Is a set neck better than a glue in neck for electric guitars?
Most electric guitar kit necks will come in either bolt in or set neck options, there also are neck-thru options but these are less common. Bolt in necks are generally utilized by Fender for the bulk of their guitars while set necks are usually employed by Gibson and there are lots who credit Gibson guitars with having superior sustain and warmth of tone. While others argue that Fender offer better clarity and a brighter tone.
To be honest there's evidence to support these claims but there also are many examples where this is proven to be incorrect Would anyone honestly debate the point that Gary Moore (who played a Gibson Les Paul in 'Still got the Blues') is playing a guitar lacking a little in note definition and clarity? The concept is ridiculous.
Bolt In Necks
Bolt in necks are pretty easy and have the clear advantage of being replaceable should you damage the neck in any way. The debate against bolt in necks is that glue in neck offers better sustain. In my honest opinion this is a discussion that isn't technically accurate. It might be more accurate to claim that a loose fitted bolt in neck will impact on. The better quality of the join the less this is noticeable. The common line trotted out time after time again is that a bolt in neck does not transfer vibration as fast from the body through to the neck so impacting sustain but as discussed above there is also the tightness of the neck join to consider. In a set neck if the join is loose and there is too much glue used to fill the join sustain will also mostly be impacted. Many also disagree that bolt in necks offer more clarity and a brighter tone but as demonstrated in the Gary Moore example above this can also be a total rubbish.
Glue in Necks (Set Necks)
Set necks on the other hand are far more permanent but it has to be said how often do you really need to replace a guitar neck? It does happen now and then sure, but should this really be an important factor when deciding between a set neck or bolt in neck guitar? Ask yourself how often you have really needed to consider this up to this point. Set necks typically are mortise-and-tenon joins and many individuals are stunned to find out that this type of join can actually be stronger than a bolt in neck once finished.
The Verdict
There's a lot of reason to accept that with some guitars there is a obvious difference in tone between set neck and bolt in but sometimes it is a mix of factors that actually decide the tonal quality of a guitar. No two guitars actually are made equal and the best guidance we can offer is to try the guitar out before you buy and ensure you are purchasing based mostly on the particular guitar in your hands and not the reputation or rumoured tonal quality of a particular make or model of electric guitar.
To be honest there's evidence to support these claims but there also are many examples where this is proven to be incorrect Would anyone honestly debate the point that Gary Moore (who played a Gibson Les Paul in 'Still got the Blues') is playing a guitar lacking a little in note definition and clarity? The concept is ridiculous.
Bolt In Necks
Bolt in necks are pretty easy and have the clear advantage of being replaceable should you damage the neck in any way. The debate against bolt in necks is that glue in neck offers better sustain. In my honest opinion this is a discussion that isn't technically accurate. It might be more accurate to claim that a loose fitted bolt in neck will impact on. The better quality of the join the less this is noticeable. The common line trotted out time after time again is that a bolt in neck does not transfer vibration as fast from the body through to the neck so impacting sustain but as discussed above there is also the tightness of the neck join to consider. In a set neck if the join is loose and there is too much glue used to fill the join sustain will also mostly be impacted. Many also disagree that bolt in necks offer more clarity and a brighter tone but as demonstrated in the Gary Moore example above this can also be a total rubbish.
Glue in Necks (Set Necks)
Set necks on the other hand are far more permanent but it has to be said how often do you really need to replace a guitar neck? It does happen now and then sure, but should this really be an important factor when deciding between a set neck or bolt in neck guitar? Ask yourself how often you have really needed to consider this up to this point. Set necks typically are mortise-and-tenon joins and many individuals are stunned to find out that this type of join can actually be stronger than a bolt in neck once finished.
The Verdict
There's a lot of reason to accept that with some guitars there is a obvious difference in tone between set neck and bolt in but sometimes it is a mix of factors that actually decide the tonal quality of a guitar. No two guitars actually are made equal and the best guidance we can offer is to try the guitar out before you buy and ensure you are purchasing based mostly on the particular guitar in your hands and not the reputation or rumoured tonal quality of a particular make or model of electric guitar.
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