Difference between "Set Neck" and Neck Thru??

[DanBass]

Sorry for the relative dumbness.

Good morning! Can someone explain to me the difference between a set neck and a neck through?

I got that question regarding my Cort Premier Active and quite honestly I am not sure.

 

[Diogenes]

With a neck-through the neck and center portion of the body are all the same piece. With a set neck, the neck and body are separate pieces almost like a bolt on but the fit is normally tighter with a glued joint.

 

[electracoyote]

"Set neck" implies the neck and body were created seperately, the body and neck share a tight joint, and the neck was glued and "set" into the body.

"Neck through" implies the neck is one continuous piece of wood or multi-laminate piece of wood that extends uninterrupted through the body to the tail of the guitar. "Wings" are then glued onto the top and bottom to form the remainder of the body for forearm rest and controls.

 

[Rickett Customs]

In a "nutshell".....

"Set" neck: As opposed to a bolt on, the neck is glued in place, typically with a dovetail joint (sometimes not), to the body.

"Neck through": from the tail end of the instrument, to the headstock is a continuous piece and the body is formed from "wings" glued on to the continuous piece.

 

[TN WOODMAN]

Set necks (ala Gibson) as necks glued to a body-2 pieces of separate wood.

Neck thru designs have the neck running the full length of the instrument-headstock to strap pin as 1 piece or several laminated pieces. On this design larger wood pieces-"wings" are glued to the neck to complete the body.

Many boutique builders as well as mass produced companies (Warwick, Ibanez, etc.) employ this method.

The debate rages on whether either improves tone or sustain as the bolt on arrangement is still most commonly used due primarily for manufacturing ease and simplicity of replacement of a "bad" neck or desire for a fretless'fretted exchange, etc.

 

[ffutterman]

Neck Through:

Set Neck:

Note that the set neck has a block of wood separating the neck from the body, and they're all glued together instead of bolted on.

 

[DanBass]

Thanks for all the info, I am appreciative.

Than the Cort Performer Active series would be a ___________ ? View attachment 252572

Back is smooth, no bolts (that would be too easy) haha

Anyone generally know what these are? Just want to make sure I am answering the question correctly.

 

[DanBass]

I would have to say set neck, as the Cort body is so small, would there be the "wings" that you would apply to either side of the neck through piece?

Of course, I am married, so I am wrong 93% of the time.

 

[grendle]

Don't know on the cort. The hohner ones like that were neck through.

 

[Diogenes]

That Cort was also sold under the name 'Lotus' (with Steinberger licensed tuners), the latter of which I owned. It was a neck through and was a very nice bass... worth far more than the $80 I paid for it at a pawn shop back in '97 or so. IIRC it had a mahogany neck with poplar (or maybe even basswood) body wings.