Guitar Necks: Bolt-In vs Set-In vs Neck Through
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2022
- In this video, I will ask viewers to comment on their preferred method of neck installation and why. If you would like to help support this channel, visit my TH-cam merchandise store and buy a t-shirt or a guitar plan: / highlineguitars
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As a player, I'm a "I don't care" person. I don't play high frets very often. As a tech or luthier, I'm a bolt on person. I just feel that being able to swap out necks in case of disaster is a huge plus. For instance, I have a cheap bass that has a neck that I cannot get flat. I will be swapping it out eventually (preferably with a neck that I make). If it were a set neck or neck through, it would be firewood.
Agreed, yet there are ways to unwarp such instruments.
I find it much easier to do fretwork on a neck that can be removed. Less danger of unwanted marks on the body as well. I can put my full attention on the task at hand without having to play bodyguard for the body. Just stresses me out less.
I’ve got a Japanese 70s lp has a bolt on I changed n
I like neck through construction. The "why", is because I like the aesthetics of the smoother transition from neck to body. There is an elegance to through-neck design that's hard to get otherwise.
It would be awesome to see you do a 7 string multiscale neckthru build. I'm learning so much from you and planning my first build. Thanks for all the informative and worthwhile content my friend!
I like the neck through approach for two reasons, both of which are purely subjective. I like to have the strings attached to the same piece of wood on both ends and attaching the body halves is super easy.
I like a bolt/screw on. 1) It's easier to work on the body and the neck as separate components, especially if there is no intent to have a matching/seamless finish between the neck and the body. 2) I like to consider each part of a guitar as a customizable option, at any point in time not just at build time. I like to play around with pickups and all the hardware. Having a bolt on neck just allows for that additional option of customization down the line...granted its probably the lowest likelihood of being swapped out (barring damage).
I used to believe the myths until I bought my new beater guitar to play while my old, more premium road guitars got work done (Schecter PT FastBack).
That guitar has a bolt on neck with ferals and and that guitar resonates thru body and neck and sustains notes, even acoustically, better than any of my guitars. So it broke all neck joint myths lol
I'm convinced it's a combination of different factors, including setup and fret work. Not having a neck plate possibly helps too. I hadnt considered its Graph tech nut may have a bit to do with it also until now.
Neck Through. Entirely due to how I like the look of it viewing the guitar from the back.
While I used to really appreciate the aesthetic of a set neck guitar, I now prefer bolt on necks only because I can swap out necks if I want a specific neck profile on a particular guitar. And I cannot really tell the difference in tonal quality between the 3 types of necks. Thank you for your video.
Oh and subscription definitely earned 👍
Great video as usual Chris! I do agree with you on terms of well executed craftsmanship influences sustain, doesn’t matter the joint or construction. It’s all personal preference but I love neck through for aesthetically, feel and easy access! Not sure if you’ve heard of Lado a Canadian builder who makes neck through guitars. That’s what got me hooked on the neck through construction.
One of the greatest positives of the internet is that it's created a community where luthiers and musicians are able to communicate with each other and put an end to all the myths created by marketing firms and tinkering guitarist who insist their "tricks" are the "secret" to to their success. Knowledge is power.
Neck through is so nice looking. Always loved the Alembic guitars. Beautiful hippy sandwich guitars look really nice to me. But I'm old. I mostly like bolt on necks when I build because I love the Tele look and feel. I only build for myself. That being said the Merle Haggard tele with it's set neck is really nice!
I have an Ibanez sr505 bolt on neck well 2 of those a Warwick Thumb neck through and a PRS 408 with a set neck.
I love all 3 but my Warwick NT sounds awesome pays and feels great
Neck through!
Tone, resonance, and the ability to grab the body with my rt. Hand the neck with my left palm and achieve wammy affects without a wammy bar if I choose without hearing a snap sound at the neck joint.
Ultimate preference would be a one sold piece of wood 🎸 crafted on Laithes left in it's original wood grain finished without a maple top.
Blessings.
Great channel!!
Thirst of all huge thanks for your content. For me have the bolt/srew neck a littel bit more of attack and the neck-thru haveless attack and that is the reasen why many thinks that neck-throu have more sustain. Becous the attack is quieter and compering with the sustain it is relativ louder with compering to bolt/screw neck.
