| Author |
Topic: Wood Necks |
rpetersen
From:
Iowa
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 4:39 am |
|
Anybody notice much difference in sustain in wood vs. metal necks?
_________________
Ron Petersen |
|
|
|
Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 6:21 am
|
|
I don't. IMHO, sustain is more a quality of the overall character of the guitar...and, of course, the player's skill, which also plays a big part in the equation.  |
|
|
|
Ricky Davis
From:
Bertram, Texas USA
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 11:18 am
|
|
Donny of course nails the answer. Also just think about it for one second. You strike the string and it is vibrating back and forth. What is the first two things it is vibrating on?? The Finger tops and roller tops. Well what are those made out of and how are they mounted and what are they mounted to; and you can continue down the line of where the tone is coming from and you can see that a neck and what ever it's made out of is not even close to anything that matters in the line...ah...ha.
Ricky
_________________
Ricky Davis
Email Ricky: sshawaiian2362@gmail.com |
|
|
|
Rich Upright
From:
Florida, USA
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 11:41 am
|
|
Dunno about sustain per se, but I have owned both & there is a big difference in tone; I prefer aluminum necks over wood any day; they seem to have more throaty resonance & more body; wood necks just seem so shrill & harsh, and lacking in "body". 'Course there ARE exceptions to the rule; my MSA Classic D-10 was the absolute best sounding steel I have ever heard anywhere; I'm an idiot for selling it. And I prefer Sho-Buds with wooden necks; their aluminum neck steels sound horrible, IMHO.
_________________
A couple D-10s,some vintage guitars & amps, & lotsa junk in the gig bag. |
|
|
|
Brett Day
From:
Pickens, SC
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 12:01 pm
|
|
| My Jackson Blackjack Custom's got an aluminum neck and it sounds awesome! I love the tone my Jackson gets-it gives me the sound and tone I've been looking for for sixteen years. My GFI guitar had two wood necks and the sustain was great, but my Jackson's aluminum neck gives me the sustain, sound, and tone that I love-it's got more of a classic Sho-Bud type sound. |
|
|
|
Dick Wood
From:
Springtown Texas, USA
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 12:06 pm
|
|
I've owned wood body and mica body guitars with wood and metal necks. While I can't say if the necks made any difference,I can say that I noticed mica covered guitar were always brighter and wood body were always darker in tone.
The only way to really know is to take the same guitar and change out the necks and see what you get.
Beyond that, I just play the gigs,get the money and go home.
_________________
Cops aren't paid much so I steel at night. |
|
|
|
Stephen Williams
From:
from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 2:56 pm
|
|
| are aluminium necks solid are always hollow? |
|
|
|
Dan Robinson
From:
Colorado, USA
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 7:09 pm
|
|
I agree with Donny and Ricky. I suppose everything in the signal chain matters, but technique is #1. I know when I'm listening to Lloyd. Whether he's playing his LDG (wood) or JCH (aluminum neck), he sounds like himself.
Everyone has an opinion. Price drop on mine.
Dan |
|
|
|
Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 16 Mar 2016 11:45 pm psg
|
|
| Kinda like John Hughey told me one time. It's who is sitting behind the guitar. I've had several of both wood and aluminum necks. In my .02 opinion on this, I see the necks as a design. Aluminum looks good with mica and wood looks good with a lacquer body. The tone I'm working on getting is what Buddy Charleston had on one of the ET videos for "Waltz Across Texas". D-10 rosewood Emmons with black necks. |
|
|
|
Skip Edwards
From:
LA,CA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 6:53 am
|
|
A couple of months ago I did a session with my mica/aluminum p/p. When we were done the engineer said he had an old Emmons in the closet, and would I like to see it.
He proceeded to bring out a gorgeous - and I mean gorgeous blonde laq/wood neck D10, circa 1970. This thing was every bit as full and bright as my mica/metal, and had sustain for days. I was kinda taken aback at how close it sounded like my gtr.
So, there you go. YMMV...
Billy... rosewood/black necks!.. always wanted one of those...
Last edited by Skip Edwards on 17 Mar 2016 6:55 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
|
|
Dave Diehl
From:
Mechanicsville, MD, USA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 6:54 am
|
|
| This issue is arguable but the neck and the way its mounted on the guitar "does" make a difference. But I believe looks is the driving factor for most people. Some like wood and some like aluminum. |
|
|
|
Jeremy Threlfall
From:
now in Western Australia
|
|
|
|
Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 7:19 am
|
|
| Stephen Williams wrote: |
| are aluminium necks solid are always hollow? |
There are basically two types of necks: "purely decorative" and "mainly structural", and the entire range of neck designs between these two "extremes" can be found when one looks through how various PSG brands/models have been designed over the years.
"Wood" OR "aluminum" chosen as neck material doesn't have to make much of a difference for inherent tone and/or sustain. It mainly comes down to what role the neck is designed to play ... and only the builder knows what is intentional or not in a design.
