Bolt-On vs Neck-Thru

[HungryGuitarStudent]

I’ve read/heard people mentioning differences in tone between neck thru and bolt-on guitars (more “twang” for bolt-ons). I’ve only owned bolt-ons and the few neck thrus I’ve tried didn’t sound that much different. What’s your take on that?

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I've worked on hundreds of guitars (maybe thousands?) and have owned a whole bunch over the years.

My take:

Everything matters, but the amount that individual things like this matter isn't much.

Basically, take in the instrument as a whole because it is just that, a whole instrument. You're not hearing bits and pieces, you're hearing the whole thing, rig included.

Guitarists have been programmed by the industry to nitpick specs down into the most obscure minutiae.

 

[budda]

Do you like the guitar? Start there.

 

[HungryGuitarStudent]

I started this thread mostly to get an idea of the general consensus. My mind is pretty made up on that (and on tone wood). Fingers + pickups + rig can get me the tone I want, regardless of neck and wood.

 

[MaxOfMetal]

I started this thread mostly to get an idea of the general consensus. My mind is pretty made up on that (and on tone wood). Fingers + pickups + rig can get me the tone I want, regardless of neck and wood.

The general consensus is that it's a huge deal and matters a lot.

 

[Scordare]

I’ve owned and worked on a lot of guitars and basses too.. and really haven’t noticed a difference between neck attachment styles with guitars. The mythical, longer sustain with neck-thrus just isn’t there.. In fact, my longest sustaining instruments are bolt-ons. The main advantage neck thru has is upper fret access.
On Basses though..I HAVE noticed a tonal difference. Neck-thru basses seem to have a softer, slower attack..which I don’t like. Bolt-on basses have a faster, snappy attack..which for fast, precise playing is ideal for me.

 

[HungryGuitarStudent]

@Scordare : Yeah, I’m considering a neck thru guitar solely for upper fret access. Thanks for the info on basses, it’s good to know.

The general consensus is that it's a huge deal and matters a lot.

Damn, really? I don’t go out much hehe

 

[fproject]

I started this thread mostly to get an idea of the general consensus. My mind is pretty made up on that (and on tone wood). Fingers + pickups + rig can get me the tone I want, regardless of neck and wood.

There should not be a consensus on things like these IMO. Play what feels good to you and sounds good to you. That's all that matters. There is no tonal superiority between bolt-on, set neck or neck through. Its the instrument as a whole that matters.

 

[HungryGuitarStudent]

I agree. I was interested in the average opinion on the matter only as a curiosity, i.e. it’ll not matter in my decision process at all.

 

[Mathemagician]

There will be people who will tell you they can hear they difference between a rosewood fretboard and an ebony fretboard.

They fall into 2 camps: those who are lying and those who don’t know they’re lying.

Whatever the case may be, personally a guitar may FEEL different or better than another to someone and THATS all that matters.

So imo, if someone swears that a specific body color or neck construction is better, then that’s what is going to inspire them to play their best.

 

[sezna]

My two cents: neck through may or may not make a tonal difference, but what really matters is that it is so much comfier.

 

[Scordare]

There is also set/glued-on necks..like a Les Paul. ..Which I think falls into the bolt-on category.. Regardless of the attachment method, you have two different pieces of wood coming together in the middle vs 1 piece. I particularly like the ultra-fast response & FEEL of a nice Les Paul and I think a mahogany neck plays a factor there.. but now we’re going into tone wood category.. danger, danger, danger! The consensus is crumbling!

 

[c7spheres]

I like bolt-on necks more because you can easily shim them and get everything exactly how you want. Neck thru's might get tempemental over time and after a certain point there may be nothing you can do to make it better. Neck-thru's don't always have better upper fret access as commonlythought either. If you really look at them a lot of them have less access or way fatter heels than even a bolt on in real world playing, but the ones that do have better access are certainly a nice luxury to have. For sound it all just depends on the guitar itself. Technically there's arguments for both ways as to which would be better. I do find it interesting that the majority of "guitar gods" seem to use bolt on neck's even though they could use anything they wanted to. I think there's a reason for that. It's because bolt on necks are better workhorse guitars. With these new materials like the Aristides stuff I'm currently interested in, there seems to be some promise of the best of all worlds going on there.

 

[Mathemagician]

Counterpoints:
No one looking for better upper fret access is buying a neckthrough with shitty fret access, that would be pointless.

If my neckthrough has some magical issue 10-15+ years down the road then I’ll buy a new one. It’s a tool and I want it to be as comfortable as possible TODAY. I have no interest in worrying about whether a guitar I have today will be playable a decade later.

At least we both agree that tone wood is almost nonsense.

 

[c7spheres]

Tonewood is a misunderstood thing I think. People hear a Les Paul or Strat or Ibanez and think this is how Mahogany, Alder/Ash, Basswood sounds, which isn't true. I think it has more to do with the density and resonant properties of the material more than anything. It's almost impossible to create two identical guitars. Even the clone Ibanez's I've owned over the years sound totally different. Some guitars just have mojo and most don't.

 

[aesthyrian]

It's mostly a matter of personal opinion and preference. Many opinions and preferences about this subject in this thread https://www.sevenstring.org/threads/neck-through-versus-bolt-on.338121/

 

[Sollipsist]

I also like the look of a nice neck-thru, which is totally a subjective taste thing. There's been a lot of guitars that I've wished looked as good in front as they do from the back.

 

[Lorcan Ward]

There’s a massive difference between neck constructions, anyone with a remotely experienced ear should be able to pick up on the differences.

A bolt-on has a directness to a note, like it’s instant, some people call this attack but that’s a very vague term that is used for countless things. It’s consistent across every Bolt-on I’ve ever played. The downsides here is a note decays a bit quicker and that directness isn’t ideal for some people’s sound. It can emphasis the treble too much with the way it jumps out.

Compared to a set-neck you don’t have that directness to a note, not that’s it’s less tight but you don’t have that instantness response. On the other hand there’s more of a fullness to notes across the board.

It’s not something you can really change with your rig. I spent 2 hours in a studio going through countless pedals, amps, cabs, mics etc with my setneck guitars and just couldn’t get the tightness I wanted. Came back with a bolt-on and got the tone I wanted in 5 minutes.

Is it something that matters in a full mix? Well I can think of a lot of players I wish used bolt-ons the same way I’d prefer they didn’t use certain pickups or amps. In the end try as many guitars as possible and find out what works best for you.

 

[GuitarBizarre]

I concur that what matters is the whole.

I have a 25.5" bolt-on 7 string, a 24.75" Set-neck LP type, and a 28.625" neckthrough baritone tuned a step down.

The quickest attack comes from the LP. The longest sustain too.

The tone varies dramatically between all 3, but not in a way that any particular specification explains on it's own. The tone varies because of the combination of factors involved. Scale length, bridge type, pickups, construction etc all combine to make these instruments what they are.

The single biggest difference is simply the quality of fit & finish on the parts.

 

[fproject]

It’s not something you can really change with your rig. I spent 2 hours in a studio going through countless pedals, amps, cabs, mics etc with my setneck guitars and just couldn’t get the tightness I wanted. Came back with a bolt-on and got the tone I wanted in 5 minutes.

What you're saying here is that there is a massive difference the two guitars you played. Its not a Bolt-on vs neck-through thing.