Why Don't More People Play Aluminum Guitars?

[@RhettShull]

For all the angry British people in the comments, here in the States its Aluminum. There are two different spellings based on region, both are correct.

[@manyvibes1540]

5:02 = 🔥👍

[@jeffwithajay42]

Angry Australians too 😅

[@imtheonevanhalen1557]

Actually, it was a mistake made by Daniel Webster......after the discovery and name aluminum, the Brits decided they wanted the name more regal, you know like Uranium, or Plutonium (that good stuff..) Webster never changed the spelling....the British pronunciation is correct.

[@shoegazeforever8810]

What do you call sodium? sodum? Edit: It is a chemical element so it should end in ium not um.

[@The_Ricardo_Sa]

As someone from a non-english primary language living in the UK I find these arguments hilarious.. as if there are only 2 spellings for something in the world - English-English and English-American... completing forgetting/ignoring the existence of the other 100+ different languages in the world and their own spellings and quirks. It is really a self-centred, post- colonialist / 'superpower nation' ideal... really funny! (And a symptom of the us-vs-them problems humanity is suffering from)... well,... that was a bit too deep... All I meant to say really was that the Al guitar sounded a bit stiffer on the video in comparison to the wood one... :P

[@jackg1968]

Jerry Garcia played a Travis Bean TB500 from ‘76-‘77 and that guitar featured an aluminum neck. Some of his greatest tones and performances came out of that guitar.

[@genandraaji5707]

Jerry Garcia from Kyuss?

[@alexholdenii4946]

💯

[@tompoynton]

best Garcia tone era imo

[@tonyhewitt1345]

Brian Robertson from Thin Lizzy had a wonderful Travis Bean too. I adored that guitar. Check out "Don't believe a word".

[@toddbigeasy]

I had one of those guitars, wish I still had it!

[@sonictemple2925]

I’m in a post metal band and I play all aluminum guitars. We also use aluminum drums. I play EGC’s and mine have a brushed neck which you don’t stick to. I will probably never go back. The clarity is awesome and the sustain is unreal. After they acclimate to the room they stay in tune super well. No trust rods in mine so set up is a breeze. Plus they are pretty hard to break obviously.

[@earnestbass4092]

I feel like the biggest difference is that you ARE playing differently on each guitar. Different brushes, different strokes. Great video!

[@Trentstone121]

Because they're way too expensive for most guitarists. Btw, teddy bear nugant used a lucite guitar with an aluminum neck waaaaay back in the seventies. I know it for a fact, because my dad owned it for a while. He got rid of it because it was BADLY balanced. The neck was really heavy compared to the body so it wanted to dive on you. Probably why teddy sold it to begin with. Anyways, an aluminum neck lucite guitar isn't a modern idea at all. Just thought I'd share the story.

[@ChuckNicholsonTRM]

The general combo isn't new, but the Aluminati necks are so much more advanced than the early days of aluminum neck guitars like the Dan Armstrong guitars. They use a hollow core technology that really changes the aluminum neck game.

[@stephenpepper1790]

He literally says this (how it’s not a new idea)

[@JeremyAndersonBoise]

I have played one of those guitars, a friend with a shop had one for a while. I think Brad Whitford played one in Aerosmith for a minute, as well. It was awful. The hollow core necks are much more sensible.

[@adamalexanderray]

It’s so cold here in the U.K. I wouldn’t enjoy a cold metal neck, especially in winter.

[@TLguitar]

I don't think it should make much of a difference considering the playing part of your fingers contacts almost solely the strings rather than the fretboard; the small area that would directly touch the neck is from the thumb to the base of the index finger. And to nitpick a bit, isn't a lot of the UK relatively mild-wintered?

[@adamalexanderray]

@@TLguitar I mean there’s colder places in the world for sure, but it’s regularly at or below freezing throughout winter. I suffer with Raynaud’s syndrome where my fingers and toes loose circulation and go white/numb. A neck at or below freezing temperature is not ideal even for wood necks, but metal would be extra horrid.

[@TLguitar]

@@adamalexanderray I read about that. Of course it could (detrimentally) contribute _something,_ especially if one has a specific condition of cold insensitivity, but the neck itself is mostly not touched directly so in effect I doubt it should make a serious difference. I personally feel (like many, I assume) my fingers do become less agile when it's cold. Also, I've visited London a couple of times during summertime and I suffered. I live in Israel and in recent summers the daily highs are 30c or more practically throughout the entire season, yet the hour-long unventilated (let alone air-conditioned) train ride from the airport to London was an unexpected complementary sauna.

