Neck Binding - Yay or Nay?

[Gas Hed]

I'm not sure what to make of neck binding. Is it purely decorative or is there a functional reason? Take a Les Paul as an example. Majority have neck binding, but the more I look at it, in my opinion the plastic can make it look cheap. Thoughts?

 

[Eireguitar]

I think it looks classy. And I think instruments without it look practical and functional. So it's a yay on both counts from me.

 

[budg]

It depends. I come from mostly Fenders , but also have an SG , 335 and a Martin that have binding . I also have a LP without it, so it’s not a dealbreaker. I don’t think it looks cheap, but I also don’t feel it adds anything to playability either. A good fret job and having binding won’t matter.

 

[doublescale1]

Binding on the neck is not even on my list of must have's for purchase consideration, I suppose I buy with my ears. PRS does not use it much, I have a Tribute and a Studio LP that have no binding, used to have an R9 that did, but I never really bonded with, it was nice but it wasn't a life-changing guitar so I sold it to someone who could not live without it - i just go for how the neck feels when I play it - don't really look at it much once I'm playing - now if you could buy a guitar with your name inlayed in the neck... maybe you should add a Meh category to the poll above. With a highly figured top, the binding kind of gets lost anyway in the total visual package. It's a nice to have, not a need to have.

 

[specialidiot]

I prefer not to have it, to me it's just bling. I also feel like the extra set of lines in parallel with the strings makes things busy looking.

 

[harleytech]

I prefer to have it !

 

[sunking101]

It depends on the guitar. IMO Strats and Teles look better without it, Gibsons look better with it. It can look cheap and plasticcy, it can look luxurious and premium. It depends on the guitar, depends on the binding and it depends on the skill of the person applying/scraping etc.

If fret sprouting occurs and come refret time you'd rather not have it...

 

[nelamvr6]

IMHO some guitars look naked without it, but others I don't even notice it's not there. I love Strats, especially maple necked Strats, and as far as I know they've never had binding. But to me a Les Paul looks much better with binding.

So I voted yay, but it's not necessarily a deal breaker for me. Depends on a lot of variables.

But I've never seen binding and thought it looked cheap.

 

[iskash]

Doesn’t really matter to me. Unless you pay extra, they will be removed during a refret anyway.

 

[sunking101]

Doesn’t really matter to me. Unless you pay extra, they will be removed during a refret anyway.

That's nibs.

 

[Benz2112]

It looks great on some instruments, but it doesn't do much for me. I don't have a single guitar with neck binding, and I don't have an electric with body binding.

 

[markmann]

It's nay for me but I prefer dots over birds too so.....

 

[Hugh Manitee]

Only if it goes over top of the fret ends AND if frets are stainless so that you don't lose the nibbing.

It depends a lot on how well finished and dressed the frets/fretboard is. You look at a guitar like a Collings, and the edge of the fretboard and frets are so consistently and smoothly levelled and finished. I would hate to cover that workmanship up.

 

[ripgtr]

as far as I know they've never had binding

I've never seen one in person that I recall, but in the mid 60s, fender did put binding on some strat necks. Probably around the time they added binding to the Jazzmaster, 65 or 66 maybe?

I looks "odd".

 

[Chippertheripper]

Totally depends on the guitar for me.
do I want it on a tele? No.
Do I want it on a sunburst 335 with dot inlays? Absolutely.

 

[iskash]

That's nibs.

Thanks, I won’t post before 9 anymore.

 

[rmconner80]

I love binding: teles, Gretsch, Gibson, acoustics. Neck too on set neck guitars. On an electric guitar I like the fret tangs undercut and laying the fret over the binding however, to get the full width of the playing surface. (Aka I am anti-nib)

 

[GreenKnight18]

I gravitate towards guitars with binding (and block fretboard inlays). The only time necks with binding look a little odd to me is on Strats. I prefer Jazzmasters and Jaguars with B&B necks, Martins, Les Pauls, and whatever else.

 

[JeffK]

I don't think about it much. I suppose it would look strange (with or without) depending on the guitar, but I don't think about it when I'm GASing on something.

 

[nelamvr6]

I've never seen one in person that I recall, but in the mid 60s, fender did put binding on some strat necks. Probably around the time they added binding to the Jazzmaster, 65 or 66 maybe?

I looks "odd".

Yeah, they may have made some bound rosewood fretboard necks, I was referring specifically to maple necks. I think binding would probably look odd on a maple neck, but who knows? Maybe I'd like it. I've yet to see a maple bound neck...