I am study mechanical engineering and my bachelor-thesis goes about the simulation of an E-Bass to simulat the tone. I recorded vibration measurement and i planing to spread the topic to my Master. So for me it is not to much work, it is exactly what i planing to do ( 6:20 ).
If I’m building a guitar I like bolt on since I’m still pretty novice and I have an opportunity to fix any issues I find later. As a player, I would love a neck through just because the transition is seamless and they look super cool. I hope to work my way up to building a beautiful neck through guitar some day.
I personally prefer neck through (even though I also like bolt on necks), even though it's more expensive to produce and a bigger CNC machine is needed in order to build it.
With a neck through design your hand doesn't need to curve in order to reach those higher frets, as the thickness of the neck remains pretty much unchanged from the 12th fret all the way up to say, the 24th fret (it gets progressively thicker, but it's very subtle), and it gives your thumb in the back a really good and unobstructed surface, it can move much more freely than on most bolt-on neck configurations, and as I said, your hand doesn't have to curve as much or in some cases it doesn't have to curve at all (your pinky falls right on top of that 24th fret effortlessly), because it's very thin at those higher frets (also because the cutout designed for your left hand can go further down), there's very little material interfering, unlike some bolt-on and some set neck configurations like a normal Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster or a Gibson Les Paul or ES-335.
Normal classics are basically unplayable to me.
This is a cerebral topic for me, because I don't have a clear answer. I just recently got my first neck through guitar and I'm still in the honeymoon phase with it. I have had 2 set necks for a decade or so; one of them is the so-called set-through style. While the actual neck joining methods have yet to make that much of an impression on me, I am glad that now I can begin understanding the similarities and differences between them. Which guitar I choose usually depends on what I'm doing at the time, and how well the guitar I'm playing helps me do it. My philosophy is largely that the REALLY important part of a guitar system is -- the player. After that, it's the match between instrument and player. The rest is details, however important they may be.
I've never built a guitar but am planning to do my first partscaster soon. For that I'll prefer obviously a bolt on neck because that's just assembly and minimal craftsmanship required, so that's a low threshold option for a first build. As a player my background is in classical guitar so I've never thought about it until recently, but mainly I don't care because I don't believe it has that huge of an effect on the sound. What I do like both for playability and aesthetics, are those super-strat style bolt in necks without the plate, that are shaped ergonomically at the joint. If that's something you might consider, I would be very much interested in seeing a video that explains and demonstrates how you can convert a normal bolt on neck with a plate into that more ergonomic one.
For the high fret access, I definitely prefer neck-through, as it feels the best to my hand when playing high up the neck. That being said, all the electric guitars I've ever owned have been bolt-on, due to the lower cost when purchasing, and the ability to fix a bad neck/swap out a neck with different specs, which is really important to me.
As a player, I only own bolt-on neck guitars but without any particular reason: these were the guitars I liked when I purchased them some decades ago, and I just played them with lot of satisfaction. But I have to say I always felt uncomfortable when playing on higher frets, because the thickness of the joint makes it hard for my little hands, even if the joint is shaped to minimise the problem. Now that I'm building my own guitar I chose a set-in, which I designed to handle this issue for me, but just for ergonomics purpose, not for any sustain or tone concern. Hope it will work (i still have some work to complete it), but I'm having a lot of fun!
My acoutic are bolt in and my electric are set in! :) I prefer the ease of bolt in (for future adjustment) but I dont like to depends on hardware.... So in the end I like the two. :)
I’ve never owned a neck through guitar but my experience has shown me that bolt on instruments will consistently endure sudden (overnight) climatic changes much better than glue in instruments. Thanks 🙏🏼
The biggest advantage with a neck through is the seamless look and feel. 💜💜💜💜 Sarah
I'm a live performance musician. My 1st priority is a tool that is durable and easy to maintain. I prefer bolt on necks.
I don't have a preference, but I will say this - looking at it from a Gibson vs. Fender viewpoint, they both have completely different ideas of construct & yet both brands create perfectly playable guitars. But a bolt-on neck gives you the added benefit of switching the neck out either because of a cracked/snapped neck or if you just wanted to experiment with something else (eg. scalloped frets, different fret wire sizes & materials, different neck profiles & fretboard radius, different woods or materials, etc.).
