Steel vs graphite bass neck reinforcement

[Dave W]

From Warmoth. This is just the intro to what will be a three-parter.

[gearHed289]

This should be interesting. I've played and owned graphite neck instruments, and one with graphite rods in a wood neck. I also had an 8 string Warmoth neck with steel rods. It's very possible that I'm imagining things, but I feel like graphite resonates in an odd feeling way. Very subtle, but there's something different about it. The steel rod neck was nice, but heavy (it was one of the chunkiest necks I've ever owned, so there's that).

[Dave W]

The actual shootout

[Basvarken]

It’s carbon. Not graphite. Graphite is what’s inside a pencil. Graphite breaks very easily.

[4stringer77]

That’s right. Moses and Modulus still propagate the lie.
Interesting vids. Turns out I’ve been using screw wax all wrong. 😜

[Dave W]

It’s carbon. Not graphite. Graphite is what’s inside a pencil. Graphite breaks very easily.

That’s right. Moses and Modulus still propagate the lie.
Interesting vids. Turns out I’ve been using screw wax all wrong. 😜

Graphite is one of the two mineral forms of carbon. The other mineral form of carbon is diamond.

It's not a lie. Carbon fiber and graphite have been used interchangeably in industry for years.

Whatever you call it, it's not just a raw mineral. It's processed, heat treated, rolled, drawn, etc. to turn it into various products, including reinforcing bars for basses.

[Basvarken]

Guess it’s a linguistic matter.
In the Netherlands graphite is the material in pencils. And carbon is the light and strong material that is used in racing bikes (and reinforcement strips😉)

😅

[BTL]

As long as the word "fiber" is included, you're both right. Carbon fiber is a less pure form of graphite fiber.

https://extrudesign.com/carbon-fiber-graphite-fiber-2/

That said, I suspect that Warmoth uses carbon fiber rods, not graphite fiber rods.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-and-supplies/materials/truss-rods/carbon-fiber/carbon-fiber-neck-rods/

https://www.graphitestore.com/

[gearHed289]

That said, I suspect that Warmoth uses carbon fiber rods, not graphite fiber rods.

I didn't know they started offering graphite (what they call it and also what I call it). They traditionally used steel bars.

[Dave W]

I didn't know they started offering graphite (what they call it and also what I call it). They traditionally used steel bars.

They've offered it as an option for a few years.

[uwe]

There is a world of a difference in sound and feel between the two:

My basses with lots of steel reinforcement - the Gibson Victories, my Kramer XKB-10 Flying Broom, I believe also the Peavey T-40 - all sound a little thuddy. "Dead" is overstating it, but nothing jumps at you when you're playing it. They do as they're told, nothing more. A brutish sound, but not very lively. Perfect for locking in with the bass drum, laying a fundamental and not getting in the way of the guitars.

In contrast, my carbon neck Status Stealth II and the Parker Fly Bass have so much "sonic rebound" in their necks, all (literally all, and that does need some adjusting in your playing style) notes jump at you and sometimes also a little all over the place. Not very forgiving at all if you're a little rusty. I definitely agree with PROG-Tom that carbon necks resonate in an idiosyncratic way that feels unaccustomed at first.