Why can't I play neck-through basses? w/ Poll

[El Negro Gato]

OOOO OH! A Mosrite styled bass guitar with a set in neck that has a 32" inch scale length neck.Besides aspirations of acquiring a Guild M85-II semi-hollow bass guitar. I wouldn't mind a Hallmark 63 Custom bass guitar in either the standard color of Sunburst or a custom shop build in 1963 Gibson Nitrocellulose Lacquer Inverness Green Poly,or possibly Mosrite Nitrocellulose Lacquer Blue Ink.With a set of D'Addario XL Half Round bass guitar strings played threw a Valve/Tube bass guitar amplifier lots of Depth and Sustain!

 

[pigpen1]

I've avoided them because if you can't get the action low enough with the bridge, you definitely can't shim the neck and low aciton is my number 1 requirement from any bass.

 

[tfer]

I've avoided them because if you can't get the action low enough with the bridge, you definitely can't shim the neck and low aciton is my number 1 requirement from any bass.

My Ibanez Portamento has the lowest action of any bass I own.

 

[El Negro Gato]

OOOO OH! A Mosrite styled bass guitar with a set in neck that has a 32" inch scale length neck.Besides aspirations of acquiring a Guild M-85 II semi-hollow bass guitar. I wouldn't mind a Hallmark 63 Custom bass guitar in either the standard color of Sunburst or a custom shop build in 1963 Gibson Nitrocellulose Lacquer Inverness Green Poly,or possibly Mosrite Nitrocellulose Blue Ink.With a set of D'Addario XL Half Round bass guitar strings played threw a Valve/Tube bass guitar amplifier lots of Depth and Sustain!View attachment 2945683

OH MAN OH MAN.. With each passing year in the 1960's The colors just get further and further out there!

 

[bylar13]

I like my neck through. I also have a 1973 Jazz bass I like very much as well.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

A cello has to be setneck by design as it is an acoustic instrument. I don't mind neck-through, but prefer bolt on necks so I can fix things myself without paying a fortune. Plus, I've not experienced any advantages of a neck-though over a bolt on or a setneck. Some people say neck-through sustains more where bolt on 'snaps' more. I don't know if that is through but if it is, I prefer the latter. But again, I like bolt on because you can fix/replace things easier.

 

[Craig4003]

A cello has to be setneck by design as it is an acoustic instrument.

There are definitely acoustic instruments with bolt-on necks. I don't know about cellos specifically, but there are acoustic guitars with bolt-on necks. Taylor necks are bolted on, for example.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

There are definitely acoustic instruments with bolt-on necks. I don't know about cellos specifically, but there are acoustic guitars with bolt-on necks. Taylor necks are bolted on, for example.

Thanks for the info, was not aware of that..

Although I'm not a luthier, not using screws might be an important factor in acoustic instruments, but I don't think it does make strong enough of a difference on an electric bass. I'd prefer to be able to fix things efficiently as I think an instrument is a tool which it is by definition.

 

[five7]

I have a Peavey Grind NT, great sustain. But I like to be able to shim a neck if needed. Would love to try a stingray 5 NT though.

 

[Ric5]

I play 5 string basses ... and I noticed that basses with bolt on necks seem to have a better low B

 

[MobileHolmes]

One of the difficulties in discussing neck-through vs. bolt-on is isolating variables For instance, most bolt-ons, and all Fenders, have and ash or alder bodies. Most neck-thoughs have a body made of woods like mahagony, walnut or maple (sometimes ash, though). So, if you compare an alder-body Fender bolt-on to, say, a maple neck-through Spector and hear a difference how much of that difference is the difference in body wood? Also, Fenders and basses that are inspired by them typically use low-mass bridges. Most neck-throughs use heavier bridges. And the pickup differences are obviously very important. Single coils don’t sound at all like humbuckers.

Not saying there isn’t a difference, just saying that sometimes it’s hard to tell what is the cause of the difference we are hearing.

I really would like to do an in hand with two Stingray's (bolt and neck through) to control off for most of those variables. That said, the stingray electronics are so distinctive, they might overwhelm any differences

 

[CereBassum]

I mean REALLY disagreed with me.

Why? Maybe it's in your head?

 

[CereBassum]

I really would like to do an in hand with two Stingray's (bolt and neck through

Have the Ray neck through's caught on at all? I don't see them for a sale much at all. I'm an MM fanboy but I'd never buy one - so much money for... I'm not exactly sure what...

 

[BassGtrMic]

I also never end up keeping neck throughs. The ones that lasted longest were a Spector and a Warwick, but I definitely prefer the way the lows are shaped with a bolt on.

I agree completely. I've owned a Pedulla Thunder Bass and some much less pricey neck through basses. But I've always preferred bolt on. Sustain on neck throughs is maybe the only thing that I remember the most.

 

[Andy Daventry]

... before I found that a bolt-on's percussiveness and insignificant amount of diminished sustain as compared to my neck thrus and set necks was just plain more lively and enjoyable. My pointy destroy-the-mainstream guitars came through my amps like calm jazz/adult-contemporary guitars while that puffy, Eric Clapton-looking thing screamed, cut, and crushed like G.G. Allin.

This carried directly over to bass. I can list around twenty neck thru and set neck basses that I did like a lot, but not one of them did I like as much as any of the bolt ons I've owned or most of the ones I've tested. I have drank the P-Bass kool-aid, and it is good.

I'm a Fender guy, so maybe I'm biased. ...

I don't feel in control of NT's. ...

These three posts speak to me. I'll add a few things.
*I like to have option of shimmimg the neck.
*My impression is that the whole NT thing is about low action and getting around the fingerboard like a mountain goat leaping from peak to peak. I like to boogie.
*I like set necks - especially in semi acoustics, but I can love an EB3. NT is something different.
*I really think that neck through basses were designed to solve "the problems" of bolt-ons. More specifically, of the Fender basses that ruled so much of the roost at the time. But so many of the "problems" of bolt-ons created the sounds which drew me to bass in the first place. I remember reading somewhere Carole Kaye talking about how dreadful Fenders were, except for the wonderful sound. And that's it.

 

[Callum_Carcass]

I've only ever owned bolt on basses. The few neck thrus I have tried have never been of interest to me.

 

[bordinco90]

I have played them, but prefer the sound of a bolt on.

 

[TrevorG]

Never owned a bolt on neck bass. Aesthetically I like the look and lack of interruption of the contour. Suspect there may be too little difference in sustain but there is something about both ends of the string attached to the same piece of wood(without the interruption of screws and glue) that makes an instrument feel more alive to me.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

I honestly did not know this was a thing

 

[Being and Bass]

I've only ever played bolt-on and really have no complaints. I would likely get a neck-through on an expensive or custom bass, but only provided it was a HARD wood holding it together for the sustain (maple won't cut it).