slab vs veneer

[neslofalo]

any thoughts on the difference between slab and veneer?

[Jeronimofesto]

I am guessing you are talking about the body. With a veneer you don't get any of the tonal characteristics of that particular wood, only the looks. Also, if it is a thin veneer you can easily sand through it when you are doing your final sanding and totally ruin the bass top. Most luthiers will find a compromise between a veneer and a slab body. Usually something like 1/4" thick top glued to a slab body of a different, usually cheaper, wood.

[neslofalo]

i´m actually referring to the fretboard and if it would affect the sound and in wich way?

[Jeronimofesto]

It wouldn't change the sound much at all if anything. The neck wood would be doing all the work there. Don't do this if you have a fretless, the strings will wear right through the veneer over time. You will still need a "fretboard" to get some height from the neck wood where the truss rod is. Otherwise the stings will be WAY above the frets. I guess you could use an existing fretboard and take the frets out and glue a thin veneer of a nice looking wood. Then simply re-fret it.

[Grantrudd]

i think that introducing that much moisture to a neck could make the board uneven. if you are talking about 2 mm veneers, you will probably be using a lot of glue, and it would come out pretty warped. tonally, not much of a difference between the 2.

[neslofalo]

ok,but why do you think they changed it at fender in the early sixties?was it because of sound or material costs?you see i´m thinking of baybe getting one and wondering if i should choose one with slab or veneer.seems like there´s no difference then

[pilotjones]

Originally Posted by neslofalo

ok,but why do you think they changed it at fender in the early sixties?was it because of sound or material costs?you see i´m thinking of baybe getting one and wondering if i should choose one with slab or veneer.seems like there´s no difference then

The impression I've gotten is that basically every change that's been done at Fender has been a matter of economics, not tone. If fretboard wood's more more expensive, you "veneer" thin slices; if the labor's more expensive, you do normal slab construction.

Not sure if that's exactly true, but it does fit the pattern.

[gfried84]

I believe your asking about they way they used to install fretboards on the older instruments. They used to bend the rosewood over a radiused neck shaft. The fretboard is very thin and does not leave a lot of room for truing the neck. I believe they changed because leo said that the maple necks looked dirty on stage and the rosewood hides that. I've seen quite a few of these necks through my shop and I have always been amazed because they are almost always extremely straight.

[erikbojerik]

The neck wood will affect the tone of the instrument. The wood and/or the finish of the fingerboard will have the most influence on the attack (quick vs rounded).