[@TLguitar]

@Ariel-om5fh Aluminium is actually quite a good thermal conductor - it conducts heat about 3 times as fast as iron. It also has double the specific heat of iron (meaning it takes twice the energy to change _m_ kilograms of material _K_ degrees of temperature), although for a given volume of material that is offset by aluminium's density being slightly over 1/3 of iron's.

[@TLguitar]

@Ariel-om5fh What are these claims based on? There are scientific measurements for the relevant data. The two most common heat sink materials are aluminium and copper. Iron or steel? I don't think so.

[@jipes]

Dear Rhett just a note the nut doesn't affect the sound of fretted notes only the open strings. The saddle of the bridge are indeed very different thing

[@albertplaysguitar]

Oh, he knows 😂

[@seanthomasmusic]

Rhett's playing is always musically minded and not showy or even noodly. Reserved and thoughtful. Regardless of the guitar, the player is a keeper :) Good Job man!

[@arvetemecha]

too light for heavy metal tones maybe. Sorry, that's such a bad joke.

[@aymanshowmik9599]

😂

[@CorbCorbin]

Light metal, really.

[@tarkenton3895]

These are used quite a lot by doom and post-metal bands; AKA posers that can't handle solid steel guitars

[@JT96708]

Try depleted uranium.

[@plantain.1739]

​@@JT96708Lead guitar

[@chrisquick9219]

All you have to do is watch Oh Sees guitarist/frontman John Dwyer.

[@briangarcia8384]

Hell yeah. Beat me to it.

[@xdoctorblindx]

Didn't think I'd find any Thee Oh Sees fans in a Rhett Shull comment section!

[@stephenericwalsh]

@@xdoctorblindx I like them.

[@13StJimmy]

Keith Levine (of Public Image Ltd.) used to use guitars with Aluminum necks and his tone cuts through the mix like a saw

[@georgespencer3973]

Keith’s tone on those early PIL albums was so awesome!

[@kennburgess1541]

As a guitar builder hobbyist i have been working on aluminum designs. Its a fun idea but i haven't moved on it yet due to cost and amount of work involved.

[@CorbCorbin]

Why not Titanium?!? They make steel guitars, don’t they? 😄

[@RobDogzInc]

Titanium is insanely hard to work with, also really expensive obviously

[@seanthomasmusic]

That neck pickup on the Aluminum guitar sounds like it would be perfect for jazz! I actually genuinely like the sound

[@r0flgal0re]

That's exactly what I thought.

[@eharmicar]

Mark Farner(Grand Funk) played a Messenger w/aluminum neck from ‘69-‘72.The neck when taken out of the guitar was shaped from the end of the fretboard to the ending of the neck where it met the bottom of the body,like a tuning fork.Messenger info.said it was tuned to A 440 like a tuning fork.Farner retired it because it needed a fret job and as it was an aluminum neck he said he didn’t trust anybody to do a refret.He then switched to a Microfrets then to a Veleno which had an aluminum body and neck.

[@HollywoodRecordingStudio]

One of my favorite guitars is the Abel Axe. It’s the reverse of the Aluminati - this one has an aluminum body and a wood neck. Tone and playability on this is really nice.

[@offbeatinstruments]

I have Greg Lake’s (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) Travis Bean from 1977. It sounds superb and is an amazing guitar, but… it is very heavy and the neck does feel cold at first. I actually had problems with light strings in that when it was really cold there wasn’t enough tension to pull the neck into some level of relief. The body is solid koa, so doesn’t feel neck heavy.

[@OldForrester]

Ready for endless tone metal discussions!

[@kitchenspider]

dude, please. 5.9% nickel titanium carbide composite is the only fretmetal that truly allows the strings to vibrate in true 440hz. you'll know your tonemetal has it when you hear that icey shimmery goodness on the tail end of your transients. anything else is trash

[@peterwaterford9482]

One of the great but currently obscure "concept albums" of the past decade was recorded with a Rick Toone Spearfish with aluminum neck: 2018's "Queen Of The Murder Scene" by The Warning. While the quote-unquote "libretto" follows a conventional operatic narrative of obsessive love leading to murder, madness, and suicide, the songwriting and execution far exceed the ages (13, 16, 18) of the Villarreal sisters who wrote and recorded it.

