Neck through for slap, bolt on for funk. In my ears, the bolt on has a thicker sound than the neck through.
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Neck through or no neck through ?
- Thread starter giuseppecaporus
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Neck through for slap, bolt on for funk. In my ears, the bolt on has a thicker sound than the neck through.
Personally I prefer neck through. It just "feels" better to me. Bolt on alway's seems "cheap" and "lazy" to me (even on my old stingray I wish it were neckthrough). While I don't think it makes any noticeable difference soundwise, it just seems like a higher quality and more complete instrument, and less a bunch or parts screwed together. That's just me of course. One of my buddies much prefers bolt on's (though he's never had a neckthrough) and we always mess with each other about having a "properly built" instrument.
I have both neckthrough's and bolt on's and I like the basses I have either way. I do often times wish the ones that are bolt on's I could have gotten in neckthrough though. So get it how you want. If you like a bass that's neckthrough get that one, or if you like one that is bolt on get that one. Nobody is going to hear you play bass and think "if only his bass had x neck joint it would sound so mucj better"
Hey, even my electric guitar is a neckthrough, and that isn't really nearly as common as in basses.
I have both neckthrough's and bolt on's and I like the basses I have either way. I do often times wish the ones that are bolt on's I could have gotten in neckthrough though. So get it how you want. If you like a bass that's neckthrough get that one, or if you like one that is bolt on get that one. Nobody is going to hear you play bass and think "if only his bass had x neck joint it would sound so mucj better"
Hey, even my electric guitar is a neckthrough, and that isn't really nearly as common as in basses.
Tone wise, through necks sound warmer and have more sustain than bolt-ons. But for my usual choices of music (mostly rock of various kinds) I generally want a brighter, more punchy or thumpy tone, and the notes usually don't last long enough for the extra sustain to matter.
Feel wise, I very much favor a bare or very smoothly finished bolt-on neck. I once briefly owned a Gibson Explorer bass, and the feel of its painted set neck (which I can only describe as "sticky" or "clingy") totally turned me off to most finished necks.
Aesthetically, I've seen some absolutely beautiful through necks, but I've also seen plenty that look like they were carved from the ugly tree. Oddly, many of the worst offenders were expensive boutique or custom jobs; to me, making an ugly high end instrument is like putting the guts of a Bugatti Veyron in a rusted out Ford Pinto body. Music is a performing art; visuals matter.
So yeah, I'm a bolt-on guy, though I certainly wouldn't turn down the right through necked bass if it came my way. Just because I haven't found one that fits me yet doesn't mean they don't exist.
Feel wise, I very much favor a bare or very smoothly finished bolt-on neck. I once briefly owned a Gibson Explorer bass, and the feel of its painted set neck (which I can only describe as "sticky" or "clingy") totally turned me off to most finished necks.
Aesthetically, I've seen some absolutely beautiful through necks, but I've also seen plenty that look like they were carved from the ugly tree. Oddly, many of the worst offenders were expensive boutique or custom jobs; to me, making an ugly high end instrument is like putting the guts of a Bugatti Veyron in a rusted out Ford Pinto body. Music is a performing art; visuals matter.
So yeah, I'm a bolt-on guy, though I certainly wouldn't turn down the right through necked bass if it came my way. Just because I haven't found one that fits me yet doesn't mean they don't exist.
I have two through-neck basses, with the rest being bolt-ons. I can't tell that either gives more sustain than the other, although IMO in order to really compare apples to apples you'd need to test two of the same kind of bass with different construction, like a Dyna-Bass against a Unity, or one of the new Stingray through-necks to a standard SR.
You all realize he's not actually asking about neck through vs bolt on, right?
He's trying to ask if he will prefer the look of a doubleneck with a continuous top or one with laminate stripes from the neck pocket to heel on each side. He's going to use bolt on necks.
The answer to his question is that nobody else can tell him what he likes to look at.
He's trying to ask if he will prefer the look of a doubleneck with a continuous top or one with laminate stripes from the neck pocket to heel on each side. He's going to use bolt on necks.
The answer to his question is that nobody else can tell him what he likes to look at.
Dad jokeYou kinda have to, unless you can do with just E, A, D, G, and maybe B and C.
The through neck has such a more full presence. I would practice and record with the neck through but gig and travel with the bolt on.
+1
Had horrible experience with buying a lemon 5-string Ibanez with a warped thru-neck (I was not so experienced to detect this at the time). Once I realized this was the case - that was it. The seller disappeared on me (coz the mofo knew, obviously).
I ended up stringing it with ridiculous set - super lights from G side, going to super heavy's on B side. This twisted the neck the opposite of the warp way, and made it bit more playable, but didn't fix the problem 100%. Ended up just giving it away at some point.
As far as neck-thru's sounding better - honestly, I can't hear that much difference that would justify higher price, and the risk (see above).
I have had both. I like BOs. Many moons ago I had a gorgeous neck thru Ken Smith...sounded great. Later checked out one of his USA BOs and really preferred that tone...seemed a tad brighter/punchier. I am going to go get another cup of coffee.
I've been playing for sometime but I'm not an engineer.
That being said, both systems; through/ bolt on, have their merits. Initially, it comes down to tension. Bolt ons are perfect for 4 stringers. This format allows not only a less expensive manufacturing cost, it allows a lower set-up through shims and neck adjustments. For 5 strings, the added tension of a B string, it overcome by the strength of the glued laminate joints.
I have and love both systems. There's a lot to be said about an inflexible through neck. I have been known to be ham-handed while playing. At the same time, one can pull/push micro-tones out of a bolt- on playing a long run of single notes.
Like all TB decisions, it's up to the player.
That being said, both systems; through/ bolt on, have their merits. Initially, it comes down to tension. Bolt ons are perfect for 4 stringers. This format allows not only a less expensive manufacturing cost, it allows a lower set-up through shims and neck adjustments. For 5 strings, the added tension of a B string, it overcome by the strength of the glued laminate joints.
I have and love both systems. There's a lot to be said about an inflexible through neck. I have been known to be ham-handed while playing. At the same time, one can pull/push micro-tones out of a bolt- on playing a long run of single notes.
Like all TB decisions, it's up to the player.
That is because his OP makes almost no sense! I read it three times and it's still clear as mud!
The main reason I prefer a bolt on is the neck throughs are painted. If I could get a custom job with the neck and portion of the back of the body not painted, that would be different. I guess you could get Carvin or someone to do it. I've never seen one though. I'm not saying they don't exist but seem to be very hard to come by.
