CHOICE OF GUITARS, THEIR VARIETIES AND DIFFERENCES
So, electric guitars are divided into several categories, each of which is determined by one or another model, which at one time became so popular that all other manufacturers almost simply imitate it. The four most notable electric guitar archetypes include the Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Gibson ES-355, and Gibson Les Paul models. All these models are shown in Fig. 1.
Rice. 1 Four archetypes of electric guitars. Left to right: Fender Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster, Gibson ES-335 and Gibson Les Paul.
Each of these models has a unique body shape and its own individual tone. The importance of these models also lies in the fact that they have so influenced rock music in general that their names have become household names (just as the name "copier" is firmly entrenched in all photocopiers, regardless of their manufacturer). For example, in a music store you might come across a guitar made by Yamaha that is shaped exactly like a Stratocaster, or an Ibanez guitar with a Gibson ES-355 design. Other important but less popular archetypes include models Gibson Explorer, Flying-V and SG.
Rice. 2 From left to right: Gibson Explorer, Gibson Flying-V and Gibson SG
Quality control
When evaluating the quality of a guitar, it makes sense to consider it by its individual components.
The main four factors are:
- The style of the case and the wood from which it is made.
- The dimensions of the neck and its faceplate, as well as the materials from which they are made.
- Design, materials and workmanship of the stand, nut and peg mechanics.
- Electronics quality.
If you understand how all these components interact and how they affect the sound quality of the guitar as a whole, your choice will be more informed and more accurate.
Case check
Due to the specifics electric guitar devices The body has a significant impact on the tone of the instrument. Guitar makers use various materials to create guitars, including specially prepared tinted wood: alder, ash, mahogany, maple, etc., as well as synthetic materials. Each of the listed materials has its own resonant characteristics, which gives the sound of two identical guitars made of different materials (for example, one of alder and the other of ash), a different (sometimes completely different) color.
Be very careful when choosing a body, because you are going to spend many hours with a guitar in your hands, both in rehearsals and (who knows?) on stage. Therefore, you should feel comfortable both when playing in a standing position and sitting, and the movement of the left hand along the neck should not constrain anything. Well. Naturally, you should not only feel "cool", but also look "stylish", so when choosing a guitar, it is useful to look at yourself in the mirror.
Enclosure types
All electric guitars are divided into the following three categories based on body design.
Solidbody (solidbody). These guitars are called solid-body because their body is a piece made of solid wood, without any holes or cavities. Solid body guitars are the most common type of guitar in rock music. They usually have excellent sustain and well suppress the occurrence feedback at a high volume level. Examples of solid body guitars include Gibson models such as the Les Paul and SG (which, by the way, stands for Solid Guitar - that is, a guitar with a solid body), the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster models, the Paul Reed Smith Standard model and many others.
Full body (hollowbody). Full-body guitars are more often associated with jazz than rock, although there are exceptions: for example, Ted Nugent plays a Gibson Byrdland full-body guitar, and Steve Howe of Yes plays a Gibson ES-175. Because full-body guitars have higher resonant properties than solid-body guitars, they are more susceptible to feedback at high volumes. In addition, they have less pronounced sustain. than solid body guitars, and the sound has a noticeable "wooden" tone.
Semi-hollowbody. The class of semi-body guitars includes solid-body guitars, in the bodies of which there are one or more acoustic chambers. These chambers enhance acoustic performance and tone depth, but because the guitar is solid body, the resonant characteristics remain within an acceptable range, reducing the chance of feedback. The most popular model is the Gibson ES-355, but companies like Rickenbacker. Guild, Ibanez and others have also made significant contributions to the design of semi-body guitars. Half-body guitars are instruments with a very wide range of applications: they are well suited for jazz, archaic rock, fusion, funk and country.
Neck check
The fretboard is the most important part of the guitar and largely determines how well your fingers interact with the strings. Therefore, the neck should lie in your hand as if it were a natural extension of it.