[@benkrecskay3378]

The aluminum neck on those guitars is just scratching the surface, but them in combination with the Orange custom shop 50 and Dany’s superb playing really is the perfect vibe for that album. Ugh, so great!

[@boldlygo3469]

That aluminum guitar actually sounds better than expected. It's not bad!!

[@jgeraci1]

I think you nailed it with saying that it would look good on stage . The way the light is reflecting off the neck in the video is cool as hell . I bet it would be pretty amazing under some colored stage lighting.

[@bubbakav]

Saw Climax Blues Band in concert in July of 1977 opening for Bad Company. Lead guitarist was playing a Veleno aluminum guitar. I distinctly remember seeing that headstock and wondering "what the ...".

[@jonathanvanhoose7610]

Yea!!! Someone else actually knows about CBB. The guitarist was Peter Haycock and yes, he did play a Velano. I met Peter in 1976 and he let me jam with him and try out that beautiful guitar. He even gave me Velano's phone number and strongly suggested that I give him a call. Sadly, I never did it and being a poor college student knew I could never afford to have one made for me. Today, I truly regret it. It would be so cool to have now as they are so unique and priceless.

[@joelshields8807]

The other guitarist in my old band had an EGC. It was a very sharp/bright sounding guitar - it did that whole abrasive Albini/Levene thing perfectly (and it also made it difficult for me to find a good frequency range since he owned the highs). He'd let me play it occasionally and I hated the way that neck felt - and yeah, always cold. Personally, I respect wood.

[@3days2retirement]

Aluminati seems like a tool for a specific purpose. It made me draw a danelectro comp. I really liked it's smooth, silky sound.

[@Ponchy]

Sounds to me like the Electrical Guitar Company has the aluminum thing down a bit better. For reference, they are the ones that took over the Travis Beans officially as well create their own more modern aluminum guitars which don't really have the problems that this guitar seems to have. The EGC necks are way thinner than you could ever get with wood, and they are not neck heavy at all and very balanced. Just look up the people that play EGC's (John Dywer from Thee Oh Sees included, as someone mentioned in the other comments). I play aluminum because I don't have to worry about a lot of the problems you do with wood.

[@myeyesarewaiting]

I wonder why they did a headstock with string trees rather than just having a pitched headstock... not like that is going to snap off if it falls backwards. When you say you're only hearing the pickups... I think it's more that the aluminium isn't robbing any frequencies out of the strings. You're hearing everything, much like what you do with a carbon fibre guitar.

[@Patrick-857]

Likely because it would require a much larger billet, since it's machined from a single billet of aluminium.

[@whatissurge]

Short answer: they are understandably expensive.

[@graybronze]

Nice to see some aluminium featured on here Rhett! I ordered an EGC in 2012 which is all aluminium and hollow construction, I now have 2 more aluminium neck guitars, one SG shape with a wood body and one Tele shape with an acrylic body and I love the sound of all of them. Still dig my wood necks but I generally reach for the aluminium ones first, they're very versatile. They have an extra clarity across the frequency range without muddiness or harshness which I really enjoy, it's sort of like having a clean boost pedal always on. I like the feel of an aluminium neck, I don't get that sticky feeling you describe, possibly because mine are all brushed rather than polished. Also as you say these things are of course subjective, I personally always prefer really heavy guitars so certainly in the case of my acrylic one it's definitely that! I get no neck dive either due to the weight of the body, I don't think my other two have that issue either though to be honest. Anyway, ramble over! Just interesting to see something I'm personally very into on your channel so thought I would drop a comment, great stuff man!

[@5urg3x]

Steve Albini’s Veleno is now in a museum, Kurt used it on In Utero. Has a really bright punk sound to it.

[@dylanjastle]

You gotta do A/B blind tests with guitars like this

[@samj.6867]

I'm a LP player too. But the aluminum seems to have an interesting bright clarity to it.

[@sigiligus]

Wow, what a coincidence! The shiny thing sounds shiny! And let me guess, the heavy wood sounds “deep,” amirite?

