Posted by GC on January 26, 2004 at 10:38:22:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A bass by any other name... posted by SHS Tubamaster on January 25, 2004 at 20:17:44:
If you want the stability and sustain of a metal neck without the other problems, try graphite. Some of the earlier tries had harsh or overly trebly tones, but modern carbon-fiber necks are usually blended with a heavy wood body and have a balanced tone. A lot of makers are adding graphite stiffening rods to wooden necks, and these improve tone, sustain, and neck stability, too. Moses Graphite also makes replacement necks for several existing guitar models.
Another alternative is a laminate neck. The best examples of these are made by Greg Curbow. A few years back, he discovered a material called Rockwood; it's made by taking several layers of birch laminate, impregnating them with phenolic resin, and baking them under pressure. This yields a material that can be carved like wood but is impervious to twisting and warping. Rockwood necks can still be easily adjusted with a standard truss rod. Curbow makes top-line custom basses with some really unique characteristics.