Like the body, the neck itself and its front part (as well as decorative inlays indicating the main frets) can be made from a variety of materials, which, of course, affects not only the appearance of the guitar, but also its sound. Most often, maple and mahogany are used for the neck itself, and maple, rosewood (rosewood) and ebony (ebony) are used for its front part. Try how the same guitars sound with necks made of different materials - you will definitely be surprised at how much the material of the neck affects the playing technique and the sound of the instrument. Check that the color, grain and grain of the wood are even, and be sure to check for cracks and chips. But the most important property of the neck is that the fingers of the left hand, moving along its surface, do not experience difficulties.
Neck Options
Like all objects in the material world, the guitar neck has some parameters, the objective examination of which can help you determine whether this guitar is right for you or not. First, you must be able to reach all six strings without discomfort, and play the upper frets without resting your hand on the body of the guitar or on the heel of the neck. Secondly, the neck must be firmly attached to the body (if it moves, the guitar will quickly get out of tune). Thirdly, the distance from the strings to the front side of the neck should be as small as possible, but the strings should not touch the frets when playing.
Neck width. The width of the neck at the nut is the main factor that determines the subjective perception of ease of play on the guitar. The wider the neck, the harder you need to stretch your fingers to the strings. But. on the other hand, the more space left for fingers.
mensura
Scale (scale) is the distance from the saddle to the stand (see Fig. 1). The scale is one of the main factors that affect the sound of the guitar. In the chat, you can only find guitars with a scale of 603 mm (23.75 inches) and 648 mm (25.5 inches). The first scale is also called the Gibson scale, because most Gibson guitars have such a scale, and the second is Fender's. because it is typical for Fender guitars. The longer the scale on the guitar, the stronger the tension on the strings. Large scale guitars require more effort to play than small ones. However, on the other hand, the sound of the strings of the guitar with a small scale has a more pronounced percussive tone than the sound of the strings of the guitar with a large scale.
Rice. 1 Scale
Radius. Radius in this case refers to the radius of curvature of the front surface of the fingerboard. The larger the radius, the flatter the front surface. The radius can vary from 191mm (very round face) to 406mm (virtually flat face). The most commonly used radius is 305 mm. Whether one or the other radius is ideal is a matter of taste, but traditional rock players prefer necks with a large radius value, since such necks are easier to play with chords. Heavy metal and neoclassical rock players, on the other hand, tend to prefer necks with a smaller radius, since such necks are better suited for playing virtuosic passages.
Form. When guitarists talk about the shape of the neck, they are referring to the shape of the back of the neck - the tone. along which the thumb of the left hand moves. The back of the neck can be round, flat or even V-shaped. There were times when all manufacturers produced guitars with necks of the same shape, but today you can already find the same model with necks of different shapes.
Frets and sills. The neck of an electric guitar usually has 21 to 24 frets. The more frets on the fretboard, the more notes you can play. A guitar with 24 frets on the neck allows you to play two full octaves on each string. It would seem that the more frets, the better, but in practice, most players are quite satisfied with guitars with 22-fret necks. This is because frets beyond the 22nd fret are difficult to reach. In addition, two extra frets leave less space on the guitar body for placing pickups. As for the sills, they also come in various types: thin, medium and wide. Each type of sills has both its advantages and disadvantages. The choice of one or another type of nut is a matter of taste and musical tradition.
Screwed, glued or neck through?
The neck of the guitar can be connected to the body in three different ways. As the name suggests, the bolted neck is attached to the body with a few screws. This design allows the neck to be easily detached for repairs, adjustments or complete replacements. Bolt-on necks are most commonly used on solid-body guitars, especially those made by Fender.
The set neck is a more traditional design than the screw neck. In this case, the neck is attached to the body of the guitar with glue. It is no longer possible to replace such a neck. Examples of set-neck guitars include the Gibson Les Paul and Gibson ES-335.
In cases where the neck is made through, it is one piece with the body without any articulations and connections. Typically, such a neck, continuing, forms the central part of the body, to which the so-called wings (wings) are attached on the sides, giving the body a traditional shape for a guitar. Because neck-thru guitars do not have a neck heel, this makes it easier to access the upper frets. Neck-thru guitars give the player a surprisingly comfortable playing feel and liberates them. allowing you to master the more virtuosic forms of rock music. If you plan on playing a lot on the top of the neck, especially at high speed, be sure to find a neck-through guitar and give it a try.
