Why do outside necks have a bigger sound?

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

All the multi neck steels I own or have tried have a more pronounced/better tone on the outer neck. Most steels have more mass on the outer, but my Carvins are a single plank equal in mass, and still the 2 necks are not equal in tonal output. Not a problem for me, but a curiousity I've not heard explained. Any past threads on this?

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Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

Ron,There is a detailed thread or post on your question. I can offer the answer but I beleive Ricky and or Chas Smith can give you a detailed answer. I do know why,but they are much more qualified than I to explain.Someone help here. Ricky,Chas,where are you???

basilh · From: United Kingdom

Aloha Aikane,
I think that when you're playing the "Outer" neck, you arms are dampening the strings on the "neck closest to you, whereas when you play the closest neck ,even 'though the outer may be turned off the sympathetic vibrations of the strings could add or substract from the sound dependent on the phase diferential of the played notes compared to the top necks open strings.
(A slightly confused)Baz www.waikiki-islanders.com

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Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Well Lots of reasons.....ha.
But I'm not familiar with Carvin's....so I would have to know several things.
Where are the controls?(Tone & Volume knobs) selector switch??
How are the necks joined? or is it one piece of wood?? and is there a step between them. Which tunings do you have on which necks...Oh and where is the input jack?
if there are legs> where are they screwed into and what??
.....and there are more questions...but that may get me started.....but Chas may know that steel better than I....so he might could answer right away....but again....I just don't know that steel(sorry)....and if ya dont' want to bother with those questions I had....no prob....
Ricky

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 30 November 2002 at 01:56 AM.]

Dave Boothroyd · From: Staffordshire Moorlands

It's probably you. I've seen vibration analyses of acoustic and electric guitars which show clearly that the way the body (of the guitar that is) vibrates depends on how the guitar is held.
I heard and example only this week where one of my colleagues was playing a little acoustic belonging to another, and the tone was completely different. There was an 80 pound weight difference too!
Even with a console guitar, the strings interact with their environment, especially in those initial milliseconds where tone is born. The nearer neck will have more of its transients damped.
As a (stupid) experiment, why not borrow one of those breastplate washboard things that Cajun bands have, and see if adding some hard reflecting material to the player helps.
If this is good for tone I see a market for steel players' acoustic waistcoats.
Cheers
Dave

chas smith R.I.P. · From: Encino, CA, USA

I think the correct answer here is "guitar voodoo". Following Ricky's question, what are the tunings?, if both necks are tuned the same with the same string guages, and one sounds fuller than the other, then ?????

Perhaps, there is more sympathetic vibration from the other strings on the guitar when you play your inside neck. Whenever you play a note, say an E, if there are a lot of E's in the open tunings on the other necks, they will vibrate sympathetically and that will make the whole guitar more resonant, especially the low notes. So if you are damping all those strings with your arms (like basilh mentioned), it would be less resonant. If you are playing the front neck, maybe you are leaning into the volume pedal more when you are reaching over the guitar???

Or it could be normal "guitar voodoo", I have a T-10 Bigsby where each neck sounds different. The first neck should sound the best, since it's the one with the apron, and it sounds the worst (relative to the others), the center neck sounds the best. The first neck is E13, the middle is C6 and the bottom is A6. I've switched the pickups, I've told it I loved it, I've let it gloat over the other guitars, nothing changes it, so that's the personality of that guitar.

I have a Q-8 Wright, all the necks sound the same, I have a Q-8 Stringmaster and I don't recall any difference, other than tunings. I have a T-8 Bigsby with pedals on 2 necks and those necks sound better than the non-pedal neck because the fingers are vibrating with the strings.

I have a Carvin D-8, that could use a rebuild. So you have a guitar with plastic bridges, nuts and key heads. These guitars have excellant pickups so it could be that the strings aren't getting grounded, the selector switch could have some 'crudlies' on it. Perhaps there are some 'crudlies' under the bridge or the nut is coming unglued? Maybe it just wants you to take it apart and give it a lot of attention.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Dave, your probably right, it most likely is me. And since changing me is harder than changing the guitar, I'm gonna change the guitar(if I get this figured out). But finding a Cajun breastplate in Hawaii? So far, I like the 'guitar voodoo' answer best, as I beleive in such, but open to all thots. No matter who plays whatever guitar, on their lap or with the legs, which are screwed into 4 typically inset metal pieces, or whatever tunings/gauges are used(even identical tunings, and always with Gibson strings), it's more or less the same. And that's with min./no body contact. I've turned the guitars around to sound them with the necks reversed, no diff. Pertaining to the Carvins, the controls are all located on the tops at the tail, behind the bridge. The 2x8 has the plastic bridge/nut, the older 2x6 has the large cast aluminum parts and the added 1/2" plank under the fingerboards. The bodies are simple 1 piece planks w/no step. Everything is clean and works fine on all my guitars, with no(?)hidden problems. Before I owned a dbl. neck I'd heard of this oddity, and with my own examples it's proved itself to be a reality. I compensate with finding the best complimenting set up for each neck and get on with it. It might even be a blessing, as I'm quite pleased with everything so far, merely perplexed. Chas, where would I find that earlier thread? I looked but... Thank you gentlemen for your interest and help, and Basil, I'm gonna have to reread your ideas a few more times before it sinks in, you might have hit on it.

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