Bolt-On -Or- Through-Neck?

[Bassist4Eris]

I can hear a difference in tone. Maybe not if you tested me with recordings, but when the basses are in my hands, there's a certain quality to my bolt necks, and a certain quality to my neck-throughs. For me, a bolt neck sounds better for slap, or for a vintage tone. For everything else, I prefer neck-through.

 

[Ian_Flash]

Yes they did. The set neck was a dovetail construction by the way

Yep! It was a unique mortise that Vinnie developed while researching some Japanese joinery methods that do not even require glue, yet are strong enough to build structures.


"PUT THE FREAKIN' LOTION IN THE BASKET!!!!!!!!!"

 

[NickBEADG]

You can easily "maintain" a neck thru bass, but not "replace" it, just to clarify what others said lol. My first bass was a bolt on, next bass was as well, my current bass is a neck thru, sustain is much more noticeable, action is much smoother, and I'm sure intonation is probably more reliable. The type of people that prefer bolt on I'd probably guess is a good amount of fender type people.

 

[carlis]

Didn't Fodera build three basses all the same but one was bolt on, one set neck and one neck through and compared them?

Yes, and the bolt-on one was the least expensive.

Their sound clips make me confirm again that the additional investment into a neck-thru/set-neck design doesn't guarantee significantly "better" tone to my ears—if it had to be described as "good" or "bad." YMMV.

 

[IrishRifles]

Bjorn Englen says a through neck serves better in the case of a fretless bass and says you get that extra sustain and its better for body connection.

 

[cfsporn]

A properly made neck isn't going to need replacing. The spare parts argument might hold for lower-end instruments, not for more expensive/boutique. Only other maintenance would be fretwork which is the same between the two.

Sonic differences are subtle imho. If you play up the neck, a neck-through will generally provide better/easier access (depending on the details of the design). If you stay below the 12th fret, no difference.

Accidents happen. I would think twice before taking my Alembic, Rickenbacker, Aria, or Carvin to gig because they are one bump away from firewood.

 

[Stranger Danger]

NT FTW

 

[grendle]

I prefer NT over bolt on. Having played identical basses of bolt on and NT construction. The NT just resonates differently than the bolt on. The NT has a natural compression about it that the bolt on doesn't have. Sustain can be close but the NT is defiantly stronger/ longer sustaining. The bolt does have a different attack that can be cool, but that's one of the main things I prefer with the NT. at the end of the day though its all personal pref. for me it's easily NT ( the bolt I has been hand me downed to my son who likes it better)

 

[Phalex]

I don't really care. I like the heel on a neck through better, but I never really play that high up anyway.

If you like a thinner body, a neck through is the way to go, but all things being equal, all things are equal.

 

[WoodyG3]

I have both, and the only difference to me is a smoother neck joint on neck through, so the upper frets are generally easier to get to. I don't hear the sonic differences that many claim, but my sample size is limited to the couple of dozen basses I've ever owned. If a bass you like has one neck or the other, I wouldn't hesitate to buy it just because it has a particular neck construction. To me it's kind of a non-issue. I'd be more interested in whether it has humbuckers or single coils, how the neck profile fits your hands/playing style, etc.

 

[PDGood]

Here's the Fodera page:
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To my ears most of the variation is coming from the player. If you listen to just one sound sample all the way through, you'll hear variation in attack and volume - that's the player. How your finger strikes a string will effect fullness and you can hear that as well. It's difficult if not impossible to remove that factor from the comparison of neck joints.

 

[grendle]

You don't hear much difference in them until the finger n slap licks. Most pronounced difference in the slap licks IMO. The bolt is a little snappier (pronounced highs and lows). The NT is a little more compressed n mid present in the tone, slightly less attack than the bolt and is a little. "Sweeter" sounding for lack of a better term on the high notes IMO. The set neck has a little bit of both which is pretty cool as well.

 

[darkstorm]

Bolt on can have a little more mids compared to same woods neck thru. I prefer 24 fret bolt on nowadays for the little bit extra mids growl well made ones give.

 

[cnltb]

Here's the Fodera page:
Invalid Link Removed

To my ears most of the variation is coming from the player. If you listen to just one sound sample all the way through, you'll hear variation in attack and volume - that's the player. How your finger strikes a string will effect fullness and you can hear that as well. It's difficult if not impossible to remove that factor from the comparison of neck joints.

...on the whole and just going by the Fodera samples I tend to prefer bolt necks and thought it was a great idea to do these!
I find bolt on basses more lively and dynamic and don't think you'll lose sustain or tone in any way.
Access is also not a problem for me as I like to feel a bit of a heel when up on the neck-it stabilises my position and does not hinder me.
All this applies to basses when they're done well, of course.

 

[Sheffield]

If you play up the neck, a neck-through will generally provide better/easier access

+1. I find NT design improves upper-register playability and doesn't impact 'tone' (which I'd argue is a perceptual phenomenon anyway, i.e. more like psychoacoustics than plain ol' acoustics).

I vote NT.

 

[Thomas Kievit]

I'm very glad Fodera made these soundclips to compare, really a GOOD method to show what is the difference, soundwise in construction.

For me, it's Bolt-on all the way.

Yep! It was a unique mortise that Vinnie developed while researching some Japanese joinery methods that do not even require glue, yet are strong enough to build structures.


"PUT THE FREAKIN' LOTION IN THE BASKET!!!!!!!!!"

 

[GBassNorth]

My preference is neckthru on basses in the $2000 and up category because if I ever decide to sell one that's what people just kind of expect to see in that price range. Kinda like granite countertops in kitchens, really no more functional than Formica but its expected to be there in up scale homes, not having it is a detractor and can hinder the resale.
As for bolt vs set vs thru necks - I don't notice any significant difference in the tone or action or playability that couldn't be attributed to any one of a dozen different variables. As for durability, no significant difference there either.
Probably the only significant difference I can think of is catastrophic repair costs - neck snaps in half somehow - the bolt on will likely be the easiest and cheapest to fix with a simple DIY neck replacement, not so with the other two neck types.

 

[Wolffgang]

I like the simplicity and user-servicability of a bolt-on neck. I've never noticed a nicer tone with a neck through, or any difference in tone at all, frankly. Maybe my playing style doesn't accentuate those differences, or I'm just not sensitive to it, but I don't hear it or feel it.

As a disclaimer, I have a custom made UVA Thor bass (6-string neck-through, bridge EMG-DC), and my current favourite bass is a mexican fender P with a 62RI, so our tastes may differ wildly.

 

[Ian_Flash]

I'm very glad Fodera made these soundclips to compare, really a GOOD method to show what is the difference, soundwise in construction.

For me, it's Bolt-on all the way.

There are many ways to construct bolt-on, set-in and neck-thru basses. Each one has it's own distinct advantage (or disadvantage) towards tone, playability and maintenance (all things being equal which they rarely are...). Fodera, Ken Smith, Warwick and many others offer all types and these decisions are based on years of experimentation, musicians' feedback, market research and competitive strategy. Personally, I own (AND PLAY) all three types, so that I can match the best instrument to the gig or session. When I worked as a Carpenter, I could not show up to every job with one Milwaukee Sawzall and say: "OK guys, let's get this done!!!!".

 

[WoodyG3]

Okay, I admit to hearing a difference in the Fodera clips. I would call the bolt on more aggressive and the neck through smoother. It fits the generalizations I've heard people make before.