Don't like neck-thru

[JB_From_Hell]

My favorite guitars over the years have been a mix of bolt-ons and set necks. I've owned several neck-thrus (Ibanez RG something, Charvel Model 6), have played a ton more, and never gel with any of them.

I'm guessing it has to do with the fretboard being in line with the top of the body, and the resulting position it puts my fretting hand/arm in. The Gibson styles I've played and owned are obviously angled, and the bolt-ons have the fretboard slightly higher than the body. It seems like a stretch, but the guitars I've loved have run the gamut from traditional to ultra modern, so this is the only thing I can guess.

Anybody else have this issue?

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I have not had that issue, I no longer play neck-thrus after my beloved Jackson Soloist was broken by a clumsy music pastor a while ago. That being said, I think there is something to be said for he tone of a neck-thru...solid full tone with awesome sustain!

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

Not all neck through guitars have a fretboard inline with the body. The carvin dc i had wasn't like that.

 

[J E C]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

It has nothing to do with whether it is a neck though, set neck or a bolt on. The angle of the fingerboard plane to body face plane, and hence the distance of the strings off the face of the body, can be as low or as high as the builder wants with all three neck attachment methods.
With a bolt on it comes down to: neck heal thickness, neck pocket depth, is neck heal angled/tapered, is neck pocket angled/tapered, is neck shimmed.
With a set neck it comes down to: the design and geometry/angles of the joint, the same as the bolt on.
With a neck though it come down to: the angle of the body wings attachment to the the neck heal that runs through the body, and there position forwards or back in relation to the axis running through the instrument, from end to end.
So in essence, you can have a neck through that has the strings as close to the body as a, deep pocketed, thin healed neck, no neck shim, pickguard on, low action Strat, or as high as an arch top with a steep neck angle and no pickguard.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I love neck-through guitars, but there are just as many I enjoy that are set-neck, bolt-on, etc.

It's impossible for us to know why you don't like neck-through guitars, but there are plenty that don't have the fretboard in line with the plane of the body...

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

Well, now I have no idea why I don't like them. I suppose it's a generalization, but the way I described the characteristics of the three constructions has seemed to hold pretty true for all that I've played.

I guess it really doesn't matter why I've never bonded with a neck-thru. Maybe it's just coincidence. I was more curious if anybody else didn't like them (or really any other construction).

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I don't exactly love them either. Neither does John Suhr.

It doesn't matter, if you don't like them you just don't, fine. Nothing wrong with having an opinion.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I love neck-thru Thunderbirds.

 

[greekdude]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

Not all neck through guitars have a fretboard inline with the body. The carvin dc i had wasn't like that.

exactly.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

The only neck-thru I've ever liked is a Firebird.

Bill

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I've not had much experience with them, but I'd love to try a few out. If I ever get to building them, I'd love to do a neck thru.

 

[Phantasmagoria]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I'm not particularly nuts about them myself...but a good guitar's a good guitar regardless.

 

[J E C]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

A nice thing about a set neck and a bolt on:
With a set neck you can unglue the neck (if it was glued with a water soluble glue), rework the joint to change the angle or change out the neck for a different one, reglue it and touch up the finish.
With a bolt on you can change the neck angle or change out the neck for a different one in no time, just by remove some screws.
With a neck through there are 2 possibilities, depending on the design of the guitar to do the same things. 1) It is majorly, majorly complicated, and 2) Well, see #1.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

My biggest problem with them is that most are extremely ugly. Making a guitar neck through seems to be something only builders with ****ty aesthetic taste want to do...like, nobody can simply make a simple, classy neck through. The traditional Firebird is the exception.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

I own a little bit of everything - bolt-on/set-in/set-thru/neck-thru - and for me it's more of how the woods sound together, rather than of the construction itself (although I "dislike" bolt-on when reaching for the highest frets).

That being said, bolt-on is probably the most interesting because there is the widespread belief that this construction method diminishes sustain. But, in my experience, this construction has delivered the most. Go figure.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

My biggest problem with them is that most are extremely ugly. Making a guitar neck through seems to be something only builders with ****ty aesthetic taste want to do...like, nobody can simply make a simple, classy neck through. The traditional Firebird is the exception.

You forgot IMO.

Of course I would have said IMHO for anyone else, but we all know you have no humility.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

You forgot IMO.

Of course I would have said IMHO for anyone else, but we all know you have no humility.

HA!

 

[dazedandconfused001]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

my biggest issue with neck thru is price :wall:

 

[greekdude]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

It has nothing to do with whether it is a neck though, set neck or a bolt on. The angle of the fingerboard plane to body face plane, and hence the distance of the strings off the face of the body, can be as low or as high as the builder wants with all three neck attachment methods.
With a bolt on it comes down to: neck heal thickness, neck pocket depth, is neck heal angled/tapered, is neck pocket angled/tapered, is neck shimmed.
With a set neck it comes down to: the design and geometry/angles of the joint, the same as the bolt on.
With a neck though it come down to: the angle of the body wings attachment to the the neck heal that runs through the body, and there position forwards or back in relation to the axis running through the instrument, from end to end.
So in essence, you can have a neck through that has the strings as close to the body as a, deep pocketed, thin healed neck, no neck shim, pickguard on, low action Strat, or as high as an arch top with a steep neck angle and no pickguard.

In my neck-thru Carvin DC135 the height from the strings to the body is about as high as in my set-in single cut. This magic height does not come from any angle or any wing, but from the body wood (neck extension) being "recessed" in regard to the neck. The fretboard starts 3-4mm higher than the body, before we add the additional 3-4mm of the fretboard it self, making about smth close to 1cm of height (if we add string action height as well). - very rough numbers , i'll measure exactly when I get home.

IMHO the neck-thru design can give fantastic tones, overtones, sustain and reliability/stability. In the case however that a vital part breaks or twists things get ugly.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Don't like neck-thru

Neck angle typically depends on bridge type, regardless of construction type. Recessed Floyd-style bridges allow for a shallow string angle, while non-recessed Floyds can sit as high as a tuneomatic.

Typically, if a neckthrough has a non-recessed locking trem or fixed bridge like a TOM, the neck angle will be similar to a Les Paul. I've got several models of neckthroughs with TOMs that are bolt-on, set neck, and neckthrough.