Suppose we have an amazing neck that happens to be one piece. Now, suppose I go back in time to when it was just a hunk of wood cut from a tree and I rip it down the middle, flip half around, and glue it back together. Then I make a neck out of it just like the first neck. Obviously, this time it's two pieces instead of one, but otherwise the same.
Would people expect that:
a) the neck would still sound exactly the same
b) the awesomeness that the neck had would be completely gone
c) probably the neck wouldn't be changed much, but we can't rule out the possibility that it might change a little bit, maybe imperceptibly, maybe for the better, maybe for the worse.
d) none of the above.
I'm going with "C", because I think wood density is the critical factor, but I suspect when you put a glued surface in the middle of it something changes in the resonant frequency of the neck. Each half sets up its own internal resonant frequency and the glue joint becomes another plane where the frequencies can "bounce off" each other (and also intermodualte with the frequency of the top as a whole).
Does it affect tone audibly? Can't say, but it's measurable.
Same principle is behind the debate over glue-on vs bolt-on necks, especially in acoustic flattops.
And why laminated tops tend to retard feedback.
Instead of cutting the piece of wood into two pieces, let's cut it into 17 pieces. No, wait, 1700 pieces!
You used to work at Martin, didn'tcha?
Never mind. Forget that question and consider this one instead: Suppose I presented you with two neck. They're essentially identical except that one is made from one piece of wood while the other is multiple pieces. The question is this: which neck would you guess is most likely to be awesome?
NO question about it.
The Martin.
Martins are awesome period.
The truth is, none of us can answer any of those questions with authority because nobody on earth has the necessary experience. All we have is our intuition along with some anecdotes that support our intuition (we never paid attention to the anecdotes that are counter to our intuition.)
Not necessarily true. And any good lawyer only presents the anecdotes that support his case.
So don't bother emailing me your answers to my questions. They're just your worthless intuition and I already have my own.
Ok that does come across a little snarky but maybe it's intended as deadpan over-the-top humor such as I'm frequently guilty of myself.*****
IN any case, all we gotta do is bolt a stratabond neck onto your Tele. Then repeat except glue it this time.
EDIT: one of the most remarkable guitars that I own is a Tele with a one piece neck. Rings like a bell and sustains like a piano.
See my observation re solid neck vs cut in half and glued, above.
Analogous question:
If you cut a bell in half and then weld it back together, does it sound the same?
How about the
Liberty Bell?.
Interesting observations about materials in that essay.
****Whoopsie, guilty of posting before reading all posts again, just saw your confirmation to Frono in post 25.
:friendly_wink:
PS emoticons really do help.