Hey Just checked out their website, and these necks go for $925 dollars and that doesn't include international shipping and duty nor taxes and their lead time is 3 to 5 months!! CRAZY! I'll stick with wood lol!
Yes!! I’ve been waiting to see this video go live for over a year! The team at Rubato Guitars are amazing, it’s actually a little more than just the father/son team, there’s another guy named Dan who is awesome working there, and there’s Mama Rubato as well. All of them are unbelievably nice and work crazy hard to make these necks and their line of custom guitars happen. I got my Rubato neck over a year ago and I couldn’t be more stoked on it. Built an offset JM style with it and it’s my favourite electric now. The price is a bit scary, but it’s worth it and once you have one you understand the level of craftsmanship and detail they put into it, the price is more than fair. I completely agree with Darrell that you need to put the price into context and compare it to other premium neck offerings out there, when you do these aren’t that much more but you’re getting the best of the best premium features. Worth every penny!!
what a time to be alive .. all the amazing, wonderful things made available .. a beautiful guitar neck that's dependable, lasts a whole lifetime .. that doesn't break if accidentally or purposely dropped
I love my Rubato neck and it’s certainly infinitely stronger than a wooden one and WAY less likely to break if dropped but I do wanna say that carbon fibre isn’t invincible, it’s possible to break it. Mind you, what you’d do to break it I don’t know and would certainly be WAY past what a wooden one would take but still, it’s possible. haha
@@RealPeterGunn thanks Peter, happy New Year to you too! feel free to send me an email (link on our website) and we can chat about customisation options:) - Oliver
i appreciate an item like this existing. Yes, its expensive and somewhat of a niche item, but the R&D that went into this is pretty crazy. Very cool item!
Hey, John. Mama Rubato here. Thanks for your kind words. Yup, the R&D has been significant but we're really interested in meaningful innovation of the instrument we love so much. (And we reckon it's what Les and Leo would be doing if they were still here!)
Nice way to kick off the new year! I really wish you could've done a comparison of what the guitar sounded like with the original neck vs the carbon fiber, i.e played the same licks/chords on both including toggle positions. It seems the guitar lost some warmth and the new neck made the tone thinner and brighter/tighter, but there's no way to know that for sure. I have to admit that I had my doubts of how it would look initially but I rather like the guitar wearing that neck. It's as though it took a step up design-wise. Definitely worth the investment for anyone who's looking for a change. Thanks for the heads-up on this company, and Happy New Year!
Great review of this neck, thank you. As for the price, very comparable to a Musikraft neck I had built. The Musicraft had 4A Flame roasted maple, SS Frets and Kluson tuners w/bone nut, cost was $820. The carbon fiber is very interesting, looking forward to your build.
Thanks, Darrell. You've certainly helped put some eyes on what we're doing and it's great to see the interest in some meaningful guitar innovation. Wishing you all the best! - Mama Rubato & the Crew
I like the headstock shape and tuners. Honestly, I haven't spent $925 total on ANY of my guitars! I'll stick with wood, I know how to adjust my truss rod if it needs it!
You can get a great guitar for just a few hundred dollars. That is true. But when you start dabbling in Ultra expensive Parts like this you can definitely come up with some magic guitars that have extra Mojo power.
Well, when you DO get one that's pricey (I'm thinking Parker Fly here), you're going to find out why discerning guitarists lay out the cash. I own three of those (and a bunch of others) and I have no regrets whatever.
When I noticed that the obnoxious "Music is Win" guy had over a million subs and you didn't, I had to subscribe. Love how genuine and informative you are. Keep it up!
Thank you for the info about this Neck from a land far away. This Neck is not for everyone, but it is for me. Thanks again for the review and commentary.
After Darrell's fourth "we'll get to the price in a minute" comment I was like, "Oh, boy. It's gonna be up there." ;-) Definitely not for me (unless I win the lotto) but very cool review. Cheers and Happy New Years everyone.
It is a bigger price, but I gotta say if you can save up and do it it’s worth it. That’s how I felt when I got mine, I’m not made of money and these are a big price for me but I feel it’s worth it.
Thanks Darrell; looking forward to following this carbon build. Played a Parker for years--stable in all ambient conditions. Carry on and props to the neck builder!
@@daemonspudguy Parker guitar costed 10kdollars to manufacture and they sold those 3kdollars. What you think was it good business!? They are great guitars.
Sweet neck. One of the only carbon fiber replacement necks out there. I have owned Steinberger bass since around 1985 or so. I love carbon fiber necks for their stability. In 38 years that neck has not moved. I love wood too but carbon fiber always intrigues me.
I owned a Modulus Quantum 6 bass years ago. After leaving it in the case for 3 months at one point, I found it had backbowed. The repairman I sent it to found that it had a dual-action truss rod, and he got it back into adjustment quickly. You don't put dual-action rods into instruments you think will be permanently stable. Graphite has some limitations, that's for sure.
@@rebeltuba9422I see Tuba in your name, I started on tuba in the 70s before moving to bass and guitar. That sucks about the Modulus. I've seen 1 steinberger with a bowed neck. It was an early model after they moved to the Nashville location in the 90s. I've heard the early Nashville ones had QC issues. If carbon fiber is not made correctly it can fail. No material is perfect.
That’s how I found Rubato, as part of the hunt for carbon necks. Moses Carbon Graphite offered them for a while and I absolutely loved them but they stopped making guitar parts years ago. And now that I have my Rubato neck I gotta say that the quality of Rubato’s is better than anything else I’ve ever touched, carbon or wood.
@@sunn_bass After the backbow, the neck never moved again, and it stayed great until 1. the Bartolini NTMB (I think) wiring harness failed and had to be replaced; the new one sounded MUCH better, so I think that the original was not right, and 2. the 35" scale began to wear my hands out, so I switched to a cheap Ibanez SR506, which both had a much more comfortable neck (34" and very thin) and frankly sounded better (still Bartolini pickups but different wiring harness); I kept it till arthritis and age forced me to retire. I still play tuba at 71.
Thanks Sunn_Bass. Yes, stability is a big deal for us too. 38 years? Wow. That's an amazing endorsement! Bet you've made some sweet music with it. - Mama Rubato
Yes. I was looking for someone to say this. Warmoth makes good stuff Warmoth lets you option out your neck in so many ways and keep the proper Strat shaped headstock. I did a Tele build with their parts and optioned out the neck with the options you described and included a compensated but as well.
I’ve had Warmoth necks and I have a Rubato neck I got a year ago, the Rubato absolutely kicks the ass of any Warmoth I’ve ever had, totally worth the investment.
I bought one from somebody who bought out the remnants of the Peavey warehouse in Meridian Mississippi when it shut down. I got both a 4 string bass neck and a 6 string 25.5 scale 22 fret strat style neck, both carbon fiber and all for around $200 INCLUDING THE SHIPPING!!! The necks have pre installed screw anchors in the heels, so I have to drill the body to fit the neck, BUT the bass neck lines up PERFECTLY with a Peavey loaded body I bought from ger as well!! Stainless frets that are finished as well!! AN ABSOLUTE STEAL!! BUT I still prefer my flamed and birdseye maple necks, they are just so beautiful!
Definitely a cool and high quality neck. I just think that it looks out of place on a strat because the neck is ultra modern and the strat is a very traditional looking guitar.
I know what you mean and especially since it's black. The headstock is kind of a PRS thing but there is kind of a strange imbalance in look between the body and the neck. If it plays as well as it sounds and looks then I'd say it's damn well worth it though.
@@Joe-mz6dc yes it is like a prs neck. To me it looks really odd. Even if it plays well, it wouldn't make me want to pickup my instrument. I also think that for $900 they should include an option for some cool fretboard inlays.
@@allboutthemojo they do offer fretboard inlays, and different options of Richlite fretboard colors so you can really customize the look of the neck. Darrell obviously must’ve chosen to do black with no inlays because that’s what he wanted. For mine I did a color of fretboard called brimstone which is an purplish red and I got oval shaped inlays, I absolutely love it. I got used to the 3x3 headstock very quickly, it did look odd at first but that’s because for 70 years we’ve all been seeing the same headstocks for the most part. I did my build ground up using a Jazzmaster shape so I think it looks badass. I’m not really a fan of Strats.
@@allboutthemojo once you’ve played this neck, you’ll want to play the instrument non stop because the neck feels AMAZING. It’s easily my favourite guitar now and the neck gets 90% of the credit for that.