Conclusion: Leo Fender was an ingenious creator who crafted things with the end-user in mind.
Cheers..
I liker all 3 depends on how you construct your heel and access to the upper frets.
I like bolt on necks simply because the ability to take the neck off makes my life easier.
Not being a trained Luthier (I build cigar box guitars), I make all my guitars neck-through. I've found the advantages to this method are the following: 1.)Since I use #8 screws to attach the neck to the box/body (not glue), the neck can easily be changed out if I ever needed to. 2.)The hardtail bridge and strings are directly attached to the neck. 3.)Whenever decide I use a floating bridge (rather than a hardtail), the strings are directly connected to the neck by the tailpiece. 4.)The final advantage (and most important) is that everyone who plays any of my guitars always comments on the amazing tone and incredible sustain they produce. Number 4 is why I'll never change my process.
I started building Tele style guitars so bolt on is what I am familiar with. I feel it is easier because you can make slight adjustments when fastening it in place . I would like to try glueing a neck to the body, but I would want to drill the tail stock holes after the neck is on to insure good alignment . From a players standpoint I don’t have a preference, I like the variety. Like you said good craftsmanship is most important for sustain and tone, you need full contact in the neck pocket to the neck and same with the nut to neck.
I have always felt that if the neck installation was sloppy, that's an indication or a red flag for other things being sloppy as well. Those other things might include a well made nut or quality fret work, which can be hard to judge at first glance.
So many variables! I mean if your neck is damaged - you want a bolt on! I love Les Pauls, but a very reluctant traveller with them!
If you play 15 - 24 frets, you probably want a neck through (for the lack of heal/ extra access) I have a couple of Japanese made Ibanez where the heal and access isn't an issue (but we're referencing sustain right?)
I think string/ bridge contact with the body affects the sustain, ie the more there is the more sustain.
So many times I've shimmed a bolt-on, replaced a bolt-on, taken a neck off to do some other work without risking damaging the body ... I love bolt-ons. An although I have not done it yet, I expect to be taking advantage of scale conversion necks at some point. I fear no head stock break or neck twist ... And although not necessarily a limitation of glue-in or neck throughs, bolt-ons typically come with a completely adjustable bridge/saddle system. Parts which are also much easier to swap that your typical set neck (aka - tuneomatic bridge systems suck).
Experiences as a bass player: (1) Prefer neck-through's, because it seems the most natural thing to do. However, it also seems to me that dead spots are worse. Probably because the whole piece of wood has the same resonance (which would not be with different pieces of wood). I had/have 2 above average fretless neckthrough's and 2 budget fretted bolt-on's. The dead spot on the fretless basses are worse than on the (much cheaper!) bolt-on's. (2) Once had a bolted Yamaha, that I did glue thoroughly together. Significant brighter sound, better sustain and a better low B. (3) To me it seems that it would be worth it to analyze the resonance, tone, etc of the wood components and optimize the match of them. I know that Gary Willis (famous bass player) prefers a light wood for the body because it would have a low resonance frequency, which would combine best with a tougher kind for the neck.
There are many people who claim that set neck or neck through guitars sustain better. The only way to test would be to set the guitar in a calibrated machine to pluck the strings at exactly the same attack every time for every guitar tested. You are exactly right in that an expertly made neck pocket and neck install is critical. In all likelihood if tested in this manner the difference in sustain is probably measured in 100th second increments.
As a player, I prefer Bolt/Screw-on Necks, as they are easy to adjust, repair, refret, maintain, and there is no need for expensive Neck resets, etc. As a guitar ages, particularly Acoustic Guitars, the constant tension of the strings on the guitar will throw off the string action to an amount that it can't be compensated at the bridge. A Bolt/screw-on neck makes adjusting the neck angle for comfortable playing an easy, inexpensive, and painless quick adjustment.
There is an interesting video interview worth watching on TH-cam conducted by Phil McKnight called: Talking Bolt On Vs Neck Thru With Neal Moser
I have never played on a neck through guitar but as for screw on and set neck guitars I have both. From a players standpoint I would not trade the guitars I have one for another (Strats, Les Pauls, and a 335) I love them all not because of the manner in which the neck is attached but because of the way they play and sound. I’m inspired by both. Probably not the answer you were looking for JMO.
