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Are bolt-ons punchier and snappier than thru or set necks?

A

asberrys

Sep 7, 2009
164
4
#1
There has been alot of discussion here whether neck thru's have more sustain with ultimately the conclusion being the jury is still out-at least that is what I took from a long post with a ton of responses -but I want to ask if bolt-ons are punchier and snappier because I really don't think it is the converse to alot of sustain.
I keep reading this on the internet,however,that bolt-ons are punchier,snappier and more percussive but the snappiest bass I ever played was probably an early nineties Warwick dolphin(Boire thru body). So I am wondering about the validity of this meme as it were.
This could be seemingly redundant but I am more interested in the punchy aspect of the two types more than sustain. I like a snappy bass as opposed to one with a ton of sustain. Thanks Roland
 
#2
asberrys said:
There has been alot of discussion here whether neck thru's have more sustain with ultimately the conclusion being the jury is still out-at least that is what I took from a long post with a ton of responses -but I want to ask if bolt-ons are punchier and snappier because I really don't think it is the converse to alot of sustain.
I keep reading this on the internet,however,that bolt-ons are punchier,snappier and more percussive but the snappiest bass I ever played was probably an early nineties Warwick dolphin(Boire thru body). So I am wondering about the validity of this meme as it were.
This could be seemingly redundant but I am more interested in the punchy aspect of the two types more than sustain. I like a snappy bass as opposed to one with a ton of sustain. Thanks Roland
Click to expand...

there is no simple and definitive answer to your question. For what I know there is a common opinion that is the following. There is no theorical absolute difference in sustain or absolute quantity of "attack" (volume of the note immediatly after the pluck) between Nt and BO basses. What many of us are capable of perceiving is a sort of an apparent lack of sustain and accented attack in BO basses, generated by the rapid decrease of the volume of the note right after the initial sound (attack phase), whereas in neck-trough construction the decay of a certain note is much more gentle and slower over time, so there is not a definite perceived spyke to the sound when you hit a note (because after that, the volume of the note does not drop so much) . That being said, I must confess that I think that the question is not so simple, and in a bass there are many variables the can generate a variable result. In my own opinion I found on my basses a more "percussive" feeling in BO basses, and therefore an aggressive behaviour that can work pretty well is busy mixes or when you are just fighting to cut in the mix (maybe this is "punchy"). My neck-trough excels in softer contexts, where I favour a relaxed an melodic feel, or a more supportive base to the band's needs (the NT, because of that gentle slope in the decay of the note could guarantee, in theory, that kind of result).
Maybe I could be wrong, but this is how I understand this kind of thing, and in the past I red may articles asserting things in this way. But, I'm not a luthier, if someone is wiser than me, please correct my statements, I'm always learning. IMO and IME as always.
 
#4
Are green cars faster than blue cars?

The "sound" or "feel" of a bass has many factors: wood choice, construction of the body and neck, the way the wood was laminated, the bridge used, the angle of the headstock, the pickups used, etc. Some of these factors may be quite subtle or overshadowed by other factors. No single factor (usually) determines whether the bass will be"punchy" or "snappier" or whatever adjective.
 
#7
No. IMO, a classic case of mis-attributing cause and effect from the most obvious differences between/among instruments.

I believe most of this 'myth' came from guys comparing Ric's to Fender's back in the day, and also from the fact that, until relatively recently, most high end boutiques happened to be neck through designs.
 
#9
KJung said:
No. IMO, a classic case of mis-attributing cause and effect from the most obvious differences between/among instruments.

I believe most of this 'myth' came from guys comparing Ric's to Fender's back in the day, and also from the fact that, until relatively recently, most high end boutiques happened to be neck through designs.
Click to expand...

There might be something to that. I'll say that I believe the traditional wisdom on this, but with the rider that, nt: sustain, bo: snap *if* we're talking about two axes made with the same woods, the same electronics and similar form factors. There's just too much going on otherwise to really determine... Well, anything.
 
#10
sratas phrased it well. I too have never seen any technical data going either way and no luthier experience. But after many years of playing many different basses, I find that I am almost always drawn to BO basses. To me they "feel" just a tad more punchy & aggressive than a NT. It may simply be nothing more than a preconceived perception based on marketing hype over the years. I do remember someone claiming their Set Neck basses gave you "the best of both worlds" in the marketing description.

Does a builder choose BO, NT, or SN based on an tonal end goal? Perhaps based on a cosmetic desire? Perhaps on construction skill sets? Or, maybe just construction costs? Mass production vs custom builds? I don't know, but I always end up with BO basses as the keepers. But then again I also prefer string through body vs top load for no apparent logical reason other than personal preference. ( Another can of worms that has been beat to death :D )
 
#12
IME, guitars/basses that were designed as bolt-ons have no appreciable advantage/disadvantage over a set neck or neck through.

It's when you get into lower end copy stuff (bolt on or set neck copies of a Ric, which was designed as a neck through) that you start hearing the negatives. The design was compromised to save cost on manufacturing.

I have a Strat & an LP. Both will sustain forever. The Strat is a bolt on and has more high end. The LP is a set neck and has a mellower, bluesy tone. But is it the construction, the pick ups or the overall design that gives each their signature sound?

Having played & owned everything from $50 Sears specials to upper end stuff in the $2000 - $3000 range, experience tells me it's the total package (ie: the design & engineering of the instrument) that makes the difference.

One is not "better" than the other. It's just a matter of preference & taste.
 
#14
Unfortunately, I've only got one NT for comparison. It's combines mahagony with NT, and that seems to color the impression and result.
The neck doesn't appear to move between seasons for any need of truss rod adjustment, yeah!

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#15
I've owned plenty of both bolt on and NT basses.

The bolt on basses have a different attack. They are snappier and have different overtones than NT basses. I wouldn't call them punchier, they do sound less compressed than NT though.

As for sustain, hands down the NT has better sustain. The whole instrument resonates as one. You can hear and feel it. My Rebop, despite being the closest to a NT bass in tone that I have played, gets crushed in the sustain depot by my euro Spector and my Korean NS2000 which are both NT. Not a mith, its a fact, NT instruments sustain/ resonate better. As for the tone, the NT basses imo are Definatly punchier and more responsive , but they also sound more compressed than bolt on's. The attack is smoother and more focused.

Both work well and both have their places. Some like the bolt on's better , some like the NT's better. But they are definatly different.
 
#16
The only thing I can add here is that with my neck-through fretless Tobias Standard, I feel less neck/body vibration when compared to both of my Fender Ps. My StingRay is somewhere in between, but closer to the Tobias in this respect. Perhaps this is due to it's six-bolt neck joint, as opposed to Fender's four?

Also, the Tobias feels more "rigid". IOW, I've played lots of older Fenders (especially Jazz Basses) where their necks felt like rubber, whereas the first thing I noticed with neck-throughs is how solid and stiff they feel.

I can't prove any direct relation with construction and tone based upon my instruments, because there are waaaay too many other variables making them apples and oranges from each other. But, I will say my StingRay is the punchiest, snappiest bass I own.
 
#18
nashvillebill said:
Are green cars faster than blue cars?

The "sound" or "feel" of a bass has many factors: wood choice, construction of the body and neck, the way the wood was laminated, the bridge used, the angle of the headstock, the pickups used, etc. Some of these factors may be quite subtle or overshadowed by other factors. No single factor (usually) determines whether the bass will be"punchy" or "snappier" or whatever adjective.
Click to expand...

This.

Although I must add red cars are fastest. Everybody knows this.
 

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