What's the difference between a traditional nut and this style? Are there any disadvantages or limitations? I would love to use a neck like this on a project
$925 US = $1244 CDN. Darrell, you'd be surprised with how many things I buy on your recommendations. My American Performer strat, well, I think the output jack & the wood are the only OEM things that remain. I contacted Paoletti to inquire about a guitar I want to buy from them, and they have very nice things to say about you. The best fretboard I've ever used was Richlite (A Godin Summit Classic Convertible) with stainless frets & since that's a tough couple of materials to work with, the cost always goes up. The price of this neck is actually reasonable when you consider all the other things you're getting. Couple of questions for you or fellow subscribers: 1. If I don't want to keep the tuners they give me, is there anything proprietary that I should know about this neck? It's not like it can be easily altered. 2. This "zero fret" approach - does this limit me to any particular string gauge? I'll use 9.5s almost always, but occasionally try 9's and 10s. The string moves around a bit in the opening, so it just seems to be a bit unrestrained. It's like a moving compensated nut....Since I have a Floyd Rose Rail Tail on my Strat (down bends, no upbends) can you vouch for the stability, at least so far? 3. I don't care much about weight distribution, but is there a balance difference with such a light neck? There's like 20 types of Richlite fretboards, but no examples. The site is one of those beginner websites. Anyone know where I can browse a gallery of these different types? I assumed there was only one type of Richlite - "black".... Thanks for the recommendations, but jeezuss slow down, I'm going broke here lol.
Hi NunchucksHabit, lots of questions there and we'd love to answer them! If you'd like a call with Oliver to discuss, please go to the Rubato Guitars website and drop him an email. He's always keen to talk guitars and explain what we're up to (especially your Q re balance). Quick answers to your other questions: (1) We're big Richlite fans too and we can send you a doc with pix of their latest colours. (They've just expanded the range and changed some of colour names. They're definitely not doing the Ford thang .. they've got fretboards in plenty colours other than black ... though Black Diamond looks amazing with carbon!). (2) We use premium Grover and Schaller tuners but our necks are custom made and we're open to you speccing other options as long as they fit on the headstock. (3) The Zero Fret and string guide minimise friction to ensure optimum tuning stability. We set up to your preferred string gauge and you can move one size up or down without any further adjustment. If you wanted to use much heavier strings, the string guide can be easily adjusted by inserting shims (which we provide). Hope this helps. Please don't go broke. We'd love to build you a neck someday! ;) - Mama Rubato
Hi Darrell, loved this neck for features and stability. I do think even though it seems expensive at the beginning I feel sure it would pay for itself long term. Can’t wait to see it feature in future part builds. Cheers ✌️🎸
i think it's awesome, like i think a lambo would be awesome. just can't see how it would pay for itself... guitars are easy to set up, and frets are no where near $900 over a lifetime. a custom warmoth neck to your exact specs is waaaayy cheaper than this
As the proud owner of a Rubato neck and someone enjoys building guitars it’s totally worth the price and absolutely fair for the level of value you get. Ignore keyboard complainers who don’t have any experience with these, Darrell is spot on, the necks are beyond fantastic and I highly recommend them. I got mine with a purplish red fretboard and their oval inlays, I frickin love it.
I really appreciate this approach, because I got myself into a rebuild of a Stratocaster VII of the cursed "superstrat" era. If I get that maple neck with reversed headstock, which I had to ask various custom manufacturers for already and only got a chance because I have the perfect blueprint with the one from the VII, I will come up with a Stratocaster build that has no equal on TH-cam in the near future. The whole build stands and falls with the neck and I really need the fender reversed headstock. It makes as much sense as your approach, just from a different standpoint. There literally is no guitar that gives you that much space from the hardware to the first fret on the low bottom end. If im able to make this guitar stay in tune with the bridge modifications I have planned, this might make a funny video possible in the end that im really looking forward to :)
Very appealing, and with some innovation as well (string guides). Too expensive for me, but if I were wealthier, I'd be happy to swap out the neck on my '86 Squier Strat for one of these.
A couple years older and your MIJ Squier would have a 3 bolt. Not sure if the '86 are interchangeable or not. How are the pickups? I have a 90's Pro-Tone the tone is really nice classic Strat you would never hear it and think it wasn't a USA model
It’s worth the cash, I can’t say enough great things about my Rubato neck. Other than a year and a half after getting it I wish that I could put one on all my guitars. haha
I bought a Warmoth roasted maple neck with stainless steel frets - no finish and no tuners - for about $300. They will finish the neck for about $125 more. Top notch tuners are about $150. That's only $575 and their necks are great. You can get excellent locking tuners for about $70. This neck looks terrific, but I don't know what would make it better than a Warmoth neck. Mine plays incredibly well. Except for the price, I would try one of these.
From the point of view of physics a carbon fiber neck is going to be more stable over the years (hypothetically). There is higher probability that it'll be as stable as new in a few decades than your "regular" wooden neck. However there is no reason to believe that it'll play "better".
@@inquisitivenessandcontempl9918 Hi, we're not here to question the relative merits of carbon and wood. Hell, wood's been the material of choice for 70 years and we love it too. However, we'd definitely argue that - aside from the stability benefits of carbon - there are plenty of design innovations that can influence playability. For us, the fun lies in looking for meaningful ways to contribute to the evolution of the instrument we love .. .and we reckon that, if they were still here, our heroes Les and Leo would be championing the same thing in pursuit of better play. Sounds like we share the curiosity that drives the perpetual search for a better way to do things! - Mama Rubato
Yeah at $925 I think I'll just stick to my Musikraft neck for the Partscaster I'm working on, made exactly to specs I want...stainless steel frets, compound 10"-14" radius, rolled fingerboard edges, quartersawn maple construction, etc and it cost like half that.
I own a Status Graphite bass came set up and I got it in 2012, in all the time I have owned it I have never needed to adjust the neck, I went travelling for a few months and when I came back plugged it in and it was still in tune. If you want a low/no maintenance instrument then carbon fibre is the way to go, yes expensive but the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.
Agreed! My Rubato neck has been perfect since I installed it a year ago, the set up neeeeeeeeever changes and it’s the best feeling guitar I have now. Totally worth the money.
Darryl, can you film a before/after with acoustic tones and amplified tones comparing the Fender neck with the Rubato? I usually find the acoustic sound of a solid body guitar informs the amplified sound, especially sustain.
Thanks, Falloutcjs. Future of guitars too. You can see our Rubato Lassie all carbon guitar (a monocoque with no truss rod) on our Rubato Guitars website. - Mama Rubato
Hope you saw the follow up build, video, Bobby. Sign up for our mailing list on the Rubato Guitars website and we'll keep you posted on all the fun stuff that's happening .. and the cool builds people are producing with our necks. - Mama Rubato
Interesting. I have the same problem with temperature and moisture affecting the neck where I live. You said that the action on the carbon fiber neck is very low - can you give us an idea what the measurement is? Would be very curious to know.
It looks like a great product. My major question was - how are the frets attached? Parker guitars would glue the frets to the carbon fiber board, and there were issues with the frets popping off over time. I e-mailed Rubato and was told their frets are "fitted with standard tangs and are glued in place (with epoxy)" - so there should be no concern as there was with Parker frets.
Very interesting. Making such a high quality carbon fiber neck is not easy at all. Based on my experience with composites, it would take several days to do one, with most part of the process done by hand. So the price is fully justified if the workers are paid correctly in my opinion. It does take much more time than wood for sure. Then for tone, it is a matter of taste. Looking forward for the nexzlt step.
It’s a family with one non family member named Dan, I interviewed Oli from Rubato on our podcast (The Cultured Guitarist) and can’t say enough great things about him and the team their. And as the owner of a neck from them, I can safely say it’s absolutely worth the money, easily the best neck I have on any of my guitars. Feels killer!
Thanks, Joel. Great to get input from someone who sees what we're trying to do and knows what it takes to do it! It's taken several years of R&D investment to get to this point and precision manufacture certainly takes time. We're a small, passionate team and the only thing we value more than the work we do is the people involved in doing it! - Mama Rubato
I took photos with my Rubato neck sporting guitar in the rain during fall and later in snow and it’s still perfect. Not something I’d dare do with any of my other ones! haha
Not to be picky my friend, but it looked to me like you had the chrome neck backing plate on upside down. Take the metal part out of the rubber and flip it and I'll be you find it has beveled holes on the other side. I've made that mistake myself before. :) Liked the video, and that might make a nice addition to a Strat I've got. William C. central Indiana U.S.A.
