Neck Dive?

Whitey · #1 10-23-2002, 09:27 AM

Can someone please tell me what "Neck Dive" is?

Sanctum · #2 10-23-2002, 09:31 AM

Say on an Explorer bass, if you're holding the bass by the neck, then let go, it "dives" towards the floor. Neck is heavier than the body, or the design of the body doesnt allow for proper balance.

I use the Explorer body as an example because it has some of the most severe dive, but other basses do it as well.

dudemeister · #3 10-23-2002, 09:45 AM

Other good examples are the Warwick Tumb Bass and my weird <a href="http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63231&highlight=washbur n+unknown">Washburn</a>.
Something that seems common to these basses are short upper horns.

pmkelly · #4 10-23-2002, 09:48 AM

I had an Epiphone Thunderbird that I really liked, but I ended up getting rid of it because of the neck dive... drove me nuts!

P@

Sanctum · #5 10-23-2002, 09:50 AM

You can buy different guitar straps that will negate some neck dive - I believe someone said the "comfort strap" will help, its made of like neoprene and wont really allow any sliding. There are also those harness type straps, but I wouldn't be caught dead wearing one of those

The key to neck dive - never stop playing!

godoze · #6 10-23-2002, 11:16 AM

i must be getting old; we call that a bass that is not well balanced.

alembicbones · #7 10-23-2002, 11:45 AM

Try an Alembic Series bass.

That's neck dive.

Bones

fat-bottom · #8 10-25-2002, 06:38 AM

Absolute worst I've ever seen.............BC Rich Mockingbird and Warlock. Just unplayable basses. I also don't like Fender American Jazz or P with alder body and those stock cheap enclosed heavy tuners. Get ready to lift that neck all night.

TheLarch · #9 10-25-2002, 09:50 AM

I have a G&L ASAT which is also prone to neck dive due to the Telecaster-style body which has a short upper horn. I was able to solve this issue(with some help from the good folks at the G&L Forum at the Dudepit) by attaching the strap button through one of the neck plate mounting screws. I had to use a standard strap button rather than my Schaller strap-locks due to the width of the screw, but it is totally secure and I now have the proper angle for me (I play very Bill Wyman-like).

Of couse if you have a neck-through body, be prepared to do a little drilling.

marc40a · #10 10-25-2002, 12:19 PM

Personally, I find neck dive intolerable.

Gigging a full night's worth of music (3-5 sets) w/ a neck heavy bass wreaks havoc w/ my back and shoulders. I wake up the next morning feeling like I'm 75 years old. One or two sets is ok.

At the end of the day, I'm a player not a collector. Over the years I've either modified, or have gotten rid of any basses that put constraints on my playing.

Brad Johnson · #11 10-25-2002, 07:28 PM

Get a good strap and you can eliminate neck dive. You don't have to limit yourself to the parachute rigging variety, the Levy wide leather straps and the Zon leather strap both hold basses in place.

Simple.

dls59 · #12 10-25-2002, 10:24 PM

You haven't seen neck dive until you've had a Kramer with an aluminum neck. Straight to the floor. I minimized it by moving the upper horn strap button to the heal of the bass and the button on the butt of the bass up about 2 to 3 inches. Got rid of allot of it.

marc40a · #13 10-25-2002, 11:29 PM

>>Get a good strap and you can eliminate neck dive. You don't have to limit yourself to the parachute rigging variety, the Levy wide leather straps and the Zon leather strap both hold basses in place<<

Yeah...been there.

A Levy's Padded 3 1/2" w/ suede on the inside...used it for about 3 years. It fixed the neck dive but the strap doesn't necessarily absorb the weight and balance the bass all by itself. I found that it distributes the weight more evenly from the middle of your back to the top of your shoulder, the balance improvement is from the strap being stationary and not sliding because it's coarse on one side.

Regardless, that downward pressure from neckdive still pulled at the strap and the muscles underneath it. The equation was apparent:The more nights I played and the longer the sets = The more my back ached.

I've owned a couple of comfort straps too, years ago but they didn't really do it for me - the foam was rough on the sides and would chafe my neck.

My solution these days is a well balanced bass with a 3 1/2" web strap on it 24 - 7 (gigs,practice, standing, sitting). I actually dig the web strap because it's moveable (I can shift it while playing to use different muscles while resting the others.) and it distributes the weight pretty well. I use the adjustable end for my shoulder because there's twice as much webbing.

Brad Johnson · #14 10-26-2002, 08:40 PM

My Levy is leather on both sides, the Zon is suede on the underside. I used the Levy with some pretty large and/or heavy basses like my Ash G&L and two sevens, a Surine and a Roscoe. End of the gig, no fatigue, no diving. I haven't had any fatigue or diving issues in years.

The Antipop · #15 10-26-2002, 08:50 PM

All I can say is that my spector is balanced extremely well.

My banez is bottom heavy which isnt as bad, but it can pop up fieldy style sometimes, which I hate

pyrohr · #16 10-26-2002, 08:51 PM

Ditto on the levy straps.

Brad Johnson · #17 10-26-2002, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Antipop
All I can say is that my spector is balanced extremely well.

My banez is bottom heavy which isnt as bad, but it can pop up fieldy style sometimes, which I hate

"My banez"... excellent typo. Maybe you can sell it to Ibanez

pedullaphile · #18 10-26-2002, 11:50 PM

Well my Thunderbolt has a relatively short upper horn and absolutely no neck dive. Nor does my Rapture or my MVP (all 5's).

It has more to do with paying attention to body weight and strap lock plavement than horn length would be my guess.