Bolt-on versus set-neck.

[thiswaythatway]

We all know the general opinions on this subject. Bolt on means you get a snappy sharper tone and a set neck will give you more thickness and sustain. How much of this is really true and how much is a fish story? What I mean is, for years and years when anyone compared the two designs it was between a Les Paul and a Fender Stratocaster. Now ignore my ignorance but isn't there a LOT more going on than just the neck joint construction? Won't scale length, body wood, bridge type, body style, pickup selection have as much or even more to do with it?

Now, a set neck is basically just glued onto the body right. So, why does that translate to better neck-to-body transfer of tone? It's just 2 pieces of wood joining together so theoretically, they way the woods are joined shouldn't matter as much as other factors I mentioned above?

I guess the best way to REALLY tell is to get 2 of the exact same guitars, same body wood and design, same pickups, same neck woods, same scale length, etc, but one a bolt-on and one a set-neck and do the Pepsi challenge. Problem is, you usually don't see guitars that similiar but with just a different neck joint design.

And one thing that made me think all this up is, I did a pickup swap on a guitar that IS very similiar to a Les Paul and the change in the pickup to me made an aweful lot of difference. But the guitar is a bolt-on and I'd really like to see how it now compares.

Another thing is I once had a partscaster that looked like one of those Music Zoo Charvels. It had a Floyd and a Mahoganey body with a single coil sized hot rails in the neck and I'll tell you what, it sounded as thick and creamy for those ooooowwwww leads tones as any LP I've ever heard.

I know the LP guys will say only LP's sound like LP's, but with certain guitars I've heard otherwise. What say you.

 

[Fenderoid]

I think a good example would be a comparison between the 1st and 2nd Suhr GG.I know that the top plays a role in the 'upper clarity'? but essentially they are the same axe.From all the clips of Guthrie i have to say that the set-neck sounds a lot like the SG.

 

[chumbucket]

I think there is a lot more transfer between a bolt-on than a set neck. Especially with the new style nut-serts on the neck side. That is a tighter joint with more contact than a mortise and tenon with glue. It's usually the scale length snappiness of the Strat that makes the difference.
On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

 

[sprack]

Agile will do that.

On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

 

[thegame]

I hear bolt-ons as having a slightly scooped tone, giving a sharp twang on the low end and airy highs. Tom Anderson Cobra, basically a Gibson recipe apart from the neck joint and neck angle, still has that bolt on quality to my ear.

Played through mega compressed amps, you're not going to hear much difference. Acoustically, I can definitely hear it.

 

[TeleBlaster]

On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

Charvel Desolation series does that.

EDIT: If you like EMG's, and can get by the fact they are made in China, they are very nice for as inexpensive as they are.

 

[chumbucket]

Agile will do that.

On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

Link? I'm just seeing 24.7" models.

 

[mrkmas]

To honestly give it a fair comparison, you would need a guitar with the set neck, and a clone of it with a bolt on. Even so, it is so hard to scientifically go after a comparison. Like if you hit a chord, is it the wood that causes more sustain or did you just hit the strong harder and that is causing it?

I definately agree with psychodave with the lp and strat comment!

 

[mboogman]

I've got two early '90s PRS CE guitars. I've played the customs vs. the CE models, and just prefer the more immediate attack I feel with the bolt on necks. Ive never been accused not having enough sustain either.

$.02

 

[Stramm8]

I think it depends on the guitar and how it's set up. I've played some les pauls that were absolute dogs and some strat style guitars that would sing for days and visa versa.

 

[leib10]

Even different cuts of wood of the same type might be inconsistent. It'd be really hard to completely eliminate all other variables other than the neck construction.

 

[snakeman1986]

I've heard that bolt on, if done right, will actually have MORE sustain but I don't know this for myself. Just what I've heard. But, I'm betting that it is really not enough to matter. I only like set necks better bc of the looks.

 

[thiswaythatway]

I think there is a lot more transfer between a bolt-on than a set neck. Especially with the new style nut-serts on the neck side. That is a tighter joint with more contact than a mortise and tenon with glue. It's usually the scale length snappiness of the Strat that makes the difference.
On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

Kage had GMW make him one.

 

[stephen sawall]

I would think if you took a bolt on guitar .... took out the bolts and glued it in there would not be a lot of differences in the sound. Leave the bolts in and glue it even less different. I would guess pick attack and angle would effect the sound more...

 

[Digital Jams]

Not all set necks are equal.


Gibson's neck will slide in without much fuse due to the shear numbers they pump out a week, you take a hamer or collins and lots of work is involved to finally seat the neck as each pocket is shaped for that neck. Gibson should be shot for ripping off their dedicated customers. You can set over a 100 gibson necks while the hamer is still being fitted.

That said IMO good bolt ons also cut better due to more upper mids, you get that more searing tone.

 

[petejt]

I don't think they sound much different to each other. There's more of a difference between them & neck-through.

Neck-through will impart much more of the neck's timbre to the signal, whereas both set-neck & bolt-on guitars are a mix of the body's timbre & the neck's timbre.

e.g. Say you have three guitars that all have maple necks and mahogany bodies. Both the bolt-on & set-neck will have a sound of both maple & mahogany. The neck-through will sound more like maple.

 

[Zachman]

I think there is a lot more transfer between a bolt-on than a set neck. Especially with the new style nut-serts on the neck side. That is a tighter joint with more contact than a mortise and tenon with glue. It's usually the scale length snappiness of the Strat that makes the difference.
On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

Kage had GMW make him one.

It's mine now.

Kage actually had GMW make him 2, and he still has the other, last I know. The one he still has has the Strat scale length neck thru:

 

[Spaceboy]

It doesn't matter with higher-end guitars. If you're comparing Agiles, yeah, there's a difference.

 

[rcm78]

I have a few nice examples of each type of construction
Bolt on: PV Wolfgang, Hamer USA Diablo, Fender 50th ann Strat, & a Jackson PC-1.
Set Neck: Hamer USA Chaparral Elite, Hamer USA Chaparral Custom
Neck Thru: Kramer Stagemaster Deluxe

I try to rotate them all in from time to time but the Bolt On's seem to rise to the top consistently... Maybe I got lucky but they all sing!!! My Hamer Set necks are also great guitars and to be fair I don't care for painted necks so I'm pretty sure that's why they don't get as much play time as the bare wood guitars (Wolfgang & PC-1). The Hamer Chap Custom is especially nice. Very light, and vibrant. Notes jump off this thing. The Elite is a 24.75 scale and has a fatter, smoother tone. Very Les Paulish...

The Wolfgang really rises above all of them. I love that guitar!!!

 

[chumbucket]

I think there is a lot more transfer between a bolt-on than a set neck. Especially with the new style nut-serts on the neck side. That is a tighter joint with more contact than a mortise and tenon with glue. It's usually the scale length snappiness of the Strat that makes the difference.
On this topic, who can I find to make me a 25.5" Les Paul with a Floyd Rose?

Kage had GMW make him one.

It's mine now.




Kage actually had GMW make him 2, and he still has the other, last I know. The one he still has has the Strat scale length neck thru:

Those are cool axes. The purple one is 25.5" but the black one is 24.75"?
As blasphemous as it is to the Gibson guys, my dream axe would be a 25.5" LP with a non-recessed Floyd, jumbo frets, thinner neck profile with flat 16" or compound radius. I would also want the body blown up a little bit to make it look like it was in proportion to the neck scale. I would be ripping/riffing on that !