Neck design..

[guitarrich]

Hi, Has G&L discontinued the 2-piece 'split' neck design on it's elec. guitars ? If so, how long ago ? Has it been to a disadvantage ? Thanks, Rich

[guitar_ed]

Hi Rich,

It's been several years now, and no, I am not aware of any issues regarding the necks. I've had both neck designs, and all things being equal, I can't tell a difference.

edg

[Philby]

I've got a 90's S-500 with the bi-cut neck and an '05 Legacy with the new neck and I can't tell the difference either. If anything, I prefer the newer neck profile over the old one. Just my opinion though.

[yowhatsshakin]

Hi guitarrich,

As Ed says, this change from the Bi-Cut neck to the current neck happened a couple of years ago. It coincided with the introduction of the non-compression truss rod, which is easier to install by cutting off the fretboard, rout the channel, and (re)install the fretboard. About half of all Buffalo Brother Special Edition Trinities built in 2006 have this Non-Compression rod and to my knowledge they are some of the first with this type of truss rod. The whole PLEK process was also introduced around the same time, and the Trinities were certainly the first to receive that treatment.

So the reason is mainly technical and for efficiency. The only difference between the two types of necks I otherwise know of concerns the warranty on a Bird's Eye Maple neck. The Bi-Cut BEM necks had the same warranty as any other neck (and guitar as a whole), whereas when you opt for a BEM neck now, it is only warranted for 90 days.

Hope this helps,

- Jos

P.S. Philby, are you sure your Legacy is '05 and not later? My dates above I got from Tim Page (see also this post by him), so it would be interesting to know whether the new truss rod was used earlier.

[louis cyfer]

I've got a 90's S-500 with the bi-cut neck and an '05 Legacy with the new neck and I can't tell the difference either. If anything, I prefer the newer neck profile over the old one. Just my opinion though.

tarted in late 06, early 07, so yours probably isn't.

[Philby]

I've got a 90's S-500 with the bi-cut neck and an '05 Legacy with the new neck and I can't tell the difference either. If anything, I prefer the newer neck profile over the old one. Just my opinion though.

tarted in late 06, early 07, so yours probably isn't.

Hmmmm. Interesting. There is no date on my neck, but the body says 2005. Perhaps the guitar was not assembled until late '06 or '07? Or it's had a replacement neck? Or it's a parts Legacy? It's definitely not a bi-cut neck though.

[offplanetfilms]

2005-2006 seems sounds like a transitional neck/body build period. I have a 2005 Legacy with a bi-cut neck & old-styled pin-routed body, and a 2006 Legacy with a bi-cut neck and a CNC cut body (has the bar-codes stickers in the cavity & no tell tale filled pinhole birthmarks on the back of the body).
I would have thought 2005 was a little to early for a non bi-cut neck, but who knows?

[yowhatsshakin]

I would have thought 2005 was a little to early for a non bi-cut neck, but who knows?

Again, see this post by Tim Page (Tim Buffalo Bros).

- Jos