Most stable neck material?
- Thread starter DankStar
- Start date
Re: Most stable neck material?
Actually...I never have. But there is a famous video of Ned Steinberger doing that to one of his guitars.
Re: Most stable neck material?
I agree with pretty much everything CTN posted...except for the above, and that is only because I have seen first hand that it is not always true.
I had a customer come in to the shop with a bass that was custom built for him. The bass had a fairly thick birdseye maple neck that had an extreme amount of upbow. Even the headstock was warped. You could also easily flex the neck back and forth by hand. It was clear to me that this piece of wood should never have been used for a guitar or bass neck. I know the builder (used to work with him) so I sent him and email and some pics. He was surprised by the movement of the neck because he had used 2 graphite rods to reinforce it.
I guess graphite can be a great stabilizer, but it won't make a bad piece of wood useable, and I'd personally never use it on a standard guitar or bass.
I agree with pretty much everything CTN posted...except for the above, and that is only because I have seen first hand that it is not always true.
I had a customer come in to the shop with a bass that was custom built for him. The bass had a fairly thick birdseye maple neck that had an extreme amount of upbow. Even the headstock was warped. You could also easily flex the neck back and forth by hand. It was clear to me that this piece of wood should never have been used for a guitar or bass neck. I know the builder (used to work with him) so I sent him and email and some pics. He was surprised by the movement of the neck because he had used 2 graphite rods to reinforce it.
I guess graphite can be a great stabilizer, but it won't make a bad piece of wood useable, and I'd personally never use it on a standard guitar or bass.
CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Most stable neck material?
very interesting, this is the first I've heard about something like this. Do you know if they were thick pieces of graphite or thin enough to flex a lot?
very interesting, this is the first I've heard about something like this. Do you know if they were thick pieces of graphite or thin enough to flex a lot?
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Most stable neck material?
I think its like many things on the internet... problems get much bigger and much more common...
I know for myself if i have to adjust a neck every other year or so I consider it stable and not a problem,Ive never had a neck that seemed unstable.
I think its like many things on the internet... problems get much bigger and much more common...
I know for myself if i have to adjust a neck every other year or so I consider it stable and not a problem,Ive never had a neck that seemed unstable.
Re: Most stable neck material?
I do not know. It is quite possible that the graphite was not used properly. Still, it was obvious that the neck wood was much too weak to be used.
In my experience, figured wood can be highly variable in its overall strength/stiffness. At Stoney End Harps we started building some harps with flamed maple "corner sticks". These "sticks" are the framework for the soundbox of the harp and need to be fairly strong and stiff. I threw out many flamed maple sticks that either flexed way too much, or just plain broke in half when I would hand flex-test them. I'm sure this variability is one of the reasons you don't see more figured wood necks on guitars. You have to really pick through a stack to find a piece that will work well, whereas pretty much any old hunk of clear, hard maple will make a decent guitar neck.
I do not know. It is quite possible that the graphite was not used properly. Still, it was obvious that the neck wood was much too weak to be used.
In my experience, figured wood can be highly variable in its overall strength/stiffness. At Stoney End Harps we started building some harps with flamed maple "corner sticks". These "sticks" are the framework for the soundbox of the harp and need to be fairly strong and stiff. I threw out many flamed maple sticks that either flexed way too much, or just plain broke in half when I would hand flex-test them. I'm sure this variability is one of the reasons you don't see more figured wood necks on guitars. You have to really pick through a stack to find a piece that will work well, whereas pretty much any old hunk of clear, hard maple will make a decent guitar neck.
jmh151
Active member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Carvin no longer uses graphite rods in their necks
Graphite rods help, but are not the be all end all. My EBMM Axis needs constant adjustment and that has graphite rods in it. My PRS, Gibson and Jackson- all using quartersawn necks rarely need adjustment. My 5 piece Ibanez neck never needed adjustment either
Carvin no longer uses graphite rods in their necks
Graphite rods help, but are not the be all end all. My EBMM Axis needs constant adjustment and that has graphite rods in it. My PRS, Gibson and Jackson- all using quartersawn necks rarely need adjustment. My 5 piece Ibanez neck never needed adjustment either
PizzaMaker
New member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Laminated vertically, same as many neck thru designs are be very stable, particularly if you were to make it yourself and had control over grain direction.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Laminated vertically, same as many neck thru designs are be very stable, particularly if you were to make it yourself and had control over grain direction.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Archer250
Well-known member
Archer250
Well-known member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Nope. The Prestige guitars (at least in the 2013 lineup) had them.
Nope. The Prestige guitars (at least in the 2013 lineup) had them.
Detroitblues
New member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Graphite... Use it for a paddle in a canoe during the day, strum away at the campfires by night...
Graphite... Use it for a paddle in a canoe during the day, strum away at the campfires by night...
Gibson 1964
New member
Re: Most stable neck material?
I have a Kramer The Duke which has an aluminum neck. You could fire it as a missle and then use it after it lands with no adjustment. It is also heavy as all get out.
I have a Kramer The Duke which has an aluminum neck. You could fire it as a missle and then use it after it lands with no adjustment. It is also heavy as all get out.
Edgecrusher
Well-known member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Hah! my very first bass was one of those but was the Hondo version that said "alien" on it. I actually dropped it once and the fingerboard came off the neck and used Elmer's glue to put it back on!
Hah! my very first bass was one of those but was the Hondo version that said "alien" on it. I actually dropped it once and the fingerboard came off the neck and used Elmer's glue to put it back on!
TeleLubber
New member
Re: Most stable neck material?
Quartersawn maple = good
USACG does most, if not all of their necks this way
Quartersawn maple = good
USACG does most, if not all of their necks this way
Similar threads