The bridge, nut, and peg mechanism, often referred to by the collective term guitar mechanics (hardware), play an important role in shaping the sound of the guitar, and also largely determine the range of its expressive means. Therefore, all three components listed above should be considered as three interrelated components of a single system.
coasters
Today, there are many stands with a variety of design solutions on the market. However, all of them can be divided into two broad categories: floating and fixed stands.
Floating bridges are fixed in a neutral position by springs, which allows using a lever (vibrato bar, whammy bar) to change the tension of the strings. Floating stands can be made according to various design schemes. Most often, such stands belong either to the class of non-blocking systems (sometimes they are jokingly called vintage (vintage), since they first appeared back in the 50s), or to the class of blocking ones. The composition of the latter includes not only the stand itself, but also the nut. Such systems are often referred to as Floyd Rose systems, since they were the first to be released by Floyd Rose:
Although on the market today you can find blocking floating stands from other manufacturers. The advantage of locking systems is that they keep the guitar in tune better during intensive work with the lever than non-locking systems of similar workmanship. However, there are also disadvantages: blocking systems are more difficult to regulate and. in addition, they slightly change the sound of the guitar. But if you want to consistently use powerful lever vibratos in your rock masterpieces, the tuning stability provided by Floyd Rose systems should take precedence over other considerations.
Fixed bridges (fixed bridge) are fixed in a single, once and for all specified position. They do not allow you to change the tension of the strings, like movable stands, but they provide a more reliable hold on the guitar's tuning:
guitar nut
The nut is hardly the number one item on your list of guitar specs. But. nevertheless, do not underestimate it - it affects the sound quality of the instrument no less than other elements of the guitar. Similar to Nuts, Nuts also fall into two categories: Standard Nuts and Blocking Nuts.
Standard nut (standard nut) can be made from various materials: nylon, other polymers, brass, etc. If the nut is made of nylon, the sound of the guitar is closer to the traditional one, and if it is made of brass, the sustain is increased. When inspecting a guitar before buying, pay attention to the fact that the nut slots are not too deep, since in the latter case the strings can "phony", hitting the nut on the fretboard when they vibrate.
A locking nut is fixed on the strings, preventing them from moving. It works in conjunction with a Floyd Pink bridge to keep the guitar in tune during heavy lever action. Blocking nut, usually. are installed on high-end rock guitars and, of course, suggest the presence of Floyd-pink on the instrument, i.e. floating) stands:
peg mechanism
Guitar peg mechanisms also come in two types: standard and blocking. Locking tuners hold the guitar in tune and are used for the same purpose as locking nut. The use of a locking peg can improve tuning retention on a guitar equipped with a non-locking floating bridge:
When evaluating the quality of the guitar workmanship, be sure to check the quality of the nut and peg mechanism: bend, work with the lever, and also rotate the guitar pegs to first detun it and then try to tune it. Ignore the salesman if he starts throwing angry glances in your direction - it's likely that he spent the whole morning getting this guitar in tune. But since you choose your instrument, you have the right to know what it is. Therefore, if the guitar does not hold the system well or is difficult to tune, do not buy it.
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Hello, dear readers of our newsletter! This week we decided to cover the subject of guitar neck construction. It turns out that there are many interesting things that musicians don't know or don't know about. So how is the neck made? Why do some guitars have special iron things on the headstock, under which the strings are launched, while others do not? Which neck is better - glued or bolted? We will answer these and other questions in this article, which is entirely devoted to the production technology of guitar necks.
When making a guitar neck, the master must take into account several important factors. The very first is the type of cut - tangential (flat (slab) sawn) or radial (quarter sawn). If you don't know what the difference is, we'll quote one of the woodworking websites:
Radial called a cut, in which the cut plane passes through the core of the trunk. The wood of such boards is quite uniform in color and texture, the inter-ring dimensions are minimal. Radial cut boards are resistant to external influences, practically do not undergo deformation and have high wear resistance. the cut plane passes through the core of the trunk.
tangential a cut is called, in which the cut plane passes at a distance from the core, tangentially to the annual layer of the trunk. Such boards have a pronounced texture and a rich wavy pattern of annual rings. Tangential sawn boards have higher shrinkage and swelling ratios, but are more affordable. Check out the differences in the photo.
