Rex
Dignified but Approachable
Sorry to hijack this grammar thread, but....
I haven't found any consistent tonal difference between a set-in neck and a bolt-on one. Far bigger differences come from wood, bridge, nut, and build quality. I havent noticed any consistent difference in sustain, and it's hard to believe that two pieces of wood compressed tightly together with multiple screws would have any less sustain than a single piece. There are good and bad examples of either neck style.
There can be a difference in feel at the upper frets, but even there, some bolt-ons have a very smooth and fluid joint, and some set-in neck joints can be boxy and clunky.
Bottom line: when evaluating a guitar, I don't think about what kind of neck joint it is (though I do care whether it was well made). All I care about is how it sounds, how it feels, and to be honest, sometimes how it looks.
I haven't found any consistent tonal difference between a set-in neck and a bolt-on one. Far bigger differences come from wood, bridge, nut, and build quality. I havent noticed any consistent difference in sustain, and it's hard to believe that two pieces of wood compressed tightly together with multiple screws would have any less sustain than a single piece. There are good and bad examples of either neck style.
There can be a difference in feel at the upper frets, but even there, some bolt-ons have a very smooth and fluid joint, and some set-in neck joints can be boxy and clunky.
Bottom line: when evaluating a guitar, I don't think about what kind of neck joint it is (though I do care whether it was well made). All I care about is how it sounds, how it feels, and to be honest, sometimes how it looks.
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