Our Souls inc. Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 I always thought it was an either/or thing... why would a company do both? Any benefits??? It doesn't seem very cost effective........ unless they just happen to have a surplus of neck-blanks already skunk-striped and then decided to add fretboards ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 They might be doing it to offer the option of a different fretboard (or not) whilst keeping tooled up for one method of inserting rods from the back of the neck? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 4, 2011 Report Share Posted January 4, 2011 thats pretty much it - relatively standardised production whether its a maple blank with maple fretboard, 1-piece maple neck or maple neck with rosewood fretboard. if it has a separate fretboard glue it on first - after that everything can be done the same way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I agree the reason would be for the production process, but I also think its actually better for tone and resonance because there is less neck timber removed just under the fretboard. I can't see that it would make a huge amount of difference but apparently it took Martin a long time to add adjustable trussrods because of this reason and I also read somewhere that Fender started off making their guitars with no trussrod, although it took a lot longer to make the guitar. There is a company out there somewhere making guitars this original Fender way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 Fender started without a truss rod because it's easier to manufacture that way. But it's harder to make an instrument that plays perfectly, so the rod gets added. Whether you add a rod from the back or the fretboard side of the neck doesn't affect the amount of wood removed; only the type of rod used does. Glue in a fillet over the rod from either side and the net result is the same. Martin's been stiffening their necks with solid bars for a long time, and I'm guessing in a lot of ways it's been a 'if it aint broke don't fix it' sort of thing. Personally, I like the look of a skunk stripe on a maple neck, but I hate maple fingerboards (don't like the feel, don't mind the look) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 i dont see how either method would produce more or less timber in the neck??? ok, maybe alter the maple:rosewood(or walnut) ratio slightly - but we are talking a very small amount of wood and any tonal variation would be within what you would expect between different pieces of maple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 I brought it up because I have a Johnson bass neck ( maple ) with a skunk stripe *and* a rosewood FB. I just couldn't see a 'company' dong things the harder/more expensive way... so seeing both made no sense unless they already had a pile of skunk striped necks when they went to FB installing... its a good neck, just seems like extra work for nothing to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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