Darrell, We have heard you play many riffs and solos bits. It would be cool to hear you play an entire song with a band jamming out (or digital band). Let’s hear what you got. Bonus points if you can sing. ☺ That is neck is the ultimate mod… I couldn’t do that to my strat 😱
I own one and can confirm the value is more than worth the price. Easily! It’s my favourite neck I have now and the price totally justifies itself once you feel how much quality and work went into the neck. It’s flawless, beyond high end.
That's a comment the Rubato boys will treasure! Thanks, Nicholas. If you'd like to stay up to speed with new developments as they happen, please sign up for our mailing list on the Rubato Guitars website. All the best to you. - Mama Rubato
I wonder if this neck will fit an Ibanez S-style body. A visit to the Robato site should answer that. Happy new year to Darrel & family, and to all his viewers.
Hi James, our neck is made to fit a standard Fender neck pocket and works with most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters. There's a graphic showing the geometry on the Rubato Guitars website. If you're in any doubt, we always recommend getting your guitar tech to do a test measurement first. We'd love to make you a carbon neck! Thanks for the interest. - Mama Rubato
thanks for showing me this. does it have a truss rod ? did i miss that part ? are he bolts and alen keys metric ? I live in the tropics and moisture is a huge problem in the wet season. carbon fibre and aluminium might just be the answer
No truss rod, totally pointless since the carbon fibre never moves. The neck bolts come with the correct size of Allen key in the bag, I believe it’s metric but I can’t recall, I’ve just always kept the key in the case with the guitar. And if you’re worried about moisture shifting things, these things are perfect for that. There’s no movement, ever, in any weather. I’ve had mine in rain, in snow, and in temperatures over 40° Celsius and it’s never moved. Perfect always! haha And mine is on a body that is just regular old alder, so I can only imagine how much more stable a full Rubato custom guitar would be since that’s 100% carbon fibre one piece body/neck.
thanks for the info. i asked about the truss rod because carbon fibre does move. i mean formula 1 cars flex. bicycles too. it's a design choice and it looks like these people have put enough in there to beat the strings without assistance
@@lets_measure_it sorry I could have been clearer, the neck will flex but the relief won’t change. I have don’t neck vibrato but the neck always goes back to the same spot exactly. My Rubato hasn’t needed a set up for two years, I still check it once and a while but it’s always perfect.
Hi Derek, thanks for the questions. As Al says, it doesn't have a truss rod and, yes, the Allen keys are metric. The properties of carbon make our guitars and necks the perfect all-weather instruments. Definitely something to consider in your tropical climate! - Mama Rubato
The rounded but not tapered off fret end seem like they'd be a little "bumpy" on position transitions? But would have to feel first hand. Also how's the fingerboard edge? Many new necks have a pretty sharp fingerboard edge, making playing uncomfortable unless properly tended to. Usually an easy fix on wood. Seems like lots of pluses but pricey. Also not likely to snap a headstock if dropped I'm guessing.
Hi, we break our fretboard edge with a slight radius and the ball-end frets are smooth. So happy to say there are no issue about bumpiness or sharpness at all! Thanks for the questions! - Mama Rubato
I had a Moses one and absolutely loved it, was sad when they stopped offering guitar parts. You should try a Rubato one, their fretwork is way beyond Moses in my opinion. Really impressed me when I got a Rubato neck, easily my favourite guitar to play now.
Hi Darrell , just a note : squire's ( at least the bullet and affinity series ) have different neckpocket dimensions then fender guitar , i guess this neck will fit , but there will be a gap concerning the width of the neckpocket .
No one with a lick of sense would put the best neck in the world on a Squier Bullet or Affinity series guitar. But just to add to this info, my Rubato fit the neck pocket of a Squier CV Jazzmaster perfectly. As long as the guitar has a standard strat or tele neck pocket (you can order a Rubato with either shape) the neck with fit. So any Squier of the CV range, and all Fender’s that use 4 bolts will accommodate a Rubato neck.
@@alpeterson Yes , squire cv's have the standard fender neckpocket width ( 56 - 57 mm ) and i am one of those fools who put an expensive neck ( allparts lindy frailin strat neck - play's like a dream btw ) on a squire bullet strat body . These lindy necks have the fender neckpocket width size , so i was left with a bit of a gap wich i filled with woodfiller 😀. I also swapped the pu's ( i bought a set of fender tex mex pu's ) and also upgraded the electronics ( pot's ect ) and ...... to finisch thigs off i bought an fender brigde ( with fullsize tremblock ) . The brigde fit right in and only cost me 30 euro's , for the neck i bought a set of boston tuners and a grap tech nut . I sold the squire neck and the whole project cost me about 550 euro , the squire bullet body's are also a bit thinner then the normal fender body's , so i took off backplate ( something i always do with strats ) because the tremblock is a bit to deep for this somewhat thinner body , but to end my long story , i love this partcaster strat and it sounds and play's great , cheers from Holland .
Hey Antoon, our necks are made to fit standard Fender neck pockets and most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters but you'll find a graphic showing the geometry on the Rubato Guitars website. If there's any doubt, we recommend you ask your friendly, local guitar tech to do a test measurement for you. Hope we can help you out. We'd love to build you one. - Mama Rubato
Definately a cool neck however the price is for players with deep pockets! Thanks for showcasing this cool carbon fiber neck! Buy a complete guitar from Harley Benton with a roasted maple neck for around $200 and in my opinion it matches the guitar better unless your guitar is black.
They offer a huge range of fretboard colors so color accenting is easy, and come on… you can’t seriously compare this to a Harley Benton. That’s comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Ferrari on the basis that they both have four wheels. One is all about basic, do the job, nothing wrong with that. The other is all about performance, a level of fit and finish beyond high end and straight up the best of the best. Trust me, I got my Rubato in person and immediately understood why they have to price the way they do. It’s worth it.
@@alpeterson read my entire comment. Its about affordability and actually yes you can. I know someone using a Hb in a band and the roasted maple neck is flawless. Asian labour is cheap and products are very good.
@@dragan4658 I’ve played lots of the HB’s with roasted maple necks and SS frets, they’re ok. But also having owned and played one of Rubato’s they honestly don’t compare. Like I said, nothing wrong being a functional workhorse, but that’s not the market Rubato is in.
You can customize and order a Roasted Maple neck with Stainless Steel frets from Warmoth for a fraction of the price and it will last forever and be incredibly stable.
He compared the prices at the end to exactly what you just said, the Rubato is more but not too badly and it’s way more than a Warmoth neck. I have a Rubato neck and I’ve had Warmoth ones, the price is worth it.
Love your vids. Honestly, I don't like stainless steel frets...one reason, and I know others will disagree, but I don't like the feel or the sound coming off of the fret board. Also, I have had guitars with carbon fiber necks and to they don't feel right at all, so for me it's maple or rosewood period. Just a side note...you can get a classic players 50's strat neck MIM (make sure it's the 9.5 radius unless you DO like 7.5) and it's just as good as the american made one only it's $259.00 at MOJO MUSIC (last year they were $200.00) every where esle they are $300.00 to $389.00. Granted it is not as thick as the American Original neck (which I love) but it has a nice soft V shape and it is wonderful to play on and it's not $700.00. Yikes!!! Just my 2 cents worth. Peace
Thanks Darrell, good job! I've checked the Rubato page and it seems there are no options considering to dimensions (radius, nut width etc.). By the way, does that carbon feel cold (compared to wood), please?
@@kipponi Thank you, that sounds like the only negative for me. Feeling cold (event if the temperature is the same) is given by thermal conductivity and "stealing" energy from your hand, so metal feels colder than wood, for example. i hope my English is understandable :)
I can't speak for the neck that Darrell got, but I have a bike that is made out of carbon fibre. It doesn't feel as cold as metal. About the same as wood. It does feel sticky, though. Not sure if that guitar neck does too. Just my 2c. Have a good one.
I have a Rubato neck, it feels like wood temperature wise, not cold or weird. In fact that was one thing I loved about it, I had an aluminum guitar from Electrical Guitar Company and I hated playing it because it always felt frickin freezing. Rubato offers the option of a satin finish or gloss on the back of the neck depending on what the player wants, I chose satin with my headstock being glossy. It feels awesome, no stickiness in fact it feels incredibly fast. It’s a compound radius, I couldn’t be more happy with mine. Best neck I have, easily.