We are interested in how this affects the quality of the guitar and its sound. A neck with a radial cut is more durable, stiffer, withstands more stress, and generally behaves more stably. In other words, having rebuilt such a neck once, you practically do not need to adjust it and twist the anchor. This neck will hold the desired angle for a very long time. the neck with a tangential cut is more flexible, reacts to the thickness of the strings, it will have to be adjusted more often, especially in conditions of humidity and temperature changes.
As you might have guessed, most neck problems come from the truss rod. This iron rod inside the neck gives it rigidity and also allows the neck deflection to be adjusted to the guitarist's requirements. In addition to stability, many musicians note the difference in the sound of necks from different cuts.
From what I've heard and read, most musicians say that tangential cut necks sound softer and the bass is less focused. The radial cut necks are brighter, the bottoms are clearer. As you already understood, radial sawing is more expensive. Tangential cut necks can be made from the same piece of wood more than radial ones.
Since not everyone is willing to pay this difference in price, multi-layer necks were invented, which, in terms of properties and sound, approach the radial cut. In this case, the craftsman takes two or three pieces of tangentially cut wood and glues them together. The neck is stiffer than a traditional tangential rassip neck + smaller pieces of wood are used in the manufacture, which significantly reduces waste during production. Also, with this method of making the neck, the master can experiment with different types of wood and, thus, change the sound of the neck in the end.
This image shows the neck of an Alembic guitar using Maple (Bottom and Top), Cherry (Center) and Exotic Purplewood. This neck is not only stiff, strong and stable, but also has a unique sound.
Glue or bolts?
Another subject of heated debate among guitarists is the way the neck is attached to the body of the guitar. There are three types of neck fastening - bolted, glued and through (through the body). Each of these types has its own characteristics both in sound and in the convenience of the game.
Bolted neck (bolt-on)
Bolted neck is attached to the body of the guitar with bolts. How did you guess? The neck is inserted into a special "pocket" cut into the body and held in place with steel or wood bolts. This design was first used by Leo Fender in his Fender Telecaster guitar. Many believe that Leo just wanted to save on production, but the truth, as always, is somewhere nearby :) Leo was a very practical person and wanted his guitars to be practical too. He reasoned like this: if there is a problem with any part of the guitar, it should be possible to replace it without the help of expensive guitar makers. If the guitar is assembled correctly, this method allows you to get a solid wood-to-wood, body-to-neck joint. And although many consider it just a cheaper way, a good bolt-neck guitar is even more difficult to make than an average one with a glued-in neck. A very important point for guitars with a bolt neck is the very "pocket". If the neck dangles in your pocket, the guitar will have poor sustain, lack of overtones, unstable tuning and intonation. If the neck sits firmly in the pocket, the vibrations of the neck will be transmitted to the body, while the whole structure will remain stable. Bolted necks sound lively, bright, with a fast attack, but the notes cut through more slowly. This is because the way the neck is attached to the body slows down the transfer of acoustic properties from the string to the body. A biting, nasal tone is a hallmark of the Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars. These instruments just shoot notes. But their sustain is not so expressive. The most striking example is the sound of a stratocaster with a neck pickup. You need to understand that each guitar has its own use. Some people want more sustain through a tighter neck/body connection, others want the opposite.
Glued neck (set neck)
Tenon Type of Neck Attachment A glued-in neck means that the neck and body of the guitar are held together with glue. In the production of guitars in this way, various methods are used depending on the age of the wood, the maker and the type of instrument. Gibson used a technology called the tenon neck joint.
Another popular attachment method is the dovetail joint. With this method, part of the neck is inserted into a special pocket in the body. Due to the fact that the sides of the neck adjacent to the body are at an angle, the contact area increases, the joint is very strong. Set necks have a faster transfer of acoustic properties from the strings to the body (we are talking about good instruments) than guitars with bolt necks. This means more sustain, better resonance, but the attack suffers. The result is a warm, calm sound, with good sustain, the notes sound juicy. This type of neck mounting is suitable for powerful guitar riffs, bright stringy solos, and especially for jazz players.