Howdy Highline! I have a question related to set necks that I’ve wanted to ask you for a while. You have shown finishing processes on set neck guitar bodies (ie your Crystalac clear coat videos) where you have completely clear coated the body. How do you protect the back of the guitar body from damage when you glue in and clamp the neck into the body?
Screw in - Easiest to handle and repair in the end. If you build them right the sustain is out of this world.
I like set necks. In my head I associate a set neck with higher skill and higher quality level on the instrument as a whole. Neck through is cool too but personally I don’t have much experience with them.
To me the different techniques represent tradition vs innovation. Especially in the 50s I can imagine people would want something that is more industrial and modern which to me would be the bolt on.
I have a slight preference for set/glue-in neck joints, but it's for purely aesthetic reasons. I like how the set-neck joints look, and I prefer not seeing the neck extend through the body with transparent or translucent finishes. With an opaque finish, that's not an issue, plus you can get the benefit of easier access to the hightest frets. As for a screw-in neck, you get the benefit Leo Fender intended, if the neck gets damaged or broken, you can easily and cheaply put in a new neck. In my opinion, I really don't think there's a difference in sound qualities between these joint types, at least not when they're executed well. All guitars can be awesome. :)
Great video. Thanks so much 🙏🏻.
I prefer bolt on just because I don’t make the neck, I buy a unfinished neck and go from there.
But I just build guitars for myself (and my channel) and not to sell.
Love your videos 👍🙏🏻
Love your channel. I just sub'd.
@@HighlineGuitars Wow, that’s great. Thanks 🙏🏻.
Your videos has been a great source of knowledge and a real inspiration since I began building/assembling guitars. I really like the way you take the mystery out of the hole process. Your thoughts on neck relief or the use of boiled linseed oil comes to mind 😉.
If you would ever want to collaborate on a video I would absolutely love that (obviously). 😃👍
I've subscribed to your channel as well Michael. Good stuff.
@@MichaelLagerstedt you have another NEW subscriber!! You have an awesome channel IMO VERY interesting and informative!!
@@dougbennett7881 Thanks so much Doug - 😃👍
I've only ever built one guitar so far and I did a bolt on neck. As far as I'm aware, with a solid body electric there will be no sonic difference between the three. I think the bolt on has the biggest advantage with replaceability, that being advantageous for the beginning builder like myself who may mess up the neck without noticing until after installation, and also to any potential owner who may need to get it replaced years down the line for any reason. That being said I do think neck through guitars can be more visually appealing with the wood running the length of the guitar and a smooth transition between neck and body. Glued in set necks are the stepping stone between them. As a beginner builder I would try a set neck before a neck through just so the pieces I'm working with wouldn't be overwhelming in the process and I wouldn't be at a total loss if I make a mistake during the build.
Bolt on necks. Reasons: 1-ability to switch necks 2- I’ve found that more often than not, the tone is slightly brighter with bolt on (very very small difference that doesn’t actually matter) 3- I enjoy drilling holes
I purchased a neck thru '70's Matsumoko built Vantage VP from a pawn shop in the mid 2000's. It had all of the '70's tricks..brass nut and saddles, coil splits, etc. It wasn't in great shape and I didn't know very much as far as what a 'proper' setup should be. I had a reputable repair guy set it up and it was sweet!! I honestly couldn't tell that it had any better sustain than any other guitars I owned at that time. I also owned an early '80's Les Paul Pro that the previous owner had 'Modded" with a Dimarzio SD in the bridge, I guess he was a Tom Scholz/Boston fan..which was one of the biggest disappointments out of all of the guitars I've ever owned!! My point is that I don't think the thru neck/glued neck contruction played a major part of it. I agree that the attention to detail that you touched on was the difference. I've owned all of the construction styles and I now choose them by how they sound 'unplugged' before I buy/trade for them.
I glue in my necks because it's perceived as better quality and it gives more freedom in shaping the heel. I have not tried a string through yet.
I made my first bass a neck-thru... I did not put a back angle on the neck and the action was too high at the lowest settings... so I ended up recessing the bridge in the body.. doesn't look bad though.. but I'd like to know how to get that back angle right on a neck-thru.. :) The sound is fantastic, though....