Hi Joe. We'll get there ... Sorry we can't help you out right now but one day we'd love to be making bass necks too. Needs lots of R&D investment time our little team doesn't yet have but one day ... - Mama Rubato
Really cool neck and video! The price at $925 isn’t bad at all. You can easily pay close to that with a lot of other necks. Side note, I found myself wishing your video used less shallow depth of field on the playing part. Especially on a shot looking down the neck, there was almost nothing in focus. Just a random thought 🙂
I built a Tele and a Strat with PRS style necks with reverse PRS style headstock 3+3. I really like the look. This neck in this video really looks good. :-)
Zero frets remind me of inexpensive guitars from the 70s. Those were not stainless steel, so they had some drawbacks in the long term. Zero frets were the quick and easy way to get a decent action setup at the nut end.
haha, I said that to them when talking with Rubato. But they do it so that they can set the neck up for your size of string perfectly, then the neck is good for life. No nut work needed ever, no fretwork, nothing. It’s perfect forever. I love mine.
@@alpeterson Yeah, I understand that it makes sense, especially with SS frets. It is often hard to get past previous impressions. It looks like the zero fret was done in this case for all the right reasons, and it makes sense. It is easier to get past a prejudice when logic leads the way. Another example of perceived quality: gold colored or plated hardware. I have seen too many bad examples, where the plating tarnishes or wears off. Now I would never want a guitar (or a watch for that matter) with gold hardware. No matter how well the plating is done, it always looks cheap to me. I think I will never buy gold hardware.
Can I suggest that the neck bolts be assembled with Tefgel ( a special thick teflon sticky grease) . It will allow torque settings to be accurate ( no sticking) , stop any corrosion between the stainless bolts and the metal of the anchor bolts and it acts a fantastic antivibration loosening compound.
Hi David, with Grover Locking Chrome Tuners you're looking at @ 700gm. Without it's 480gm. If you want to know more, you can email Oliver. His address is on the Rubato Guitars website. Thanks for the interest. - Mama Rubato
Having gotten a Rubato neck last year I gotta say the nicest rock maple neck isn’t competition, I still love maple necks, but this thing is on another level.
Does that neck fit in a Relish guitar? Does it fit in Tele body guitars or any other body type that is not a strat like a Les Paul body type, or does it reference certain brands of guitar that are compatible?
They offer the necks in standard strat or standard tele heel shapes, as that’s the most common neck pocket sizes used in the world. So you choose what heel shape you want when ordering the neck. It would be impossible for them to make a heel for any random neck pocket shape, but doing strat or tele covers 90% of the market.
Hi Jordan, we love Relish. The guys are doing such great things! We're always iterating our guitars and necks but, for now, they're made to fit the standard Fender neck pocket and fit most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters. You'll find dimensions on the Rubato Guitars website. Thanks for the question. - Mama Rubato
Hey Just checked out their website, and these necks go for $925 dollars and that doesn't include international shipping and duty nor taxes and their lead time is 3 to 5 months!! CRAZY! I'll stick with wood lol!
Yeah, It's definitely a specialty item!
@@DarrellBraunGuitar no Kidding! However as an east-coaster in Canada, it's just not "special" enough for me to want to buy 😆
Does it come with a subcompact car also?
@@2bikemikesguitartopics145 for $925 it should at least come with a gas card lol!
@@DarrellBraunGuitaryou wouldn’t have bought one 10 years ago, youtube has made you a big shot.
Yes!! I’ve been waiting to see this video go live for over a year! The team at Rubato Guitars are amazing, it’s actually a little more than just the father/son team, there’s another guy named Dan who is awesome working there, and there’s Mama Rubato as well. All of them are unbelievably nice and work crazy hard to make these necks and their line of custom guitars happen. I got my Rubato neck over a year ago and I couldn’t be more stoked on it. Built an offset JM style with it and it’s my favourite electric now. The price is a bit scary, but it’s worth it and once you have one you understand the level of craftsmanship and detail they put into it, the price is more than fair. I completely agree with Darrell that you need to put the price into context and compare it to other premium neck offerings out there, when you do these aren’t that much more but you’re getting the best of the best premium features.
Worth every penny!!
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Thanks, Al. Mama Rubato here. We really appreciate the support and it was a pleasure to build you a neck you love!
@@angelalambson6880 I’m gonna be a lifelong supporter, I love what you folks do! And I also think you are all just the best.
what a time to be alive .. all the amazing, wonderful things made available
.. a beautiful guitar neck that's dependable, lasts a whole lifetime .. that doesn't break if accidentally or purposely dropped
Gibson, take notes on how to finally make a proper guitar neck.
I love my Rubato neck and it’s certainly infinitely stronger than a wooden one and WAY less likely to break if dropped but I do wanna say that carbon fibre isn’t invincible, it’s possible to break it. Mind you, what you’d do to break it I don’t know and would certainly be WAY past what a wooden one would take but still, it’s possible. haha
Woah John! Thanks man. Our Rubato fam is going to want to frame this comment!
Let’s not test that, huh Al? 😂
@@angelalambson6880 oh never! haha
I’m too in love with the neck to risk that experiment.
What a way to start off the year! Thanks Darrell you legend♥ Everyone on our small team is super stoked! - Oliver, Roger, Angela, & Dan
This neck is now my focus to purchase for 2023. You have made an item that is the dream come true for so many of us!! Happy New Year Rubato!!
@@RealPeterGunn thanks Peter, happy New Year to you too! feel free to send me an email (link on our website) and we can chat about customisation options:) - Oliver
@@RealPeterGunn Thanks, Peter! We're so happy to hear that. Looking forward to hearing from you. All the best - Mama Rubato & the Rubato Boys
will this fit a squier strat?
i appreciate an item like this existing. Yes, its expensive and somewhat of a niche item, but the R&D that went into this is pretty crazy. Very cool item!
Hey, John. Mama Rubato here. Thanks for your kind words. Yup, the R&D has been significant but we're really interested in meaningful innovation of the instrument we love so much. (And we reckon it's what Les and Leo would be doing if they were still here!)
Kick'n off 2023 with an amazing strat neck! If you like carbon fiber, then it's hard to imagine any better!
Enjoy :)
Nice way to kick off the new year!
I really wish you could've done a comparison of what the guitar sounded like with the original neck vs the carbon fiber, i.e played the same licks/chords on both including toggle positions. It seems the guitar lost some warmth and the new neck made the tone thinner and brighter/tighter, but there's no way to know that for sure.
I have to admit that I had my doubts of how it would look initially but I rather like the guitar wearing that neck. It's as though it took a step up design-wise. Definitely worth the investment for anyone who's looking for a change.
Thanks for the heads-up on this company, and Happy New Year!
Great review of this neck, thank you.
As for the price, very comparable to a Musikraft neck I had built.
The Musicraft had 4A Flame roasted maple, SS Frets and Kluson tuners w/bone nut, cost was $820.
The carbon fiber is very interesting, looking forward to your build.
@@nuthinbutlove That would have been really interesting ...
Thanks, Darrell. You've certainly helped put some eyes on what we're doing and it's great to see the interest in some meaningful guitar innovation. Wishing you all the best! - Mama Rubato & the Crew
I like the headstock shape and tuners. Honestly, I haven't spent $925 total on ANY of my guitars! I'll stick with wood, I know how to adjust my truss rod if it needs it!
Indeed ..........
You can get a great guitar for just a few hundred dollars. That is true. But when you start dabbling in Ultra expensive Parts like this you can definitely come up with some magic guitars that have extra Mojo power.
Well, when you DO get one that's pricey (I'm thinking Parker Fly here), you're going to find out why discerning guitarists lay out the cash. I own three of those (and a bunch of others) and I have no regrets whatever.
Link to purchase please
When I noticed that the obnoxious "Music is Win" guy had over a million subs and you didn't, I had to subscribe. Love how genuine and informative you are. Keep it up!
That string guide is so elegant. Great headstock design with everything well aligned (looking at you Gibson).
It's a PRS headstock.
It's very similar to the PRS headstock but not exactly the same. Ugly, but not quite as ugly.
Thanks, Vitor. Angela from Rubato here. We really appreciate the kind words! Here's to you too!
Thank you for the info about this Neck from a land far away.
This Neck is not for everyone, but it is for me.
Thanks again for the review and commentary.
Oh, man. Nice. That would look absolutely trick on a bright white Strat!
After Darrell's fourth "we'll get to the price in a minute" comment I was like, "Oh, boy. It's gonna be up there." ;-) Definitely not for me (unless I win the lotto) but very cool review. Cheers and Happy New Years everyone.
