• From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Topic: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

This an intriguing question, and I beg for an answer.
- We all know what a guitar is even neck included.We also talk and write about bodies, pick-ups, strings, brands, but I don't see often a question about a guitar neck.
QUESTION
- How much is the importance of a neck on a guitar? I know some necks are glued, others not, so I try to compare 1 brand, like Fender.
Some models use ROSEWOOD, others MAPLE: I think that a guitar neck is under-rated, but does the wood, used for a fretboard and the neck are IMPORTANT for the SOUND???

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Tennessee USA
  • Registered: 2008-01-12
  • Posts: 99

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

Yes they are important for the sound of a guitar:
Necks made of maple are more stabile and don't break easily. It's easier to snap off, or break a Mahogany neck and headstock. The neck consists of the basic neck material, the headstock section and the fingerboard. They do affect the tone of the guitar.

You want a neck that is stabile, doesn't warp and can be adjusted with the help of an embedded trussrod.
As gitaardocphil mentions in his post, there are several ways to attach the neck: using woodscrews and a counter-metal plate on the back of the body, glueing the neck into the neck-cavity, or attaching the neck with the help of a fitting and machine screws (Ingwie Malmsteen Fender guitar uses that neck attachment method).

They are all good ways to attach the neck. Glued-in necks are rumored to give more sustain, because the glueing really joins the neck and body into one piece.

Screwed-in necks are easy to replace and to adjust -I find that is a strong point for the Fender method. Gibson glues most of their guitar necks and that makes sense to me on a high-quality guitar, like an archtop for example. You just don't go through the trouble of constructing a high-priced guitar and then slap (screw) the neck on...maybe in China, where they're not interested in durability anyway.

Fingerboard: I personally prefer the maple fingerboards and maple necks. But I also own mahogany-neck guitars with Rosewood or Ebony fingerboards. I do seem to hear the difference in tone: Maple sounds snappy, mahogany warm, but Ebony seems just right (and is pricey...)

The thickness of the neck also influences the sound: I believe that a fat, stiff neck doesn't flex much, and the result is a dull sounding instrument. So, a little flexibility seems good for a neck. What do you think?

Play on!

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

Well Tennessee, you have a point there. You see how I learned again something.
PRS aren't they generally speaking also attached with screwed necks?

An important opinion: Screwed-in necks, like FENDERS: If you buy a squier, this fact allows you to remove the "NECK" and change it by an USA made Fender neck = cheating. I am 10% convinced that "malafide"persons, sell it like a Fender, lower in price, and except of some of us, who will check everything, and worse changed coils by Fender's newest noiseless coils?

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

Actually Phil some Malafide persons simply erase the Squier logo then put a Fender logo decal in it's place. These decals are illegal but they do appear on the net from time to time and people do use them on self built pieces.

I suspect this kind of thing will kill eBay's guitar section, individual sellers have already largely deserted it, leaving big music dealerships and grifters. Even if you do win an auction for a decent guitar the seller's often want to meet you in person halfway, too many buyers claiming they never saw the courier...

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

I've also heard of artists removing the bolt on neck (Fenders) so they could put the guitar into regular luggage when flying...then reassemble upon arrival.

Yes, one has to really watch EBAY auctions and the Guitar shows for fakes and forgeries...people can find a comparable FONT on their word processing program and make transparencies to put on the headstock of a much cheaper guitar. Gibsons and Fenders the ones most often counterfieted...I would suspect a lot of Ibanez and other top of the line imports too!

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.
  • From: Tennessee USA
  • Registered: 2008-01-12
  • Posts: 99

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

You guys are absolutely correct, forgery is a problem. Today, it's relatively easy to "re-engineer" just about anything. I work for an electronics manufacturer, and we found a whole line of expensive equipment (that we have invented and engineered) for sale in China - except that every one of these devices were total rip-offs. Our company is suing. It seems very easy to rip-off unsuspecting buyers. 

I personally have made decals of a Fender logo, that looks stunningly like the real thing. But: I would never pretend that my $245 Squier Jagmasters (I got two) are actually Fenders, and I can also safely tell you that I have never ever sold anything under false pretense. I love guitars so much that I couldn't do that. Besides the logo, there are other easy things to identify real from fake: The serial number for example. I once walked into a pawn shop that had a "Fender" Strat for sale, where I could see the scuff marks on the headstock from sanding off the Sqier logo. Even the "Made in Indonesia" imprint was scratched of with what could have been a dull butter knife - When I pointed that out to the store, they kicked me out! (Most of them also deal in guns, so I responded quickly.)

