Is it possible to make a bolt on neck a set neck? Would it be worth it?

by set neck do you mean neck-thru?
If so, its impossible

by set neck do you mean neck-thru?
If so, its impossible

No, by set neck i mean 'set-neck' where the neck is glued in place. I know mainly its done on guitars, but i've seen a bass or two with it done.

oh ok - I havent seen that before.

oh ok - I havent seen that before.

No problemo, its mainly done on guitars. I thought at first that it would never work on bass, but then i saw a bass (can't remember which one) with a set neck, and i would like to have one.

My Ken Lawrence Brase is actually a set-neck.

Dan K.

Rickenbackers are set-necks.

Some Gibson Thunderbirds are set-necks.

I'm doing one right now.

I use set necks in my single cut basses.

Rickenbackers are set-necks.

Some Gibson Thunderbirds are set-necks.

I'm doing one right now.

How would someone do such a thing?

help me :help: i wanna convert my bolt on to a set neck!

I guess it depends on what you want to achieve with the set neck. It would probably be possible to put a bunch of glue in the pocket and clamp the neck in place until it sets, but it would never work quite as well as a bolt on because of the design. If the only reason is because you want to have a set-neck, I would recomend buying a cheap one, I have a rogue vb-100 that is definetely worth the money, and is a set neck.

I guess it depends on what you want to achieve with the set neck. It would probably be possible to put a bunch of glue in the pocket and clamp the neck in place until it sets, but it would never work quite as well as a bolt on because of the design. If the only reason is because you want to have a set-neck, I would recomend buying a cheap one, I have a rogue vb-100 that is definetely worth the money, and is a set neck.

That is one of the reasons, but i have an old ibanez bass lying around i don't use much, it already has a small crack in the neck pocket, so, if im going to glue that up, why not go all out and make it a set neck?

why not go all out and make it a set neck?

most set neck joints are designed to have higher surface area contact, unlike bolt ons which can have lower contact as long as the bolts are tightened securly. Without that extra surace contact, there may be insuficent gluing area to counteract the string tension. So you risk having the bass fold up at some random point, with minimal reward for taking that risk.

most set neck joints are designed to have higher surface area contact, unlike bolt ons which can have lower contact as long as the bolts are tightened securly. Without that extra surace contact, there may be insuficent gluing area to counteract the string tension. So you risk having the bass fold up at some random point, with minimal reward for taking that risk.

awww darnit.

So, then i guess it isn't all that worth it then?

So, then i guess it isn't all that worth it then?

IMO, probably not.

Rickenbackers are set-necks.

Some Gibson Thunderbirds are set-necks.Both are neck through, not set neck.

Both are neck through, not set neck.

The Gibson studio thunderbird series are set neck.

So you risk having the bass fold up at some random point, with minimal reward for taking that risk.

That would probably be the funniest thing I would ever see.

That would probably be the funniest thing I would ever see.

My brothers guitar did that once. He being the idiot he is, started unscrewing the bolts on the back without taking to strings off. He got the front two off then the neck folded. He is 16 and he actually screamed. It was very funny. Now i don't have a guitar to mess around on :(

My brothers guitar did that once. He being the idiot he is, started unscrewing the bolts on the back without taking to strings off. He got the front two off then the neck folded. He is 16 and he actually screamed. It was very funny. Now i don't have a guitar to mess around on :(

:D I can just imagine the w.t.f.'s going around the crowd if someones instrument did that mid-song.

the Rick Turner Model 1 is a set neck instrument.. . . . if anyone has one to give away, I will send you my address. I need a cold shower every time I even look at a photo of this thing. He makes basses with this same design too.

64379

Not enough glueable surface area, and no real benefit.

If it was a matter of making the crack in the heel stable, dissassemble the bass, wick in some ultra-thin superglue, as much as possible, and clamp the crack shut.

Bear in mind, you will never stop that crack from proceeding through to the other end of wherever it is heading... I've had strat bodies (one made of KOA :( ) that I had to literally break all the way apart, and then reglue the halves back together....no big, just extra work, really.

If the only other reason is to say you have a set neck, don't bother with a bolt-on. If you wanted to shave the heel down thinner or something, just get shorter neck screws and modify at will. I've done that, and it worked well. A combination of shaving the rear of the pocket down, blending that in, and getting recessed neck ferrules to replace the neck plate comes very close to the "advantages" of feel like a set neck.

Hhmmm,
this question is exactly one of the issues I'm debating with my first build (Warmoth neck and body on the way). I want it all - the flexibility and convenience of bolt-on in case I ever need to shim, etc.; AND the continuity of set-neck. So, how about this - prepare the neck pocket well, use hide glue on each surface, and bolt it up? No clamps needed. The bolts transfer the load from neck to body, and the hide glue welds the joint into a more efficient musical unit.
IF it ever needs to be disassembled, a luthier can heat up and break the hide glue bond.

Sounds like that may be worth looking into. I would like to know if anyone tries this.

the flexibility and convenience of bolt-on in case I ever need to shim, etc.; AND the continuity of set-neck.

I am by no means an expert on this subject, but my .02$ is this:

Having to take it in and get it reglued everytime you want to remove it defeats the purpose of a bolt-on.
I believe that part of the reason set-necks sound like they do is because there is so much surface to surface contact in the joint, which imo would let the sound travel a bit beter, so a bolt on joint wouldn't recieve the same benefits from this treatement as an intentionally set neck design.
so, imo, you really end up with the worst of both worlds, you loose the benefit of the bolt on, without gaining the benefit of the set.

Not only that, but if you HAD to dissassemble the joint, there's no guarantee it would break clean, and possibly take / rip wood with it, so now you have voids too. On a set neck that is possible too mind you, but you're not dealing with similar grain orientation on the majority of the joint either.

Ron

I dont buy this "set neck has more contact surface area". SG joings are quite shallow.

I dont buy this "set neck has more contact surface area". SG joings are quite shallow.

When I think of a good set neck, I think of something like this http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bodies,_necks,_wood/Acoustic_guitar:_Necks/1/Dovetailed_Acoustic_Necks/Pictures.html#details there are good set necks without a dovetail, but you usually do whatever you can in the design stage to maximize contact