Am very much a no preference kinda guy now I'm older, my current go to is a bolt on.
Looking over the instruments I've played, my favorite basses are neck-through but I don't have any problems with the screw-in. I haven't played a neck-through guitar, but don't anticipate that I'd mind one. Of the guitars I've got, I was fine with the screw-in guitars I learned on but the guitars I've bought since have all had glued-in necks and were otherwise better-made so I happen to prefer those instruments. I've never had a problem with a heel being too thick for upper fret access, so that "benefit" of screwless constructions is immaterial to me.
So far, the only instrument I've tried to make was a neck-through guitar. I picked that style of construction because I was still pretty new to woodworking and only work with hand tools, so I didn't trust that I had the skills to shape a neck pocket as precisely as I would want it as a player. As I've improved as a woodworker, I've come to like the visual appeal of the seamless transition from neck to body inherent to that style so I'll probably do it again as I take on subsequent instrument projects. If I were to make an instrument for someone else, it would definitely be a challenge to make sure I could get the guitar adjustable to their preference and I would be pretty concerned about repairability, so something that can be shimmed and tweaked and replaced would be important to consider.
I'm not confident I believe in the "sustain/tone" differences from neck joint to neck joint either; if I need a different sound I'll be looking at adjusting my amp settings or changing a pickup well before I cut into a completed instrument to change that sort of thing. As long as nothing is muting a note early, I have enough sustain and even if something IS muting a note early it's probably because I messed up playing it or because I messed up the guitar's setup. There are simply more important considerations as long as the thing is made well enough to play.
I only have experience with bolt on and set neck. I have both set neck and bolt on. I never thought about it before but I guess I prefer to jam with my set neck when I play with others but at home I just grab a bolt on neck. I guess it doesn't really matter too much.
I have guitars of all construction methods. I am only a player… who daydreams about one day building. That said I think I prefer bolt ons from a weight perspective relative to neck throughs. Since a neck through is going to need the middle section made by a denser hardwood. Neckthru’s usually have the best heel carves but as long as the manufacturer puts thought an effort into the heel they all work. For me set necks and bolt ons are pretty equivalent.
Personally my preference is more based in tradition than anything else. G style guitars I want a set neck. F style I want a bolt on.
As a player I prefer set necks or neck through. It's mostly a "feel" thing, maybe it's what I'm used to. Aesthetically I much prefer a neck through construction, it's cleanliness pleases me. The one guitar I've built from scratch was a set neck explorer style, my next build will be a neck through, Rickenbacker 480 style guitar to match my 4003. All that said, I also love my tele and my bass VI..... But they are the outliers in my collection of instruments.
I think bolt on can achieve more playable low action, like super low action because you can compensate the neck angle by putting a shim inside the neck pocket, I do not own a neck thru guitar yet but I tried one and I don't know if neck thru guitars can achieve the super low action of a shimmed bolt on neck.
Just as a personal preference I like a neck through guitar (Bass). Mainly because there’s almost no chance of sustain problems and you can make the heel of the neck as smooth and comfortable as you like. So you can easily get to the umpteenth fret with no problems. Bolt-on necks have a problem in this area. Set necks, not so much. Pretty much the same as neck through. Let’s face it. It really is just a personal preference!! Thanks for the great content.
PS. I forgot the cons. If ANYTHING goes wrong with the neck in a neck-through or a set-neck guitar you end up with a very expensive piece of firewood!!!!!!!😢
My opinion is colored by how I've advanced my skills and upgraded my gear, and it all comes to preferred neck angle, and I vastly prefer a 3 degree neck angle over a flat angle. I did put a 3 degree angle on a kit bolt on guitar but I didn't build the neck. I did a lot of trial and error on my set necks, and was about 95% successful although I struggled to get clean connection where the neck meets the body. I built on that experience when doing neck through guitars by using a miter saw to set my body angle. I don't agree that you need perfect geometry in planning a neck through because I adjusted my overall height between the fretboard and the bridge by adding a backing piece to the fretboard to raise it and then planing down to a total of 8 mm while hiding the backing piece under the binding. Both the guitar and bass needed 8 mm of fretboard total when building identical bodies with identical neck angles. If I do it again however id like a thicker neck blank by about 3/4 of an inch so that the body was in fact one solid piece. Using typical dressed wood thicknesses I had to repurpose my body angle offcut into the bottom of the body, which was easy on the geometry and produced a thin body, but not a perfect look as the seam is somewhat apparent.
