Bolt in or Set Neck Guitar?

Most electric guitar kit necks will come in either bolt in or set neck options, there also are neck-thru options but these are less common. Bolt in necks are generally utilized by Fender for the bulk of their guitars while set necks are usually employed by Gibson and there are lots who credit Gibson guitars with having superior sustain and warmth of tone. While others argue that Fender offer better clarity and a brighter tone.

To be honest there is evidence to support these claims but there are many examples where this is shown to be inaccurate Would any person truthfully contest the point that Gary Moore (who played a Gibson Les Paul in ‘Still got the Blues’) is playing a guitar lacking a little in note definition and lucidity? The idea is laughable.

Bolt In Necks

Bolt in necks are pretty straightforward and have the simple advantage of being replaceable should you damage the neck in any way. The debate against bolt in necks is that glue in neck offers better sustain. In my honest opinion this is an argument that isn’t technically accurate. It’d be more honest to assert that a loosely fitted bolt in neck will have an impact on. The better quality of the join the less this is obvious. The common line trotted out again and again again is that a bolt in neck does not transfer vibration as fast from the body through to the neck therefore impacting sustain but as discussed above there is also the tightness of the neck join to take into consideration. In a set neck if the join is loose and there is too much glue used to fill the join sustain will also principally be impacted. Many also disagree that bolt in necks offer more lucidity and a brighter tone but as demonstrated in the Gary Moore example above this can also be a total foolishness.

Glue in Necks (Set Necks)

Set necks on the other hand are far more permanent but it must be said how frequently do you actually need to replace a guitar neck? It does occur occasionally sure, but should this truly be a major factor when deciding between a set neck or bolt in neck guitar? Ask how frequently you have really required to think about this up to this point. Set necks generally are mortise-and-tenon joins and many folks are surprised to learn that this sort of join can basically be stronger than a bolt in neck once finished.

What it comes down to

There is a load of reason to believe that with some guitars there’s a noticeable difference in tone between set neck and bolt in but generally it’s a combination of factors that truly decide the tonal quality of a guitar. No two guitars truly are made equal and the best advice we are able to offer is to try the guitar out before purchasing and make sure you are buying based totally on the precise guitar in your hands and not the reputation or rumored tonal quality of a selected make or model of electric guitar.

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