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NFT: Guitar Friends, opinion on a neck thru?

Tom from LI : 11/9/2018 12:13 pm
Every guitar but one that I own is a bolt on neck. The one neck thru is on an Les Paul copy. That guitar is nice but insanely heavy making me never play it.

I've been looking at the Carvin TL60 ( a Tele copy) which all of them seem to be a neck thru. I am torn on that.. my comfort level is bolt on.

I know one benefit of the neck thru is improved sustain. Another is the improved feel of the joint between the body and the neck. I think the look is nicer with a neck thru, but I am still not sure if I want to travel that route.

Any of you guys have experience with a neck thru?

Looking for some feedback.

Thanks in advance!
I'm a bass player  
Gregorio : 11/9/2018 12:25 pm : link
and have owned both neck-thrus and bolt-ons. The sustain advantage is so minor, that it is not worth factoring in. How often do you play a note that sustains over 10 seconds? To realize the advantage, you'd have to play notes that sustain even longer. If you often play the last note of Hey Jude on your guitar, then it might be worth considering.

In my opinion, go with your comfort level. Lighter weights make a big difference in your desire to play it.


Gregorio,  
Tom from LI : 11/9/2018 12:44 pm : link
I have a guitar with a Fernandes sustainer in it anyway.. I can hold a note for like 2 weeks with that thing.

I always had a fear that I damage the neck with a neck thru, the guitar is then useless.

I've played Rickenbacker basses for years  
Model4001 : 11/9/2018 12:58 pm : link
I love neck-through construction because it looks cool.

But I don't know, I don't find much difference between neck-through, set neck, or bolt on guitars - set your amp right and the sustain between the three will be about the same. They'll feel the same weight-wise as well, at least to me they do.

Bottom line, buy what feels most comfortable to you.
Carvin's are awesome...  
x meadowlander : 11/9/2018 1:12 pm : link
...really beautiful guitars. TL-60 no exception - you're gonna love the heel of that axe - not nearly as abrupt as a standard Tele.

As for tone - playing technique, AMPLIFIER and pickups usually have much more impact than most solid body designs - if it feels and plays great, and looks great to you, buy it!
Do you mean neck through or set neck?  
sb from NYT Forum : 11/9/2018 3:46 pm : link
I have a Les Paul Studio (set neck) that's chambered and weighs less than Strats or Teles. Also have a SG that's the lightest guitar I've ever played (both Gibson, BTW, not Epiphone).

I'm guess your Les Paul copy is heavy because it's not chambered. Chambering is expensive and most LP bolt-ons are pretty cheap I've found.

BTW, if you are looking for a light neck through guitar, check out an Ibanez RGA. The one linked below is only 6 pounds.

Ibanez RGA
Hamer  
Tim in JTown : 11/9/2018 5:14 pm : link
I played a Hamer Chapparrel for a while. It had a neck thru body. Loved it! Very comfortable. I was used to a bolt on Les Paul before I bought it. I remember the neck thru feeling a lot more consistent when you climb into the upper register. Can't really say much about the sustain factor. I play mostly classical now.
I am pretty  
Rick5 : 11/9/2018 5:57 pm : link
much the opposite of you. I have never owned a single guitar with a bolt on neck. That wouldn't be a factor for me one way or the other. If I liked the feel and sound of the guitar, I would buy it.
RE: Hamer  
Rick5 : 11/9/2018 6:01 pm : link
In comment 14170304 Tim in JTown said:
Quote:
I play mostly classical now.

Very cool! I used to play a ton of classical back in the day. About 15 years ago I gave it up to focus exclusively on jazz (it was too hard to try to play both at the level I want to play at). I still miss it sometimes. So much fun.
RE: Carvin's are awesome...  
santacruzom : 11/10/2018 4:16 am : link
In comment 14170059 x meadowlander said:
Quote:
...really beautiful guitars. TL-60 no exception - you're gonna love the heel of that axe - not nearly as abrupt as a standard Tele.

As for tone - playing technique, AMPLIFIER and pickups usually have much more impact than most solid body designs - if it feels and plays great, and looks great to you, buy it!


I've own two Carvin instruments: a neck through bass and their Strat copy. I liked them at the time and they are good values, but as my tastes changed I found them to be lacking an x factor. They're a bit clinical, a tad soulless.
RE: RE: Hamer  
Tim in JTown : 11/10/2018 8:43 am : link
That's awesome! I played a ton of jazz guitar/jazz bass early on. Gotta get back to that a little more! I had a 1969 ES-175 which i acquired around 82 for a while. It was in PERFECT condition, except for a crack in the headstock. Apparently the guy who owned it dropped it early on, snapped the headstock right off and put it in the case for 15 years. Then he had it repaired and I bought it. Beautiful tobacco sunburst.

In comment 14170336 Rick5 said:
Quote:
In comment 14170304 Tim in JTown said:


Quote:


I play mostly classical now.


Very cool! I used to play a ton of classical back in the day. About 15 years ago I gave it up to focus exclusively on jazz (it was too hard to try to play both at the level I want to play at). I still miss it sometimes. So much fun.
RE: RE: RE: Hamer  
Rick5 : 11/10/2018 9:57 am : link
In comment 14170560 Tim in JTown said:
Quote:
That's awesome! I played a ton of jazz guitar/jazz bass early on. Gotta get back to that a little more! I had a 1969 ES-175 which i acquired around 82 for a while. It was in PERFECT condition, except for a crack in the headstock. Apparently the guy who owned it dropped it early on, snapped the headstock right off and put it in the case for 15 years. Then he had it repaired and I bought it. Beautiful tobacco sunburst.

Now that is a classic jazz box! I have a '99 Heritage H-575. I also have a new D'Angelico Deluxe SS semi-hollow that I bought earlier this year. I have become a huge fan of the rebooted D'Angelico brand. I love their acoustics and solid body electrics too. They all play so nice. I just had mine set up by a great local luthier and he was raving about the quality of it (he said he thought it was better than a Gibson ES-335).
RE: RE: RE: RE: Hamer  
Tim in JTown : 11/10/2018 2:30 pm : link
That Heritage is a beauty! Haven't played the new D'Angelicos. Thanks for the tip! I'll check them out. Maybe an early retirement present to myself!

In comment 14170611 Rick5 said:
Quote:
In comment 14170560 Tim in JTown said:


Quote:


That's awesome! I played a ton of jazz guitar/jazz bass early on. Gotta get back to that a little more! I had a 1969 ES-175 which i acquired around 82 for a while. It was in PERFECT condition, except for a crack in the headstock. Apparently the guy who owned it dropped it early on, snapped the headstock right off and put it in the case for 15 years. Then he had it repaired and I bought it. Beautiful tobacco sunburst.


Now that is a classic jazz box! I have a '99 Heritage H-575. I also have a new D'Angelico Deluxe SS semi-hollow that I bought earlier this year. I have become a huge fan of the rebooted D'Angelico brand. I love their acoustics and solid body electrics too. They all play so nice. I just had mine set up by a great local luthier and he was raving about the quality of it (he said he thought it was better than a Gibson ES-335).
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