Graphiteneckchat - calling all graphite neck enthusiasts!

[Beedster]

3 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

 

The Bunker tension-free neck comes to mind. Ibanez had them make the USRG and USATK series with this neck tech, and Bunker has been building guitars and basses with this neck since the 1970's.

They use a construction method where a steel rod holds all the string tension, while a wooden "shell" around it makes for a traditional feeling and playing instrument:

 

 

 

 

That's exactly what I was thinking, albeit I hadn't quite got to the point at which the attachment and truss rod were essentially one and the same. Headless graphite necks could be bought in a limited number of sizes - specifically heel dimensions and nut width - with the headstock shape being an option at point of sale? 

[itu]

Tuners to both sides of the headstock, like 3+1, 2+2, 3+2. I also like the idea, that the strings are inline from bridge to saddle to tuner. Zero fret and string retainer if needed, phosphorescent side dots are a must. I hate front dots/blocks. 

 

I am very bad in designing, that's why links: 

 

https://gb.pinterest.com/b25976y/guitar-headstock/ 

 

https://www.shutterstock.com/gb/search/guitar-headstock 

 

https://www.guitarpedalx.com/news/gpx-blog/the-shape-of-a-guitars-headstock-has-a-significant-impact-on-tuning-stability 

[itu]

Headless may be doable, too. Although not all bodies work well with headless design. 

[Woodinblack]

Could go for an SR5 neck, on the basis that I could just find a body to attach it to easily. 

[Wolverinebass]

@Kiwi, I didn't really have a brand in mind. You've covered the main ones. My view was totally bespoke neck to my own specs. I'd imagine that the Fender and MM necks will be the main thing for most people ordering.

 

I remember playing your graphite necked series 1 Alembic when you gave me a lift to one of the bass Bashes and really liked it.

 

Maybe we're past replacement necks here, but how about full basses a la Stienberger? Status Stealth or Buzzard? Full on one piece instruments? I've probably pushed the boat out too far there.

[Bagman]

6 minutes ago, Wolverinebass said:

@Kiwi, I didn't really have a brand in mind. You've covered the main ones. My view was totally bespoke neck to my own specs. I'd imagine that the Fender and MM necks will be the main thing for most people ordering.

 

I remember playing your graphite necked series 1 Alembic when you gave me a lift to one of the bass Bashes and really liked it.

 

Maybe we're past replacement necks here, but how about full basses a la Stienberger? Status Stealth or Buzzard? Full on one piece instruments? I've probably pushed the boat out too far there.

there was some talk 24 months ago of Gibson relaunching graphite Steinberger with Ned involved 

 

the reason always given for why no more graphite Steinberger's was cost cost cost 

the second hand , or used, market reflects this - everything I see for L2 or XL-2 is serious coin. 

 

It might not be possible for Steve to "price" into this market 

[Kiwi]

13 hours ago, tauzero said:

Just an idle thought, as it's really the headless that interests me: with the Fender and Stingray necks, could the headstocks be tilted back rather than using the awful original design, so there's no need for string trees?

Yes, a 13-15 degree tilt should possible technically people often find reassurance in things that are normal even if they are sub optimal.  I wouldn't want the neck to look like it had a broken headstock.

 

13 hours ago, Russ said:

I'm intrigued by the idea of some kind of modular setup - the neck itself could be full graphite, and you could have a P, a J, and a couple of 5- and 6-string options with different widths, but then have neck pocket adapters enabling these necks to be bolted onto a range of bodies, and some way to make switchable headstocks or just go headless. The headstock and neck pocket adapter needn't be full carbon fibre, but could use some other strong but easier to mould composite that doesn't require all the same tooling and setup as making bespoke carbon fibre components. Something where the moulds could just be 3D-printed or easily CNC'd.

I toyed many years ago with a latching idea to secure necks to bodies but the devil is in the detail, especially high precision tolerances.   Carbon composite might not work as well as milled aluminium.  How would you deal with differences in string alignment?

 

13 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

The Bunker tension-free neck comes to mind. Ibanez had them make the USRG and USATK series with this neck tech, and Bunker has been building guitars and basses with this neck since the 1970's.

They use a construction method where a steel rod holds all the string tension, while a wooden "shell" around it makes for a traditional feeling and playing instrument:

If it's relying on greater rigidity to reduce the pull of the neck on the string, it might have some similarities to Vigier's 90/10 system as well.  My Pentabuzz has steel rods to achieve a similar outcome (whippy necks make the poly coating on the fingerboard crack) and maybe the neck on my Alembic is over engineering enough to achieve the same outcome.  There's a delicate balance to achieve with graphite necks though, if they are too stiff, they can become brittle sounding without a fingerboard that dampens any unpleasant frequencies.  

 

6 hours ago, Bagman said:

there was some talk 24 months ago of Gibson relaunching graphite Steinberger with Ned involved 

 

the reason always given for why no more graphite Steinberger's was cost cost cost 

the second hand , or used, market reflects this - everything I see for L2 or XL-2 is serious coin. 

 

It might not be possible for Steve to "price" into this market 

I suspect prices have been pushed up by fetishisation amongst collectors.  The same thing is happening to MM Cutlass basses from 1983-84 and Modulus Basstar necked basses from late seventies early eighties.  I'm not sure about Gibson's circumstances but I do remember the moulds for Steinberger stuff were sold off and Ed Roman got his hands on them at one point for his LSR series of instruments.  I wonder whether the tooling up costs for manufacturing vs unknown demand might have not been an attractive enough proposition for them?  Fantastic sounding basses though, oozing warmth and depth - it's no surprise Reggae players favoured them.  And the HAZ Labs eq was nifty as well - frequency centres and Q were absolutely spot on.

 

6 hours ago, Wolverinebass said:

Maybe we're past replacement necks here, but how about full basses a la Stienberger? Status Stealth or Buzzard? Full on one piece instruments? I've probably pushed the boat out too far there.

Probably!  😄 An all composite bass would be very satisfying to work on but would definitely be overreaching at this point in time.  Obviously I'm not going to copy other manufacturers of graphite necked instruments either, I have too respect for what they've achieved.

 

OK as Richard Branson said, 'screw it, let's do it'.   I'd like to put a feeler for P bass or J bass out there and see what genuine level of interest there is.  Anyone interested in a p bass neck click here, like wise in a jazz bass go here.  Dimensions will be the same as currently available on Fender(tm) licensed products, so obviously check compatibility with your own instrument but as far as I'm aware 2.5" is a standard Fender bass heel width.