Multi Piece Necks

[William2]

Are multi piece necks superior to one-piece necks? I was watching a video on multi piece necks, and they said they have less tendency to warp. Is Do necks warp very often? Is there a sound advantage or disadvantage to a multi piece neck? When I see these necks with something like a light and dark pattern on the back of the neck, is this a multi piece neck or is this just a thin spacer put on the back of the neck? I think I had a couple of multi piece necks, my Eastman 805CE archtop, and a baroque lute with dark wood contrasted with maple. It looked cool, but is it mainly for looks?

[jpmist]

I recall about 15 years ago or so, Taylor went with a system where due to the bend at the headstock, they went with a two piece neck where the headstock was glued to the fretboard length of the neck. Boy, that was a scorching controversy on AGF at the time. It was simply a cost saving decision as more necks could be made from the same amount of wood that way. The dust has settled and those necks worked out fine so now those AGF dudes had to find another excuse to hate Taylors. Me, I'm happy with mine and my 2011 era 322 just now passed visual inspection.

Wiser folks will likely weigh in, but a properly cured neck blank will turn out fine in the hands of competent guitar makers so it's nothing I give much thought to.

[John in Charm City]

Had a multi piece neck on a PRS electric.  They did it as a cost saver on the S2 series.  Can't say I would have known if they didn't list it in the specs.

John

[B0WIE]

I've studied this extensively and, like everything tone related, it's part of the balancing act. A multi piece is generally going to make a stiffer neck, and that can lead to a brighter, drier tone as the energy is staying in the strings and not as much transfers into the neck where additional overtones will form. Is that good or bad? Well, it depends how the rest of the guitar sounds and how this contributes to the overall tone.

 I have guitars with reinforced multi piece necks that I feel lack character. And, others where they give a crisp response and clarity that I like for faster music. Given the choice, I think I usually prefer a 1 piece, with or without a headstock joint (which is still considered 1 piece). I like feeling resonance in the neck and love what it does for the sound.

 As far as warping, that's more a concern for large scale operations that are shipping worldwide and want to keep warranty work down. While you can't always predict how wood will move, companies that are choosy with their wood run into less of this. Also, just using enough wood with time tested techniques eliminates most potential problems.

Electric makers, especially those who make shred guitars, are concerned about warping. My favorite electric necks are the 1980's Ibanez "Wizard" which they stopped making because too many warped. The good ones that didn't warp are incredibly resonant and comfortable. The "improved" Ibanez multi piece necks of today are far more reliable, and I absolutely hate them. Bends feel stiffer, there's less feedback in the hand. No thanks.