strap advice for a neck-diving short-scale...

ishouldbeking · #1 02-20-2008, 03:39 PM

I just got a '73 Guild JS-2, and I really like the bass so far. However, with these kinds of short-scale designs (very similar to Gibson EB3 / SG bass), they're naturally very prone to neck dive. Mine, being one of the lightest basses I've ever had the pleasure to play (7 lbs exactly!), is practically suicidal... it dives for the floor as soon as you let go of the neck.

No big deal, I knew what to expect when I bought the bass, but I misjudged and ordered myself a strap from sweetwater that isn't helping me at all. It isn't wide enough (only 2"), the leather backing is too slick, and it isn't long enough for my liking. I guess I tend to sling my basses fairly low, not SUPER low, but low enough to play comfortable pick-style.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a strap that won't slip, is decently wide, and is long enough to play somewhat low without costing a fortune (no Moody's, thank you)? Thinking: under $50. I'm not averse to nylon, neoprene or other non-leather materials so long as it doesn't look completely geeky.

The Golden Boy · #2 02-20-2008, 09:40 PM

My 71 EB-0 has a severe neck dive.

It's not necessarily the short scale thing, it's the lightweight body. Back then, they didn't have these "lightweight" tuning pegs- Which I can only imagine magnifies the neck diver properties with a regular scale instrument.

As the Guild is a "vintage" bass- relocating the strap button isn't much of an option (unless the bass is a basket case). As mine was and is a basket case, I moved the strap button behind the upper horn. You don't need to spend a lot of money on a strap that has a suede type (or rough leather) backing. Nylon will be much worse than slick leather.

Choosh · #3 02-20-2008, 11:46 PM

I have a cotton fender one. http://www.fender.com/products//sear...tno=0990672004. It's 2" wide, but it reaches really low. If you don't like the patch (I thought I would, but I didn't) you can always take a knife and cut the threads holding it there. It feels rather solid, and I really like mine. I have one in green to match my Walnut Satin Squire Standard Jazz Bass.

ishouldbeking · #4 02-21-2008, 11:02 AM

What about Comfort Strapp's? I hear the name tossed around a lot on here, but I'm wondering if they're slippery or "grippy" on the shoulder? Either way the the width of the strap and the padding looks enticing.

Bhuti · #5 02-21-2008, 11:20 AM

As opposed to a strap change, how about a posture/position change?

If your bass is slung low, you'll get neck dive because inertia is then applied to your neck and allowing it to move. The closer it is to your chest, the less of this you should experience. Also if that doesn't work, moving the location of the rear strap button should work too.

I play a 35 scale pretty high, and this alone should cause neck dive, but the locations of the straps make it very well balanced. Just an alternative theory.

ishouldbeking · #6 02-21-2008, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bhuti

As opposed to a strap change, how about a posture/position change?

If your bass is slung low, you'll get neck dive because inertia is then applied to your neck and allowing it to move. The closer it is to your chest, the less of this you should experience. Also if that doesn't work, moving the location of the rear strap button should work too.

I play a 35 scale pretty high, and this alone should cause neck dive, but the locations of the straps make it very well balanced. Just an alternative theory.

Yeah, that's another thing I'm gonna need to experiment with. This is my first non-fender shaped bass (I've got a MIM Jazz, SX P, and a stingray), and I bought it on a whim, with the main intention of getting something completely new and very different from what I'm used to. Last night at practice I had a ball playing it, though the different shape, narrower string spacing, shorter-scale, and totally different sounding pups took some getting used to. My strap is just the wrong match... it's too narrow, too stiff, and not long enough or adjustable enough for me to experiment with, and the padded portion of the strap falls in the wrong place. I'm gonna keep it though, since it'll work great on some of my guitars.

Since my Guild is already pretty banged up, i think i'll add a strap button to the extra horn.

EDIT: I realize the above sentence didn't quite make sense: I'm gonna add an extra strap button to the upper horn. Actually, there was an extra strap button in the hardcase when it arrived; I imagine the previous owner had the same idea but never got around to it.