[@vparenkin]

Rhett! Love your videos!! Just this morning i was rewatching your older videos. We match our playing/recording style (and taste in music too) and i got immediately hooked up on your channel! Thank you!!

[@Florida_Living1]

Hey, Rhett. Just wanted to tell you that your note choice and “feel” has really improved since I started watching you several years ago. Not to say it was ever bad at all, but you’re really top notch these days! Keep it up man!

[@ssplintergirl]

One of my luthier buddies noted that the coefficient of thermal expansion of an aluminum neck vs a wooden guitar neck is significantly higher and can lead to a guitar’s set up getting very inconsistent with changes in temperature. Probably not an ideal gigging guitar if it had no reinforcement in that regard.

[@vorpalblades]

Lucite body, not wood.

[@narco73]

Yeah, aluminium is about 4 times that of wood. That said, with a temperature change of 20 degrees celsius, and the lengths of a guitar string, you're looking at a change in length of about third a millimetre. Timber is around quarter of that. And carbon fibre is way less again. So if this is something to consider, a carbon neck would win. Also, the temperature is unlikely to change this much during a set, and the neck is about ¾ of the length of the string, so this will mean these three quarters expand relative to each other (the body being different material will technically be an issue, as the scale length won't change equally over the full lengths of the string). But (without thinking about it too much) I expect this will mean that the frets will be at MOST an twelfth of a millimetre out, which isn't really going to be a problem, after room acclimatisation.

[@johncosby9479]

I wanted to hear you play glass and metal slide on that metal fretboard.

[@guydouglas6094]

I thought that - try a brass (or glass) slide! It might be quite bright but may add to the already 'metallic' sound of the guitar.

[@tadejcizej7694]

when is the studio update coming???i cant wait for it!!!

[@joaquinlavin5877]

aluminum neck guitars are interesting beasts... there's a quote from John Dwyer (from Oh Sees) saying that he needed to leave his aluminum neck ECG on stage for half an hour before playing so the metal could acclimate to the venue's temperature

[@TheBoboMaker]

I owned an Ovarion made acoustic guitar with a graphite neck and aluminum fretboard. Got it for cheap at a pawn shop. Found the cold fretboard to be distracting and the Ovation style rounded back to be awkward playing sitting down. I would describe the sound of the Aluminati as cold or clinical. I listened to the video while walking the dog. It was clear which guitar you were playing at all times. Wood for the Win.

[@danielbell4007]

Baum wingman is a great option if you want something quirky but more traditional.

[@gregoryguarneri8473]

The “ping” and treble of the aluminum guitar definitely comes through in the video

[@dasherf17]

Yeah, it's got what I would call a "nail-ish" sound...musically nail-ish...but nail-ish...a bright attack...

[@brandonbutler8808]

I'm commenting before finishing the video, maybe this is mentioned, but I believe Kurt Cobain played an aluminum guitar on in Utero, in fact I just Googled it, It was Steve Alibini's Valeno aluminum guitar. From Music Radar: "Buying one now is difficult. John Veleno was a pioneer of aluminum guitars and only produced around 195-200 'original run' examples in the second half of the '70s with prices that can go far north of $20,000 on the vintage market. Why aluminum? It was the material he understood the best. Veleno’s day job in the late '60s was in St. Petersburg, Florida building aluminum electrical housings for NASA space shuttles. Veleno was also a guitarist who gave lessons and brought an engineer and player mindset to his designs."

[@flips220]

I've never played an aluminum guitar, but I was completely put off on the idea solely based on this dude on reddit who wouldn't stop spamming his aluminum guitar necks a couple years ago. I never claimed to be a rational person.

[@BLBlackDragon]

Love the honest review. You made sure to separate your personal preferences from the technical aspects, and I respect that. (It's why I keep coming back to your channel)

[@djTachi]

Surprised this wasn't sponsored.. I'm sure they'd be thrilled to hear their guitar is cold, sticky and tinny sounding Marketing gold 🤑

[@ibalrog]

To me, the big thing about aluminum is the stability that comes with not being made of wood. As for the feel, there's a reason Kramer put wood veneers along the back of their aluminum necks for a while.

[@autiebleSam]

2:15 Hollow aluminum probably cuts down substantially on cost, too. Solid CNC aluminum is a lot more expensive the a few welded molds.

[@vorpalblades]

It's still forged aluminum, not cast.