The larger the contact area between the neck and the body, the stronger the joint and the better the transfer of acoustic properties. At the same time, even guitars with a short joint are very durable - these are old Gibson of the 70s. Gibson Les Paul necks
Neck-through body
The essence of this design is that the neck passes under the bridge of the guitar. This is possible due to the fact that the neck and part of the body of the guitar are made from one single piece of wood, or from glued parts of the same length. In this case, the wings of the neck (upper and lower parts) are already glued outside the body. This design allows the most unobstructed transfer of acoustic properties from the strings to the body, which is reflected in the best way on the sustain. There is a lot of wood in the sound of these guitars. Many luthiers consider this to be the best way to assemble, to bring out the wood character, tone and sustain of the guitar to its fullest. Guitars with this type of construction tend to have easier access to the upper frets, as the neck does not have a heel. The reverse side of the coin is the high cost and time spent on the production of such tools. Therefore, this type of neck attachment is usually only available on expensive hi-end guitars. So, all three types of neck attachment have both advantages and disadvantages, a unique character and features. The best choice, as always, can only be made by your ears, hands and fingers. Try different models, and once you find one that fits in your hands like a native, listen to this guitar. Does it sound the way you want it to. It's useless to give advice. Listen to yourself.
Headstock Angle
Often musicians ask: why are there string guides on the fretboard? Why do some guitars have them and others don't? These things were invented to increase the angle of the string from the nut to the headstock so that the string does not fly out of the nut groove. Rails were used on flathead guitars. Flat means in relation to the main plane of the fingerboard. An example is the Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars.
Manufacturers like Gibson initially make guitars with the head tilted relative to the rest of the neck. Thus, the strings sit firmly in the grooves and do not fly out, and the guides are not needed. Another way to achieve the desired string angle is to use lowered tuning pegs on flat neck guitars. Starting from the lower E string, the height of the pegs becomes smaller and for the first string, the hole on the first peg is almost next to the tree itself. The farther the pegs are from the nut, the more slope is needed. Thus, the guides (string tree) also become unnecessary. However, most flat neck guitars have rails.
So, after reading this article, you now know everything about guitar necks and will be able to choose the right instrument for yourself and tell your friends. As they say, forewarned is forearmed. Leave your questions and comments on the article! See you soon, there is still a lot of interesting things ahead!
Good afternoon maestro.
I looked at the products of the Samara factory, and
vague doubts began to torment me that these products would be
use a pro. Of course, to evaluate the tool, it would not hurt
Unfortunately, I don't have the option to take it. But there are several
moments that suggest that these guitars, shall we say,
to keep the quality at a very low bar, below which there will already be a set
firewood. In Germany there is a chain of supermarkets, designed for
of average citizens, selling everything in a row, from products
food, to bicycles and children's toys. Sometimes there are guitars
such a level. Sometimes these guitars sound surprisingly passable for their
prices. A distinctive feature is the lower nut for some reason always
fastened with two screws. If you look at the photos of Samara guitars,
they have the same mount. Good or bad, it's hard to say
but so far I have not come across a single guitar with such a mount, which
would satisfy me with its sound.
In general, what do I know about screw-mount guitars .... if this
the prototype of those guitars that were made in the soviet union ... in their
time I bought something more worthy at the first opportunity. It was
Czech Cremona, which, by the way, is far from being an ideal instrument, but
even she was many times better than Soviet guitars. Common disadvantages are
was attributed
Case made of strange plywood, respectively
Clunk
Wobbly and protruding frets - not all models, but the trend was
As a rule, a stupid position of the strings, making it impossible to play in high positions and barre
Screwed neck, the inclination of which could be adjusted. The last point was bad because the design turned out to be loose and dampened the vibrations of the strings.
professionals,
classical guitar players seek to acquire an instrument
handcrafted. Manual labor - especially in Europe - expensive
pleasure, the price of the instrument is appropriate. I don't rule out
the possibility that in the future they will learn how to stamp guitars on machines, and their
the quality will be at the level of handmade, but no one has done it yet
the question of the manufacture of guitar machines. That would be nice, good sound
for little money. Musicians are poor people. To save money, I often
I assembled electric guitars myself, from spare parts. This requires skill and
understanding of the process of sound formation. How did I get to talk to
topic of sound formation with one guitar luthier.
