Why are 3 piece necks superior?

[shreddermon]

I just can't wrap my small peabrain around this concept.

How can a three piece neck be superior to a single piece of wood? Or even a regular neck with a scarf joint? [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

I mean, wouldn't a single piece of wood be stronger and more stable than the glue holding three pieces together? And, if there were forces within part of the neck straining to pull it all out of whack, wouldn't the solid single piece of wood be better and stronger in counteracting such stresses?

Can the more technically advanced and knowledgable please help me understand?

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

<font color="yellow">Real good question Shreddermon....and I think I know the answer, but I may be wayyyyyyy off key, but I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong.

Anytime you laminate a piece of wood, it becomes stronger that the original, example is laminated floor/roof trusses etc. where you join several smaller sized pieces of wood to form a larger, stronger support.

I think the theory also applies to guitars.....one piece of wood, under the tension of the strings (which is I believe almost 1K lbs/inch) at concert pitch, would not be as strong as a 3 piece laminated neck. I also seem to remember from physics oh so many years ago the terms oppositional forces or something like that, where the neck under stress would distribute the force along the entire surface of the neck vice one relatively smaller area.

I think I'm in the right ballpark, I just may have the wrong tickets [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

I'm sure somebody can explain it better than me tho [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img] </font>

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

Sam - I think you're close but I think it has more to do with warpage than strength. Different pieces of wood tend to warp in different ways. If one of the pieces of wood in a laminate tries to warp, the others will tend to oppose it and prevent (or at least minimize) the warp.

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

<font color="yellow">Eh....I'm just a Jarhead...whatta ya want [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] </font>

[jackson1]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

I think the main advantage with a laminated neck is that the three pieces of wood is glued together, arranged in a way so that the grains in the middle piece is turned/rotated compared to the other two. As a result, the grains in the three pieces will work against each other when subjected to forces (string pull), and the whole construction will act more stiff and won't warp as easily.

I hope i'm correct [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

EDIT: crap, i was beat to it while writing up this explanation.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

[ QUOTE ]
EDIT: crap, i was beat to it while writing up this explanation.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like everybody wins on this one. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Plus it looks really cool. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[jackson1]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

:-) I'm always beat to it, because i take so long writing this stuff.

[delt]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

a few days ago someone at a music store told me that a 1-piece neck is stronger than a scarf joint. i said "uh what??"

[toejam]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

[ QUOTE ]
I think the main advantage with a laminated neck is that the three pieces of wood is glued together, arranged in a way so that the grains in the middle piece is turned/rotated compared to the other two. As a result, the grains in the three pieces will work against each other when subjected to forces (string pull), and the whole construction will act more stiff and won't warp as easily.

I hope i'm correct [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah, pretty much. My Hamer neck is all mahogany, three pieces, with opposing grain in the middle.
And some companies will use different or even more pieces of wood. Like Conklin or Carvin, for example, do laminated five-piece necks with the stripe look... maple/walnut or maple/koa, maple/mahogany, etc.

[shreddermon]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

[ QUOTE ]
I think the main advantage with a laminated neck is that the three pieces of wood is glued together, arranged in a way so that the grains in the middle piece is turned/rotated compared to the other two. As a result, the grains in the three pieces will work against each other when subjected to forces (string pull), and the whole construction will act more stiff and won't warp as easily.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hmmph. Never knew that the middle piece had the grain going in the opposite direction. That makes some sense now.

But I still don't get how several pieces of wood simply held together with glue are stronger than a single solid piece of wood. I suppose the same applies to scarf joints.

I know folks say this is true but, intuitively, my mind doesn't get that glue is stronger and more stable on a long term basis than solid wood.

I guess I'll just have to trust it. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] Thanks guys.

[etaeniura]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

Hey Delt, if you see that guy again, ask him why so many Gibsons have "headstock repairs".

As for the 3 piece neck being stronger, remember that solid glue joints are actually stronger than the wood itself-for instance, a 2-piece body, joined in the middle, will most likely never break along that seam because the wood on either side will break before the glue does. THis is also the reason they use plywood for things like flooring-the layers of wood have the grain running in opposite directions to prevent warping.

[Jim Shine]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

You can actually feel a difference in a 3 piece neck. The neck is solid, very little flexing compared to a single piece. You also see alot less headstock cracks in the three piece necks compared to one piece, but it still can happen.

[j2379]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

yep the glue for one is stronger than the wood. look at headtsocks cracked more ,than once it doesnt break at the glue or thesame place. 3 pieces also help wood over time has a natural warp. opposing the grains help to solve that, since the pieces want to warp in different dirrections. its more of an issue with mahogany &amp; softer neck woods thn straight maple.

[1trussell]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

The one thing I remember from jr. high industrial arts class is that two pieces of wood glued together are stronger than one piece. As it was stated before, the surrounding wood will break before the line of glue will. (Assuming it was glued properly)

[delt]

Re: Why are 3 piece necks superior?

yeah i suspected gibson lp necks were one-piece because they all snap at the headstock (: (:

wasn't sure because all the lp's i've played on had solid-painted necks.