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Is there a significant difference in tone between neck-through and bolt-on basses?

#281
moonshinegtrs said:
"Can't we all just get along?" :D

I posted the following on the very first page of this thread...

Bass Bench: Can You Hear the Difference Between Different Neck Joints? | Premier Guitar

I do think it is a very effective non biased approach to the "Bolt on vs. Neck through" debate...


I do think it's funny that: A; The original question was "My question is this; is it worth it in tonal aspects to fork over $2k more for a neck-through?".

Dude just wanted to know if there was $2000.00 worth of tonal difference between a Bolt on vs a Neck Through bass, I don't think he was wanting to start physics debate (I could be wrong, maybe this was his intention... If so, Well played Sir!).

And B; He's already decided and purchased a bass so problem solved.

I see this on Facebook all the time; People just like to argue (debate?)... I seriously doubt that any of you will ever convince the opposing point of view to admit they are incorrect.

It will be interesting to see how many more pages this thread will go.



Moonshine :bassist:
Click to expand...

I have probably come across as argumentative on this thread, but I'm not trying to annoy people, it's just that science matters to me, and science has answers here. If the question was "Is Lady Gaga good" I would have nothing!
 
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#283
moonshinegtrs said:
"Can't we all just get along?" :D

I posted the following on the very first page of this thread...

Bass Bench: Can You Hear the Difference Between Different Neck Joints? | Premier Guitar

I do think it is a very effective non biased approach to the "Bolt on vs. Neck through" debate...


I do think it's funny that: A; The original question was "My question is this; is it worth it in tonal aspects to fork over $2k more for a neck-through?".

Dude just wanted to know if there was $2000.00 worth of tonal difference between a Bolt on vs a Neck Through bass, I don't think he was wanting to start physics debate (I could be wrong, maybe this was his intention... If so, Well played Sir!).

And B; He's already decided and purchased a bass so problem solved.

I see this on Facebook all the time; People just like to argue (debate?)... I seriously doubt that any of you will ever convince the opposing point of view to admit they are incorrect.

It will be interesting to see how many more pages this thread will go.



Moonshine :bassist:
Click to expand...


My intention for this thread was wanting to know if the design of the neck joint would be worth an extra $2k. Then, to see what everyone had to say about it to try to get some more insight on whether it is actually worth the price. I don't know all things bass but I do know that others have experiences that I don't have and I could use the feedback to make my decision.
 
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#290
I own more than one of both types. The neck-throughs generally have more sustain with less energy input. So if you hold long notes you might really notice a difference on a high end neck-through. It's typically easier to find super long scale in neck-through if you want more piano type tones on a low B or A. And the super long scale rings longer anyway. -As for $2000 more being worth it... I don't know. In my experience it comes down to a build quality issue. A higher quality bolt on can keep more energy than a low quality through body. At that price I would absolutely play and compare each bass. That being said I almost always prefer a mid to high range neck through over a bolt on. But I might also prefer some $500 dollar active pickups just as much.
 
#291
capnsandwich said:
I'm currently looking at 2 basses, both from the same builder. One is a bolt-on body style and the other a neck-through. The neck-through, however, is roughly $2k more than the bolt-on. Both are gorgeous basses and have similar wood combinations.

My question is this; is it worth it in tonal aspects to fork over $2k more for a neck-through? BTW, I'm checking them both out come this Sunday so that answers that but still want to know the opinions of some of you all.
Click to expand...
 
#294
I did not read most of the answers so I will probably repeat some of the things. Let me answer both questions:

# First of all the answer whether or not it is worth spending more money on a neck thru is very simple: if the bass does not play or feel better and sounds the same or less to your ears it’s not woth it. But if of the two basses you like the neck thru more you could consider the up charge



# Is there a sound difference? Well yes and no. Although pick-up, fingers, amplification etc make the biggest difference in sound it is interesting to know what the difference is in the basses if all these “other than construction” factors are the same. I will try to explain without using descriptions for sound and sound differences.

If the construction is the same which means neck shape is the same, the body wood is the same as the neck wood, the heal is the same and the bolt on bass is firmly attached there will not be any hearable difference. Which means that the neck attachment does not make a hearable difference

But this is rarely the case.