It is a bigger price, but I gotta say if you can save up and do it it’s worth it. That’s how I felt when I got mine, I’m not made of money and these are a big price for me but I feel it’s worth it.
Hope you win the lotto, King Brutus XXVI. We'd love to make you one of our guitars or necks! - Mama Rubato
Darrell, I finally got around to listening to the Celtic Classics album. Fantastic! Am appreciating it very much. Very well done.
Here in Michigan it’s Neck adjusting season with the furnace running… I am ordering one. Great video thank you
Haha. Great news, Ernie! Looking forward to hearing from you. Meantime, greetings from Sunny South Africa and stay warm! - Mama Rubato
Thanks Darrell; looking forward to following this carbon build. Played a Parker for years--stable in all ambient conditions. Carry on and props to the neck builder!
Me too! I love my Fly :)
You're making me sad now. I wish Parker still made guitars.
@@daemonspudguy Parker guitar costed 10kdollars to manufacture and they sold those 3kdollars. What you think was it good business!?
They are great guitars.
Sweet neck. One of the only carbon fiber replacement necks out there.
I have owned Steinberger bass since around 1985 or so. I love carbon fiber necks for their stability. In 38 years that neck has not moved.
I love wood too but carbon fiber always intrigues me.
I owned a Modulus Quantum 6 bass years ago. After leaving it in the case for 3 months at one point, I found it had backbowed. The repairman I sent it to found that it had a dual-action truss rod, and he got it back into adjustment quickly. You don't put dual-action rods into instruments you think will be permanently stable. Graphite has some limitations, that's for sure.
@@rebeltuba9422I see Tuba in your name, I started on tuba in the 70s before moving to bass and guitar. That sucks about the Modulus. I've seen 1 steinberger with a bowed neck. It was an early model after they moved to the Nashville location in the 90s. I've heard the early Nashville ones had QC issues. If carbon fiber is not made correctly it can fail. No material is perfect.
That’s how I found Rubato, as part of the hunt for carbon necks. Moses Carbon Graphite offered them for a while and I absolutely loved them but they stopped making guitar parts years ago. And now that I have my Rubato neck I gotta say that the quality of Rubato’s is better than anything else I’ve ever touched, carbon or wood.
@@sunn_bass After the backbow, the neck never moved again, and it stayed great until 1. the Bartolini NTMB (I think) wiring harness failed and had to be replaced; the new one sounded MUCH better, so I think that the original was not right, and 2. the 35" scale began to wear my hands out, so I switched to a cheap Ibanez SR506, which both had a much more comfortable neck (34" and very thin) and frankly sounded better (still Bartolini pickups but different wiring harness); I kept it till arthritis and age forced me to retire. I still play tuba at 71.
Thanks Sunn_Bass. Yes, stability is a big deal for us too. 38 years? Wow. That's an amazing endorsement! Bet you've made some sweet music with it. - Mama Rubato
I know the Rubato guys personally - all around great to know and work with! Love seeing their work stateside, thanks for sharing.
Hey Amy! Thanks for the nice words. We really appreciate them. - Mama Rubato
A replacement neck from Warmoth with vintage/modern construction, compound radius, stainless steel frets in roasted maple is only $277...
Roasted maple is cheaper than non-roasted maple because roasted does not require a finish.
Yes. I was looking for someone to say this. Warmoth makes good stuff
Warmoth lets you option out your neck in so many ways and keep the proper Strat shaped headstock. I did a Tele build with their parts and optioned out the neck with the options you described and included a compensated but as well.
I’ve had Warmoth necks and I have a Rubato neck I got a year ago, the Rubato absolutely kicks the ass of any Warmoth I’ve ever had, totally worth the investment.
When you skooshed that strat up, that sound heart my heart.
Thanks, Matthew. That's the kind of reaction the workshop guys like to hear! - Mama Rubato
As a South African......proud to see this company being showcased.
You should be proud, they make the best necks in the world!
Hey Rufaro! Thanks so much for the support. Africa ... Our time is now! All the best to you - Mama Rubato
That neck is gorgeous!!! Love the look, fit and finish!!!
Hey, Michael! You'll soon be able to see it for yourself! - Mama Rubato
@@angelalambson6880 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎸🙏😎
I bought one from somebody who bought out the remnants of the Peavey warehouse in Meridian Mississippi when it shut down. I got both a 4 string bass neck and a 6 string 25.5 scale 22 fret strat style neck, both carbon fiber and all for around $200 INCLUDING THE SHIPPING!!! The necks have pre installed screw anchors in the heels, so I have to drill the body to fit the neck, BUT the bass neck lines up PERFECTLY with a Peavey loaded body I bought from ger as well!! Stainless frets that are finished as well!! AN ABSOLUTE STEAL!! BUT I still prefer my flamed and birdseye maple necks, they are just so beautiful!
Definitely a cool and high quality neck. I just think that it looks out of place on a strat because the neck is ultra modern and the strat is a very traditional looking guitar.
I know what you mean and especially since it's black. The headstock is kind of a PRS thing but there is kind of a strange imbalance in look between the body and the neck. If it plays as well as it sounds and looks then I'd say it's damn well worth it though.
@@Joe-mz6dc yes it is like a prs neck. To me it looks really odd. Even if it plays well, it wouldn't make me want to pickup my instrument. I also think that for $900 they should include an option for some cool fretboard inlays.
@@allboutthemojo they do offer fretboard inlays, and different options of Richlite fretboard colors so you can really customize the look of the neck. Darrell obviously must’ve chosen to do black with no inlays because that’s what he wanted. For mine I did a color of fretboard called brimstone which is an purplish red and I got oval shaped inlays, I absolutely love it. I got used to the 3x3 headstock very quickly, it did look odd at first but that’s because for 70 years we’ve all been seeing the same headstocks for the most part. I did my build ground up using a Jazzmaster shape so I think it looks badass. I’m not really a fan of Strats.
@@allboutthemojo once you’ve played this neck, you’ll want to play the instrument non stop because the neck feels AMAZING. It’s easily my favourite guitar now and the neck gets 90% of the credit for that.
@@alpeterson cool. I'll have to check those options out. Too bad , can't post pictures here
All of the fretboard options are Richlite which expected with a completely synthetic product.
Yeah! I got my rubato with the Richlite being “brimstone” coloured, a deep reddish. I love it!
Very cool, pricey and not for everyone but for those who want something special, there it is. Looks amazing and sounds great
Thanks Mr Steve
That neck is gorgeous! Carbon fiber against a pure white strat would look awesome. Thanks for giving us this type of information.
My Rubato neck is on a white Jazzmaster style body and it does look awesome! haha
Thank you! Rubato fam likes the white strat idea too! Watch this space.
Can't believe no one said ohh youve replaced your machinehead 🤘🤘
What's the difference between a traditional nut and this style? Are there any disadvantages or limitations? I would love to use a neck like this on a project
Zero fret would technically be the traditional option because that is how lutes were made before modernizing into the guitars we know today
$925 US = $1244 CDN.
Darrell, you'd be surprised with how many things I buy on your recommendations. My American Performer strat, well, I think the output jack & the wood are the only OEM things that remain. I contacted Paoletti to inquire about a guitar I want to buy from them, and they have very nice things to say about you.
The best fretboard I've ever used was Richlite (A Godin Summit Classic Convertible) with stainless frets & since that's a tough couple of materials to work with, the cost always goes up. The price of this neck is actually reasonable when you consider all the other things you're getting.
Couple of questions for you or fellow subscribers:
1. If I don't want to keep the tuners they give me, is there anything proprietary that I should know about this neck? It's not like it can be easily altered.
2. This "zero fret" approach - does this limit me to any particular string gauge? I'll use 9.5s almost always, but occasionally try 9's and 10s. The string moves around a bit in the opening, so it just seems to be a bit unrestrained. It's like a moving compensated nut....Since I have a Floyd Rose Rail Tail on my Strat (down bends, no upbends) can you vouch for the stability, at least so far?
3. I don't care much about weight distribution, but is there a balance difference with such a light neck?
There's like 20 types of Richlite fretboards, but no examples. The site is one of those beginner websites. Anyone know where I can browse a gallery of these different types? I assumed there was only one type of Richlite - "black"....
Thanks for the recommendations, but jeezuss slow down, I'm going broke here lol.
