/single coil guitar and I can hear a difference between a hollow or semi vs a solid. Beyond that it's mostly the amp and the player. I can't tell you what the neck joint is by hearing it, I can't tell you what wood it's made from. The bottom line is that if you have a guitar you like and it sounds good, play it. As to Ferdinand's original question, I'm not sure that the neck construction is the source of his issue. EG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 thats bollocks.a well made bolt on will be as sturdy, secure and efficient in transferring tone as a set neck.the guitar-furniture analogy is {censored}. There's a nice way to say things. When we express our differences in a nice way, we get interesting and informative discussion. When you say things this way, however, then you just come off as an ass and nobody gives a {censored} what you have to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jbandy10 Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 Every couple of months we have a thread like this where the "experts" say that bolt necks are inferior to set and neck thru. Allow me to DEBUNK this myth for the 962753th time. You're all talking out of your ass. The bolt-on instruments you're all playing are very very likely just poorly made. It is EXTREMELY hard to create a bolt-on the way it's supposed to be done where the pocket fits perfectly. You want to see how well your bolt on is made? Unscrew the plate and hold it up by the neck. Does it fall out? No? How about when you try to force it by hand? Still no? If so, you have a correctly made bolt-on. And you should feel very very lucky. The FACT is, that a correctly made bolt on will have BETTER neck to body interaction than ANY set neck build. Quite simply because the set neck is attached with GLUE which only dampens the transference, whereas a bolt-on is a DIRECT transference from piece to piece. As for set thru. Well those are great. But don't come crying to me when you want a different neck wood or when you have a broken neck. End discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t2mikeman Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 I've noticed that neck pickups on a set neck guitars have a lot more "chewyness" than bolt on neck guitars, that chewyness is an important ingredient to my tone.Why do set neck guitars have that certain tonal quality? Its because most set neck guitars are modeled after gibsons, including the 24.75 inch scale, which introduces more low mids into the sonic mix. A "thicker" sound. If you try a set neck schecter with 25.5 inch scale you will notice a much snappier sound.~mike~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jtr654 Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 A neck thru gives you a stronger fundemental tone the bolt on cancels some harmonic because no 2 pieces of wood vibrate the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t2mikeman Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 Godin makes fabulous flawless bolt on necks. Ive actually seens studies that have found bolt on necks actually produced the MOST sustain. Godin only uses bolt on necks for a reason, and its not cost. The neck joint of my bolt on godin is insanely tight. Actually Phil Jacoby in MD, worked on my guitar (ex PRS luthier) commented on how perfectly fit it was. A great Bolt on neck joint can be had. ~mike~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members t2mikeman Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 more argument , and good points.http://www.guitar-list.com/guitar-science/set-neck-better-sustain-myth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cassette Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 You know, I've been building stuff out of wood for a long time, including some pretty expensive pieces of furniture. Honestly, if I showed up and tried to sell, say, a nice highboy that was bolted together with a steel plate and four wood screws, I'd be laughed out of the store. There's just no way you can get as secure or accurate a joint using that method. Set neck or neck through simply provides a more stable platform. EG you couldn't sell it because of how it looks. It's perfectly acceptable for electric guitars though. I'm sure the thousands upon thousands of guitarists who play bolt-ons would not criticize how secure or accurate the neck joint is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jbandy10 Posted February 19, 2010 Members Share Posted February 19, 2010 The problem is that probably over half this forum believes that neck-thru guitars have the most sustain and tone. That simply isn't true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 211dave112 Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 There's a nice way to say things. When we express our differences in a nice way, we get interesting and informative discussion. When you say things this way, however, then you just come off as an ass and nobody gives a {censored} what you have to say. sorry your highness.i didn't agree with the point that was made so i said so. the point made was in fact bollocks. and the analogy was definitely {censored}. building a guitar is different to building furniture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members normh Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 Different neck & headstock angles are the reasons why one fails more than the other, not because of bolt-on vs. set- / neck-thru. B.S. The truss rod routing differences are the reason that Gibson has so many failures (breaks) on the headstock and neck. If you route so much wood away that you have almost nothing you end up with a weak piece of wood supported by the truss rod. The Devil copies have solved that problem by routing less wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bluffalo Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 Chewyness hey.......is that similar to itchiness? how about happiness? Yes, my guitar has a certain happiness in its tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members McCain Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 Different neck & headstock angles are the reasons why one fails more than the other, not because of bolt-on vs. set- / neck-thru.I also think the neck angles and headstock angles are to blame. Lay a fender and a LP side-by-side on their backs and step on both at the neck joint. More likely the fender will be in a more playable condition afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members normh Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 The issue here is what is called "End grain runout." When you look at a Fender headstock, you see a scooped out headstock. When you look at an LP you see a laid back headstock. The grain is shorter where the headstock lays back. The solution to this problem is to either: use a volute, use an angle of less than 10 degrees. The LP headstock angle is spec'ed at 14 degrees, in reality it runs ten to 14 degrees. Gibson is now starting to use volutes, but it is still infrequently. The competition knock off's mostly use a headstock angle of around nine degrees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Darkstorm Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 Could be a few factors involved. Better transfer of sound between body and neck compared to bolt ons with not so great a neck joint. High qaulity bolt ons tend to have a little more mids in their voice in my experience then set necks have. Could also be related to the pups in the guitar and the body and neck woods used. I do also notice that neck thrus tend to have a bit more treble content compared to bolt on and set neck when itsw a maple thru body neck. Thats be due to the extra maple making up the middle section of the body that body wings attach to. Is one reason I'm not so partial to neck thrus that also have maple top for body. Cause it results in more maple then I want for voice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GCDEF Posted February 20, 2010 Members Share Posted February 20, 2010 There's a nice way to say things. When we express our differences in a nice way, we get interesting and informative discussion.When you say things this way, however, then you just come off as an ass and nobody gives a {censored} what you have to say. Sometimes when somebody posts obvious nonsense, that's the most appropriate form of reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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