ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hey fella's I've ordered some plans for a gibson explorer, and I believe that it will have a neck-thru design, as this is my first guitar, would it be best if I created it with a bolt-on neck as I get a general feeling these are easier to build for a first timer maker, and offer more options during the setup (ability to use shims etc). Can some of your more experienced guy's give me your opinions on this as i'm not quite sure which route to take. Thanks in advanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Do you think you can do it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I think I can do anything, but whether for my first guitar the neck-thru is too much of a challenge, I don't know. I guess what i'm asking is, what is the skill level required to build a neck-thru compared to a bolt-on. Also with the thru-neck i'm slightly worried about the setup issue, not being able to shim the neck could be a problem, but then on the other hand, neck-thru's are supposed to sound that much better.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 the only difference in the two is the amount of patience you have. Your posts indicate you can do it. YOU CAN DOOO EEETTTT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Cheers perry - doing the neck-thru will mean I wont have to change the plans - so I should probably go for it. As an aside, I plan to buy a slotted fingerboard from Stew-macs using the gibson compensated scale (to match the explorer) is the actual length of the fingerboard always the same on guitars that use the same scale? E.g will the fingerboard I buy from Stew-macs be the correct length for the neck on the explorer plans? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 the only difference in the two is the amount of patience you have.← I'm curious about that one Perry, can you elaborate? You mean Neck-throughs require more patience? (I'm assuming due to more care/precision required in all the measurements before you make a cut?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Stew, yes. Even so, you can change the length of the neck to suit the fretboard. The birdge should always be calculated using a ruler, and not plans, just to be sure. Super, what i mean is, that you need to be more precise with all your angles etc. Personally, i dont use plans, and with a bolt-on guitar, i just wing it. Doesnt matter, i can change the neck angle, depth, bla bla at any stage (even after lacquer) but you cant do that with a neck through. Plus its harder to sand, lacquer, fret, level, bla bla bla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I took a few pics of a neck thru Exporer project I was helping a friend out with a while back. Maybe they would give you a couple ideas. Yahoo Picture Folder Peace, Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Hey rich, those photo's are extremely useful, definitly helps me visualise the build, although to be honest, it scares me a little - the neck-thru seems very complicated, you've got me thinking about doing a bolt-on now, lol ! Is a neck-thru a big improvement on tonality? This is what would be a deal breaker for me, even though it will be my first build, I want it to sound as good as possible, so if a neck-thru is a definite improvement on tone, I guess i'll just stuck in and see where it gets me, whereas if not, i'll go with the easier bolt-on. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 i would say it is a DIFFERENT tone...i prefer set necks these days,although i am doing another neck thru right now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Wes, could you outline what the benefit of a set-neck is, personaly i see it as just an un-flexible bolt-on style neck without the added advantage of being removable, now i'm 100% sure i'm being over simplistic, but I can't see what the advantage of a set-neck is... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Bolt on's only go as far as the neck PU, set necks go underneath it, theres more wood to wood contact. They all sound differant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByronBlack Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 ah, I see - thanks for that, this is what is great about this forum, it's filling in all the blanks in my small amount of knowledge, Cheers guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 ...more wood to wood contact... ...sounds like Ed Roman speak if you ask me. haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 ...more wood to wood contact... ...sounds like Ed Roman speak if you ask me. haha ← well,nobody asked you but seriously...it sounds different from a bolt on...millions of gibson and prs guitars show that there is some difference. main reason i like it is because it allows me to have a guitar with the upper access of a through neck,but with a less harsh tone,due to the ability to have less maple ( the neck is shorter) and more of the more mellow body wood of your choice... in all my rambling builds...i have come up with 2 favorite tones...maple through neck with alder body,and maple set neck with mahogany body... but that is just my preference...i also built a 3 piece laminated maple neck with a 1" center strip of honduran mahogany,set into a solid alder body...it is a 7 string...but the tone is magnificent...unfortunately it has some playability issues i have not taken care of yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 (edited) If I didn't think neckthroughs sounded different, I woudn't spend everywaking hour(besides the ones spent on this board, hehe) building a hollow one. So I believe it, but when I hear that "wood on wood contact...," I get the Roman shivers. Edited August 4, 2005 by thegarehanman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 sounds like Ed Roman speak if you ask me. haha Yeh, well there is actually. And i dont apreciate that comment one bit. End of, k? Now on topic, i always find bolt on's to be lacking in somthing, thats why i bought a paul instead of a strat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 No offense was intended. Just a joke that most of the guys on this board could relate to. Actually, Ed uses the "wood on wood" logic to justify using a bolt on neck over a set neck. Tom-foolery! I've never been a strat-man either, but that's mostly because I don't like the way it sits in my lap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 No offence taken, the reason i reacted like that is because i know what people on this board think of him. How he can use that analagy(sp?) to justify using a bolt on over a set neck is beond me really. End of the roman bashing! I really like playing strats, i just prefer the tone i get from my les paul thats all. I learnt to play on a strat. Bolt on's have there advantages tho, my first neck for my guitar may turn out really crap, but i can always srap it and build another one if that happens, with a neck through you may have to scrap the whole guitar. You could always just cut the body wings off it, tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 No offense was intended. Just a joke that most of the guys on this board could relate to. Actually, Ed uses the "wood on wood" logic to justify using a bolt on neck over a set neck. Tom-foolery! I've never been a strat-man either, but that's mostly because I don't like the way it sits in my lap. ← my reply was just a joke as well...ed hates set necks...but who cares what ed thinks... i don't know...i have about 30 guitars...and i have built 4 of them that actually made it to a finished product,and i am on my 5th right now...and all of them are different...different woods,neck construction,hardware,etc...the only thing that is the same in all of them is that they are all emg equipped... and of my favorite sounding 5 guitars....4 of them are set neck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 with a neck through you may have to scrap the whole guitar. no...not a chance...you could easily convert it to a set neck or a bolt on by merely making a new neck and routing a neck pocket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Neck thru's present another problem that no one has talked about, that i am experiencing with my build is that if you cant get the one part of done for some reason then your less likely to be able to do another part of the build. You cant go ahead and complete the body (inc Finishing etc) if the neck is still a bunch on laminates for example. Do a neck thru if u like, it does mean you dont have to cut a neck pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Neck thru's present another problem that no one has talked about, that i am experiencing with my build is that if you cant get the one part of done for some reason then your less likely to be able to do another part of the build. You cant go ahead and complete the body (inc Finishing etc) if the neck is still a bunch on laminates for example. Do a neck thru if u like, it does mean you dont have to cut a neck pocket. ← well...i complete the neck entirely before i add the wings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Well thats i want to do, but if you need someone to plane square all the sides for you on a big machine you dont have and the guys on vacation then you need to wait! Guess who's in that situation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted August 5, 2005 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 in all my rambling builds...i have come up with 2 favorite tones...maple through neck with alder body,and maple set neck with mahogany body... -and he takes note- okay back on topic. A neck through logicly speaking (I've never done a neck through) shouldn't be any harder at all if you just plan it out well. For instance, you'll need to plan for the height of your bridge and be right on the money because you can't shim your neck or shave off any. You also need to get the tilt (if any) exat for previous stated reason. I am planning on doing a neck through (right after I finish the secone wenge but thats a diffrent story ) I've already done up all the full scale plans in photoshop and did a mental run through and I can't really think of any hard points except that you have that much more bulk off the end that you have to deal with when you fret and carve the neck. Plus finishing will be harder because you have this big hunky thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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