screw-on (bolt-on) neck vs. neck-through, can you hear the difference?

[Eilif]

I appreciate the workmanship and aesthetics of a neck through and you can shave some oz's off that way.

However I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference sonically.

That said, as I now look at basses as long term posessions I think I prefer bolt-on because if the neck goes bad it's easier to repair or replace.

 

[bassliner50]

I'm not sure I can detect a difference, but from time to time I totque down the neck screws to insure maximum neck-body contact. Wood can shrink, change etc. I suggest this to everyone.

 

[fhm555]

If the body holes on a screw on are small enough to require a tool to run the screws through them, you won’t get the full potential of the instrument. You want the holes tight against the shank but you should be able to push the screws through the body with thumb pressure. Any tighter and your neck and body will wind up with a less that perfect contact patch. In some cases you will see a tiny gap between them. Fix that and your bass will be much more lively.
As for neck through? I’ve owned one and it sounded like a bass, just like all the screw/bolt and set neck basses i’ve owned. They all sound like a bass to me, but i have self educated ears hobbled by a long lifetime of large caliber firearms and loud hot rod engines. And my ears ring 24/7/365 so whatever is lost to that should also be factored into any opinion on sound i may offer.

 

[Wes K]

I remember reading something in Bass Player years ago about how neck-through basses provide more of the fundamental of the note being played, but with bolt-ons our minds fill in the difference via a psychoacoustic effect. I'm not sure about all that, but I can definitely hear a difference. I think bolt-ons generally sound a little punchier and tighter.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

you should be able to push the screws through the body with thumb pressure

Just another way that manufacturers cut corners. They drill ONE time for each hole, saving a few seconds per instrument.
One of the first things I do when I acquire an instrument is remove the neck, check for any info in there, or if there's a shim, and ream out those body holes.
It was how I identified a mis-matched neck & body on a MIJ Ibanez I bought a few years ago. I returned it almost immediately, but in retrospect I should have kept it anyway:

 

[Paulabass]

Simple- Build two identical basses (right down to wood from the same tree) one bolt on, and one neck thru. Do your tests by swapping over the hardware as well, allowing for differences of metalurgy (no two pieces of metal being the same). Do your tests with the basses bolted to a wall, so seating position, and location are not an influencing factor.
If this sounds complicated, you can simplify by just playing the bass that sounds good to you.

 

[Bassmike62]

I vote Absolutely, not so much for the difference in tone than the difference in sustain .

 

[dr doofie]

I’ve never seen or played a neck through... but I like screw on cause I’m refinishing a bass and it was easy to pop off and on.
Which one is better for disco?

 

[JRA]

i'm with the group (few?) who would say that any differences between bolt/screw-on vs. neck-through would pertain to individual instruments and not the 'class' (bolt-on = one class, neck-through = another class). i.e., some from either group/class would confound the theories/speculations of the observer/listener.

IME: blanket statements about either group/class cannot be trusted. also: IME: neither a bolt-on nor a neck-through is 'better' unless the "it depends" assessment pertains to an individual instrument. cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias also work to prove some of the points being made in the thread.

best advice: practice more!

 

[bucephylus]

I was stuck in rush-hour traffic coming out of Fairfax a year ago & was reminded of Bangkok, that's how congested it was!
It was also warm, but not as warm as Bangkok in April

I’m familiar with Canadian driving, having grown up in Detroit and playing hockey all across southern Ontario. But, at least Canadians more or less stay in their lanes. In Bangkok, the lane markers are just a suggestion, which is normally ignored.

 

[bassballs27]

When comparing a bolt on and neck if the only part changed is the actual bass and all else is equal (same bass rig with the exact same settings, same strings, similar setup, same listening position, and the same room), I’ve experienced a discernible difference between the two.

Having compared a huge number of basses in the same way, I’ve come up with these generalizations:

Bolt ons / screw ons are perceptibly louder as oppose to Set neck and Neck through basses. It’s a very rare occurrence that a neck through will sound louder, possible, sure.

Players need to compare basses more often. It opens up a world to Mother Nature’s Atomic Level Randomness which is embedded into every piece of wood. Even from the same tree!
After all, if all basses were created equal, we’d all be playing the same one. And how boring would that be.

The explanation of why a bolt ons are generally found to be perceptively louder over a neck through is due to greater harmonic content provided by the neck joint. There’s a mating of two different materials combined with metal screws. Neck throughs are generally built with one piece necks that extend into the body with the wings glued on to the neck. And guess what Neck throughs produce more of? Fundamental! The fundamental is the string’s tuned frequency. Some of this frequency gets lost in translation to the pickup(s).
This happens in bolt ons too. And this loss is actually compression. Compression on the overall perceived volume. Neck throughs are much more heavily compressed as opposed to bolt ons which tend to be more “open” sounding.

