Why isn't graphite more popular?

[lowphatbass]

...Cost, appearance and tone.

Many basses use composite inside the neck and take advantage of the stiffness and stability it offers.

 

[johhn smith]

i have a zon sonus unlined fretless 4 string and it is amazing. i think the reason graphite isn't more popular is a combination of the price and the fact that they are somewhat hard to find. apart from my zon, i have tried a few modulus graphites and back in the eighties i tried a few steinbergers. i live near toronto and you'd think you'd be able to find anything, but it just isn't so. you'd have to special order to get a zon ( like i did ) or a status or a steinberger. the only thing that can be found are modulus and if they are not to your liking then that's it. nothing else graphite to a/b with and i can understand how someone doesn't want to spend 4000+ without at least trying it. i intend to buy another zon or two and i can't say enough good things about them. the neck on my fretless is beautiful, thin, fast but with a feeling of stability that belies it's thickness and because of the perfect neck i can put my action very low and get the most beautiful mwah you've ever heard. i love wood as well, but would not have a problem switching to zon exclusively as they are that good.

 

[bassman74]

I work in the bicycle industry. I'm the buyer for a canadian bicycle manufacturer. I travel to taiwan each year to visit manufacturer.

there is now many great manufacturer, i've seen the carbon component's quality going up each year. They have now become the place for carbon fiber manufacturing.

It may not be ok to say that but this year a famous manufacturer offered us a carbon fiber bicycle frame for 149$ U.S......we had to buy a lot for this price but it still so inexpensive...

There's now many manufacturing techniques for carbon and i have seen parts that look like guitar neck that weren't made into a mold...These techniques lowered the price a lot.

IF there's no carbon IMHO it's simply because thers is no large guitar manufacturer who asked for it. Carbon can be cheap you just need to buy large quantities...

Regarding tone. I tried two modulus in the past one with their carbon fretboard and one with chechen wood fretboard. The wood one was a lot warmer, which made me think fretboard material as a lot of influence on tone (at least with carbon fiber necks)

 

[Jim C]

Does a graphite neck still suffer from the dead spot (C# or D) on the G string

 

[bassman74]

not on the neck i've tried, many bass builder use graphite stiffening bars to reduce or eliminate dead spot...

 

[WalterBush]

Does a graphite neck still suffer from the dead spot (C# or D) on the G string

I don't have dead spots, in any position, on my Steinberger, nor have I played a graphite neck with dead spots on any basses or guitars I've picked up and noodled with.

The occurence of dead spots on some of the necks coming out of Steinberger right after Gibson bought them was one of the complaints of post-Newburgh Steinies. They solved the problem quickly, though, it's one of the flaws that results in companies ditching the neck, since it also indicates structural weakness internally.

Where did you hear that there was a particular dead spot unique to graphite?

 

[MegaSwing]

IMO, based on my experience with a graphite neck bass I owned a few years ago, my hands did not enjoy the unyielding nature of the composite surface. It's one of those things where the best thing about it is also the worst thing about it. (One nice thing about it was the fretboard relief was always perfect.)

 

[your idol]

i will say as a passive bass playing all wood kind of guy that when the wood starts to break in it really feels like its becoming "one" with your hand and sounds great. that being said i played a modulus vj and i loved it. it was well used but every time i tried it it felt brand new and i dug that feeling too and i dont really feel that there was any sterile sound at all. infact i really felt the nice warm bartolinis were the perfect tonal compliment. now to the root of the issue..if i liked it so much why didnt i buy it? used price was $1500! i am in agreence that if this bass was priced a little lower say $1000 used i would be a proud modulus owner.


so pricing is the only thing holding back the popularity in my opinion. i did not understand that it was that expensive of a process to make these necks but i think the expense also gives the creators a certain touch of class. i mean you you see someone bust out a modulus or similar you know what they paid and you know that theyre (9 out 10 times) D.F. Serious about playing and expected the best out of their investment.

 

[limit6]

I had a Modulus Flea, and I found the neck to be very sticky and very bright/articulate. The hi-fi sound just isn't my cup of tea. I'm not gay, but I really love the feel of wood.

 

[renniw]

A used peavey G-Bass (or the G-V) is the key to get graphite bass for the less fortunate of us...

 

[spade2you]

I'm glad someone else mentioned bikes. I'm into racing them. Newer graphite designs allow it to be much stiffer and also lighter. I'd think if demand were greater, we'd see the graphite stuff in the bass and guitar world being built lighter as well.

 

[tekkentool]

+1. i love the idea and sound of graphite (never played on one). A nice steinie l2, with the trans-trem is the dream.

