Do my ears deceive me or does neck thickness actually affect tone???

[troyus]

I've been making a new bass from pieces here and there, and have been going for a certain sound that has proven elusive to me though I used 'the right' pickups and 'the right' woods, etc.

I didn't record anything beforehand (recording stuff is at the studio), but, I've been building this Fender Jazz bass for awhile and toying with it, and I wasn't happy with the tone, it had this scooped mids thing going on, like a Stingray or something. Which is bad news for me, because that's not the sound I go for.

I'd come to accept that either A) The body was actually made of hard Ash, or B) It was a very weird piece of Alder.

Anyway, I had one of those 70s Allparts necks mounted on it, which, for a jazz neck, is a little on the thick side. I took it off today, so I could finish up with a Fender decal for the headstock so I could complete 'the look'.

I just put a MIM jazz bass (v. thin) neck on it and now suddenly I can hear the mids again. Both necks are maple/rosewood. What's going on here?

OR am I crazy?

Here's a pic of the rock and roll creation:

[BenitoBassolini]

I cant say much about the neck thickness issue... but man that bass is gorgeous. I've got some G.A.S.!

[Jamasaurus]

That's a sick looking bass you got there. I have the GL Jazz, very thin neck, and the tone is perfect to my ears!

[pilotjones]

In theory-- yes, the neck thickness can have quite a bit to do with its stiffness and resonance, and thus the way it shapes the string's vibrations.

Beyond that, this neck could also have a different size or type of truss rod, different glues, different preparation/smoothness of the fretboard to neck shaft interface before gluing, better or worse clamping of the glue joints, be made of a more or less dense maple neck shaft, have a lighter or heavier headstock, ...

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

I think that a thicker neck will be stiffer, and will resonate less, thus you get more of the fundamental of the note= more bass and less mids.
deadspots might be less pronounced with a thicker neck.

[Nelson Guitars]

Neck density/size/stiffness/weight can have a significant effect on the tone. Even the size of the peg head. Just clamp a good sized C clamp on the peg head of an instrument in the middle of play and you will see what I mean.

Greg N

[John Wentzien]

Originally Posted by The Mock Turtle Regulator

I think that a thicker neck will be stiffer, and will resonate less, thus you get more of the fundamental of the note= more bass and less mids.
deadspots might be less pronounced with a thicker neck.

I've found this to be true also.

[The Mock Turtle Regulator]

I think it's a similar thing with graphite necks, at least the ones I've tried (Status, Modulus, SKC)-
they have deep fundamental and a zingy high-end, but with less midrange snap.

[troyus]

Thanks for compliments and feedback on this new concept to me. I knew neck woods changed tones... but a little extra neck thickness is a big surprise to me! Learn something new everyday.