Misleading product specs?

[hat]

I have seen the same type of thing being done on necks. Some brands ( mainly PacRim) will say their necks are 'solid wood' when in fact they have a scarfed heel, headstock, or both. I only trust it when they say 'solid one piece neck' .

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by hat

I have seen the same type of thing being done on necks. Some brands ( mainly PacRim) will say their necks are 'solid wood' when in fact they have a scarfed heel, headstock, or both. I only trust it when they say 'solid one piece neck' .

You are mushing together two different things. One is the method of construction, the other is the choice of material.

A neck can be solid wood, and be joined, or it can be a single piece of wood. It is either wood, or it is not. ("Wood products", such as plywoods, particle boards, other laminates, etc. aren't "wood", per se.)

The construction method, even with solid wood, can vary. Older Taylor guitars used solid wood that was end-joined using finger joints. For some that was unattractive. A traditional spliced head is another construction method for solid wood. A stacked heel is another construction method for solid wood. A series of wood laminations, side by side, is another construction method - giving a striped appearance. Then there is cutting an entire neck from a single piece of wood, a different construction of a neck. And so on.

There are numerous disadvantages to cutting a neck from a single piece of wood, primarily a weaker head juncture and an increase in waste. The primary advantages are the absence of visible joints and production speed. Solid wood necks that are made from multiple pieces aren't necessarily inferior or cheaper, however, some prefer the appearance of a no-joint neck.

I can understand buyers wanting to know whether or not cheaper materials are being used to construct an instrument, since it can influence the sound quality, required care and potential aging of the tone, but I'm of the opinion, that many guitar players are unnecessarily obsessed with the choice of materials used, largely, it seems, due to an inaccurate belief that this wood produces that sound, versus another wood that produces a different sound. As has been said before, many buy with their eyes and published specifications.

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

You are mushing together two different things. One is the method of construction, the other is the choice of material.

A neck can be solid wood, and be joined, or it can be a single piece of wood. It is either wood, or it is not. ("Wood products", such as plywoods, particle boards, other laminates, etc. aren't "wood", per se.)

The construction method, even with solid wood, can vary. Older Taylor guitars used solid wood that was end-joined using finger joints. For some that was unattractive. A traditional spliced head is another construction method for solid wood. A stacked heel is another construction method for solid wood. A series of wood laminations, side by side, is another construction method - giving a striped appearance. Then there is cutting an entire neck from a single piece of wood, a different construction of a neck. And so on.

There are numerous disadvantages to cutting a neck from a single piece of wood, primarily a weaker head juncture and an increase in waste. The primary advantages are the absence of visible joints and production speed. Solid wood necks that are made from multiple pieces aren't necessarily inferior or cheaper, however, some prefer the appearance of a no-joint neck.

I can understand buyers wanting to know whether or not cheaper materials are being used to construct an instrument, since it can influence the sound quality, required care and potential aging of the tone, but I'm of the opinion, that many guitar players are unnecessarily obsessed with the choice of materials used, largely, it seems, due to an inaccurate belief that this wood produces that sound, versus another wood that produces a different sound. As has been said before, many buy with their eyes and published specifications.

Good post, which expresses most of my sentiments on the topic!! You have to trust your senses, not names, specs or price tags.

[Steadfastly]

Originally Posted by AndrewG

Well do some proper research before parting with your cash then; don't just rely on manufacturer's advertising hype. How many times have you read 'new and improved' on some product, when it is neither? There's snake oil in everything, you just need to apply a little care and attention when spending your money. 'Select' when used to describe timber sounds impressive and high-end doesn't it? In fact the word is so ambiguous as to be meaningless in this context. Additionally there are laws protecting the consumer from deliberately misleading or misrepresenting information.

https://english.stackexchange.com/qu...ed-an-oxymoron

Snake oil in everything is what I am pointing out to you. The immoral advertising that goes on is used to try and take advantage of those not in the know. Companies should be truthful, not trying to fool people with the language they use, or don't use.

Here's a little expose' of some of the tricks advertisers use.

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/clever-tr...us/#.zty2u9rxg

[Kayper]

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

Snake oil in everything is what I am pointing out to you. The immoral advertising that goes on is used to try and take advantage of those not in the know. Companies should be truthful, not trying to fool people with the language they use, or don't use.

Here's a little expose' of some of the tricks advertisers use.

https://www.scoopwhoop.com/clever-tr...us/#.zty2u9rxg

As a person who has been searching out a solid wood guitar for years, I can state that I have called and emailed complaints to every place on the web that sells new guitars. No one cares, besides a perfunctory "sorry". I have checked back a month after my complaint and the ad copy is still incorrect.

This is, of course, going on everywhere. Not just a guitar store issue. Clothing companies that insinuate their items are made in the USA, are part of it. Brick and mortar stores that flag-wave. Check and double check if it matters to you.

Climbing off my USA-made soap box and surfing Takamines that are solid wood.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by hat

I have seen the same type of thing being done on necks. Some brands ( mainly PacRim) will say their necks are 'solid wood' when in fact they have a scarfed heel, headstock, or both. I only trust it when they say 'solid one piece neck' .

Like Taylor necks? Look, it's not rocket surgery to do a little homework first, is it? Gibson, for example, don't tell you that their top line has headstock wings, or that the neck is a two piece laminate.
Does Martin say that they don't use solid abalone but only Abalam, a laminate of thin shell slices, on their high end inlays? Nope.

Like the guy said, 'caveat emptor'. If you don't do your due diligence, who is to blame?

[Spyvito]

Originally Posted by markrj

You can trust Larrivee. It's one of the reasons I choose to play Jean's guitars. Their business model, while not perfect, is at its very core, honest.

Yes. Great Family.