bound vs. unbound guitars

[nlimbaugh]

I've never played a guitar without binding and suppose I should, but I was wondsring if there was a big difference in feel between the two. Does unbound make moving quickly up and down the neck difficult or uncomfortable? Just curious because I've been looking at a guitar without binding.

[Gray]

I've never noticed or felt a difference on guitars with neck binding and I have a couple of each. Body binding makes a world of difference when it comes to comfort, in my experience.

[Van Cleef]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

[msmith4432]

I have owned a few Les Paul studios without binding and I don't think it made much of a difference as far as the way it played compared to my standard with binding. But I never could get as comfortable with them for whatever reason.

[OU818]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

I generally have any binding on my Gibsons chipped off with a stone before replacing it with NOS 1957 binding.
That gives it the NOS tone and the road worn look.

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

[msmith4432]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

I generally have any binding on my Gibsons chipped off with a stone before replacing it with NOS 1957 binding.
That gives it the NOS tone and the road worn look.

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

I have 2gibson les Paul standards and I don't even know where you would find NOS 57 binding. Where do you get it and are u saying it makes the guitar play better.

[Gray]

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

I laughed uncontrollably at this.

[starling1]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

I generally have any binding on my Gibsons chipped off with a stone before replacing it with NOS 1957 binding.
That gives it the NOS tone and the road worn look.

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

Win.

[mr_william]

so on a serious note, isn't binding plastic placed around the edge of the guitar or neck - either or both.

on some cheeper guitars (epiphones?) it's painted on isn't it?

on the body, it's surely just an aesthetic thing? on the neck, it'd effect the feel a little?

i'd say leave it.

[a.hun]

I've never played a guitar without binding and suppose I should, but I was wondsring if there was a big difference in feel between the two. Does unbound make moving quickly up and down the neck difficult or uncomfortable? Just curious because I've been looking at a guitar without binding.

Get a Fender!

Binding is purely decorative and doesn't make a blind bit of difference to the speed of a neck IMO. If your fret ends are properly finished they don't need hidden. Just posh is all that is.

What does make a difference to the feel is if the board edges are a little rounded. ('Rolled edges'?) There is a trend towards this, and I must admit I've done this myself to most of my guitar and bass necks. I don't have any fancy bound necks so it was easy to do.


Andy.

[Les Paul Lover]

so on a serious note, isn't binding plastic placed around the edge of the guitar or neck - either or both.

on some cheeper guitars (epiphones?) it's painted on isn't it?

on the body, it's surely just an aesthetic thing? on the neck, it'd effect the feel a little?

i'd say leave it.

Binding on a guitar body fulfils a protective function - the edges are most likely to get dings in, the binding is a little harder to ding than the wood.

It does look beautiful on some guitars too - if I ever buy a telecaster, it will be a bound body one, probably black or one of their "can't remember the colour name" burst - just because between the binding and a bigsby, they look sexy as hell!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On les pauls too, I find most studio can a look a little bare without binding - though the faded varieties tend to fare better IMO.

As for neck - I think there is a definite confort thing going with my LP's neck - it's very smooth to play, nd the binding plays its part in it.

That said, my Vigier Expert's neck (full maple) is unbound and absolutely lovely to play.
A well made neck is a well made neck.

And binding Gibson type, with the fret nibs, makes changing frets a total pain in the arse, and you will be accused of selling a fake if you try to shoft it later on.

[Les Paul Lover]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

I generally have any binding on my Gibsons chipped off with a stone before replacing it with NOS 1957 binding.That gives it the NOS tone and the road worn look.

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

I really hope you were using a period correct stone - otherwise that tone improvement exercise has become butchery of a fine instrument.......

[OU818]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

I generally have any binding on my Gibsons chipped off with a stone before replacing it with NOS 1957 binding.That gives it the NOS tone and the road worn look.

Sounds amazing through my handbuilt ptp Fender champ clone. All the guys at the local blues bar agree and say that as soon as they pass their bar exam they will be copying my rig!

I really hope you were using a period correct stone - otherwise that tone improvement exercise has become butchery of a fine instrument.......

Hand selected by only the hairiest Neanderthals.

[Dark Helmet]

binding sucks tone... unless you can get oxygen free true bypass binding... preferebly NOS...

coffee.... everywhere...






and between my currently-working pair (GibsonCC and Epi LPC) the next binding over the fret-ends on the gibson improves the feel a bit by making it a little smoother...

the ends on the LPC aren't rolled smooth, but they aren't chunky-harsh either, but the Gibson is noticably smoother. some of that may also be the nitro finish wearing in.

[bclaire]

Ha ha ha ha! Funny thread.

Seriously, what I do notice is that guitars with binding have sharp-ish corners and when I play, I tend to rub against it and sometimes get what looks like road-rash! A lot of non-binding guitars have more rounded edges and are more comfortable...