wood necks vs aluminum necks

Steve Mueller · From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Thanks for your input on the keyed vs keyless question. The other option I'm considering is wood necks vs aluminum necks. My current Williams D10 is a laquer guitar with wood necks. I'm considering aluminum necks on a laquer body for a little brighter tone and for clearer harmonics and better separation. I use 705 pickups. Any opinions on benefits vs drawbacks other than tone?
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2016 Williams D12 8 x 8, 2015 Williams D12 8 x 8, 2023 Williams S12 4 x 5, Milkman Amps, 1974 Gibson Byrdland

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Steve, I think wood neck guitars seem to have a little darker tone than an all aluminum neck. However, I read somewhere that MSA was experimenting with wood vs aluminum and they found that the tone actually came from the first 6 to 8 inches of the neck and then from then on, made no difference. I have two Emmons P/P's and one is a wood neck and there is definitely a difference but this may be to the fact that the wood neck is a bolt-on. I also have a MSA Classic SS with wood necks that is bright sounding as it can be. It also has great string separation with good harmonics as do both my P/P's.

As far as pros and cons of wood vs aluminum, only one I can think of is wood shows bar dings more than a metal necks and wood may be less prone to tuning issues because of temperature changes. Notice I said, may be.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Ben Godard · From: Jamesville NC

In the past I have always leaned toward an aluminum neck as well.

But...........just recently I had to rebuild (and re-engineer) a deckly guitar. I thought the neck was made of wood but instead it was actually some kind of compact composite material. I have heard the name of this material on the forum but cant remember. I will say that its not carbon composite like the MSA millineum's. Its more like an extremely hard compressed glue composite board of some kind. I first thought that this was probably a cheap design and the company was trying to save money.

But then later I finished the guitar and played it. I had no idea of how good that neck would sustain. IT was almost unbelievable. Even up in Hugheyland. I couldn't believe it. It out-sustained both my other guitars. After restoring this guitar and making it like brand new I hated to part with it. I even tried to buy it from the owner but he refused. Especially since it was fixed up so nice and sounded so good.

If I ever build me a guitar, I plan to use whatever this material is. It seems to resonate better than anything I've seen

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I too thought Dekley necks were wood. Thanks for the info. I know one thing, they are so hard you can drill and tap them like metal. Dekleys do sound good.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

That's great information...

Just gauging from my own guitars, it's possibly that wood necks give a warmer lower midrange, and yes, there is a bit more mud, but really only noticeable when playing as a lone instrument.

The aluminum neck guitar resonates very clearly acoustically, but I do believe I hear that hollow metallic resonance just a hint of it. Definitely seems to sparkle more.

J R Rose · From: Keota, Oklahoma, USA

Pakkawood has been around some time now. I used to use it as Counter Tops back when I was building LensCrafters stores. Always thought it would be good to build a steel out of. Just would be heavy. I was in Emmons shop in NC back in mid eighties or late eighties and they had some of it in the shop. I think they told me they were making necks out of it.
Not for sure about that cause memory is not what it once was. Thanks, J.R.

Brett Day · From: Pickens, SC

My Jackson Blackjack Custom has an aluminum neck and I love it! It's got beautiful tone! My GFI has wood necks, and the tone was wonderful too. My Jackson gets a bright tone with the aluminum neck.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

On a regular guitar the neck takes all the string tension, but on a steel the changer and tuning head are secured to the cabinet, and the neck is just a piece of packing to lessen the cantilever effect of having the bridge and nut so high above the deck. Its primary task is to sit there and get compressed longitudinally. It can't vibrate up and down or sideways unless it is deliberately left free to do so, which it generally isn't.

So if it's contributing anything to the tone it's because different substances behave differently under this compression. There will be other bigger factors elsewhere in the guitar (and the player). Two cents of amateur engineering.
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Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

A while back, Franklin Guitar Co had a wooden neck Franklin at the ISGC in St Louis. I have a Franklin, and thought they were all aluminum necks. Mr Franklin (Sr) told me it was Paul's and that Paul had used it on sessions and no one ever knew or heard any difference in his sound.

The neck was made from wood from a South American tree but I don't remember what it was. He said it was a very hard wood.
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GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat, SIT Strings
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit

Ronald Moore · From: Mindoro, Wisconsin, USA

A steel guitar builder who offers both told me that the wood neck makes the guitar more stable. An aluminum neck (which is just a shell, not solid) must have a slight clearance at the changer and keyhead because of the difference in expansion due to temperature changes. A wood neck can fit tight to provide extra stability to help prevent cabinet drop. Also it adds another layer of wood on the top of the guitar to help with stability. This is his opinion. I have had both and major tone differences can be tweaked out on the amp. Ron

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

A neck with an expansion gap isn't going to help keep the business ends apart.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Ian, I think I read somewhere that the aluminum necks do have to have an expansion gap between the neck and the key head or you will have all sorts tuning issues and it does make sense. Now I believe that was pertaining to the bolt on design Emmons.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Doug Jones · From: Oregon & Florida

I remember talking to Bobbe Seymour about this topic years ago. To the best of my recollection, he thought the wood necks provided more in the overall vibration of the body when played. His thinking was the wood neck was a solid piece whereas most aluminum necks were honey-combed with empty pockets underneath providing less contact to the body. Apparently this was a matter Maurice and the gang at MSA had theorized when developing their steels.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

But, most of the PP Emmons guitars were aluminum neck. The old PP's are considered the holy grail of tone by many.
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GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat, SIT Strings
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

The MSA SuperSteel non-pedal steel guitars have a cast hollow aluminum body, a cast aluminum headstock but a piece of the "pakkawood" resin-impregnated birch plywood as the neck in between. It sure has as much brightness as I'll ever need, but as most people eventually figure out, there's plenty of bass and mids too - you just have to equalize OUT what you don't like. Most people except moron six-stringers, the next time I hear a Travis Bean or even a maple-necked guitar is "thin" I'm going to... not care, probably. Gave up long ago. Very Happy

The birch is largely a filler, I think - like, "phenolic" material is just cloth with the resin soaked in, the filler just holds it in place.

http://www.rutply.com/products/dymondwood.html

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