GP Article - All About Bolt-on and Set Necks

[bear79]

I was just reviewing my Oct '07 Guitar Player magazine and saw this article on bolt-on and set necks. Here's a quote:

" Very generally speaking, a set neck transfers the resonance between the neck and body more freely and immediately than does a bolt-on neck. The result is usually heard as a little more warmth and fullness in the set neck guitar, and a little more snap and twang in the bolt-on guitar."

They go on in a lot more detail in the rest of the article.

While I was pleased that TAGs were mentioned in the early part of the article and GP dismissed the "bolt-on necks are for cheap guitars" myth, I was interested in Tom's opinion of the article especially since he's decided not to use set necks on his guitars.

Cheers,
David

[tom]

haven't read the whole thing yet, but statements like that usually steer me clear. the authors usually make a tonal statement about what the neck joint does to the tone disregarding the fact the everything else about the guitars is different. you mean the fact that they are made of different materials, have different style bridges and scale lengths could contribute? not trying to be cynical, it's just that they never compare apples to apples. it is very hard to compare apples to apples when not many people make guitars that are similar enough to qualify. i will read it and then maybe i can comment realistically.

[morty]

if you have made 2 guitars with the same spec, materials design and pickups, but one with a set neck and the other with a perfect fit bolt-on, I think not many of us have noticed a big difference!

[dannopelli]

I agree with Tom. The way the neck attaches is just one of the things that influences tone. Tone is the sum of SO many small physical components, all working in sympathetic union to create a sound. And in my opinion the player's approach makes a huge difference. I am sure we all have handed a guitar to other players who have not adjusted a thing but it sounds totally different in their hands.

That said, and to be fair to GP, the article was actually about the never ending "Which sounds better" argument of set vs. bolt-on. It never said one was more or less pleasing. It did to a certain degree point out the general sonic differences in the overall population of set vs. bolt-on necks. And it did speak to several of the smaller intracacies that impact tone. But to my read, it did not sway one way or the other in terms of expressing that one was "better."

The comment about TA guitars in the opening of the piece, I think was meant to emphasize the author's point that the "set is better than bolt view", once proffered by many as a truth, is actually more an uninformed opinion than any thing else.

All in all I think it was a pretty fair treatise.

[Eric Pykala]

I too thought it was informative and fair, to the point of me recommending some of my good Tone customers read it. Love to hear Tom's view if he gets a chance to read it more thoroughly.-Eric

[Barry]

I remember a few years back i was at a GC and was playing lots of different PRS models that they had in stock . I remember at the very end trying out a PRS bolt on model . I was quite surprised how great it sounded . I think it actually sounded better than the set neck models . Just an experience i had .

[Mister T]

I have had the same experience, I like the CE model PRS guitars more than any of their 'higher end' guitars.

[tom]

aren't the ce's maple necks? it's never apples to apples.

[Mister T]

Yeah CE models are maple necks....which is what I like so that is probably why I prefer them. I am a bolt on neck kinda guy.

I used to have a 74 Les Paul custom with a set maple neck into a Mahogany body with the Maple top. It sounded great...but again it was an apple and my andersons are oranges.

[mullenski]

My PRS Swamp Ash Special (bolt on) just kills. Have been through a bunch of guitars, including two other PRS set necks and this is the one that I've hung on to.

[dannopelli]

Even if the woods, electronics, etc are all the same they will sound different, due to the organic nature of the wood, the slight differences in the make up of the pick up magnets, etc.

[guitarzan]

I agree with Tom. The way the neck attaches is just one of the things that influences tone. Tone is the sum of SO many small physical components, all working in sympathetic union to create a sound.




"sympathetic union"- that's a great phrase, and I fully intend to steal it (without giving you credit) to further spread the myth that I'm intelligent and creative. :)

Interesting- I saw a video with Steve Vai where he was showing his tour rig. When asked why he defaults to two main guitars ("Flo" and "Emo", I think?), he gave an explanation that they're "in sync" with one another. Then he tapped the wood and said that every piece of wood has a fundamental pitch and that a body piece paired with a neck piece might resonate as a perfect 5th or 3rd and that there's a harmonic consonance there that translates through the end result of the finished guitar. He said some guitars are just not compatible with each other due to dissonant fundamental frequencies and may be received as "duds" by the end user.

At first, it sounded a little fishy, but then he's Steve Vai and he's like "The Guitar Whisperer" who trains and breaks wild guitars. And he's got great ears. Maybe I just can't hear what he he does.

[dannopelli]

Would be a cool name for a band too. No caps.

sympathetic union

Or is it too much like Blessed Union of Souls?