DIY Counter-Weight For Neck Heavy Guitar

Thanks to Si's recent post I was prompted to finally get my arse in gear and get this long overdue little project done.

I have two guitars which suffer from neck dive, a condition which is very distracting when playing while standing. If you have this condition then you know the constant fight that goes on trying to simultaneously play and keep the neck up.

Some time ago I bought a cheap (of course) hard cover camera pouch with the thought of using it...somehow...as a counter weight.





I finally figured it out a (cheap) way to do it.

First a trip to the local Dollar Store, the shrine for all the Cheep Bastids of the world, where I went looking for something to use as a fastener and something to use for the actual weight. I came up with these:

Not bad, I thought, about $3 with tax.
Sadly though the cheap hook and loop proved not to be very strong. The hooks were fine but the loops were too flat to make a reliable connection. OK for plants but not a heavy weight.

I looked in my junk box and found a spare cable strap. Perfect!


Next, the glass balls.
There were too many to fit, so out came about 25% of them.


OK, now we're talkin'


Fastening it to the guitar strap was a breeze, and it doesn't look too awful. Most folks would assume it's a wireless transmitter methinks.


My first thought was to use steel BB "ammo" for a BB gun, which might be easier to pack and possibly heavier, but it's about three times the price.
And if I ever get bored, I can open the case and play marbles. At least I can't be accused of losing mine!

But does it work?! I can't imagine those glass marbles are all that heavy, eh!! At least you can alter the balance really easily...

My VS696-12 is headstock heavy but so far, I've found that a 1960s 3" wide strap holds it about right - the contact patch across my shoulder must be enough to stop it dropping; that said, I've never had to wear it for any length of time and most stuff I do with it now is seated...

The "glass balls" (marbles actually) are surprisingly hefty. At least the full bag is. By removing the amount that I had to, it reduced the effectiveness a bit. It could have benefited from the entire lot. But at least I have proof of concept eh?

And yes, it does make a noticeable difference. I might just check out the BB's or possibly the SCUBA diving weight. There's a Diving Store not far from me and they sell neat little nylon bags of lead shot from 1-5 lb. as well as flat weights which may fit the case better

You could need a  snorkel.... ...burp!

You mean, I'm over my head?

I placed a small plastic bag of lead fishing weights in the control cavity.

I put just enough lead shot weights to balance it. Don't hurt anything and because I used very small fishing round weights they conform to whatever room is available throughout the cavity. The bag insulates the lead from interfering with the electronics. Work well.

I like the idea (I think) of lead weights, barring any chance of madness induction!

But I do not like the idea of introducing metal inside the control cavity, let alone trusting a plastic bag for "insulation.

need one of those heavy weight baggy. Mine has worked perfect and you can regulate the amount of lead shot. Really works well. I think you would use any non-conducting flex out shell. The smaller the lead shot pieces the better. They conform better around the electronics. Mine has worked fine for a while now. If it shorts nothing will be harmed just unplug the guitar and take it out.