If I want a perfect easy result its more about planning for a zero angle neck than what style of attachment I use. The last guitar I bought, an Ibanez, was essentially a Firebird set neck copy but they used a zero angle neck, recessed ABR bridge, and an arm cut instead of an angled neck. You can always recess a bridge or elevate the fretboard or whatever cure for a mistake you can find.
Would it be possible to "smooth out" the set neck joint, even a little?
I have set neck V with a really bulky neck joint, and I'm wonderin if I could sand the rough corner a little for better high fret access.
🤷♂️
Hi Chris, I'm not a luthier but a bass player for some decades and I'm a friend of bolt on necks....I once had a very fine handmade fretless bass with a neck through construction and I discovered that the response between plucking the string and the moment the tone comes out needed some ms that were significant...I couldn't play rhythmically correct...bolt on construction did not show this 'effect'....maybe it has to do with the different frequency range of a bass and a guitar...another topic is deadspots. What are your experiences with that issue? Thanks for your reply in advance and the great content and explanations in you vids...kind regards from Germany
There was that guy recently that stuffed the neck joint with bubble wrap and then put the neck on. If I remember correctly it didn’t make much difference (apart from it not looking cool). I own both set and bolt on but I have only ever made bolt on because I like the option of swapping out the neck if something goes wrong down the line.
Neck thru for sure..better access to higher frets. I think they have better sustain and ill never have to worry about shimming the neck because of poor build quality of the neck pocket.. i also really like the asthetic of having say, a five piece neck where u get that stripe going all the way down the body of the guitar.. its really cool imho
All true. However, if a neck through was made with the neck at the wrong angle, you’re out of luck.
only my Fender Strat Pro and Silver Sky are Bolt on. All my other high end guitars have set necks. Because of that I guess I've always assumed set necks were higher quality.
i find bolt in is easier from a construction standpoint because it’s more forgiving and it’s a less complicated joint to fit with more adjustability after the fact if i didn’t get it quite right. Set necks take me longer because i feel like i have to be more precise. i also build with hand tools, and for some reason chisels seem to be faster with a bolt on pocket and it seems easier and less fiddly. but i haven’t built that many.
I love neck-thru for the access and I use the whole fretboard.
But I also love bolt-on for the sustain and resonance. However, a lot more can go wrong with a joint and if the strings don't pull the neck towards the the neck before tightening the bolts (or if the two don't reach) it's all worthless and the neck-thru wins both categories.
I like them all, its more the feel of the neck for me.
I prefer bolt on necks because they are easy to adjust, maintain and repair.
I like bolt on necks in general. Sure, there's a few extra steps when compared to gluing the neck but with glue you also have to wait for that glue to dry. In some situations that can be a big disadvantage. Also, in the event that there's any issue with the angle or anything else, which can happen, it's a lot harder to fix.
As for neck throughs, I've never even held one so I don't have any opinion on them.
Bolt on. I found out its a good way to compensate bad vibrations.
I prefer a well built bolt-on neck guitar. I will say however I hate neck plates, and much prefer a 4-hole ferrules. They're the easiest to adjust as they aren't permanently mounted on the guitar. A feature that you used to see was the micro tilt on fenders utilizing this. Another thing is a neck is usually the most important feeling thing to most guitarist. So if you can move that neck to another instrument if the one it is currently in perishes you're winning.
I prefer any guitar that has a seamless blend from neck to body, whether that be neck-thru or set-in. Bolt-ons just don't give me the kind of access to the higher frets due to the block of wood.
Wood-to-wood contact is the key. I have a bolt-on bass that I made myself. The neck pocket is tight with good contact. The sustain is HUGE.
But there could be a factor from the body wood as well. The body wood is very..hmmm acoustic? The wood has this *click* sound to it, you might even make xylophone bars out of it.
Is the type of wood you used a classified secret or are you going to reveal what wood you used?
I've just never seen a super resonant electric translate into any detectable difference electrically.
I find some neck-throughs to be stunningly beautiful, but prefer a modular design where I could swap anything including the neck, I just replaced my old squire jb's neck with a 22-fret one as a part of a complete rebuild.