I'm actually planning on building a franken-p with a moses graphite neck.

 

[rpsands]

I've been graphite only for some time, and I find the body and the pickups, strings and playing style are all more than enough warmth for me (and eq at the amp of course). I prefer the all graphite Moses necks over everything I've tried (Zon, Modulus, Steinberger pre-Moses, my Gbass).

Oddly enough, the Modulus neck with the pau ferro fingerboard on my Gbass is the only graphite neck I've found that pleases me close to as much tonally as the Moses blend (with the graphite fingerboard, not even phenolic), tonally.

That said, I am confident I could coax the sound in my head out of almost any bass with the right set of strings, playing style and eq settings.

Bottom line graphite is just far more functional for me - it bears the random Phoenix humidity and dryness really well. I do not have a hi-fi tone at all, tends to be fairly dark pbassy type sound.

 

[elgecko]

The main reason graphite isn't more popular is that unlike wood, graphite doesn't grow on (as) trees and is therefore more expensive.

Secondly, musicians are a rather stubborn bunch who view change with fear and suspicion. Take an orchestra stage or instance, the instruments these folks are playing haven't changed in eons...are these centuries-old designs truly the ultimate expressions of their function? Heck, they're plenty of people on this still board still lugging around tube amps that make refrigerators seem mobile. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[younggun]

The main reason graphite isn't more popular is that unlike wood, graphite doesn't grow on (as) trees and is therefore more expensive.

Secondly, musicians are a rather stubborn bunch who view change with fear and suspicion. Take an orchestra stage or instance, the instruments these folks are playing haven't changed in eons...are these centuries-old designs truly the ultimate expressions of their function? Heck, they're plenty of people on this still board still lugging around tube amps that make refrigerators seem mobile. Different strokes for different folks.

I laughed out loud as I read this...1) because Purple Rain happened to be playing on T.V. at the time and Prince was dancing around like he was washing his hair while riding on a skateboard, and 2) because this is the most succinct description of musicians (particularly bassists) I've seen.

 

[Jjango]

...this is the most succinct description of musicians (particularly bassists) I've seen.

I think guitarists are way more conservative than bassists when it comes to instruments.

 

[torquil]

I have a question regarding graphite fingerboards. I also play the cello, and I have installed a graphite fingerboard on it, after my previous fingerboard became warped.

Has anyone here experienced that a graphite fingerboard has rubbed off and left small amounts of graphite dust on your string and fingertips? This would be most relevant in the case of fretless bass.

My graphite fingerboard has a consistency/appearance similar to pencil "led". When I play I get small amounts of graphite dust on my fingertips and strings. I therefore loose the necessary friction between the fingertip and string to perform proper vibrato... The finger slides too easily on the string.

I was actually able to write (albeit quite weakly) on a piece of paper using the fingerboard, before I installed it onto my cello.

What I really am wondering about is if this will stop or go on indefinitely?

 

[Eublet]

I have a question regarding graphite fingerboards. I also play the cello, and I have installed a graphite fingerboard on it, after my previous fingerboard became warped.

Has anyone here experienced that a graphite fingerboard has rubbed off and left small amounts of graphite dust on your string and fingertips? This would be most relevant in the case of fretless bass.

My graphite fingerboard has a consistency/appearance similar to pencil "led". When I play I get small amounts of graphite dust on my fingertips and strings. I therefore loose the necessary friction between the fingertip and string to perform proper vibrato... The finger slides too easily on the string.

I was actually able to write (albeit quite weakly) on a piece of paper using the fingerboard, before I installed it onto my cello.

What I really am wondering about is if this will stop or go on indefinitely?

All graphite boards/necks are not created equal. I can tell you that the phenolic boards on a Modulus will absolutely not do this....ever. Same goes for the Zon boards. Even Ebanol boards, which I REALLY like for fretless, will not do this.

 

[t0t0m]

Graphite is good, I love the sound of graphite.

Basiclly you can get moses graphite neck for around $400.

 

[lomo]

That's so untrue.
Don't know what magazine it was but they did a blindfolded test and none of the participants could say if it was a graphite or wooden neck.
In fact, my Zon sounds a lot warmer as a lot of other basses.

+100. Close your eyes and have someone else play 4 basses, 2 with wooden and 2 with graphite necks. You cannot know in advance what the basses are or hear them in advance. Same lick through the same rig with each bass 25 times in random order. I will bet any difference will be too subtle to differentiate reliably. I'll give 2 to 1 odds....really! Listening with the eyes is a plague as far as bass tone dogma goes.