Hi NunchucksHabit, lots of questions there and we'd love to answer them! If you'd like a call with Oliver to discuss, please go to the Rubato Guitars website and drop him an email. He's always keen to talk guitars and explain what we're up to (especially your Q re balance). Quick answers to your other questions: (1) We're big Richlite fans too and we can send you a doc with pix of their latest colours. (They've just expanded the range and changed some of colour names. They're definitely not doing the Ford thang .. they've got fretboards in plenty colours other than black ... though Black Diamond looks amazing with carbon!). (2) We use premium Grover and Schaller tuners but our necks are custom made and we're open to you speccing other options as long as they fit on the headstock. (3) The Zero Fret and string guide minimise friction to ensure optimum tuning stability. We set up to your preferred string gauge and you can move one size up or down without any further adjustment. If you wanted to use much heavier strings, the string guide can be easily adjusted by inserting shims (which we provide). Hope this helps. Please don't go broke. We'd love to build you a neck someday! ;) - Mama Rubato
@@angelalambson6880 Now that is how it's done! Thank you!
Hi Darrell, loved this neck for features and stability. I do think even though it seems expensive at the beginning I feel sure it would pay for itself long term. Can’t wait to see it feature in future part builds. Cheers ✌️🎸
In what planet? Darrel was budget guitar guy now the internet/ TH-cam has made him a big wheel and wealthy. Why you sucking up to him?
i think it's awesome, like i think a lambo would be awesome. just can't see how it would pay for itself... guitars are easy to set up, and frets are no where near $900 over a lifetime. a custom warmoth neck to your exact specs is waaaayy cheaper than this
As the proud owner of a Rubato neck and someone enjoys building guitars it’s totally worth the price and absolutely fair for the level of value you get. Ignore keyboard complainers who don’t have any experience with these, Darrell is spot on, the necks are beyond fantastic and I highly recommend them. I got mine with a purplish red fretboard and their oval inlays, I frickin love it.
Thanks, Rodger. Hope you caught the build video? - Mama Rubato
I really appreciate this approach, because I got myself into a rebuild of a Stratocaster VII of the cursed "superstrat" era. If I get that maple neck with reversed headstock, which I had to ask various custom manufacturers for already and only got a chance because I have the perfect blueprint with the one from the VII, I will come up with a Stratocaster build that has no equal on TH-cam in the near future. The whole build stands and falls with the neck and I really need the fender reversed headstock. It makes as much sense as your approach, just from a different standpoint. There literally is no guitar that gives you that much space from the hardware to the first fret on the low bottom end. If im able to make this guitar stay in tune with the bridge modifications I have planned, this might make a funny video possible in the end that im really looking forward to :)
Hey I am a new veiwer and new to guitar, I just had to say that your videos have been really cool to watch keep, up the good work !!
Very appealing, and with some innovation as well (string guides). Too expensive for me, but if I were wealthier, I'd be happy to swap out the neck on my '86 Squier Strat for one of these.
A couple years older and your MIJ Squier would have a 3 bolt. Not sure if the '86 are interchangeable or not. How are the pickups? I have a 90's Pro-Tone the tone is really nice classic Strat you would never hear it and think it wasn't a USA model
It’s worth the cash, I can’t say enough great things about my Rubato neck. Other than a year and a half after getting it I wish that I could put one on all my guitars. haha
Thanks, Ray. The guys will be happy to read your comments. We so appreciate the support. - Mama Rubato
That neck is sick. I am guessing the whole build will be done with top shelf components.
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Porno components?
Yup Mike. We use premium components from suppliers we trust. All the available specs are on the Rubato Guitars website. - Mama Rubato
I bought a Warmoth roasted maple neck with stainless steel frets - no finish and no tuners - for about $300. They will finish the neck for about $125 more. Top notch tuners are about $150. That's only $575 and their necks are great. You can get excellent locking tuners for about $70. This neck looks terrific, but I don't know what would make it better than a Warmoth neck. Mine plays incredibly well. Except for the price, I would try one of these.
From the point of view of physics a carbon fiber neck is going to be more stable over the years (hypothetically). There is higher probability that it'll be as stable as new in a few decades than your "regular" wooden neck. However there is no reason to believe that it'll play "better".
@@inquisitivenessandcontempl9918 Hi, we're not here to question the relative merits of carbon and wood. Hell, wood's been the material of choice for 70 years and we love it too. However, we'd definitely argue that - aside from the stability benefits of carbon - there are plenty of design innovations that can influence playability. For us, the fun lies in looking for meaningful ways to contribute to the evolution of the instrument we love .. .and we reckon that, if they were still here, our heroes Les and Leo would be championing the same thing in pursuit of better play. Sounds like we share the curiosity that drives the perpetual search for a better way to do things! - Mama Rubato
Thanks Darrell, great neck for sure. And could anyone wear a more Canadian shirt? Gotta stay warm in the cold winter.😀
Thanks, Ray. - Mama Rubato & the Rubato Crew
Yeah at $925 I think I'll just stick to my Musikraft neck for the Partscaster I'm working on, made exactly to specs I want...stainless steel frets, compound 10"-14" radius, rolled fingerboard edges, quartersawn maple construction, etc and it cost like half that.
I own a Status Graphite bass came set up and I got it in 2012, in all the time I have owned it I have never needed to adjust the neck, I went travelling for a few months and when I came back plugged it in and it was still in tune. If you want a low/no maintenance instrument then carbon fibre is the way to go, yes expensive but the quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.
Agreed! My Rubato neck has been perfect since I installed it a year ago, the set up neeeeeeeeever changes and it’s the best feeling guitar I have now. Totally worth the money.
Very cool to hear that, Simon. 2012 - 2023 is quite an endorsement! Thanks for sharing it here. The team will be very interested. - Mama Rubato
Nice neck and specs but I get lost without dots on fretboard.
I trust those. Almost never look side marks...except classical guitars I must.
Rubato offers fretboard dots, it’s your choice to get them or not. Darrell must’ve opted to order his neck without them.
I would have like to have heard tone comparison clips featuring the original Fender neck versus the replacement one.
Darryl, can you film a before/after with acoustic tones and amplified tones comparing the Fender neck with the Rubato? I usually find the acoustic sound of a solid body guitar informs the amplified sound, especially sustain.
Fun fact:
it doesn't.
Wow! That neck is incredible.
Thanks, Joe. You've no idea how much your words of support mean to our team. - Mama Rubato
The future of guitar necks and bodies.
Thanks, Falloutcjs. Future of guitars too. You can see our Rubato Lassie all carbon guitar (a monocoque with no truss rod) on our Rubato Guitars website. - Mama Rubato
Dude.. I can’t WAIT to see the build!
Hope you saw the follow up build, video, Bobby. Sign up for our mailing list on the Rubato Guitars website and we'll keep you posted on all the fun stuff that's happening .. and the cool builds people are producing with our necks. - Mama Rubato
Interesting. I have the same problem with temperature and moisture affecting the neck where I live. You said that the action on the carbon fiber neck is very low - can you give us an idea what the measurement is? Would be very curious to know.
It looks like a great product. My major question was - how are the frets attached? Parker guitars would glue the frets to the carbon fiber board, and there were issues with the frets popping off over time. I e-mailed Rubato and was told their frets are "fitted with standard tangs and are glued in place (with epoxy)" - so there should be no concern as there was with Parker frets.
thanks Darrell for hoping us well today :D
@Darrell_Braun_Guitar No
2:41 holy moly. You've got serial number 11 there.
Great thanks Darrell, showed me a neck that I have to have now. Gotta start looking at what to sell
Dude, as a Rubato owner, you do gotta get one! It’s the best!
Haha, glad you like what we're doing, Mark! Looking forward to hearing from you when you're ready. - Mama Rubato
Very interesting. Making such a high quality carbon fiber neck is not easy at all. Based on my experience with composites, it would take several days to do one, with most part of the process done by hand. So the price is fully justified if the workers are paid correctly in my opinion. It does take much more time than wood for sure. Then for tone, it is a matter of taste. Looking forward for the nexzlt step.
It’s a family with one non family member named Dan, I interviewed Oli from Rubato on our podcast (The Cultured Guitarist) and can’t say enough great things about him and the team their. And as the owner of a neck from them, I can safely say it’s absolutely worth the money, easily the best neck I have on any of my guitars. Feels killer!
They last a long time too!