I like to make bolt on neck guitars for two reasons: 1. I find it easier to spray finishes. 2. I use the neck plate for my logo.
I will download the app and give it a try this weekend.
For a one-off guitar build with no access to CNC, neck through is easiest and set in is hardest because of the need for a well-fitted dovetail joint. I think bolt on is somewhere in between
Personally I prefer a bolt-on neck.
It's easier to swap out if you get a breakage.
Also, there's a video on here somewhere where a bloke is testing the Sustain of the various construction types and finds the bolt-on had the better sustain, so he theorized that possibly the bolts help to transfer the resonances between the neck & the body (which only really matters with a proper tight-fitting neck).
The only advantage for a neck through I can think of is the range of options for the geometry at the 12+ fret positions. Better ergonomics at the junction of the neck and body matters to many players.
Nice topic!
I think I prefer set neck or neck through construction simply for the aesthetics and the perception of higher build quality. I’ve seen some bolt ons built really well but for some reason seeing hardware at the neck joint subconsciously turns me away from a guitar
Whilst I don't have any neck through guitars in the ten that I currently own, I can't really tell any difference between glue in or bolt on, my collection is split between LP's, Strats and Super Strats.
Although bolt on is the most practical for a number of reasons. People gravitate to visual aesthetics as well as company history. Sound can be altered with electronic modifications and playing comfort isn't as big a priority as one would think. ie 11 lb LP.
I prefer set neck ,the reason being the strings stay inline as opposed to a bolt on neck .I have had bolt on necks move out of alignment.I’m not sure why as I don’t bash them about.
funny, actually I‘m building a Flying-V and have the problem that I can‘t lower the bridge any more but need it deeper to get a propper action 😊. It‘s to late now to get a neck-tilt because the neck is set. Think I will file the bridge…
Hi, I'm mexican, so money is harder to earn here, but i have expirienced the 3 costructions somewhat, i have a classical guitar, which i consider somewhat of a glued neck, It has a big heel and it makes it very hard to play past the 12 fret, my first electric, a bolt on strat clone, its very comfy at least til the 17 fret, and my 3rd one, a peavey neck thru bass it's almost like butter neck-wise (but it weights a ton), i fell in love with the necktrhu design and i wish it were standar, but i guess bolt on just makes it easier for everyone on the market
I have an Epiphone SG Tony Iommi set neck that has more sustain than my Schecter C1 Classic neck thru.
Guitar design and pickup placement is king.
I don’t really care how the neck is on the guitar as long as the guitar as a whole is a good instrument.
Practically speaking, bolt on seems to be the way to go. If something happens to the guitar neck or headstock you can easily replace it.
I have all four. Neck-thrus, Set-Thru, Set necks & bolt-on. I do not hear much of a tonal difference between any of those. I do prefer neck thru, simply because those feel stable and rock solid. They are a joy to play with the smooth neck heel. That sustain is in the bridge and in the nut, i think that's very true. Then again do you need all that sustain anyway. I don't, lol.
I’ll build anything but enjoy building neck throughs most
Set-Necks are the simplest to make, Bolt-Ins are the best to work on as they can be disassembled and swapped, Neck-Throughs are the most elegant and beautiful in my mind. The sustain differences have been generally debunked and ultimately your hardware (the nut and bridge) are going to have a more significant impact as they're actually touching the strings.
"...touching the strings." That's a great observation!
@@HighlineGuitars Yeah, in the end when it comes to electric guitars there is a lot of things people do that just don't really matter that much. The guitar makes sounds based on the vibration of the strings over the pickups, your electronics and strings are going to have the greatest impact. Then you bridge, nut, and frets as they touch the strings and therefore directly rob energy from the strings. By the time you get down to tone woods it makes so little of a difference that it's not really worth worrying about. As you said, the neck joint type doesn't really matter as much as the quality of the workmanship. Set-neck or bolt-in, if you have a loose neck joint it's going to wobble and rob more energy from the strings.
Plus you gotta factor in that 90% of the character of a guitar is just gonna be covered up when someone slaps 50 pedals and an amp on it.