- The quite normal "visually decorative" aluminum necks are partly routed out inside to save on weight - they are "hollow". Such "mainly for looks" necks are mounted on the top-plate between changer and nut, and can be made and mounted to interact with the top-plate for a brighter tone production. Such necks cannot contribute much when it comes to inherent sustain.
- The more rare "structural" aluminum necks - necks with changer mounted on top - are designed to be a big part of what creates the "sound character" in a PSG. Such necks have to be more or less solid under, and around, the changer, but may be routed out towards the nut.
As some may have noticed from my earlier notes, I have switched from a "mainly visually decorative" wood neck to a "structural" aluminum neck on my old Dekley. Result: tighter - purer - tone character, and inherent sustain is about 50% longer and more even up the neck compared to it with the original wood neck on.
However, the aluminum neck I put on is solid - two layers laminated, and it is designed and mounted to improve both tone and sustain on that specific PSG. Thus, my results don't tell much, if anything, about what differences one can expect when switching from wood to aluminum neck on any other PSG. |
|
|
|
Billy Carr
From:
Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 8:08 am psg
|
|
| I remembered something else about the necks. Aluminum necks that are one piece from the bridge and completely around the changer area can actually improve tone/sustain. This is done by slightly loosing the screws that secure the neck to the cabinet. If done correctly it seems to me that I feel a guitar breathe or increase in tone/sustain. It worked on my Excel. The idea came from an article the Big E had been discussing. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 9:00 am
|
|
does anyone ever play steel?
or do they just analyze them? |
|
|
|
Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 9:07 am
|
|
| chris ivey wrote: |
does anyone ever play steel?
or do they just analyze them? |
We are allowed to do both, are we not?
Not to mention all else some of us do... |
|
|
|
Justin Griffith
From:
Taylor, Texas, USA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 10:28 am
|
|
| Skip Edwards wrote: |
A couple of months ago I did a session with my mica/aluminum p/p. When we were done the engineer said he had an old Emmons in the closet, and would I like to see it.
He proceeded to bring out a gorgeous - and I mean gorgeous blonde laq/wood neck D10, circa 1970. This thing was every bit as full and bright as my mica/metal, and had sustain for days. I was kinda taken aback at how close it sounded like my gtr.
So, there you go. YMMV...
Billy... rosewood/black necks!.. always wanted one of those... |
This. If you really want to hear the difference, play a wood neck PP then a metal neck one (bolt-on to be fair). They both sound fantastic of course, but there is something really special going on with the wood neck Emmons.
_________________
Emmons/Sho~Bud/Blanton, Fender/Peavey.
Telonics pedal |
|
|
|
Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 10:41 am
|
|
| chris ivey wrote: |
does anyone ever play steel?
or do they just analyze them? |
I only analyze them and polish them, I don't even bother to tune anymore, tunings overrated anyway.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 11:23 am
|
|
i agree on that, tony!
it's just talk anyway unless someone wants to
post soundclips illustrating the differences of specific steels and modifications. |
|
|
|
Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 2:16 pm
|
|
| chris ivey wrote: |
| it's just talk anyway unless someone wants to post soundclips illustrating the differences of specific steels and modifications. |
Chris, if that comment is aimed mainly at me, then you should say so. Otherwise someone may feel hurt for no good reason at all. |
|
|
|
chris ivey
From:
california (deceased)
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 2:30 pm
|
|
it's aimed at the universe. anyone would have to be able to 'hear' the difference. this is moot anyway cause the difference is not important enough to warrant a deep discussion. players either play
well or not. the slight tonal variations don't change that. |
|
|
|
Georg Sørtun
From:
Mandal, Agder, Norway
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 2:54 pm
|
|
| The OP asked a question, which justify responses from anyone who had noticed a difference in sustain between wood and aluminum necks, and those who hadn't. And that is all there is to it. |
|
|
|
Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 3:34 pm
|
|
Are we just talking about the necks or the body, too?
My Sho-Bud has a cast frame which probably takes a lot of the weight. And what about fretboards? Do they make a difference in sound? I'm not talking about the printed part, but the wood on which the fretboards stand.
I have noticed that wooden pedal steels with the body made from compressed wood fibre board covered in Formica don't seem to have a very good tone. |
|
|
|
rpetersen
From:
Iowa
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 5:31 pm
|
|
Another post screwed up by mr. Ivey
_________________
Ron Petersen |
|
|
|
David Martin
From:
Kingsport, TN 37660 USA
|
Posted 17 Mar 2016 6:02 pm
|
|
I was a friend of the late Bryan Adams, one the best when it came to Emmons PPs. I ask him once about the difference in tone of metal v wood necks and He said he could not tell a difference. One of the best Emmons PPs I ever heard was a wood neck he rebuilt and now belongs to Charlie Powell.
_________________
SHO-BUD SUPER PRO D10(8+10)
EMMONS LL-III D10(9+9)
Too many Amps |
|
|
|
