Why don't more basses have set necks?

[TrustRod]

I know set neck is pretty common on hollow bodies, but are there any current production solid body set neck basses OTHER than Gibson? I can’t think of any, but they must be out there.

Fodera is a big one.

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[Gilmourisgod]

The one where they blended the laminations in looks neck-through, very nice. I’m curious how they handled the abrupt transition on the set neck one, I’m guessing they have a tenon running well into the body.

 

[dwizum]

I know Fodera offer that weird deep-set-neck option, but do they sell any? I can't recall ever seeing one in person. (Then again, I can count the number of Foderas I've seen up close on one hand, and it was a long time ago).

 

[TrustRod]

I tend to think of Foderas as only that funky neck joint. I'm not a big fan of a butt joint in a neck but they seem to be doing ok with it.

 

[WorktheWood]

The Fodera set-neck is not a butt joint. They call it a dovetail but the pics I've seen of the actual joint it's not a true dovetail, either. I've made several in that same style and it works well and is easy to do. There's a tone of glue surface, face grain to face grain.

 

[friedlbug]

I only skimmed, but I didn’t see anyone mention neck angle yet. I haven’t seen a lot of guitars or basses with necks bolted on at something other than 0 or 180 degrees, whichever it is. Lots necks are set at a different angle though.

 

[ctmullins]

I only skimmed, but I didn’t see anyone mention neck angle yet. I haven’t seen a lot of guitars or basses with necks bolted on at something other than 0 or 180 degrees, whichever it is. Lots necks are set at a different angle though.

Every bolt-on (I know @Killed_by_Death suffers from a particular strain of pedantry that forces him to call them screw-ons, and he is exactly right to do so.... ) EB-0 that Epiphone sells has a 2-degree neck angle.

Just to post a rather ubiquitous example.

 

[TrustRod]

The Fodera set-neck is not a butt joint. They call it a dovetail but the pics I've seen of the actual joint it's not a true dovetail, either. I've made several in that same style and it works well and is easy to do. There's a tone of glue surface, face grain to face grain.

Maybe not solely a butt joint. But what else would you call this?

 

[TrustRod]

I guess butt joint isn't the right name either as that's usually end grain to face grain. Fodera uses an end grain to end grain join.

 

[Beej]

It's a mortise and tenon (mostly).

 

[James Collins]

PRS also does a set neck in the Grainger I think.

Also, electric guitar companies never seem to use it, but acoustic guitars and classical stringed instruments almost always use hide glue in the neck joints which allows disassembly. Clearly more difficult than screws, but better than PVA glue.

 

[WorktheWood]

Yes, it's more similar to a mortis and tenon joint. Here's a pic of a bass I'm currently building that I used the Fodera joint on.

I guess butt joint isn't the right name either as that's usually end grain to face grain. Fodera uses an end grain to end grain join.