Now, the above analysis can be applied when comparing basses with the same neck joints or perhaps more strings.
You’d be surprised how comparing a 4 string Bolt on to a 6 string Neck through might uncover. And then you might play a 5 string bolt on too.

I’ve personally experienced all of the above. As I tell everyone, play the bass!!! Play as many as you can get your hands on without necessarily having to buy them. Such a fun journey.

 

[bucephylus]

Some have bolts and threaded inserts.

Just an FYI; machine threads do not make a screw into a bolt. You just have a machine threaded screw.

The technical defs get a little fuzzy; but, I believe a screw becomes a bolt when a nut is used for the fastening. OTOH, we are all a little nuts; so, perhaps they are all bolts after all.

 

[bucephylus]

This is def one of those unresolvable topics/questions.

For one thing, a lot depends on how you assess any differences. For example, the sound that goes to tape is not exactly the sound the player perceives. That kind of thing.

Anyhow, both kinds of construction can be used to make both superior and inferior instruments. My feeling from a player perception perspective is that neck through construction tends to have longer notes, with the character mostly determined by the neck construction. Bolt-on construction tends to be punchier, and the body construction has a lot more contribution. Set neck tends to be somewhere in between.

Choices are good.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Just an FYI; machine threads do not make a screw into a bolt. You just have a machine threaded screw.

The technical defs get a little fuzzy; but, I believe a screw becomes a bolt when a nut is used for the fastening. OTOH, we are all a little nuts; so, perhaps they are all bolts after all.

The threaded insert functions as the nut.

Besides, we're talking guitars and there is no universally accepted definition of either so I'm referring to this space.


As such, screws alone provide the fastening of the two pieces. A bolt without an insert (nut) wouldn't work.

 

[bucephylus]

The threaded insert functions as the nut.

Besides, we're talking guitars and there is no universally accepted definition of either so I'm referring to this space.


As such, screws alone provide the fastening of the two pieces. A bolt without an insert (nut) wouldn't work.

Like I said, Brad, we’re both a little nuts.

 

[Brad Johnson]

This is def one of those unresolvable topics/questions.

For one thing, a lot depends on how you assess any differences. For example, the sound that goes to tape is not exactly the sound the player perceives. That kind of thing.

Anyhow, both kinds of construction can be used to make both superior and inferior instruments. My feeling from a player perception perspective is that neck through construction tends to have longer notes, with the character mostly determined by the neck construction. Bolt-on construction tends to be punchier, and the body construction has a lot more contribution. Set neck tends to be somewhere in between.

Choices are good.

Oh, it's resolvable. There just won't be a consensus. I have no problem with that.

 

[JimmyM]

I couldn't care less whether I can tell the difference or not when someone else plays them. When I play neck-thrus, I almost always hear them as having too much sustain and too even a sound for my tastes. I've got a couple and I love them, but not for everything. I do, however, love my Fenders and Fender-style basses with bolt-on necks for everything. And I'm not such a bass nerd that I'm going to go searching for exceptions just so I can say I found a couple on Talkbass.

 

[bassballs27]

This is def one of those unresolvable topics/questions.

For one thing, a lot depends on how you assess any differences. For example, the sound that goes to tape is not exactly the sound the player perceives. That kind of thing.

Anyhow, both kinds of construction can be used to make both superior and inferior instruments. My feeling from a player perception perspective is that neck through construction tends to have longer notes, with the character mostly determined by the neck construction. Bolt-on construction tends to be punchier, and the body construction has a lot more contribution. Set neck tends to be somewhere in between.

Choices are good.

It’s amazing how an instrument that is designed to be incredible can turn out to be a real dud. I’ve played instruments worth 5 digits that didn’t meet my expectations. Those are sad days.

That’s why I seldom buy a new instrument without playing them first. However, with used we don’t have the luxury so all I can hope to be is pleasantly surprised.

 

[Brad Johnson]

My main instruments use a hybrid neck joint called a bolt thru. The neck has a mortise and tenon design with the tab going deep into the four sided neck pocket, almost to the bridge. It's secured by bolts.

The result is the type of sustain and fundamental usually associated with a neck through and the punch and attack of a bolt on.

 

[Brad Johnson]

It’s amazing how an instrument that is designed to be incredible can turn out to be a real dud. I’ve played instruments worth 5 digits that didn’t meet my expectations. Those are sad days.

That’s why I seldom buy a new instrument without playing them first. However, with used we don’t have the luxury so all I can hope to be is pleasantly surprised.

I buy used often, with the caveat that if it doesn't work I won't take a hit or there's a good return policy. Many of my favorite basses were bought used, so were some of my best flips. I like surprisingly good gear.