Neck Heavy Instruments

Boy, there's nothing more distracting than having to hold your guitar/bass neck up while playing!
I have now 24 beautiful guitars, half of which are Mats. And at least 3 are "neck heavy" and drive me to distraction.

Awhile back in a post over in the Mats forum I was lamenting the fact that my Vantage VE550, although a beautiful playing guitar, was neck heavy and tended to nose dive when played while standing. Slo-hand offered a nice (read "cheap" solution ) involving weights in a bag: http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5876#p35445
I still haven't gotten around to stealing that idea, but it's on my "Cheap Bastid" list of guitar things to do.

Meanwhile, I noticed a small ad in the current issue of Guitar Player magazine (I treated myself to an issue) for a product called Heads Up Strap: http://www.headsupstrap.com/index.html Which appears to take Slo's idea and turn it into a rather elegant solution using lead(!) weights.
It's a pricey solution though, particularly if you need more than one! But it might be just what the Doctor ordered to cure the dreaded neckus droopus.

Or... you could just harden up!!! Aren't you supposed to have a hand on the neck? I've never really had a problem with neck dive, although I did notice that the basses I played did tend to fall away a little , as did my VA900 but I am SO used to playing it - 25+ years - that I just don't notice it anymore....

And I believe you can play around with the strap button positions to alleviate the problem somewhat...

Hook the strap on one of the machine head knobs, you wont have to modify the guitar or carry extra weight and it will give a new interesting random variation to what youre playing.

Grogg wrote

Hook the strap on one of the machine head knobs, you wont have to modify the guitar or carry extra weight and it will give a new interesting random variation to what youre playing.

Ha, that would sound awesome, and it's cheaper than a B-bender. Clarence White wasted years perfecting them!

Seriously though, have you tried a wide guitar strap. I use straps made by DSL and Levy's that are suede backed and 3" wide, these tend to stay put on your shoulder unlike the nylon stuff. I've got a Hohner 12 string Tele that's stupidly neck heavy (12 tuners, double truss rod!), feels much better on the wider suede strap.

DAN.

corsair wrote:Or... you could just harden up!!! Aren't you supposed to have a hand on the neck? I've never really had a problem with neck dive, although I did notice that the basses I played did tend to fall away a little , as did my VA900 but I am SO used to playing it - 25+ years - that I just don't notice it anymore....
And I believe you can play around with the strap button positions to alleviate the problem somewhat...

"Harden up"? That hasn't happened since 1907! Seriously.

But hey, my krusty lil Kiwi, that's the problem...sure, you have a hand on the neck, but you shouldn't have to be lifting the damn thing at the same time yer trying to chord, eh? The Vantage VE550 is a real pain that way, major nose drive! The Parker Hornet also droops, as well as one of my Ovations with a 5 piece maple neck. I don't think any of the Westies are afflicted this way...they were very well designed. (Thanks Tom!)

Moving the button around isn't always an option either, and as for attaching to a machine head?!
I invoke the John McEnroe clause..."You can't be serious!"

DuoFuzz wrote:...have you tried a wide guitar strap. I use straps made by DSL and Levy's that are suede backed and 3" wide, these tend to stay put on your shoulder unlike the nylon stuff...

Yep. That can help Dan, but the shirt on my back still creeps over my shoulder and ends up in my belly button!

Go topless, back hair sometimes helps with grip issues!

DAN.

Um, I don't think anyone wants to see me topless anymore!

Stitch your shirt to your pants.

Barry, what you need is a spandex catsuit!

DAN.

See all the help these people are giving freely, Barry; what a great mob they are!!

Oh sure it's fun, until somebody cracks a knee cap from rapidly descending maple!
I'm touched by your sympathetic outpouring (sniff).
I go now in search of a velcro case/bag at the dollar store.
May the Crown Royal be with you my sons. (makes the sign of the Cross)

Duct tape. It'll fix most anything.

Have your wife/mistress/ girlfriend or just a hot mama from the crowed help you lift that big boy....

P.

Seriously, heavy weights in the back of a control cavity may help. Try and fix them firmly in place as far towards the rearmost part of the cavity. SG players have been doing this for years.

Plus the old trick of having the strap going over the front of the guitar from the rear strap button can help.

I played in a band with a bass player in the 1980s who had a Westone Thunder fretless bass, a seriously head heavy thing. What we did (which is sacriligious now I suppose) is get a 8" heavy duty coach bolt, drilled a hole in the end of the front horn, and using this with the strap attached and a load of black gaffa tape, "constructed" an elongated top horn, so that the thing balanced

Interestingly, I own a Squier Strat which is left handed. I have strung it righty and play it upside down. It is a bit neck heavy, which makes you think that for much of his playing Hendrix would have had to cope with a headstock heavy instrument. Didnt stop him from doing much....!