fretmeister Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 20 hours ago, BigRedX said: It strikes me that the "features" that are being toted as advantage of bolt-on neck construction are there to correct the deficiencies in the design and build of the instrument in the first place. If the heel and/or the neck pocket have been cut properly in the first place your bass should never need a shim. Any bow of the neck due to climactic conditions should be adjusted with the truss rod. Shimming the neck is not the answer in these cases. My action is so low that nobody likes playing my basses. Also, I have had some appallingly built basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 I've had my bolt on Ibby since 1990. It's a 24 fret bolt on neck & I'm regularly up the dusty end (a couple of songs even use that high G) & never had any access issues due to the neck being bolted on. But the fact that the bass has a bolt on neck played no part whatsoever in my choosing it over the other basses. It was the sound & playability that made it mine & it could have had a through neck for all I care. Other basses have came & went. This one remains (alongside a recent StingRay5 Sub, which weighs a ton). My advice is get the bass that feels best in your hands, not what the paper specs say. Then upgrade the pickups if you want. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
40hz Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) Just my 2c - as others have stated, I've had both down the years, didn't find any real difference in tone at all, but I prefer bolt on - purely for the fixability factor should something go boobs-up. Edited June 8, 2022 by 40hz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 Why have a clunky bolt on joint when you can have something like this?! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 (edited) No reason. Other than perhaps cost or concern (as previously mentioned) about repairability should the neck be mortally damaged. Edited June 9, 2022 by Lfalex v1.1 Sei Flamboyant? or an Überhorn, perhaps? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrDinsdale Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 My first real bass after I built as a through neck because I was obsessed with the Warwick thumb. Always thought it was a must have for tone and playability. Then 15 years later grabbed a real Warwick Corvette bolt-on 5 string, it sounds and plays great! Honestly I can't say I've had any issues hitting higher frets on my Warwick bolt-on, a well designed cutaway and neck pocket makes all the difference. Alpher instruments basses are a great example of a bolt-on design that doesn't get in the way. Obviously bolt-on basses are always gonn have a disadvantage though. I don't really have a preference on neck style, its more down to the bass and what I'm using it for. If I was playing some grungy punk I'd reach for the bolt-on p-bass, if it was something a little more funk or progy then I'd maybe reach for my DIY 5 string through neck Warwick ripoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 4 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said: No reason. Other than perhaps cost or concern (as previously mentioned) about repairability should the neck be mortally damaged. How often are you breaking necks?! PS answer is Sei Flamboyant 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 10 hours ago, Boodang said: Why have a clunky bolt on joint when you can have something like this?! Who said bolt ons have to be clunky? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 Depends where all those heels are in relation to the frets. Something the photos all conveniently ignore. On my Gus G3 bass which essentially has no heel at all, the main obstruction is where to top horn/body joins the neck which is at the 21st fret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 What you doing up there anyway? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 16 minutes ago, neepheid said: What you doing up there anyway? Channelling my inner Peter Hook. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 2 hours ago, Boodang said: How often are you breaking necks?! PS answer is Sei Flamboyant Not very! I have 3 neck- through instruments and 2 deep-set-neck instruments. I've had no issues with damage or adjustability. I was merely repeating what others had cited as reasons that they wouldn't buy one.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 On 06/06/2022 at 17:42, Doctor J said: Have bolt-on, neck-through and set neck. It doesn't make enough difference for me to care. Well said 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 2 hours ago, Lfalex v1.1 said: Not very! I have 3 neck- through instruments and 2 deep-set-neck instruments. I've had no issues with damage or adjustability. I was merely repeating what others had cited as reasons that they wouldn't buy one.. Yeah, I've never understood why 'potential damage' to the neck is a reason to buy a bolt on! It seems a very arbitrary thing to consider. Just get the bass that feels right for you and don't worry about the rest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 It's just occurred to me that nearly all basses that have bolt-on necks don't actually possess any bolts. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I must have got the wrong end of the stick - I assumed this thread was about necks made in Bolton, Lancashire vs those made in the Yorkshire village of Neckthrough. A bass version of the war of the roses. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lfalex v1.1 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 8 hours ago, miles'tone said: It's just occurred to me that nearly all basses that have bolt-on necks don't actually possess any bolts. I've seen some necks that are properly screwed..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 15 hours ago, BigRedX said: Depends where all those heels are in relation to the frets. Something the photos all conveniently ignore. On my Gus G3 bass which essentially has no heel at all, the main obstruction is where to top horn/body joins the neck which is at the 21st fret I agree but I'll take your 21st fret and raise it to 24 on the Sei... although it's a bit difficult to see as it's a fretless! Makes the body small and thus the whole bass ergonomic and v comfy to play. By comparison my jazz feels bulky, heavy and the neck ends way too soon! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 10 hours ago, miles'tone said: It's just occurred to me that nearly all basses that have bolt-on necks don't actually possess any bolts. 2 hours ago, FinnDave said: I must have got the wrong end of the stick - I assumed this thread was about necks made in Bolton, Lancashire vs those made in the Yorkshire village of Neckthrough. A bass version of the war of the roses. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 8 minutes ago, MacDaddy said: 🤣🤣👏👏👏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I've only ever had basses with bolt on necks, but that's simply down to those basses being the best I could afford at the time. Otherwise it's not something I have a overriding preference for one or the other. I like Fender style bolt basses, the Ibanez SR I had with a bolt on neck was great. But I've always liked the old Aria SBs (?) with thru necks. At the moment I'd like to buy a Cort A5 plus with a 5 piece thru neck...IT LOOKS AWESOME. Phwoar 😁 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 It looks very similar to my ibanez SR1000 with a through neck, even down to the colour 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveXFR Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I've got both and have no preference either way. The only time I'm reminded that one of mine is neck through is when people comment that they're surprised to see a neck through Epiphone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodang Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I had no preference until I got a custom bass made with a neck thru that joined the body at the 24th fret. Consequently the body was smaller, the bass lighter and more ergonomic (I know! I've said all this before blah blah blah)... but by comparison something like a jazz or precision feels positive bulky, heavy and clumsy. I had a custom jazz made recently, set neck at 21st fret, a joy play compared to my standard jazz, but more to the point it was cheaper than the Fender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FDC484950 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 No problem on my Dingwall ABII with 24 frets. No heel due to the fanned frets resulting in a much longer amount of wood into the body on the bass side. I must admit the B string at the 24th fret is a bit of a challenge but I don’t think I’ve ever played up there on the bass side with either neck through or bolt on. It’s also a gross oversimplification to say neck through basses have more sustain. The Zon Sonus I owned sustained so long with an open string I could pretty much make a cup of tea and come back and it is still ringing. Fretted notes were exactly the same. But theirs is actually less useful as I don’t want lots of sustain - I want punch and smoothness. That’s why I try composite necks and usually don’t get on with them - too alive and ringy with too much sustain for me (except Modulus - oh that Q6 from 1990 was like heaven!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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