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Single piece vs multi-piece neck

dougazbass

dougazbass

Supporting Member
May 6, 2011
957
220
Mesa, AZ
#1
Sounds like a repeat thread but I can't draw a conclusion on this.
I'm thinking that the multi-piece neck might just be good insurance for a higher volume manufacturer. If you had a top quality bass custom made buy a top quality builder and they picked and handled the neck wood correctly wouldn't a one piece be the best?
NOTE: By one piece I mean one piece and a separate piece of wood for the fret board. By multi-piece I mean a 5 piece + fret board.
Have a great weekend.:bassist:
 
#2
dougazbass said:
Sounds like a repeat thread but I can't draw a conclusion on this.
I'm thinking that the multi-piece neck might just be good insurance for a higher volume manufacturer. If you had a top quality bass custom made buy a top quality builder and they picked and handled the neck wood correctly wouldn't a one piece be the best?
...
Have a great weekend.:bassist:
Click to expand...

Well, all my "cookie-cutter" Fenders have One-piece necks and my handmade Dingwall has a Nine-piece neck, although they are not building them like that anymore I don't believe.

In terms of higher volume manufacturer I have to wonder if the extra steps involved with the lamination of a multi-piece neck blank would be very cost effective.
 
#3
lowphatbass said:
Well, all my "cookie-cutter" Fenders have One-piece necks and my handmade Dingwall has a Nine-piece neck, although they are not building them like that anymore I don't believe.

In terms of higher volume manufacturer I have to wonder if the extra steps involved with the lamination of a multi-piece neck blank would be very cost effective.
Click to expand...

Ibanez uses laminate necks and they're typically priced cheaper than Fenders.
 
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#5
I'm thinking that for a good single piece you would have to make sure that the wood ages or cures fully. This takes more time=more $.
That being said, Carvin charges more for multi-piece. Just wondering if its worth the price.
 
#6
It’s all relative. 50 + year old Fenders still have nice straight one piece necks.
I’ve seen a couple of warped multy piece necks.
On paper with all the physics and math, multy is probably stronger, but in practical use
I’d say all those nice contrasting woods probably do more for looks than actual strength.
MM
 
#8
Templar said:
+1 vote for multi-laminated necks.

Multi-lam is stronger.

Stronger is better.

No?
Click to expand...

Almost all one piece necks that I've seen are made from lumber that is flatsawn which normally isn't as stiff as quartersawn. That's why I prefer multi-lam necks. Because the grain of the more readily available flatsawn lumber can be oriented as though it were quartersawn. My multi-lam necks tend to be stiffer, more stable and less influenced by climate than one piece necks of the same wood species and neck dimensions.
 
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#9
Diogenes said:
Almost all one piece necks that I've seen are made from lumber that is flatsawn which normally isn't as stiff as quartersawn. That's why I prefer multi-lam necks. Because the grain of the more readily available flatsawn lumber can be oriented as though it were quartersawn. My multi-lam necks tend to be stiffer, more stable and less influenced by climate than one piece necks of the same wood species and neck dimensions.
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+1

Multi piece necks also help if not totally eliminate dead spots. One piece necks can be ok but will move more than a laminate. One piece necks should be quarter sawn, never flat sawn. One of my fender complaints, they know they have a design problem, they know how to fix it but don't as long as people keep buying their junk. Almost all mfr's use at least a 3 piece neck. Even the cheap imports. 3 pieces of quality rock maple are really all that's needed imo.
 
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#10
Best thing is to try both and decide for yourself.

Lots of folks here will make bold claims on either side, but I've encountered plenty of laminate and quartersawn necks with dead spots, warping, etc. Personally I prefer a one-piece neck reinforced with graphite (but never steel). YMMV.
 
#11
#12
I'm neither her or there on this subject. I've got a MIM Fender P-Bass special with a great one piece neck that hardly moves. My G&L L-2500 is Bi-Cut one piece and is rock solid. I've got a '85 El-Toro with a great neck. I've had great multi-lam necks and a couple warpy pieces of crap.

I believe that Mike Tobias uses 1 piece flat sawn necks on his basses and I've never heard complaints.

The best analogy I can use is something they use with knife steels. It's not necessarily the steel they use that makes a good blade, it's the heat treatment. You can make a great neck if you get a great piece of wood and vice versa.

That being said graphite seems pretty stable to me :smug:
 
#13
i tend to look at it this way... if i have a nice piece of wood that is dry, stable and seasoned... and i can make one piece neck out of it i will do it... but if i don't have pieces that will be in dimensions of what i would like for a neck and i wouldn't have any other piece of wood available i would laminate from what i have... i always save stripes that i cut either from the body or neck or even plain blank wood boards...

btw i always glue a fretboard on a neck and i always glue the angled headstock... if that still counts for one piece??? ;)

as far as stability and tone (even sustain) you can get it right and wrong with both single or multi piece necks... even body's ;)

and for the quarter and flat-sawn... i say if you have a nice stable and straight flat-sawn piece of wood there should be no problem for a neck but for the fingerboard i would go with quarter-sawn always...
 
#14
dougazbass said:
Sounds like a repeat thread but I can't draw a conclusion on this.
I'm thinking that the multi-piece neck might just be good insurance for a higher volume manufacturer. If you had a top quality bass custom made buy a top quality builder and they picked and handled the neck wood correctly wouldn't a one piece be the best?
NOTE: By one piece I mean one piece and a separate piece of wood for the fret board. By multi-piece I mean a 5 piece + fret board.
Have a great weekend.:bassist:
Click to expand...

I generally like as few parts on anything as possible.
One piece neck( well, two, including fingerboard), One piece body will do fine for me. Much rather than a multi lam bass.
 
#15
johnk_10 said:
it's also debatable whether quartersawn is stiffer/stronger than flatsawn. i've always felt that it was, but some tests actually have indicated the opposite.

Lutherie Myth/Science: Quartersawn Wood is Stronger and Stiffer Than Flatsawn

that said, i like both but also personally still 'think' that quartersawn is stiffer, but if it is, it isn't by much.
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And even if it is stiffer, that isn't necessarily "better". Many players don't like the tone influence imparted by stiff necks.
 
#17
-=DanAtkinson=- said:
And even if it is stiffer, that isn't necessarily "better". Many players don't like the tone influence imparted by stiff necks.
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i do, and so did Leo Fender. his design and wood choice/quality was for the neck to provide most of the strength, and the truss rod to offset the tension changes due to different string gauges. stiffer necks usually have a higher resonant frequency which equates to less deads spots (or less noticeable ones) and more stability with temp/humidity changes.

if one likes graphite reinforced necks, then they like stiffer necks too, since they add rigidity and require less adjustment over time.
 
#18
How about true 1-piece necks (no seperate fretboard)? My transition to P basses also includes these necks, it may be coincidence, but my 3 main players (Custom Shop, Roadworn, and Modern Player Telecaster) don't have any discernable deadspots. Would there be any advantages to this design?
 
#20
johnk_10 said:
one piece maple necks are my favorite too, but they are just as susceptible to having dead spots as the rosewood board or maple capped board ones. it all depends on the piece of wood. i just like the feel and sound of one piece maple necks the best.
Click to expand...

Well, maybe there's just less to go wrong then. I also prefer one piece maple with vintage frets, they just sound so organic, and I do love the feel.
 

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