How critical is... ?

I have another question that might spawn some interesting conversation. Sure, I can read much of this stuff and therories on the internet. But, I do like to get opinions from the forums too, if for nothing else but barbershop conversation.

How critical is the neck and fretboard materials in relation to tone? I know that the science of it, is sound vibrations resonate differently depending on density, and other natural properties of wood. But, doesn't the sound rely mostly on the transfer of those vibrations through the saddle, bridge and into the soundboard and then into the body chamber and out the sound hole?

I am sure the fretboard and neck does play a part, but how much of a part really? I think the materials of the saddle, bridge and top (also area of the sound board, and volume of the body cavity) are the most critical in relation to sound. Much more than the neck/fretboard materials.

I like to think of the strings having two ends.

Ona ukulele - none. End of enquiry

Tudorp said:

I have another question that might spawn some interesting conversation. Sure, I can read much of this stuff and therories on the internet. But, I do like to get opinions from the forums too, if for nothing else but barbershop conversation.

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Barbershop conversation - uh oh, I am in the wrong forum.

What? Luthiers don't get haircuts? lol

Mandarb said:

Barbershop conversation - uh oh, I am in the wrong forum.

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Tudorp said:

What? Luthiers don't get haircuts? lol

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Not enough left to worry about!

Ahh.. then there's that.. lol.. Well, I do. Sometimes I wish I didn't have as much as I do. 50, and have thicker hair than allot of kids, a family plaque I reckon. My father, and grand father both had full thick heads of hair to the end. I wish sometimes my hair didn't get as "big" as it does.. lol..

ukulian said:

Not enough left to worry about!

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Sheesh....the things people worry about. I hope someday I can build ukes consistently enough to tell the difference between neck materials....or binding material or sitka vs engleman spruce bracing or whatever else people swear they hear a difference.
I'm sure the neck adds something to the tone but its probably a 5th or 6th order effect. The neck vibrations are pretty well damped by your hand groping it anyway.

Of course the neck wood is going to have an effect on the sound of the instrument. Although specific subjective overtones and subtleties inherent in the way we describe "tone" are difficult to nail down in a discussion of neck material, no one questions the various influence on volume, sustain, consistency that a neck wood may have, though it be slight. Fretboards are unlikely to have any discernible effect. Ultimately the choice of wood will be based more on the stability and longevity of the instrument than the tonal differences between traditional materials. If when playing you grope the neck unto the dampening of the vibrations, certainly you are not playing correctly or you have extraordinarily large hands! The neck is crucial for transmission of vibrations, and assuredly the player's hand does not dampen the vibrations appreciably.