For sure
many classical guitarists know the main disadvantage of handmade guitars.
work-soft lacquer coating. It scratches easily, and every scratch
on the guitar is a scar on the guitarist's heart. As the guitarist explained to me
master - if you cover the guitar with ordinary nitro varnish, there will be an additional
voltage, deck vibrations will be muffled, and, accordingly, the sound
will be less bright. I asked him why not leave the guitar without
varnish, it is impossible to scratch what is not. And because without varnish the tree
will be very sensitive to changes in humidity, and you will not be the first
I want to try it, the master replied. And then he showed what
attention is drawn to the manufacture of guitars.
Upper and lower
decks, as well as the shell, and actually, the neck is just a tree.
really good quality and well crafted. the task is to cut out of wood
suitable details.
If you coped with this task, the second point is to glue all the details. If they are cut correctly, there will be no problems.
And
here the master has a half-finished tool on the table, requiring
final sanding, polishing and varnishing. The master taps
finger on the deck and explains - it is important to check that the instrument is not
skewed. otherwise, in some area there will be excess tension on the deck, and
respectively, vibration damping.
So, pay attention to
what little things guitar masters pay attention to and now imagine
own bolted neck connection. On Soviet guitars, the neck dangled in
air, lightly touching the body. The vibrations of the strings were extinguished on this
loose connection. Although such guitars were often pulled
metal strings, which are slightly louder than nylon, but in general the sound
was harsh and incoherent. Although it is possible that you will come across a single
a model that, despite the bolted connection, will sound quite
tolerably. I also want to note that a bolted connection is
exclusively Soviet innovation. I got guitars
manufactured on the territory of the former USSR after 2000 (mainly
Minsk and Leningrad). Compared to their more terrible counterparts, they have
other shortcomings were found - they were glued before our eyes, the neck
bent into an arc, the frets protruded from the lining on the floor of a centimeter - in general
low quality control. Although it is possible, the Samara factory took into account
requirements of modern instruments.
Now about the scope.
Study in
Basically, you can use any instrument. If you are a complete beginner,
so that the guitar keeps the system (intonation) and is suitable for technical
condition, including the height of the strings. Many Soviet professionals from this and
started because there was no other way. In time, when your own
experience, it will be easier for you to navigate and there will be no need to ask
such questions. In general, you can just compare Samara guitars with others
Chinese, Korean, or just guitars with the same price
category.
Perform...if the guitar sounds acceptable, why not
No. I played in an orchestra for almost a year on a Yamaha C 70 guitar for 150 euros,
moreover, individual compositions released on the disc were played exactly
on this guitar. Few people guessed that I had the worst
instrument in the orchestra. But again, when you learn to play,
your experience will tell you which guitar to pick up.
But in general, Frank Zappa said, take the guitar in your hands, if it tells you, I'm yours, buy it without hesitation.
In one of the previous articles, we studied the general electric guitar. Today we will take a closer look at the fastening of the fretboard of an electric guitar. You will also learn what are the main ways of attaching a guitar neck to the body and how they differ from each other.
Neck attachment
The sound of an electric guitar largely depends on both the quality of the neck and the way it is mounted. I would like to note right away that none of the following methods of attaching the neck to the body of the guitar is the best. Each of them in its own way brings a certain shade to the sound of the instrument. First of all, it concerns sustain and attack. Well, now let's move on, in fact, to the types of fastening, of which we have as many as 4 types.
Bolt-On (On bolts)
This type of neck attachment was invented back in the late 40s by Leo Fender, which he began to use on his electric guitars, which eventually made it possible to significantly reduce costs in mass production. When suddenly, during the manufacture, a marriage was found on an already assembled instrument, then the unusable neck was simply taken, unscrewed from the body and immediately replaced with a new one. What is called cheap and cheerful. That is why such necks are installed mainly on budget electric guitars, although this does not mean that this type of fastening is the worst. The bolt-on neck is the most common and simplest.
