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

[Bass V]

a BO can be superior for tone and sustain to set or NTs if done well, kinda like how a weld is stronger than the surrounding metal, or the way Bill Kirchen modded his Tele for a very tight join and great results. neck quality has a lot to do in any equation, every bass is unique in what it can produce.

 

[40Hz]

Fodera thinks so, and built three identical basses with the only difference being neck joint. Recordings are at the bottom of this page.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I could understand building three very similar basses. But how do you build three “identical” basses without using synthetic or composite materials and robotic assembly methods?

 

[4001]

Little tougher to fix a broken neck on a neck-through...

If the bolt on isn't seated properly it might affect tone and sustainability...

Other than that, I doubt that many (if any) people could tell the difference in the two based on just hearing it..

 

[capnsandwich]

I could understand building three very similar basses. But how do you build three “identical” basses without using synthetic or composite materials and robotic assembly methods?

Leave it to Vinny and Joey. They'll find a way.

 

[40Hz]

Leave it to Vinny and Joey. They'll find a way.

Lol! Touché

 

[Whippet]

2k difference!! you nuts? what is that? a Warwick with an extra mid knob?

seriously it depends on the build and music style and how you play. I have a bunch of both and personally i prefer bo. but quite frankly not many can tell the difference. lol

 

[Ellery]

My experience owning two 5 string Schecter stilettos was that the neck through version was tremendously better. That is the extent of my research data.

 

[Levin]

To me it wouldn't be worth 50 dollars extra for a necktrough in regards to what you get, and for 2000 dollars, well... that sounds just like if an economist did the counting.
Definitely no. Especially from such a great company, where the worst basses still have higher quality than the best of many other companies. Buy the best cab you can find instead for your amp if you are willing to spend 2000 dollars extra.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I don't know about tone, but in my experience the neck through is more stable.

I have a '94 Carvin and a '16 4003 s. both neck though and I do not remember ever touching the truss rod on either. If a gun was held to my head, I couldn't even be sure if either had them.

My Fender Jazz and Ibby SR650 are both bolt on and I have had to adjust the truss rod a few times on each.

The Carvin and RIC also seem to hold tune better as well. I have to tweek the bolt on's every time I play them. The neck through seem to be once a week unless I bump a tuner.

Of course I can be full of crap too, this is just my experience

Neck through basses often use laminated designs because you can replace the necks, so it has to be made stable. That costs more, though.

 

[Kubicki Fan]

I could understand building three very similar basses. But how do you build three “identical” basses without using synthetic or composite materials and robotic assembly methods?

This kind of dry, analytical thinking is not conducive to passionate, lively TB debate.

 

[Jared Lash]

The big advantage I find with bolt-on is the ability to swap out necks if need be. Tonally, some claim bolt-on have more grunt/attack on the front end of the note and that neck-thru the note is more even overall and sustains longer. My ears are not good enough to pick up such nuances. When ever I shop for a new bass I have almost always come home with a bolt-on. No idea why, it just ends up that way.

No offense, I've never had to replace a neck on any bass I've owned, regardless of neck type. It's not quite as bad as the advantage I was once told of having a string through bridge... it would keep the bridge from flying off of the bass.

I've also never had to replace the neck on a bass. And honestly, that benefit to bolt-ons is lost when going custom/boutique anyway. Sure, you can swap a Fender neck easily but with a Fodera (or any hand made build) you'd have to have the luthier(s) craft you a new neck.

I've owned several bolt-ons, neck throughs, and set-necks. There are characteristics that generally hold true for each, but overall it depends on what your goals are. Regardless of tone a dovetail or neck through Fodera offers better upper register access so that's a point worth considering. And bolt-ons generally offer a punchier and more vintage tone.

What is it that you're looking for tonally?

 

[Aqualung60]

A neck through looks nicer in my opinion, but tone wise I couldn't tell any difference in any of the ones I own.

 

[Marikk]

My original thought after your original post was "bolt on" The ease of repair and maintenance etc. Plus 2k is essentially another really good bass or a lot of beer as someone else mentioned

But if your going with Fodera money, The utilitarian, logical approach kind of gets thrown out the window and a lot more of the heart over takes the head in these cases. It no longer just becomes a matter of 2k when you're buying a bass at that level. A lot of the "worth it" factor is in the illogical part of the brain.

I would say think back to what you pictured in your mind while the Fodera was still just a dream. If it was a NT and you buy the bolt on, Are you going to wish it was an NT every time you look over at it? There's no amount of technical specs or money that will ever change what the heart wants. Ask yourself what do you see when you see your Fodera and go from there

 

[Sixgunn]

Not trying to start a flame war but TB 's search function is a bit hard to navigate when looking for this topic.

So what? OP want to talk about it and there are no rules prohibiting that.

 

[40Hz]

This kind of dry, analytical thinking is not conducive to passionate, lively TB debate.

You’re right. This is TB. If we’re gonna confuse the subject with logic we might as well end the discussion right now.

 

[capnsandwich]

You’re right. This is TB. If we’re gonna confuse the subject with logic we might as well end the discussion right now.

What is this "logic" you speak of? Is it worth $2k more?

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I dont think it is if that is the only difference for 2k

 

[Sixgunn]

Another thread that illustrates one of the value added features of Talkbass...so many people who read the OP, nothing else, then make a comment which has been covered over and over again already within the thread.

Sorry OP, it just gets so old with all the laziness around here. If you want to comment READ WHAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN ALREADY!!!!!!

Fell free to excuse yourself from threads that annoy you. Laziness? There's a difference between reading about something and discussing it. Why is that rocket surgery?

 

[Sixgunn]

Fodera should not be used as the benchmark for price difference. There are a lot of high end basses that don't have such a dramatic price difference for NT vs BO.

 

[capnsandwich]

Fodera should not be used as the benchmark for price difference. There are a lot of high end basses that don't have such a dramatic price difference for NT vs BO.

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