[@PhatLvis]

There can be a substantial difference in tone from a normal guitar. An aluminum guitar like a Veleno, such as the one Steve Albini just sold for a fortune from the In Utero sessions, actually has a quite unique and cool sound - as heard on songs like Very Ape.

[@PhatLvis]

Also, kudos to Shull for saying "aesthetic" properly, with a soft "th," rather than uh-STET-ic (as though spoken with a Brooklyn accent), as has become a common error due to the KZbin Feedback Loop.

[@ThomasGilmore-fi6gb]

I had a Travis Bean for 14 years. I was never able to gig with it effectively because of the speed that aluminum exchanges heat. It would warm up while I was tuning and playing. When I was on break (especially if the AC was on) the neck cooled and contracted enough to make the strings more slack and so very flat, so I re tuned it. As it warmed it expanded and became sharp and had to be tuned again. Tuning on stage over and over was too much to put up with and there was nothing spectacular about the sound so it had to go. Telecaster works for me now and I know that getting a certain special guitar will never make me to play any better.

[@tamg212]

Rhett, I am mostly an acoustic player and recently bought a carbon fiber guitar made by Emerald. Great sound and feel -- but completely different than my good wood guitars. I don't like it as much, per se, but it fits a niche -- namely playing outdoors or in extreme weather conditions (hot, cold, wet, dry, any altitude, etc.). You can appreciate different guitars for what they are. Comparing the Aluminati to a Les Paul is silly -- apples and oranges (apples and Chevrolets?). I am curious about one thing though -- I bet it stays in really good tune as does my Emerald. Aluminum and Lucite will not expand and contract like wood will. Probably great for playing outdoor venues. Just a thought.

[@theosmit6366]

Aluminum has about double the coefficient of thermal expansion of carbon steel. So you could still expect the tune to change over large temperature swings, but it's going to be really predictable since humidity won't come into play.

[@soundssimple1]

Is there something wrong in isolating the pickups from the rest of the guitar? Isn't it the pickup that gives the guitar the core tone of the guitar ? ie single, toaster, P90, humbucker etc ? If you are correct with this then would this guitar be a neutral 'model' guitar to test pickups against each other without the body/neck material interfering ? You could have discovered something here ?

[@mvsr990]

I got an Aluminati neck at the start of the pandemic and then found the world's lightest Peavey T-60 - with the aluminum neck mounted it was about 7.5 pounds. I had so many doom metal fantasies. Tragically, I absolutely hated the ergonomics of the T-60, I could never get used to it after playing nothing but Fender offsets for several years. Wound up selling it for enough to break even, one day I'd really like to try an Aluminati neck on a Jazzmaster body.

[@jazzblasterrr]

Stainless steel frets alone make a guitar have more attack and a metallic sound. I've noticed an aluminum pickguard ads some bright reflections as well. This particular guitar is the perfect storm of brightness. Sounds like playing guitar in a glass room.

[@SEGREDOSPROIBIDOS1]

Brutally honest review but that’s how you operate and the company knew the risk. I’m sure there’ll be people interested in the design. Not my cuppa tea though.

[@SuperKazmierski]

Art is always evolving. Some people still paint with horse hair brushes, while others paint using cutting edge technology. The keys with a musical instrument is 1. will it play the same note consistently over time. 2. does it help or harm the creative process. Everything else is just bonus stuff that doesn't really matter.

[@johnhmaloney]

They sound very different, but I wouldn't say that the Orion sounds metallic. To me, it just sounds like a modern guitar with bright pickups that are designed for high gain. Although, I think it sounds great clean too. I'm glad that you pointed out the similarity to the EBMM St. Vincent model. I'm sure that the Orion's shape is legally distinct, but it's clear what they were going for.

[@steveh2o]

I have an old 70s Applause with an aluminum neck. It originally has some sort of hard foam rubber around the back. The headstock was broken off and I grafted in a wooden one and replaced the foam with wood. It's mostly a conversation piece but will play. Doesn't sound horrible but the frets are well worn and molded onto the aluminum. Not much room to dress them more.

[@joellovejoy8876]

By brother Has an aluminum neck Kramer We love the guitar but it likes a stable ambient temps. We love playing out doors but not the guitar to use on cool days . It is a straight fast neck for sure though..