This type of fastening is characterized by a powerful attack and good “readability” of notes, but the sustain here is rather weak, although this is compensated by a sharp (“biting”) tone. The main nuance is that the neck fits as tightly as possible to the body of the guitar. If gaps are observed at the junction, then in this case it is necessary to take the instrument to the guitar master so that he slightly levels the area under the heel of the neck on the body. Such a small and inexpensive modification will greatly improve the sound of the guitar. Many firms, for example, in order to ensure good contact of the neck with the body, connect these two parts with 5-6, or even a large number of bolts.
Electric guitars with this connection are considered universal, but they are best suited for playing hard rock. In terms of repair, such instruments are not whimsical at all, because removing the neck from the body is a matter of several minutes.
Glued/Set-In (Pasted)
The set neck is widely used on Gibson electric guitars, as well as many other well-known manufacturers. It is installed in a special recess and with the help of epoxy resin it is securely fixed. Such a connection conveys acoustic properties much better than a bolted connection, which gives the instrument a warm sound and excellent sustain, but the attack is no longer as pronounced.
Bonded neck electric guitars are often more expensive because the bonding process is the most labor intensive. Due to its complex design, such a neck is much more difficult to repair or replace. Set-neck electric guitars are ideal for playing jazz music or for a warm and smooth sound.
Neck-Through (Through)
Perhaps this is one of the most expensive and best ways to install the neck, which was invented a little later than the first two. On electric guitars, a through neck is quite rare, but bass guitars with it are a common occurrence.
This type of fastening allows you to feel the real natural sound of wood as much as possible. Instruments with such a neck have excellent sustain, sound very even and without dips over the entire frequency range due to the fact that the neck itself occupies 1/3 of the body, and the wood from which it is made has a very strong effect on the sound than in other mounting methods. . For such types of structures at low frequencies, a slight decrease in resonance is characteristic. Thru necks are used on most Fodera basses, as well as some expensive Jackson electric guitars.
It is also worth noting that it is very convenient to play such instruments, because. There is no heel on the neck, which makes it easy to play your favorite solos. Due to the fact that neck-through guitars are very expensive, their repair is usually very expensive, although in most cases it is simply impossible, so such instruments require very careful handling and storage.
Half-Through Body (Half-through)
The semi-through method of attaching a guitar neck is nothing more than a variation on the Neck-Through theme, which some electric guitar manufacturers began to use in the late 80s. This type of fastening has not received its wide distribution.
This type of mounting involves a tighter contact of the neck with the body than in the bolt-on variation. The body of the guitar here is one-piece and is not split in half as with a completely neck-through neck. The sound of instruments with a semi-hard neck is close to the previous type. It is found mainly on bass guitars, rather than on electric guitars. Ibanez, Tung, and several other firms use semi-through necks on their instruments.
P.S. Summing up, we can say that there are still exceptions to the rules, and all the main methods of fastening the neck listed above will not give a 100% guarantee that you will not accidentally come across a low-quality instrument, even if it is with a through neck. Therefore, when buying yourself a new electric guitar, be responsible for its choice, trusting only your eyes, hands and ears.
Today I decided to conduct such a small review, one might say, of one of the main parts of the bass guitar. And look what I got out of it.
There are currently three types bass guitar necks- it is screwed, inserted and through. And each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Which instrument to choose (with which neck) is up to you. Now let's take a closer look at each type.
Bolt-on bass neck
Everything is relatively simple here: the screws are located on a metal plate (“neck heel”), while passing through the body and holding the neck. Sometimes the screws may be recessed into the case (for example on Ibanez tools). The advantages of this type of necks: a clear sound, ease of manufacture, as well as installation and removal. But when installing, you still have to tinker so that the neck “sits” well in place. Bass manufacturers are trying to somehow avoid this drawback. For example, they put not on 4 bolts, but on 6. Or they reinforce the structure with plates (an example of this is the Yamaha Attitude Limited II, played by Billy Sheehan). Manufacturers such as Music Man, Fender, G&L prefer this type of neck-to-body connection. And some companies do not give any preference to anything at all (for example, ESP).
pasted (set-neck) bass neck
This mounting option is also called built-in. This type of connection is preferred by Gibson. With this connection, the neck is inserted into a special socket in the body. The advantages of this type of connection include the fact that the construction is strong and reliable, provides excellent sustain. But the disadvantage of the type is the complexity of maintenance. The fact is that it is possible to detect whether there is a marriage in the fretboard only when almost the entire guitar is ready. And if he does show up, then the whole guitar will have to be thrown away, sadly.
