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| one piece neck vs. laminate constructions http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=32653 |
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| Author: | JazzNote [ Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:12 pm ] |
| Post subject: | one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
Hi, I'm wondering about pros and cons regarding an archtop neck made of just one piece of maple (plus fingerboard) vs two ore more pieces. Soundwise, as i was told, the extreme stability due to the lack of glue joints provides enhanced sustain. But what about other issues such as tha danger of gettng warped? Best Regards, JN |
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| Author: | SteveCourtright [ Thu Jun 23, 2011 6:52 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
JazzNote wrote: Hi, I'm wondering about pros and cons regarding an archtop neck made of just one piece of maple (plus fingerboard) vs two ore more pieces. Soundwise, as i was told, the extreme stability due to the lack of glue joints provides enhanced sustain. But what about other issues such as tha danger of gettng warped? Best Regards, JN 1) There is no evidence of which I am aware that laminated necks provide any difference in sustain. 2) Traditional archtops don't have much sustain. That is by design. 3) Laminated necks are considered to be more resistant to warping. 4) My 50 year old archtop has a one piece neck that has not warped. 5) Therefore, do what pleases you, because its all good. 6) Welcome to the OLF! |
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| Author: | ernie [ Thu Jun 23, 2011 7:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
I laminate some of my necks. To test them I throw them  to see if they will hold up. Same with the one piece necks . I do stack the neck heel and always use a scarf jointed neck , as IMHO it makes for a much stronger headstock than a 1 piece with short grain
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:58 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
Take anything a luthier tells you about 'sound wise' with a grain of salt
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| Author: | Laurent Brondel [ Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:42 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
JazzNote wrote: I'm wondering about pros and cons regarding an archtop neck made of just one piece of maple (plus fingerboard) vs two ore more pieces. Availability of timbers, aesthetics. As been mentioned laminating 2 pieces coming from the same board and reversing grain direction enhances chances of stability. JazzNote wrote: Soundwise, as i was told, the extreme stability due to the lack of glue joints provides enhanced sustain. Sustain can be enhanced by having more mass in the neck (as in denser timbers), but the opposite is true in terms of stability: a well laminated neck is theoretically more stable than a one-piece neck. In practice, if your wood is well seasoned, both are fine.JazzNote wrote: But what about other issues such as tha danger of gettng warped? See above. It depends on too many factors: type of wood used, quality of the cut and seasoning. To diminish possible issues, as a rule of thumb for any wood, your neck stock should be straight grain, no runout, well seasoned and acclimated to your shop. I use one-piece necks all the time and have yet to have a problem. I keep the raw material for a while before cutting it in neck blanks, keep them for a while in that form to monitor an possible warp, and when all is well I use them.
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| Author: | Chris Paulick [ Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:42 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
Seems easier for me to find local wood stock that's 1 1/2" thick flat sawn then 3" quarter sawn. Cut an 2 X 8 flat sawn in half and book match it up and you have a quartered neck blank. I personally like the looks of laminated necks in most cases. |
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| Author: | cphanna [ Sat Jun 25, 2011 9:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
I agree that it's mostly personal preference. If you use a template to lay out and rough cut your laminations, you can often get everything you need from a less expensive thinner board, and without as much waste. And if I have diagonally-grained stock, I can orient the grain so that it's equally slanted in opposing directions on each side. This is probably just a "peace of mind" thing with me and little more. One last point: Doing it this way will tend to give you the same visual appearance on both sides of the neck. I can't believe there's any tonal difference--regardless of whether it's an archtop, flat top, classical, etc. |
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| Author: | Chris Paulick [ Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:46 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: one piece neck vs. laminate constructions |
It's pretty hard if not impossible to find any 12/4 walnut, mahogany, or cherry in Tampa. Tuff enough to find 8/4. 
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