On an electric guitar, the body is usually composed of one or more pieces of solid wood, most commonly Alder, Ash, Maple or Mahogany. The most common combination for this type of construction is maple layered on mahogany.
The main advantages of this are taking advantage of the attractive grain which maple often has, and combining the bright, powerful sound of maple with the rich, warm sound of mahogany. Other wood combinations can be used to take advantage of different looks, sounds and weights. Necks can be carved from a single piece of wood, or from several pieces joined together for added strength and rigidity.
Although primarily a playability issue, the shape of a neck also affects its overall mass, which has an effect on tone β more mass means a fatter, thicker tone. Along with the design of the neck itself, the method of joining the neck to the body greatly affects the tone and character of an electric guitar. This type of construction is the most common for electric guitars.
The neck is simply bolted onto the body. This design is relatively easy to build, gives a clear, punchy tone, and is easily repaired if a guitar is damaged. The neck is glued into a groove or slot on the body. This method of building a guitar is slower and harder, so is more expensive. This design offers a more pronounced mid-range and bass. This type of neck extends from the headstock through the end of the body. Each side of the body is glued to an opposite side of the neck, like wings attached to an airplane fuselage.
Neck through body construction creates an extremely strong instrument capable of excellent sustain with a deep, thick sound. Replacing a damaged neck is impossible. Combined with the cost, this makes neck through body electric guitars relatively rare. When you play a guitar, you feel the wooden fingerboard and the metal frets inlaid into it more than any other part of the instrument.
