Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

[Metalblaze]

Last night I found these:


Same pickup (TB4), same woods (almost), same rig and settings (I guess)...just different construction.

To A/B compare them check the first at 2:29 and the second at 0:19 and on.

I don't really like the sound of his rig but I kind of prefer the Dinky (bolt-on) out of the two. Ugh!

I made a poll for you guys if you wanna vote.

 

[ken361]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I think set necks or neck through sound better then bolt on's. I love mahogany set necks and bridges over alder or bass wood floyd guitars for thick rock tone but for hendrix or SRV the strat works nicely :sword: I had that white Jackson, it sounded dead compared to my Iommi Epiphone sg!

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

Well the tones I'm after are of this kind. Hmmm....



The soloist sounds fat but not as deep as the DK.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

The thing about neck through is that all the tone is the result of the neck, which is usually maple. Most people don't make all maple guitars because they're too bright... but when you make a maple neck through that's essentially what you're doing.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

After listening to the Overkill track, the DK2M might be better due to the full-bodied alder. I personally don't think the Soloist is worth owning to play stuff like that particular Overkill track. Also, if you were to buy an SL2H, particularly sight unseen, you run the chance of getting a very bright one.

Personally, I like the SL2H period. YMMV.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

The thing about neck through is that all the tone is the result of the neck, which is usually maple. Most people don't make all maple guitars because they're too bright... but when you make a maple neck through that's essentially what you're doing.

That's what I thought in terms of voicing.

After listening to the Overkill track, the DK2M might be better due to the full-bodied alder. I personally don't think the Soloist is worth owning to play stuff like that particular Overkill track. Also, if you were to buy an SL2H, particularly sight unseen, you run the chance of getting a very bright one.

Personally, I like the SL2H period. YMMV.

I think brightness is controllable but there is something to the voicing of the bolt-on Dinkys that suits metal better. Their low mids are more to the low side? I don't know if they're more pronounced but they're more tuby/hollow/breathy sounding (for lack of better discription). I found it to distorted strats too... I think you're right about the soloist-overkill statement. They seem to be more like lead instruments. I'm interested in rhythm mostly.



Edit: Now that I'm thinking about it I think I'm after a Blackmore voicing but with tightness and definition under high gain................................

Edit 2: I also read somewhere that the attack of the bolt-ons are the fastest(?).

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I think brightness is controllable

but there is something to the voicing of the bolt-on Dinkys that suits metal better.

I meant acoustically bright; like metal on metal acoustically bright.

Edit: Now that I'm thinking about it I think I'm after a Blackmore voicing but with tightness and definition under high gain................................

How 'bout an American Strat by Fender by chance. Those are nice.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

i think set necks or neck through sound better then bolt on's. I love mahogany set necks and bridges over alder or bass wood floyd guitars for thick rock tone but for hendrix or srv the strat works nicely :sword: I had that white jackson, it sounded dead compared to my iommi epiphone sg!

+1.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I meant acoustically bright; like metal on metal acoustically bright.




How 'bout an American Strat by Fender by chance. Those are nice.

I AM SERIOUSLY thinking about them lately.....and you know what's the strangest thing of the case? A Floyded one was my first dream guitar. :friday::naughty::eyecrazy::baby:

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I think set necks or neck through sound better then bolt on's. I love mahogany set necks and bridges over alder or bass wood floyd guitars for thick rock tone but for hendrix or SRV the strat works nicely :sword: I had that white Jackson, it sounded dead compared to my Iommi Epiphone sg!

But being dead is what you're after on metal. :friday:

 

[some_dude]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

Edit 2: I also read somewhere that the attack of the bolt-ons are the fastest(?).

I think it's an oversimplification.

For instance, people tend to look at a maple necked Strat/Tele - with an alder/ash body and a 25.5" scale length - then compare it to a mahogany necked Gibson - with a mahogany body and 24.75" scale - then say that the neck joint is the reason the guitars sound/feel/attack different.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I think it's an oversimplification.

For instance, people tend to look at a maple necked Strat/Tele - with an alder/ash body and a 25.5" scale length - then compare it to a mahogany necked Gibson - with a mahogany body and 24.75" scale - then say that the neck joint is the reason the guitars sound/feel/attack different.

Yeah, good point.

 

[Varg]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

Comparing those two guitars is akin to comparing Squiers to Fenders. The Soloist costs about four times the other one, so I'm guessing this isn't a thread asking which one you should buy.
Also, I don't understand how anyone can judge how a guitar sounds on a Youtube video - even if they were recorded directly one after the other on the same day (which I don't think those were) using all the exact same settings, pickup heights etc.

 

[Rich_S]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I didn't bother to listen, but my vote is that the difference in fingerboard material will make more of an impact on tone than whether the neck is bolted on or not. PRovided you have a good solid connection, the neck joining method is way down on my list of tonal contributors.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

Comparing those two guitars is akin to comparing Squiers to Fenders. The Soloist costs about four times the other one, so I'm guessing this isn't a thread asking which one you should buy.
Also, I don't understand how anyone can judge how a guitar sounds on a Youtube video - even if they were recorded directly one after the other on the same day (which I don't think those were) using all the exact same settings, pickup heights etc.

No I don't care at all how much the guitar costs if I wanna buy it. If I like the sound of a Squier more I'll get the Squier. Thet only thing considered about price for me is what hardware is used on the guitar.

Also I find audio and video clips quite helpful. You just have to be used to them and if you know how certain amps sound like you can have a idea.

I even consider the angle of the camera's mic. Being an audio engineer I'm a bit familiar with these things.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I didn't bother to listen, but my vote is that the difference in fingerboard material will make more of an impact on tone than whether the neck is bolted on or not. PRovided you have a good solid connection, the neck joining method is way down on my list of tonal contributors.

Is the FB wood affecting that much tone? I thought it's more about the attack than actual tone....

Well, that makes maple interesting then.

 

[David Collins]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

The joint itself, neck through, glued joint, or bolt on, is not an appreciable factor in shaping tone. Many attribute causes based purely on correlations. Pure, 100% post hoc.

Take a neck through, cut the neck off and bolt it back on, and there will be no difference in tone. Take out the screws and glue it on, and again, there will be no difference in tone. Mottola did this type of experiment a few years ago, and this is exactly what he found.

There may be a lot of differences in tone between most bolt ons and neck throughs, crediting the neck joint itself as primary cause is not well founded.

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

The joint itself, neck through, glued joint, or bolt on, is not an appreciable factor in shaping tone. Many attribute causes based purely on correlations. Pure, 100% post hoc.

Take a neck through, cut the neck off and bolt it back on, and there will be no difference in tone. Take out the screws and glue it on, and again, there will be no difference in tone. Mottola did this type of experiment a few years ago, and this is exactly what he found. No difference.

There may be a lot of differences in tone between most bolt ons and neck throughs, crediting the neck joint itself as primary cause is not well founded.

Hmmm, it's just the % anount of different woods then. Sounds reasonable...

 

[Metalblaze]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

The joint itself, neck through, glued joint, or bolt on, is not an appreciable factor in shaping tone. Many attribute causes based purely on correlations. Pure, 100% post hoc.

I also read by a well known pickup manufacturer that it's the exact opposite. The construction is more important than the woods. Just saying...

 

[Dr.K]

Re: Neck-through vs Bolt-on (tone-wise)

I think that the main difference in tone and sustain is weather the set neck has a lot of glue which dampens the tones of the wood, and how long the tenon joint is. Also, how loose the bolt on neck fits in the body if it fits loose, less tonal vibration is transmitted through the body to the pickups.