Everything about Neck-through totally explained
Neck-through or
neck-thru (or in full form
neck through body) is a method of
electric guitar or
bass guitar construction that involves extending the piece (or pieces, in a laminate construction) of wood used for the neck through the entire length of the body, essentially making it the core of the body. The strings, fretboard, pickups and bridge are all mounted on this piece. So-called "ears" or "wings" (for example side parts of the body) are glued or laminated to the central "stick". The "wings" may be
bookmatched in order to give a symmetrical appearance, and are often cut from one piece of wood.
History
"The Log", a prototype
solid-body guitar built by
Les Paul in 1930s, can be considered as a forerunner of neck-through, as he built it by using a 2x4 piece of pine as the neck and body core, and mounted the disassembled part of an archtop onto it.
Advantages and disadvantages
Neck-through construction is significantly harder to mass-produce than
bolt-on or
set-in neck constructions and is primarily found on high-end guitars. It is somewhat more common in basses than in guitars. Neck-thru construction allows easier access to upper frets, because there's no need for a heel — the thickened area where a neck would "bolt-on" (although technically, 3-4 large screws are used) to the body. Many musicians assert that neck-through construction provides greater sustain and stay in tune longer. There is little formal research on this topic, but what exists doesn't support this assertion.
Repairs to the neck are usually expensive and tedious. In many cases, it's usually easier to remove the old neck completely, either by taking the wings off and putting an entirely new core in, or by converting the guitar to a bolt-on or set neck by creating a heel and affixing the new neck to the core already in place, rather than to try and repair the neck itself. However, thanks to excellent stability and reaction to string tension and pressure, neck through guitars are often much more sturdy than many other guitars on the market.
Usage
This structure is used by many companies, including
BC Rich, who pioneered the solid-body neck-through design in 1969,
Ibanez (primarily on basses),
Jackson,
Alembic,
Schecter,
Carvin,
ESP Guitars,
Hamer, and
Rickenbacker, which was the first guitar manufactured to use this technique, although this was restricted exclusively to semi-hollowbody guitars. The
Gibson Firebird and
Thunderbird also used this technique until they were discontinued. This method of neck-to-body affixation is also popular with independent guitar builders.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Neck-through'.
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