Does neck plate thickness have any effect on tone?

[Wrighty]

Your Degree is in BS, yes?!

 

[Wrighty]

The thickness of the neck plate has no effect on tone. The thread of the screws holding it in, however, is critical.

Listen to the man, he knows stuff. One of the main reasons a Chinese knock off doesn’t sound as good as a Custom Shop is those screws. The Chinese use metric screws, the Americans imperial.

 

[Wrighty]

that is beautiful

It’s a piece metal for chrissakes!

 

[Wrighty]

I have found that every time I deviated from original Fender specs the less Fendery my partscasters would feel. Maybe because my first electric was a Fender Tele I just adapted to it but those general specs have felt like home to me ever since. I tried a heavier neck plate from Philadelphia Luthier Supply once. They sell great parts and the heavier neck plate is one of them. But I didn't like the subtle feel of added weight at that particular spot. Didn't do anything as far as tone from what I recall.

Oh, and I know that I am an outlier but I always use a black plastic neck plate pad. Makes sense if you don't want the plate digging into the wood and cracking the finish.

So true. I changed from using tens to elevens but couldn’t handle the additional weight and displacement of the Centre of gravity.

 

[ndcaster]

It’s a piece metal for chrissakes!

my dad was a metallurgist

 

[AngelStrummer]

Two words, bypassing 7 pages of what I'd hope is humorous scorn: oh please.

 

[Wrighty]

my dad was a metallurgist

Don’t really care what faith he followed.

 

[Wrighty]

imo, might as well have asked ... does the length of screw on the strap buttons detract from the tone?

My mate had one far too long on his Strat. Didn’t affect the tone but totally locked up his trem.

 

[Wrighty]

Where were you guys when I spent $300.00 on a titanium neck plate and screws!

Hiding behind our sofas, laughing!

 

[Wrighty]

Where is the guy that thought polishing his acoustic guitar's finish changed the tone? He'd probably think it makes an outstanding difference in tone.

I know that polishing cymbals with metal polish really can ruin them

 

[Kmaxbrady]

I don’t think it makes any tonal difference but anything to make a guitar look cooler is worth it to me.

 

[LightningPhil]

Being a neck plate heathen, I took mine off an imatation strat and glued the neck on. Then used the screws and plate to clamp it all together while it set (along with a couple of nice big wood working clamps). So now it makes little difference whether it's installed or not.

The threads were shot, so there was some sort of excuse for this miscreant nonsense.

 

[stefanhotrod]

Use a thick neckplate and slightly longer screws for a tight (not overtight) neck to body connection and hear both parts „dancing together“ (thanks for this nice picture!) with added sustain.
The fat neckplate is the safe base for the longer screws threaded deeper in the wood without body sinking.
The extra metal is a counterpart to the trussrod and avoids dead spots.

And I bet I‘ll get a lil‘ ****storm for my statement

 

[Witcher]

I find this mildly amusing, where shredders are all about removing that blocky heel, or getting a less obstructive neck joint, while we are talking about making it thicker with a thicker neck plate.

 

[Chicken Curry]

My layman’s brain read it like this: Basically, the neck and body have to dance together and share the vibration of the string. This sounds better than when the joint is too tight, because the body and neck function like a single block of wood... no dancing.

Because of this, I've always wondered how a one piece guitar would compare.

 

[dukewellington]

Because of this, I've always wondered how a one piece guitar would compare.

In my experience, wooden neck-thru designs (one piece neck through body with “wings” glued on) sound excellent with a compressor, but are rather dull without one. There isn’t much sustain. Oddly, I have a few steel guitars that are one block of wood with a nut and bridge on the top and will sustain a note for days. It’s witchcraft!

 

[Telenator]

Yes, it does make a difference in some instances, but I don't want to talk about it.

 

[MTPoteet]

I think the thickness of the headstock decal has a much greater effect on tone than the neck plate.

 

[Gary in Boston]

This kinda goes back to my statement of, " Let's remember, stock Telecasters were used to create much of the music we all collectively cherish ". This doesn't in any way mean there aren't dog Telecasters out there that didn't benefit from tweaking. However, much of the time you took a stock Tele and plugged it in and theater you go..................

 

[boris bubbanov]

Use a thick neckplate and slightly longer screws for a tight (not overtight) neck to body connection and hear both parts „dancing together“ (thanks for this nice picture!) with added sustain.
The fat neckplate is the safe base for the longer screws threaded deeper in the wood without body sinking.
The extra metal is a counterpart to the trussrod and avoids dead spots.

View attachment 933519

And I bet I‘ll get a lil‘ ****storm for my statement

I think your post is great........

Because you're willing to try things and you can't be easily bullied.

There's so many things left unexplored, when it comes to these guitars. I'm so suspicious, that necks sound this way and that, because of how much tension the truss rod of a particular neck has on it. But the unwashed guys here, are afraid of thinking about the subject as it would be really tough to do a scientific breakdown of what happens as we tighten the truss rod and change (I suspect) the way the neck functions as a part of the whole of the guitar. I don't really have much trouble with dead spots on Fender style guitars (unlike set neck guitars, where issues do crop up) and I think this is because we can continue to tinker with and monkey with a guitar until it "comes in". A few turns on the truss rod, or "resetting" the neck as is described someplace here at TDPRI and sometimes a guitar just comes alive.

But I don't think heavier would always be better. There's probably an optimal mass and I figure one can just try different plate masses until something clicks.

I've got believe that some of the guys here have fooled with Internal Combustion motors and tried different tuned pipes, trying to find just the right volume in that pipe. They know that if the pipe is too long or too short, nothing much happens but when it is right, it is like the sweet spot on one of these Honda V-Tech motors.

As long as people's idea of participating in a forum is to abuse others - I just don't get it when people do that.