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Small knot in bass neck - OK or avoid?

#21
DanAdams said:
The responses to this post have made the knot on my cheap-butt Glarry seem less significant. Thanks folks!
It also might support the QC point... It's good enough for a Glarry :D
I've got a dozen basses, only the Glarry has a knot like that. But I agree about it's significance being trivial.

Why does the knot aesthetic seem to visually extend into the next board of the laminate? was some knot dust/sap dragged there from sanding?

View attachment 7108874
Click to expand...
These aren't laminates, they're growth rings from the tree. It's a quartersawn neck.
 
#23
I have a bass with a neck that has a couple of tiny pitch pockets. It’s never bothered me.
Certainly not sonically or structurally affecting the instrument in any perceivable way after a decade of daily use.
IMG_5749.jpeg
 
#24
I'm going against the flow and saying this knot *could* be a problem. It may not be now or ever, but I had bolt-on neck with a small knot like this near the 4th fret. It was fine until it wasn't. The area around the knot ended up with definite warpage and the builder replaced the neck under warranty when he saw what was going on.

Was it the knot? Seemed like it, but can't say for sure. It certainly didn't start out with the awkward bend in the neck, but it ended up there after some time. FWIW, I still have the bass with the replacement neck 16 years later.

I have a neck-through bass with mineral deposits in the maple neck. The builder wanted to scrap it and start over because he didn't think I'd appreciate the streaks. I told him to leave it and it was fine. The discoloration has never caused any issues at all and I don't expect they ever will. It's solid wood, just slightly different colors.
 
#27
As far as quality and function you’re fine. I will say though… If it bothers you even just a little it’s not worth it. It’s like buying a natural bass. You either like the figure on that piece of wood or not. I’m all about some imperfections but if they bother me from the start I never bond with the instrument and take a loss when I resell.
 
#28
Esthetic particularities can be seen as a a good thing or not depending on the person.
We are not talking about construction integrity that could affect the playability or tone, but maybe the resale value or desirability.
Some people look for perfection and symetry and the mere presence of a mineral streak or knot in the wood is a sign of not being perfect.
The fact you ask the question reveal your ocd is catching on it so you might always be bothered by it.
 
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#29
DanAdams said:
The responses to this post have made the knot on my cheap-butt Glarry seem less significant. Thanks folks!
It also might support the QC point... It's good enough for a Glarry :D
I've got a dozen basses, only the Glarry has a knot like that. But I agree about it's significance being trivial.

Why does the knot aesthetic seem to visually extend into the next board of the laminate? was some knot dust/sap dragged there from sanding?

View attachment 7108874
Click to expand...
Not a laminate neck. It's quarter-sawn, making it, in fact, more stable.
Comparing a Sandberg to a Glarry is a bit rough beyond the observation that they are both made out of wood from trees grown in nature. Haha
 
#31
DanAdams said:
The responses to this post have made the knot on my cheap-butt Glarry seem less significant. Thanks folks!
It also might support the QC point... It's good enough for a Glarry :D
I've got a dozen basses, only the Glarry has a knot like that. But I agree about it's significance being trivial.

Why does the knot aesthetic seem to visually extend into the next board of the laminate? was some knot dust/sap dragged there from sanding?

View attachment 7108874
Click to expand...
Laminate dude ?? that’s a one piece neck
 
#32
I've got a 125 year-old Washburn guitar with a tiny knot in the neck like that... it would have been culled on a better grade instrument for aesthetic reasons, but it hasn't affected that guitar in the slightest.
 
#33
DanAdams said:
The responses to this post have made the knot on my cheap-butt Glarry seem less significant. Thanks folks!
It also might support the QC point... It's good enough for a Glarry :D
I've got a dozen basses, only the Glarry has a knot like that. But I agree about it's significance being trivial.

Why does the knot aesthetic seem to visually extend into the next board of the laminate? was some knot dust/sap dragged there from sanding?

View attachment 7108874
Click to expand...
Not a knot but a small “black hole”. The gravitational force is so powerful that it can bend time, light, and (apparently) laminate margins.

Riis
 
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#35
Jhass said:
I’ve just never seen a neck with a knot in it, that’s all. If it is merely cosmetic, it doesn’t bother me. But since I’m not a luthier, I figured I’d come here for some expert advice.
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And this thread has neither expert advice nor luthier commentary. Gilmourisgod is the only actual builder I recognize.

I'm not an expert builder, but I can tell you I would not have built that neck with that board. The knot is unsightly and will have people questioning its integrity forever. Will it cause an actual problem? Hard to guess, but if that neck ever does develop a problem, it will probably be blamed on the knot. :smug:
 
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#36
DanAdams said:
The responses to this post have made the knot on my cheap-butt Glarry seem less significant. Thanks folks!
It also might support the QC point... It's good enough for a Glarry :D
I've got a dozen basses, only the Glarry has a knot like that. But I agree about it's significance being trivial.

Why does the knot aesthetic seem to visually extend into the next board of the laminate? was some knot dust/sap dragged there from sanding?

View attachment 7108874
Click to expand...

Beej said:
And this thread has neither expert advice nor luthier commentary. Gilmourisgod is the only actual builder I recognize.

I'm not an expert builder, but I can tell you I would not have built that neck with that board. The knot is unsightly and will have people questioning its integrity forever. Will it cause an actual problem? Hard to guess, but if that neck ever does develop a problem, it will probably be blamed on the knot. :smug:
Click to expand...
Thanks
 
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#39
vinlander said:
Esthetic particulartities can be seen as a a good thing or not depending on the person.
We are not talking about construction integrity that could affect the playability or tone, but maybe the resale value or desirability.
Some people look for perfection and symetry and the mere presence of a mineral streak or knot in the wood is a sign of not being perfect.
The fact you ask the question reveal your ocd is catching on it so you might always be bothered by it.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I’m questioning it only because I wasn’t sure if a knot like this would affect it structurally. For example, on large pieces of lumber, I’ve seen knots fall out leaving voids. Aesthetically it doesn’t bother me. But you are correct: it could be something that I would constantly wonder about.
 
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#40
Jhass said:
Thanks. I’m questioning it only because I wasn’t sure if a knot like this would affect it structurally. For example, on large pieces of lumber, I’ve seen knots fall out leaving voids. Aesthetically it doesn’t bother me. But you are correct: it could be something that I would constantly wonder about.
Click to expand...
In all fairness, I’m seeing a near-identical “blem” on a 4k boutique fiver in the TB classifieds.

Riis
 

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