@@EePingLiang That's the plan, Ee! We're looking forward to pix of your build! - Mama Rubato
Thanks, Joel. Great to get input from someone who sees what we're trying to do and knows what it takes to do it! It's taken several years of R&D investment to get to this point and precision manufacture certainly takes time. We're a small, passionate team and the only thing we value more than the work we do is the people involved in doing it! - Mama Rubato
Sounds great. This neck is practically beginner proof. Great guitar for humid south Florida.
I took photos with my Rubato neck sporting guitar in the rain during fall and later in snow and it’s still perfect. Not something I’d dare do with any of my other ones! haha
Thanks Sgt Grinch! You're right. No truss rod means our necks and guitars are perfect all weather guitars! - Mama Rubato
awesome sound , finally i've found the best fender tone that i imagine with the perfect strat , that i never knew
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Thanks, Rafael. The team appreciates your comments! - Mama Rubato
Not to be picky my friend, but it looked to me like you had the chrome neck backing plate on upside down. Take the metal part out of the rubber and flip it and I'll be you find it has beveled holes on the other side. I've made that mistake myself before. :) Liked the video, and that might make a nice addition to a Strat I've got. William C. central Indiana U.S.A.
Beautiful but to expensive!!! Thanks Darell and happy New year 🥳 to all!!!
Thanks, Manos. - Mama Rubato
Darrell, We have heard you play many riffs and solos bits. It would be cool to hear you play an entire song with a band jamming out (or digital band). Let’s hear what you got. Bonus points if you can sing. ☺ That is neck is the ultimate mod… I couldn’t do that to my strat 😱
Doesn't he have a link to some of his music? (Update: Yes, there's a link to his album in the video's info section.)
... oh yes you could ;O) - Mama Rubato
Pricey, yes but it definitely exudes quality and value with the stainless frets and locking Grovers. I think its priced fairly.
Well then you think wrong
I own one and can confirm the value is more than worth the price. Easily! It’s my favourite neck I have now and the price totally justifies itself once you feel how much quality and work went into the neck. It’s flawless, beyond high end.
@@God-sz4pf easy to say when you’ve obviously never touched one.
Thanks, Judi. We really appreciate your kind comments. - Mama Rubato
Nice, thats amazing to see. I feel a new high mark has been made in the industry.
That's a comment the Rubato boys will treasure! Thanks, Nicholas. If you'd like to stay up to speed with new developments as they happen, please sign up for our mailing list on the Rubato Guitars website. All the best to you. - Mama Rubato
gr8 video as always and a beautiful neck w/ everything first class...
Thank you, Larry. We so appreciate your positive feedback! - Mama Rubato
I wonder if its better or worse for the environment to use carbon fibre then to source a specific wood
I wonder if this neck will fit an Ibanez S-style body. A visit to the Robato site should answer that. Happy new year to Darrel & family, and to all his viewers.
Hi James, our neck is made to fit a standard Fender neck pocket and works with most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters. There's a graphic showing the geometry on the Rubato Guitars website. If you're in any doubt, we always recommend getting your guitar tech to do a test measurement first. We'd love to make you a carbon neck! Thanks for the interest. - Mama Rubato
is that tone carbon? :P this is awesome I love that you show us products nobody else on youtube does
LOL. You might be onto something, Ted! - Mama Rubato
That's a nice looking PRS neck 😏
hell yeah that neck look awesome and those string guides geeze I want one for my strat
Thanks RL. We'd love to make you one! - Mama Rubato
thanks for showing me this.
does it have a truss rod ?
did i miss that part ?
are he bolts and alen keys metric ?
I live in the tropics and moisture is a huge problem in the wet season. carbon fibre and aluminium might just be the answer
No truss rod, totally pointless since the carbon fibre never moves. The neck bolts come with the correct size of Allen key in the bag, I believe it’s metric but I can’t recall, I’ve just always kept the key in the case with the guitar. And if you’re worried about moisture shifting things, these things are perfect for that. There’s no movement, ever, in any weather. I’ve had mine in rain, in snow, and in temperatures over 40° Celsius and it’s never moved. Perfect always! haha
And mine is on a body that is just regular old alder, so I can only imagine how much more stable a full Rubato custom guitar would be since that’s 100% carbon fibre one piece body/neck.
thanks for the info.
i asked about the truss rod because carbon fibre does move.
i mean formula 1 cars flex. bicycles too.
it's a design choice and it looks like these people have put enough in there to beat the strings without assistance
@@lets_measure_it sorry I could have been clearer, the neck will flex but the relief won’t change. I have don’t neck vibrato but the neck always goes back to the same spot exactly. My Rubato hasn’t needed a set up for two years, I still check it once and a while but it’s always perfect.
Hi Derek, thanks for the questions. As Al says, it doesn't have a truss rod and, yes, the Allen keys are metric. The properties of carbon make our guitars and necks the perfect all-weather instruments. Definitely something to consider in your tropical climate! - Mama Rubato
i appreciate the info.
thankyou
The rounded but not tapered off fret end seem like they'd be a little "bumpy" on position transitions? But would have to feel first hand. Also how's the fingerboard edge? Many new necks have a pretty sharp fingerboard edge, making playing uncomfortable unless properly tended to. Usually an easy fix on wood.
Seems like lots of pluses but pricey. Also not likely to snap a headstock if dropped I'm guessing.
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Hi, we break our fretboard edge with a slight radius and the ball-end frets are smooth. So happy to say there are no issue about bumpiness or sharpness at all! Thanks for the questions! - Mama Rubato
Any chance Fender will make any "official" carbon fiber necks?
I've got a few Moses Graphite necks. Kind of the same deal (but 30+ years old). The stability is awesome.
I had a Moses one and absolutely loved it, was sad when they stopped offering guitar parts. You should try a Rubato one, their fretwork is way beyond Moses in my opinion. Really impressed me when I got a Rubato neck, easily my favourite guitar to play now.
Yes, Donald. This kind of feedback on stability really excites us. Thanks for sharing it. - Mama Rubato
Hey Darrel thx for everything luv the channel happy new year and looking forward to all your content thx again
Hi Darrell , just a note : squire's ( at least the bullet and affinity series ) have different neckpocket dimensions then fender guitar , i guess this neck will fit , but there will be a gap concerning the width of the neckpocket .
No one with a lick of sense would put the best neck in the world on a Squier Bullet or Affinity series guitar. But just to add to this info, my Rubato fit the neck pocket of a Squier CV Jazzmaster perfectly. As long as the guitar has a standard strat or tele neck pocket (you can order a Rubato with either shape) the neck with fit. So any Squier of the CV range, and all Fender’s that use 4 bolts will accommodate a Rubato neck.
@@alpeterson Yes , squire cv's have the standard fender neckpocket width ( 56 - 57 mm ) and i am one of those fools who put an expensive neck ( allparts lindy frailin strat neck - play's like a dream btw ) on a squire bullet strat body . These lindy necks have the fender neckpocket width size , so i was left with a bit of a gap wich i filled with woodfiller 😀. I also swapped the pu's ( i bought a set of fender tex mex pu's ) and also upgraded the electronics ( pot's ect ) and ...... to finisch thigs off i bought an fender brigde ( with fullsize tremblock ) . The brigde fit right in and only cost me 30 euro's , for the neck i bought a set of boston tuners and a grap tech nut . I sold the squire neck and the whole project cost me about 550 euro , the squire bullet body's are also a bit thinner then the normal fender body's , so i took off backplate ( something i always do with strats ) because the tremblock is a bit to deep for this somewhat thinner body , but to end my long story , i love this partcaster strat and it sounds and play's great , cheers from Holland .
@@antoonhermans8953 haha, well I love that you did that. Really all that matters in the end is you love your guitar, right?
Hey Antoon, our necks are made to fit standard Fender neck pockets and most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters but you'll find a graphic showing the geometry on the Rubato Guitars website. If there's any doubt, we recommend you ask your friendly, local guitar tech to do a test measurement for you. Hope we can help you out. We'd love to build you one. - Mama Rubato
@@angelalambson6880 thanks for the info .
Definately a cool neck however the price is for players with deep pockets! Thanks for showcasing this cool carbon fiber neck! Buy a complete guitar from Harley Benton with a roasted maple neck for around $200 and in my opinion it matches the guitar better unless your guitar is black.
They offer a huge range of fretboard colors so color accenting is easy, and come on… you can’t seriously compare this to a Harley Benton. That’s comparing a Toyota Corolla to a Ferrari on the basis that they both have four wheels. One is all about basic, do the job, nothing wrong with that. The other is all about performance, a level of fit and finish beyond high end and straight up the best of the best. Trust me, I got my Rubato in person and immediately understood why they have to price the way they do. It’s worth it.
