Thor’s neck has 9 layers of interspersed hardwood (Maple and Wenge) and carbon fiber:
Maple : 25mm-
Carbon Fiber : 2mm
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Wenge : 5mm
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Carbon Fiber : 2mm
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Maple : 10mm
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Carbon Fiber : 2mm
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Wenge : 5mm
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Carbon Fiber : 2mm
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Maple : 25mm
This neck is very stable! We don’t simply embed carbon fiber reinforcement rods, like those you can get from Stewmac. The carbon fiber runs all throughout the entire length of the neck and the headstock, and through its entire thickness, with a combined width of 8mm. The CF is laminated, together with the hardwood, using laminating epoxy.
So cool, great work Joel. Only thing that came to mind was… Will the truss rod still effectively move such a rigid neck?
Good question! Yes, you can still get some amount of movement. It is still adjustable. CF is not rigid as a rock. Depending on thickness, it can still flex. That is why it has excellent sonic properties! But unlike wood, it is very stable and is not affected by environmental factors like heat and humidity.
Im sure you tested several different CF thicknesses to get it just right 🙂
Does it sound unusually bright, given the rigidity?
You are right. It is a balance. And that is why I still use wood. But I don’t think it is the rigidity alone that gives a material a bright character. How different frequencies propagate through various materials gives it its sonic character. CF transmits both low and high frequencies very well. The material is like an EQ filter. So, you therefore “tune” the material(s) to suit.