1) Usually the neck wood and the body wood are not the same woods.

2) Also the area around the neck joint is usually different with the two neck attachment methods.
And these 2 points do produce a difference in sound.

1)Take for example a commonly used combination for the neck of hard maple with purpleheart laminates and a very light weight alder body. The neck woods are very dense, stiff and heavy woods while the alder is a very soft lightweight wood. With this combination the difference between the neck-thru and bolt on produces quite a different bass. The bolt on will be a considerably lighter bass. The bridge will be attached to a soft lightweight piece of wood. On the other hand the neck thru will be considerably heavier plus the bridge will be attached to a very hard and heavy piece of wood. A lot of luthiers and player believe that the weight of a bass and the wood the bridge is mounted to make a sound difference.

2) The difference in heel shape is a bit more complex to explain and to simplify things let’s compare a neck thru with shaped and carved heel so you can reach all the way to the last fret with the neck not getting thicker all the until it reaches the body with the same bass but with a thick chunky heel like a Fender Jazz or P-bass. In these examples the neck thru will have a longer neck that can freely vibrate with the string vibration. The bolt on neck will have a shorter area that can freely vibrate with the string vibrations because a big part of the neck is attached to a chunky heel that makes the neck in that area too stiff to vibrate. A lot of builders believe this difference in neck vibration produces a slight difference in sound.

So how different will the basses above sound? My experience is not huge. In a Saturday night gig in a pub nobody will hear the difference. But in a studio environment you will clearly be able to hear differences. If you are an audiophile this might be important to you but if you just want to have fun playing live you might better spend your money elsewhere.
 
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#295
-Asdfgh- said:
I have probably come across as argumentative on this thread, but I'm not trying to annoy people, it's just that science matters to me, and science has answers here. If the question was "Is Lady Gaga good" I would have nothing!
Click to expand...
Lady Gaga is good if the Meat Dress she was in is medium rare with a little A1 sauce, and some Fava Beans.
 
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#296
capnsandwich said:
I'm currently looking at 2 basses, both from the same builder. One is a bolt-on body style and the other a neck-through. The neck-through, however, is roughly $2k more than the bolt-on. Both are gorgeous basses and have similar wood combinations.

My question is this; is it worth it in tonal aspects to fork over $2k more for a neck-through? BTW, I'm checking them both out come this Sunday so that answers that but still want to know the opinions of some of you all.
Click to expand...

Probably a matter of personal choice. I would prefer a through neck, but the cost is out of question. The neck on my Gibson is attached by joinery and glue. Play both of them unplugged. Can you feel a difference in your hands? Does one feel more resonant than the other? That should tell you which is best. there's a ton of bolt ons out there that are great instruments.
 
#297
borgward said:
Probably a matter of personal choice. I would prefer a through neck, but the cost is out of question. The neck on my Gibson is attached by joinery and glue. Play both of them unplugged. Can you feel a difference in your hands? Does one feel more resonant than the other? That should tell you which is best. there's a ton of bolt ons out there that are great instruments.
Click to expand...

Yes, I actually played a custom Fodera and a Standard, and the Standard had qualities I liked in a bass more so than the Custom. Both basses were really nice but the Standard had more punch.
 
#298
Ron Mason said:
No two pieces of wood can have the same tonal characteristics, not even from the same tree, so it really comes down to personal preference and playability, (and the size of one's wallet).
Click to expand...

Sure they can, because anything is possible. The question is.....when do they?....how often does it occur?....and what luthier skills are needed to identify it when it happens (or if that's even possible)?
 
#300
capnsandwich said:
Here, let me clarify the price difference. Judging on the overall specs, would it be worth 2k more? And the reason it says "No longer available" is because they've set it aside for me to come check it out.

Fodera Emperor - Buckeye Burl

Fodera Emperor II Elite 5-string - Natural
Click to expand...
It looks like it's back on the market, you didn't like it or you did not go to check it out? I'm curious because I placed an order with Fodera two weeks ago but I went for the Imperial Elite.
 

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