Yeah, pawn shops and Ebay are the playgrounds of desperate people, taking advantage of other desperate souls, who think everything on the net is for real -grow up! I even think that mass-merchandisers (here in the US it's Target and Walmar**) misrepresent the stuff they sell for around a hundred bucks. Anyone with a painbucket and some woodworking tools can build something that looks like a guitar, smells like a guitar -but is not a musical instrument.

Unfortunately the days of an honest handshake and vintage guitars for what they are really worth -are over. If you think you found a good deal on the Internet, do your homework researching and talk with people (like the folks here on Chordie).

Since I've already spent so much money on crap that looked great in the store, I decided to build my own guitars -it's not cheaper, but at least I know that my instruments are made with care, dedication, and a great love for music.

Play on!

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

Tennessee Strat wrote:

Yes they are important for the sound of a guitar:
Necks made of maple are more stabile and don't break easily. It's easier to snap off, or break a Mahogany neck and headstock. The neck consists of the basic neck material, the headstock section and the fingerboard. They do affect the tone of the guitar.

You want a neck that is stabile, doesn't warp and can be adjusted with the help of an embedded trussrod.
As gitaardocphil mentions in his post, there are several ways to attach the neck: using woodscrews and a counter-metal plate on the back of the body, glueing the neck into the neck-cavity, or attaching the neck with the help of a fitting and machine screws (Ingwie Malmsteen Fender guitar uses that neck attachment method).

They are all good ways to attach the neck. Glued-in necks are rumored to give more sustain, because the glueing really joins the neck and body into one piece.

Screwed-in necks are easy to replace and to adjust -I find that is a strong point for the Fender method. Gibson glues most of their guitar necks and that makes sense to me on a high-quality guitar, like an archtop for example. You just don't go through the trouble of constructing a high-priced guitar and then slap (screw) the neck on...maybe in China, where they're not interested in durability anyway.

Fingerboard: I personally prefer the maple fingerboards and maple necks. But I also own mahogany-neck guitars with Rosewood or Ebony fingerboards. I do seem to hear the difference in tone: Maple sounds snappy, mahogany warm, but Ebony seems just right (and is pricey...)

The thickness of the neck also influences the sound: I believe that a fat, stiff neck doesn't flex much, and the result is a dull sounding instrument. So, a little flexibility seems good for a neck. What do you think?

Play on!

T.S.

Mahogany necks usually break at the headstock because of the 13 degree angle required for inntonation on the solid body type guitars. The headstock is glued to the neck blank without a biscuit joint or dowels for added stregnth.  Most headstock snap off after the guitar falls over when you (actually not you personally) lean the guitar on the front of the amp. You are correct is your statement of Maple being stronger than the softer Mahogany wood. Sustainal characteristics would actually come more from the weight or densitity of the bodywood, the neck would come into play on a neck through body or a long teton neck. Guitar player magazine ran an article (last year don't remember which month) on bolt on necks versus glued on necks finding no one advantage over the other with exception that you can change a bolt on neck if you don't like the one the guitar came with.

Bootlegger.

  • From: Pico Rivera, Calif. U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2006-10-26
  • Posts: 785

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

gitaardocphil wrote:

Well Tennessee, you have a point there. You see how I learned again something.
PRS aren't they generally speaking also attached with screwed necks?

An important opinion: Screwed-in necks, like FENDERS: If you buy a squier, this fact allows you to remove the "NECK" and change it by an USA made Fender neck = cheating. I am 10% convinced that "malafide"persons, sell it like a Fender, lower in price, and except of some of us, who will check everything, and worse changed coils by Fender's newest noiseless coils?

Phil,

The high end PRS's are glued in set necks while the SE series (korean made) I beleive are bolt ons. (based upon one of the first SE Santana modles I played a long while back)

Bootlegger.

  • From: Tennessee USA
  • Registered: 2008-01-12
  • Posts: 99

Re: THE IMPORTANCE OF NECK AND HEADSTOCK

jaygordon75 and bootleger,
I have built Mahogany necks with angled headstocks. The angle is up to the builder: 13 degree is fine and may be standard, but I'm using 15 degrees. This is mainly due to the tension required where the string runs over the nut. Fender necks have a lowered top section for the tuners, achieving this tension through the downward angle from nut to tuners. Fender necks also require either graduated height tuners (the tuners have different heights), or a pair of "string tree" gizmos to hold the D,G,B,E strings down enough to create this angle just behind the nut.

Bootleger, you're right as well: the connection between the headstock and the neck better be solid. I've actually built several necks and learned the neckbuilding by trial and error, actually broke off a few headstocks with my bare hands, until I read William Cumpiano's book on building guitars. "Guitarmaking" is a book mainly for acoustic builders, but the neck building technique applies for certain electrics as well.

Play On!