Hi Chris, I prefer a bolt on arangement, simply since if something get damaged somewhere in the lifetime of the guitar, its staightforward to saparate the parts. I use M5 threaded inserts placed in the neck which provides a secure connection. For me the geometry is paramount. I like the E strings to sit absolutely over the frets pricicely so they never slip off when playing. I have monster hands so I make matching monster necks - the main reason for building guitars myself. Equally critical is the precise positioning of the bridge, not something you can balls up ! My next build will sport an adjustable bridge providing a small amount of lateral movement. It wont have any parts that move ralative to one another when correctly intonated in the final set up, everything is locked down. Most coventional bridge designs allow small vibrational interactions between the saddles which comromises the quality of the sound. The manner in which the adjustment screws sit on the base plate has an impact on sound quality too. When everything is fixed down sound quality is maximised.
Love your videos, they are hugely informative, especially those on finishing materials and methods. Have you tried any of the Osmo Hard wax oils ?
Cheers
Phil Macneill
High Peak
England
I know of Osmo, but I prefer to use finishing products made in the USA.
In terms of sustain, what makes a good quality bridge for an electric guitar/ bass, in your experience? 7:36
Minimal contact between the strings and the bridge saddles. Too much contact kills sustain.
@@HighlineGuitars
interesting. it's the same with frets and nuts, isn't it.
@@tsiggy bingo!
A great guitar can be achieved by any of those methods, but for ultimate comfortable 24 fret access I think neck thru wins. Not many players want or need anywhere near that access though. Neck thru needs long stock, shorter stock easier/cheaper to get. Maple is a really solid stable wood for a neck, but a maple neck thru probably gets a bit heavy. As always which compromises do you want to make.
Thanks for sharing!
@@HighlineGuitars Thank you for the time and effort for the interesting uploads.
I prefer bolt/screw in necks. I expect my Guitars to be played until the frets need to be leveled/dressed, and eventually replaced. Set neck and neck through Guitars are a pain in the ass when it comes to major fretwork, or neck/headstock damage. A bolt-on neck can be easily replaced in a few hours, and repaired later.
neck through... every neck through guitar I own sounds better. That doesn't mean i don't have a ton of bolt-ons or set necks... but my all time favs are always neck through.
guys here is a secret SETNECK will play itself!!!! the other u gotta think more
I look for a guitar with a set neck because there is less chance that someone has messed with it.
Neckthrough and setneck, mostly because I don’t like the screw connection of a bolt-on. Too many things can go wrong with screws and the holes and everything.
Personally, I prefer bolt on simply because in the real world accidents happen no matter how careful you are, and bolt ons are the easiest to replace
Isn't this all moot if you're using a noise gate?
Yep.
I have no preference. But the best sounding guitar. I play thrash and the bolt ons and the set neck I own have a harder hitting sound. The neck thru is very tone savvy but no advantage. I have tried the Dimebag Darell About guitar twice and chose a cheaper bolt on both times. Based on tone alone. Cheaper wood and cheaper pickups and all. I've had cheap and high end Jackson's in my hand and it doesn't matter. I bought the cheap ones. BC Rich is the only brand I will spend a lot of money for a high end guitar. And I can't explain why except feel.
Definitely bolt on. Through the years of playing, I just truly do not hear a difference in resonance as most will claim. I also am probably one of the few that doesnt like the heel at the base of the neck to be carved so much, like you see on most neck throughs. So bolt on, for the sake of easiest production. Unless someone wants to pay a premium for the additional work.
All else equal, I prefer bolt. The snap and tone seems better. In the real world, if you offered me any current production guitar to have for free, I'd most likely pick a neck-thru for the higher fret access. Bolt-on rarely has the same upper fret access, PRS CE-24 being the best I can think of in the production bolt-on world. Ibanez AANJ and similar joints by other manufacturers is decent, certainly miles apart from Fender MIM standard, but they don't match up with neck-thru access.
That being said, I've never owned a neck-thru because the usual price difference is almost always too much to justify for just higher fret access. My days of wanting to be the next Vai are long past and my 24 fret guitars are in the minority, and when I want that, my set PRS and my AANJ Strandberg are good enough for typical upper fret use. The difference with neck thru primarily comes when you want to play full positional runs on high frets across 5-6 strings rather than just the upper 3-4 and that's pretty rare for me.