Rock and Reel Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Does anyone else have a problem with two or three piece necks? I can't imagine that a laminated neck would be preferable to a one piece neck (wings notwithstanding) but I'm willing to listen to explanations. It seems to me like nothing more than an economic short cut which, on a $5,000.00 instrument, is unconscionable. I've only sold two guitars from my collection. One was a Martin OM that I upgraded and the other was a Gibson Custom Shop Dove on which the neck had separated to a point that a piece of paper could be inserted between the laminations.I should note that I keep my acoustics in my home office where the humidity is 50% and the temp is 70° all year long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Theoretically, a laminated neck could be more stable and less prone to warping than a one-piece neck. However, a laminated neck that is not done with waterproof glue, or is unprotected by finish and exposed to high humidity, could be prone to delamination. Generally speaking, I'd always choose a straight-grain one-piece mahogany neck. Maple is another story, as it doesn't have the same grain characteristics and mechanical properties as mahogany. I can see a laminated maple neck as a plus, with the same caveats as for a laminated mahogany neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 A delaminated neck could only be caused by one thing - poor workmanship. Good thing you got rid of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danner Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 A delaminated neck could only be caused by one thing - poor workmanship. Good thing you got rid of it. I completely agree. Fitting a sheet of paper into the crack sounds like they never glued the laminations properly. On the other hand, there is some tension between "traditional" and "better". Quarter sawn mahogany necks are certainly traditional, but a laminated neck would be structurally better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock and Reel Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 I completely agree. Fitting a sheet of paper into the crack sounds like they never glued the laminations properly. On the other hand, there is some tension between "traditional" and "better". Quarter sawn mahogany necks are certainly traditional, but a laminated neck would be structurally better. To be honest, it turned me off a little to Gibson acoustics. I may go the rest of my life and never see another delaminated Gibson neck. It may just be bad luck but it was the first Gibson acoustic I ever owned and it's left a bad taste. The good news is two years later the fellow that sold it to me wanted to buy it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry K Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Gibson uses the 3 piece neck (or 5 if you count wings) on its flagship model J-200 so I don't think this is a cost-cutting process. I suppose these multi-part necks are probably stronger than solid as long as the glue joints are solid. It's pretty rare to hear of one de-laminating. Worrying about that is like focusing on protecting yourself from meteorites when the real danger in your life is auto traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
struma6 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 Martins have about 75 lamination's on some of their necks! (not a bash, just an observation) Things DO happen. Sucks but...tis the way it is! Don't think Gibson is the only company to have a problem with a unit. They recalled the leads to my pacemaker, THAT makes a neck pale, don't it? lol But...it happens. Like subtle trolls, these things just happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 I am sure that a delaminated neck is a rare occurance and not the norm for Gibson guitars. Hope you are not completely turned off by your bad experience. I believe Gibson started using laminated necks back in the 1930s as a response to their big competitor of that era - Epiphone. All Epis had laminated necks and they sure worked just fine. It's also a matter of the looks - some prefer a multi-ply neck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock and Reel Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Like subtle trolls, these things just happen. I'm afraid I don't understand your "subtle trolls' reference. Perhaps you could explain it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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