[@ahoneyman]

Played a Modulus graphite bass. It feels kinda funky at first but you get used to it. According to the owner he's never touched yhe truss rod and the frets never sprout no matter how cold or dry it gets.

[@mikeatl4953]

The only “aluminum guitar” I can recall hearing was Jerry Garcia’s Travis Bean. He played some amazing solos on that guitar, but if I recall, it was only the neck that was aluminum. The body and the finger board were mahogany and rosewood respectively.

[@DreidMusicalX]

In the 80's? I have two guitars with brass saddles and brass nuts. And yes it does have an impact on the way the string resonate on the guitar. Brass kinda settle the highs down a bit. A steel ashtray bridge will give a guitar a different twang like Tele, the brass saddles tame it a bit. Toss in some cheap steel saddles instead and you will see what I mean. Same way when a top loaded string on the bridge, from a body loaded string thru. String through the body will make it a warmer resonance.

[@CaptHiltz]

I put car seat belt pads around a few of my guitar straps that I use for my heavier guitars and position them so they are on top on my shoulder. It helps quit a bit.

[@NathanSidF]

I feel like the higher density the material of the guitar is, the less 'frequencies get absorbed'. Like you said that it sounds like you're just hearing the pickups? Wood might kinda act like a sponge in comparison te metal and other denser materials. If you really want to hear the difference you've got to try an Obstructures, EGC or Travis bean. Those guitars have the bridges mount on the same piece of metal as the neck (kind of neck through, but with a body bolt on). I feel like such instruments highlight the resonance of an aluminium guitar. If I would be describing the sound. It's like a jazzmaster on steroids. Presence and highs for days. I really like how you can start with such an instrument, use thick fuzz and have the guitar still cut through the gains.

[@RobDogzInc]

Tones for both guitars: Aluminum at 4:05 Les Paul at 9:04

[@bobbg9041]

Carbon fiber hollow body and neck Tuned to 44 cycles. With those pickups and tilt pitch bend.

[@jmeakin4]

Perhaps from hearing the video through smartphone speakers, but the aluminum-necked guitar didn't sound warm at all despite its humbuckers. Its metal/composite construction may cause its pups to sound closer to P90s, but without hum. Contrasted with a LP Special or even a Strat may have been a closer A-B comparison.

[@florisbackx1744]

7:40 I think you are not so much as hearing with your eyes but with you hands. We often 'hear' through how the guitar actually resonates in our hand and our body as it rests against it. I have a few guitars that feel like the sound amazing especially when it's not even plugged in, however when I objectively listen back to recorded sounds the perceived difference is just not there. I wouldn't say it sound metallic, I thing pristine and articulate would be more what it sounds like to me.

[@nikolasmatviko4700]

I had an EGC a few years ago - hands down the absolute worst playing/feeling guitar I’ve ever played, IMO. I hated it. But some people LOVE them…. I sold it in about 2 hours.

[@timmiller1]

I would make it out of stainless steel - it would be less thermally conductive, smoother feeling, and you could make it out of like 20ga welded construction so it could be quite light I think. I also think it would have less expansion/contraction as temp changes.

[@barrycreed9886]

Danelectro guitars have brass nuts, or metal nuts in any case. I put a brass nut on an Epiphone EB0 bass which made a BIG difference for the better.

[@guydouglas6094]

The LP sounds warmer and more even in tone - the Aluminati sounds spikey and maybe a tad harsher. The frets are stainless steel as confirmed from website. I wonder how it will fair with hand sweat on the aluminium and (stainless) steel frets for corrosion. Stainless steel is not infallible. Wow, the guitars are expensive $$$$$$$. Good video Rhett. I think the Aluminati might be good for slide(?) like a resonator (metal) acoustic(?)

[@allyourbasearebelongtous2191]

There is one creator that has shown just how cool the tone of a FULLY aluminum guitar is. Not just the neck. It ACTUALLY makes an effect on the actual tone. That person is Aaron Rash. Get there and watch a bunch of his videos. Really shows how much the tone changes. It's all about getting the tone of In-Utero. One of the best channels on YT imo. Aaron Rash. Jim Lill. Living Room Gear Demos. The Pedal Zone. Cyberattack.

[@Scoots1994]

The aluminum and composite based guitars I've played have all sounded more harsh at the start of the note.