@@alpeterson read my entire comment. Its about affordability and actually yes you can. I know someone using a Hb in a band and the roasted maple neck is flawless. Asian labour is cheap and products are very good.
@@dragan4658 I’ve played lots of the HB’s with roasted maple necks and SS frets, they’re ok. But also having owned and played one of Rubato’s they honestly don’t compare. Like I said, nothing wrong being a functional workhorse, but that’s not the market Rubato is in.
This is a pro-touring musicians dream, it never moves no matter what country you visited last week.
Thanks, Jeffrey. We appreciate the comments and, you're right. Our all carbon necks and guitars are great all-weather gig gear! - Mama Rubato
You can customize and order a Roasted Maple neck with Stainless Steel frets from Warmoth for a fraction of the price and it will last forever and be incredibly stable.
He compared the prices at the end to exactly what you just said, the Rubato is more but not too badly and it’s way more than a Warmoth neck. I have a Rubato neck and I’ve had Warmoth ones, the price is worth it.
Fantastic neck. Thank you Darrell for this video.
Thanks, Mike. We really appreciate the kind remarks! - Mama Rubato
@@angelalambson6880 I would buy one after your guitar necks , for one of my strats, but I am unable to afford it presently. Thank you
@@mikecarreca7864 No worries, Mike. We can wait! We'd love to build you one when the time is right. All the best. - MR
So excited for this build! 😁😁🎸🤘🏼
Did you catch the build video, Kevin? Watching the neck pop into the pocket was a beautiful thing! LOL - Mama Rubato
If they can ever get a carbon fibre guitar to project like wood, I'm sold.
Love your vids. Honestly, I don't like stainless steel frets...one reason, and I know others will disagree, but I don't like the feel or the sound coming off of the fret board. Also, I have had guitars with carbon fiber necks and to they don't feel right at all, so for me it's maple or rosewood period.
Just a side note...you can get a classic players 50's strat neck MIM (make sure it's the 9.5 radius unless you DO like 7.5) and it's just as good as the american made one only it's $259.00 at MOJO MUSIC (last year they were $200.00) every where esle they are $300.00 to $389.00. Granted it is not as thick as the American Original neck (which I love) but it has a nice soft V shape and it is wonderful to play on and it's not $700.00. Yikes!!! Just my 2 cents worth. Peace
Thanks Darrell, good job! I've checked the Rubato page and it seems there are no options considering to dimensions (radius, nut width etc.). By the way, does that carbon feel cold (compared to wood), please?
I think it feels like glass so yes. But it is same temperature like in room of course. It doesn't matter what material it is.
@@kipponi Thank you, that sounds like the only negative for me. Feeling cold (event if the temperature is the same) is given by thermal conductivity and "stealing" energy from your hand, so metal feels colder than wood, for example. i hope my English is understandable :)
I can't speak for the neck that Darrell got, but I have a bike that is made out of carbon fibre.
It doesn't feel as cold as metal. About the same as wood. It does feel sticky, though. Not sure if that guitar neck does too.
Just my 2c. Have a good one.
@@jaroslavmencl9543 Yes metal conducts heat better than wood.
I have a Rubato neck, it feels like wood temperature wise, not cold or weird. In fact that was one thing I loved about it, I had an aluminum guitar from Electrical Guitar Company and I hated playing it because it always felt frickin freezing.
Rubato offers the option of a satin finish or gloss on the back of the neck depending on what the player wants, I chose satin with my headstock being glossy. It feels awesome, no stickiness in fact it feels incredibly fast. It’s a compound radius, I couldn’t be more happy with mine. Best neck I have, easily.
You should check out aristides custom guitars next. They build the next gen of guitars
Very interesting, I have always liked carbon fiber, been looking for a drop in carbon Jazz Bass neck, but I don't see any on their website.
They only do guitars
Hi Joe. We'll get there ... Sorry we can't help you out right now but one day we'd love to be making bass necks too. Needs lots of R&D investment time our little team doesn't yet have but one day ... - Mama Rubato
Really cool neck and video! The price at $925 isn’t bad at all. You can easily pay close to that with a lot of other necks.
Side note, I found myself wishing your video used less shallow depth of field on the playing part. Especially on a shot looking down the neck, there was almost nothing in focus. Just a random thought 🙂
It's actually hard to watch, I agree.
Sweet hit me up I'll build you 1000 dollar necks all day long.
@@steveflicker5248 nah, your necks are overrated
And thank you for your kind words about our carbon neck! - MR
darrell I looked at the order form what do I fill out so I can get the same exact neck you installed I want one no matter what the cost
Love it! Looks like a true game changer. Just wish it had a straight string pull!
I built a Tele and a Strat with PRS style necks with reverse PRS style headstock 3+3. I really like the look. This neck in this video really looks good. :-)
Thanks, CTCards. Love your kind words - Mama Rubato
Heading to their site now to see if they offer True Temperament frets.
Try to do one on the Flaxwood necks from their website.
Looks great by itself, but not sure I could get used to a 3+3 head on a Strat
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Zero frets remind me of inexpensive guitars from the 70s.
Those were not stainless steel, so they had some drawbacks in the long term. Zero frets were the quick and easy way to get a decent action setup at the nut end.
haha, I said that to them when talking with Rubato. But they do it so that they can set the neck up for your size of string perfectly, then the neck is good for life. No nut work needed ever, no fretwork, nothing. It’s perfect forever. I love mine.
@@alpeterson Yeah, I understand that it makes sense, especially with SS frets. It is often hard to get past previous impressions. It looks like the zero fret was done in this case for all the right reasons, and it makes sense. It is easier to get past a prejudice when logic leads the way.
Another example of perceived quality: gold colored or plated hardware. I have seen too many bad examples, where the plating tarnishes or wears off. Now I would never want a guitar (or a watch for that matter) with gold hardware. No matter how well the plating is done, it always looks cheap to me. I think I will never buy gold hardware.
@@P_Ezi Yup, all about decent action and playability! Thanks PDaddy - Mama Rubato
Can I suggest that the neck bolts be assembled with Tefgel ( a special thick teflon sticky grease) . It will allow torque settings to be accurate ( no sticking) , stop any corrosion between the stainless bolts and the metal of the anchor bolts and it acts a fantastic antivibration loosening compound.
just waiting for my jazz master kit to arrive from solo today at the end of the day looking forward to the build
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That's a little out of the realm of possibilities for me to pay for a guitar neck but it is pretty cool. And I like to plaid shirt LOL
Very cool! Great video.
Darrell, how does the weight compare to standard wooden necks?
Hi David, with Grover Locking Chrome Tuners you're looking at @ 700gm. Without it's 480gm. If you want to know more, you can email Oliver. His address is on the Rubato Guitars website. Thanks for the interest. - Mama Rubato
Very cool, wouldn't be surprised to see Fender offer something like this in the future (for a massive up charge, of course).
Fender offered some carbon fiber necks on Precision basses for a while. They weren't popular.
@@rebeltuba9422 When? I have never heard of such.
Check out Klos carbon fiber necks. $400 with tuners!
Interesting Darrell... but many of sweet necks out there a lot of competition made of rock maple. Thanks bud
Having gotten a Rubato neck last year I gotta say the nicest rock maple neck isn’t competition, I still love maple necks, but this thing is on another level.
It's got a clear sparkle ✨️
Does it have a truss rod? Can you adjust the curve of the neck to provide less or more relief based on players preference?
Thanks Darrell looks great and sounds great
Thanks, Herbie! - Mama Rubato
I just bought a $39 dollar Squire off offerup. Can’t wait to slap one of these bad boys on. 🎸
intresting but... what happen when you need to replace frets?
Does that neck fit in a Relish guitar? Does it fit in Tele body guitars or any other body type that is not a strat like a Les Paul body type, or does it reference certain brands of guitar that are compatible?
They offer the necks in standard strat or standard tele heel shapes, as that’s the most common neck pocket sizes used in the world. So you choose what heel shape you want when ordering the neck. It would be impossible for them to make a heel for any random neck pocket shape, but doing strat or tele covers 90% of the market.
Hi Jordan, we love Relish. The guys are doing such great things! We're always iterating our guitars and necks but, for now, they're made to fit the standard Fender neck pocket and fit most Stratocasters and Jazzmasters. You'll find dimensions on the Rubato Guitars website. Thanks for the question. - Mama Rubato