Neck-through bass guitar neck
Through bass guitar neck was first invented in 1950 by Rickenbacker. Unlike glued and screwed, this neck extends from the head itself and all the way to the strap attachment pin. Very often, such a neck of a bass guitar consists of several glued pieces of wood of various species. This gives the neck strength and looks very personal. All in all, a great idea! Installing both pickups and a stand on one part of the instrument gives these types of necks a clear advantage over the rest. Namely: so to speak, "convincing" sustain, excellent readability in the mix and a special, "tasty" sound. Necks of this type can be found, for example, on such guitars as the Spector, Alembic, Tobias, Carvin, Overwater, as well as on the early Gibson Thunderbird.
The length of the neck of a bass guitar (scale) has a huge impact on the feel of the player when playing, as well as on the sound of the instrument. The scale length is usually measured from the nut to the bridge of the bass guitar. Usually this distance is twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret.
The tailpiece is usually adjustable. Due to its movable stringers, you can adjust the scale. And this was done in order to be able to correct the intonation error that occurs due to the different caliber of the bass guitar strings.
The optimal version of the length of the neck (scale) was determined by Leo Fender himself. It is equal to 34 inches - the best option in terms of timbre qualities of the instrument and ease of playing. By the way, today 34 inches is the production standard. There are different necks, for example, short scale (their length is 30 inches), as well as medium scale (32 inches).
These days there are bass guitars with 35" and even 36" necks. Most often these are five-strings. This is connected, as you probably guessed, with the fifth string C (B).
Bass neck are made from a variety of materials. For example, maple, due to its sufficient rigidity and stability, is most common in screwed necks. For glued, mahogany is most often used. It should be noted that ash wood has recently become widely used for various types of this part of the instrument.
There is also a version of the neck of the bass guitar made of graphite. The alternative to wood is rare and expensive, but at the same time stable and reliable, not subject to the vagaries of nature, unlike wooden necks, which is why they require periodic adjustment. The first graphite neck was introduced in 1970 by Modulus, who, after successful collaborations with Music Man and Alembic, began making graphite guitars themselves. Followers of Modulus can be considered Zon and Status. The popularity of such tools is proved by the fact that these companies still produce tools with graphite parts to this day.
Along with the material, the neck design of the bass guitar is also very important. After all, the sound and feeling of the performer when playing depends on these two factors. One of the main tasks in the manufacture of the neck of an instrument is to avoid the occurrence of dead zones, i.e. lifeless notes, which, in terms of their timbre and sustain, clearly lag behind the rest. And in this graphite necks can give odds to everyone - there are no dead zones on it.
The tactile sensations of the performer are affected by the material, width and profile of the neck. The most common profiles are C and V. The former are quite rounded, but the latter have a distinct “edge”. It is worth noting that the profiles of the necks vary significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer.
I would like to write a few words about aluminum necks, which never became popular. The musicians considered these necks cold. And the manufacturer Hartke, who hid the aluminum neck in a wooden shell, crashed due to the fact that the sound of the instrument was impossible not to distinguish =)).
In order for the strings to resonate properly to avoid overstressing that can occur due to overstretching, wood fretboards require periodic adjustment of the deflection with a truss rod hidden in them. spinning anchor rod or by giving it slack we can affect the flex and pressure of the bass neck.
And the last thing I would like to mention in this article is coverage. It directly affects the tactile sensations of musicians. Recently, necks have been coated with oil-based materials. And it’s worth saying that it’s more pleasant to the touch, but now the bass guitar itself begins to look like the instrument is used tirelessly and at the same time they are not washed.
Well, that's all I would like to tell you, my dear readers of the blog site! I hope I was of some use to you! Take care of yourself and good luck to you!