[@gringogreen4719]

Another note. Danelectros typically have aluminum nuts. I had an aluminum nut blank made for my main Tele in my pic.

[@dw7704]

My problem with aluminum necks ( based on playing them), they feel cold or hot, if you have one on a stage with bright lights, or outside on a hot day, or any hot setting- it gets uncomfortable If it’s room temp or colder, they feel quite cold

[@StarQueenEstrella]

You’re correct in saying that the use of aluminum for guitar necks did come about in the 1970s. Gary Kramer of Kramer Guitars was one of the first who had the idea, and even made a bass for Gene Simmons that had an aluminum neck. Steel has also been used for making guitar bodies, like the James Trussart guitars Ron Wood plays with The Rolling Stones.

[@roberthenry6910]

Wandre was doing metal necked guitars in the mid 50s to late 60s even

[@StarQueenEstrella]

@@roberthenry6910 on a mass-market level?

[@roberthenry6910]

@@StarQueenEstrella I believe on some level. Just take a look at any Wandre, but specifically the Cobra. Really neat guitars!

[@mr.timebombman2230]

I would buy that guitar. Love the clean tone of it. I would possibly change the pickups and tailor it to my taste, but that does not sound bad to me.

[@TheGuitarBling]

I used to work at a pretty big independent guitar shop for the city I live in and after working there for several years, I started saying, "Tone is in the eyes." That being said, my eyes tell me the Les Paul sounds better.

[@olaf2170]

One of my favorite artist John Dwyer plays an acrylic body with aluminum neck from the guitar company. I think its incase a stage hand gets a little too rowdy and he needs to smack them around

[@brianbrazil4426]

Playing a metal neck wouldn't be practical. During outdoor events in some areas of the country during the winter the neck will be very cold and in others in the summer it will be hot to hold. If it's in a controlled environment it might be okay as long as it's allowed to warm up or cool down to be able to play. It could be heavy too. Especially the weight of the neck you have the neck dive problem. Travis Bean made the first ones in the mid 1970s. They were heavy and people that used them complained about not being able to play them on stage for very long without experiencing neck, shoulder and back pain.

[@michelleneeds4165]

Kurt Cobain used an aluminium guitar for some parts of recording In Utero. There is a channel on here where the guy proper chases all those tones in a lot of detail and ended up producing some of these guitars to buy. The originals are super rare and worth a fortune.

[@blandoon]

It's funny you mention brass nuts and brass saddles... I have an Ovation UK2 electric from around 1980 that is actually a plastic/urethane foam body over an aluminum frame, and it also has a brass nut and huge heavy brass saddles. But it has a wood neck and otherwise looks pretty normal, so it kind of is the opposite of the Aluminati. I think people back then thought the heavy brass would improve sustain?

[@AstralSelfService]

The first ever aluminium neck guitar was made in Italy by Wandre Pioli, in the late 50's :-) i'm 100% sure about that. Have a look at Wandre guitars, these are considered like museum pieces nowadays.

[@whodom]

I thought aluminum neck guitars were a cool idea. I still think the Travis Bean guitars are some of the best looking solid body instruments around. Then I owned one. My first decent bass was a Kramer Duke headless bass with an aluminum neck. As long as you were playing in an air conditioned environment, it was fine. Then we played a fall gig outside where the temp dropped into the 50’s. I’d have to re-tune after every song and my fretting hand was freezing. Even in an air conditioned space, a few degrees of temperature change would throw it out of tune. Lesson learned. I’ll stick with wooden necks.

[@richypederson4019]

I've got a question, could this guitar potentially be used as like a modern take on a Resonator type sound and used for slide? To my ear, that might make use of an aspect that might otherwise be a turn off? I'm not crazy about resonators, but they very much have their place.

[@LMacNeill]

The aluminum one sounds almost like a Dobro, IMHO. It's not at all *bad,* per se, it's just different. Kind of a neat sound, which I could see being useful in some styles of music, perhaps. I could totally see someone adding it to their collection, just to have something interesting and quirky, as long as it wasn't stupid expensive. Given a choice between the Les Paul and the Aluminati, obviously I'd take the Les Paul, but that's not to say the Aluminati doesn't have its place somewhere.

