[BGood]

I'm not pointing to anyone, but I often see the claim that a long neck tenon will increase sustain and resonance.

Now, how much is a long tenon longer than a regular"short" one ? One inch, one and a half ? So that little added length of maybe a couple of cubic inches more should make a difference in how long a note ... any note, will sustain once the guitar plugged in ?

 

[colchar]

I think it is probably another case of internet guitar forum 'wisdom'.

As someone said on another forum - long tenon or short tenon, when the drummer comes in what the fuck does it matter?

 

[Jimmy_D]

You be the judge...

 

[mhammer]

Consider the length of the tenon as a sort of compromise between "normal" set neck and neck-through-body. If one feels that neck-through-body can add to the transfer of string energy in a manner than enhances sustain, then surely a longer tenon should enhance a little more than a short tenon.

Of course, whether we are talking about a short, transitional, or long tenon, or a neck that runs right out to the strap peg, the quality of the joint will be the real determinant, along with the mass balance between neck and body Stick a flawless long-tenon maple neck onto a balsa-wood body and the tenon length won't make all that much difference.

 

[JBFairthorne]

Looking at the pictures, it seems to me that the surface contact area is considerably larger for a long tenon. I can believe that there would be a significant difference in how much vibration is transferred between the pieces of wood.

 

[BSTheTech]

And a bolt on neck still has more sustain. ^)@#

 

[greco]

And a bolt on neck still has more sustain. ^)@#

Only if it has a metal neck plate^)@#^)@#

 

[BGood]

... long tenon or short tenon, when the drummer comes in what the fuck does it matter?

Mouhahahaaaaaaa ! The drummer quote is so real ! Thanks, that one made my day.

As for the picture of the different tenons above. You can tell it was put together by a short tenon basher. What brand guitar did the top tenon illustrated came from ? A $49.99 Walmart toy LP ? By posting such a biased comparison, it completely discredit the argument.

And if optimal contact surface was really the deciding factor, why would you leave that gap at the end of the long tenon ? DOH !

 

[mhammer]

I don't think the pic was intended to show each tenon length at its best. The purpose was to simply show, in cross-section, what tenons of different length are.

 

[colchar]

Tele and Strat players might as well chuck their guitars in the campfire considering how little connection there is between the necks and bodies in comparison. Pieces of shit those Fenders are!

And before anyone gets offended, I am joking and a Tele is my #1.

 

[cheezyridr]

my last long-tenon guitar did sustain really well. was it the tenon? i don't know. but what i do know is, that neck joint was strong as can be. i did a pete townshnd with that guitar and took half a dozen whacks to break it. it was a fit of anger on a really bad night. i still regret it.

 

[BGood]

mi did a pete townshnd with that guitar and took half a dozen whacks to break it.

See, it's not any better

 

[High/Deaf]

my last long-tenon guitar did sustain really well. was it the tenon? i don't know. but what i do know is, that neck joint was strong as can be. i did a pete townshnd with that guitar and took half a dozen whacks to break it. it was a fit of anger on a really bad night. i still regret it.

BUT ........

How did it sound while you were whacking it? Ultimately, that's where the rubber (or would that wood) meets the road. Longer whacking is just like an extended guitar solo, so that could be seen as a good thing (by the guitarist) or a bad thing (by the audience).


You may also want to check this thread out.

https://guitarscanada.com/index.php?threads/dealing-with.158321/

 

[mhammer]

Ultimately, it's the quality of the neck-body joint that matters. Bolt-ons can be great, set-necks can be poor. Guitar Fetish has set-neck units going for under $60 at the moment ( LIMITED TIME 30% off Sale! ). Are these likely to be the equivalent of the finest work ever done by the folks on Parsons Street? I doubt it. Nominally they are set-necks, of whatever tenon length, but there are going to be a whole lot of other factors that come into play over and above that.

In some respects, I would imagine that tenon length can also be a marker of the attentiveness of the maker to the build quality. That is, if one is going to include a longer tenon, then there may be a bunch of other things you have to attend to in the build, and all those "other things" play a role in sustain beyond whatever the tenon is responsible for. For instance, in the picture, the guitar with short tenon doesn't have to integrate pickup routing and tenon, while the other two tenon lengths do.

 

[colchar]

BUT ........

How did it sound while you were whacking it?

There was probably some heavy breathing...................

 

[laristotle]

He probably swings like a girly man.

 

[mhammer]

 

[Jimmy_D]

Mouhahahaaaaaaa ! The drummer quote is so real ! Thanks, that one made my day.

As for the picture of the different tenons above. You can tell it was put together by a short tenon basher. What brand guitar did the top tenon illustrated came from ? A $49.99 Walmart toy LP ? By posting such a biased comparison, it completely discredit the argument.

And if optimal contact surface was really the deciding factor, why would you leave that gap at the end of the long tenon ? DOH !

All 3 are Gibson - the top one is known as a "rocker" tendon which allows the assembler to "adjust" the neck angle, it was used for a number of years... the rest of it, like I said, judge for yourself, I'm not here advocating one way or the other.

 

[capnjim]

Its because people are charging 5000-10,000$ for copies. They need to have features to sell them. Otherwise, how are they different from the Chinese copies??

 

[Steadfastly]

Ultimately, it's the quality of the neck-body joint that matters.

You beat me to it Hammer. That is correct. The tenon can be a mile long but if the join is poor, any gain, real or not, will be lost.