[@dougc84]

Now I know there's more to the tone than just pickups - wiring, pots, string gauges, scale length, materials (brass vs. bone nuts, etc.), all that - but you hit a 12th fret G on the aluminum guitar and it sounded incredibly resonant. Almost like its construction lended to a 800-850hz peak or boost. The LP, on the other hand, didn't have that. It had a very similar low end, but less of a peak. I dunno if that's the brass saddles and nut, the aluminum guitar, or even the damn pickup height being different, but it was pretty obvious to me.

[@vorpalblades]

It's all that wood absorbing vibrations.

[@davidjairala69]

I'm not sure what the scale length is on the aluminum guitar, but that's gonna affect the tone compared to the LP, as well as the fact that the strings are new

[@HeretekNC]

I actually live about a mile or two from Alluminati, The people there make some amazing stuff that I've had the pleasure of trying out in some local music shops here in Asheville, but at the end of the day, I don't really make the money to really justify buying one of these (extremely nice) guitars or basses.

[@weschilton]

I get what you mean when you say that the pickups sound isolated from the guitar... I think that its that the harmonics from an aluminum neck and a plastic body are going to be so different and I bet VERY subdued compared to wood. Maybe even nonexistent.

[@GearStuffandThings]

Isn’t the bridge an Aluminati as well? You can buy those from them separately

[@timelwell7002]

In the past I've played a Travis Bean guitar, which had an aluminium neck, but TBH it didn't 'grab' me. I guess I'd have try one of these 'Aluminati Orion' guitars for myself to know for sure whether it could be an inspiring instrument to play. Actually the impression I have of acoustic guitars made from Carbon Fibre is quite positive, though again, I haven't actually played one to know for sure if they might 'speak' to me. I presume Lucite is similar to Carbon Fibre, with similar acoustic properties - so I'd certainly keep a very open mind as to how desirable this guitar might or might not turn out to be. But the thing is, any kind of metal will be at a similar temperature to the ambient temperature. So if the guitar has been outside on a freezing cold day, the neck be be just as cold - not nice. Equally, if the guitar were to be left in, say, a hot car on a baking hot Summer's day, the neck could burn your hand. Neither scenario is desirable... As a UK citizen, and a speaker of the King's English, I would say the correct spelling is as follows: A-L-U-M-I-N-I-U-M. Note that there are two 'I's. But hey, this is just a bit of fun - we all now what this is. To quote from Shakespear - 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'

[@LonePigsyAndCub]

Jerry Garcia said his aluminum neck on his Travis Bean would heat up under the stage lights. Not a big issue for me ha ha - but maybe someone could test it.

[@iwishiknew10]

the look, feel, response, even the smell will impact how you want to play the guitar. it is a tool. i am not a good player, but when i pick up certain guitars, i just feel like i play better. the neck, the feel, all the different things. someone could pick up the hybrid guitar and unlock something in a player that could not be found even in the most tried and true guitar cant'

[@rowbags3017]

I'll plead guilty now - I haven't tried an aluminium guitar (or aluminium neck, at least) since the '70s. Our local music shop had a Kramer - huge credit to the owner for even getting one in a small shop on the Isle of Wight! - but none of us could "warm" to it. Warm being the operative word - despite all the talk about "all the session players in America use these", that neck was horribly cold. That Kramer sat on the wall unloved for years. I wish I'd bought it now - it would have been a good investment. 😉

[@drvon81]

You missed the chance for some In Utero tones. Kurt used an aluminum guitar all over that album.

[@danmc_2783]

I reckon I get what you said about the sound being all about the pickups and not the body of the guitar. To me it almost sounded like it had active pickups, that are trying to sound like Alnico PAFs like a Fishman or something

[@vminator]

The LP sounds a little more scooped in the mids. The "Aliminium" guitar is very mid-forward. The LP also sounds a bit more airy to me, not saying the aluminum isn't bright but not in the same way as the LP.

[@verycrankyperson]

How well will an aluminum neck guitar stay in tune? As compared to all wood.

[@toddbigeasy]

Back in the 70's and 80's I had an aluminum neck guitar, a Travis Bean. My good friend has it now. wish I would have kept it, they are online for sale really pricey!

[@TheMytherian]

I’d love to see you check out a Strandberg salen and see how you find something like that with your back pain and it’s modern approach to classic sounds

[@ziggyu3667]

Hey Rhett what do you think of a really well set up Fender Meteora?