Big thick necks and neck dive on P basses

[NikkiVibes]

Hello Talkbass.

I've been shopping around for a P bass lately, I've really grown to dig the tone.

So I went to my one of my favorite music shops here in Tokyo and decided to try out some of the P basses to get a feel for what I'm after.

Last week I tried the Fender Player P bass and I quite liked it. It had the tone i was looking for.

Today I went in again and tried a number of basses with different neck sizes.
Initially i thought that i wouldn't like the baseball bat thick neck, but the more i play them the more comfortable they feel. I feel like theres a tonal difference at play somehow too.

Anyways, onto the basses. (All maple fretboards)
(In the order i tried them)
FGN (Fujigen) NPB, Precision Bass
- This bass was the lightest of all the 3. Super light body.
- Pickups are 62 style, they sounded great. My favorite sound out of the 3.
- Major NECK DIVE. This one, if you held the bass at the neck joint, it would start falling towards the floor. The neck on this one was HUGE, but really smooth and nice to play. But the light body combined with the big thick neck led to some huge dive.
(More on this at the end)
- More of a Modern tone

Fender MIJ Hybrid 50's Precision Bass
- A little tiny bit slimmer than the FGN,but really big thick neck, also very comfortable
- Tone was a little less.. Extreme? It had some good tones, but these are USA Vintage era pickups, that may be the reason.
- A little bit on the heavier side, with a little bit of neck dive. Wasnt nearly overall as bad as the FGN, much better balance.
- Vintage tone

Fender Player series Precision Bass
- Comfortable thinner back neck, little less to grab onto, felt a little more tighter
- Sound was comparable to the MIJ, just a little bit of a different profile (Possibly due to the newer Alnico style pickups)
- More affordable
- NO neck dive, really good balance.


Onto the reason I made this post, I'm looking for some advice on the neck dive. I play sitting down with a strap plugged into an audio interface regularly for practice at home, but standing into a bass amp when Jamming. It seems like the neck dive issue could be quite problematic sitting.
I'm in the market for a quality, nice P bass that I can keep for a long time. Current bass im playing feels a little cheap and now that Ive been playing instruments around the 1K price range its starting to become my standard.

Any advice on neck dive or neck size vs body weight and balance with P basses? Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[Watchootognbout]

It all depends on how you sit while playing with a strap.

Every one else wants to play off the right leg.(picture below)
This where they get neck dive while sittng.
The balance point is shifted back to the lower horn.
And you end up holding the neck up while fretting.

I sit like this.
I get no dive because the bass is supported by both legs and the horn is against my chest and the strap helps hold it up.

 

[NikkiVibes]

My current J bass has a slight amount of dive, and if i tighten the strap and let the horn sit up against my sternum it doesn't drop.
I tend to play with my left leg crossed over my right and the Bass sitting on my left leg.
Second way is "Classical" guitar like position, with the bass sitting in between my legs.

If the neck weighs a lot more than the body it may be able to work with proper positioning and leverage! Hmm...

I'm also concerned about overall longevity of good tone, the FGN had such a light body it seemed really odd...

 

[buldog5151bass]

I've been playing Fender and Fender style basses for over 35 years - and I prefer the P neck. But I've never had one that dives.

 

[garp]

Didn't realize that the MIM basses were available in Japan. My only suggestion would be to try an MIM with a wider nut than the Player P, such as the '50s Classic P (discontinued?) or the new Vintera '50s P, both of which have a 1.75" nut width. My '50s Classic P is the lightest of all the Fenders I own – no neck dive whatsoever.

 

[2saddleslab]

Our body shapes and how a bass is worn has much to do with the ergonomics. What works for some (or one) won’t work for others. I experience lots of neck dive because I wear my basses on my hip (6’4”) and prefer a neck aimed up. When sitting my right arm keeps the bass from diving.

Like you I love baseball bat sized necks, something to really hold on to. This 55 neck (on 51 body) is the biggest p bass neck I've played. The bass weighs 8 1/2 lbs and plays pretty balanced.

I have a bass with a skinny neck that dives like crazy due to super light body and Warmoth steel reinforcement rods.

 

[mongo2]

I use lighter basses with light tuners and maybe changes in strap button locations to eliminate neck dive when standing. I mostly sit now and when sitting all that helps but it's up to my right arm to prevent it.

 

[Bikeguy57]

3 1/2 inch Levi suede strap. Neck will stay wherever you want it.

 

[NikkiVibes]

MIM Fenders are available here, some stores have more than others.
Theres 2 lines available here that may not be elsewhere, which are the MIJ Traditional and MIJ Hybrids.
The hybrids come with USA hardware but the rest is made in Japan. <- I like these ones.

The MIJ traditionals come with rosewood boards or if not, they come lacquered. Which isn't my preference as i prefer satin finish. These are a bit cheaper than the Hybrids but not by much, around 100-200 dollar differences.

I haven't seen a 50's reissue style player yet or MIM, but those get me up into the price range where i can buy the MIJ Hybrids for the same price. Same thing with the new Vintera series, i think they are priced slightly above the Hybrid line.

Interesting that not a lot of them have this! I think overall, the MIJ hyrbid had the best balance as well as comfort and tone...I should save my yennies...

A new strap sounds like a must have once i get one of these!

Thanks for the tip on the nut width, i didn't realize the player was thinner. I think i could feel it once i switched from the MIJ Hybrid. I'm into the idea of having the classic 50's style P width and all.

 

[Dave Hill]

Most if not all Fenders I’ve played exhibited neck dive while sitting. They’ve also been fine on a strap.

 

[Coolhandjjl]

View attachment 3467808 3 1/2 inch Levi suede strap. Neck will stay wherever you want it.

Suede it where it's at to combat neck dive! Franklin also has a bunch of nice ones.

 

[NikkiVibes]

Most if not all Fenders I’ve played exhibited neck dive while sitting. They’ve also been fine on a strap.

Super useful to know!

My Bacchus does this a little bit and its a fender style instrument. Even with the light twiggy neck. Its not a huge amount though and is quite tolerable.

 

[Skillet]

I've put the Hipshot HB6 - 1/2" Ultralite® Tuners on most of my basses. For Fender sized holes I put a few wraps of HVAC metal tape around the bushing for a snugger fit. There are other lightweight tuning machines out there as well.
As others have said a big cushy strap helps a lot too. I like my Gruv Gear SoloStrap Neo 4 inch.

 

[AndyPanda]

I practice standing and one solution to neck dive is to thread the strap thru a belt loop in your pants or under your belt before attaching the strap to the bass. It works great but is bit of a hassle and lots of fun/embarrassment when you forget your strap is threaded thru your pants and you just lift the strap over your head and try to put the bass down.

 

[Marcus Willett]

It all depends on how you sit while playing....I sit like this.

I started doing this years ago and IMO its a much better approach. It also makes your “practice” position and “performance” position almost identical so that stuff you practice more easily transfers.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I started doing this years ago and IMO its a much better approach. It also makes your “practice” position and “performance” position almost identical so that stuff you practice more easily transfers.

Yep!Sitting and standing are exactly the same.

 

[Kerplunk]

For me, neck dive is an instant fail. I can adjust to different necks over time, but neck dive will always be an issue. You end up holding the neck up, which impedes your movement along the neck. Then comes weight. You maybe young and your enthusiasm may counter a weight issue, but as you age, that issue can become tedious. I have a boat anchor I've had over 30 years, but it sounds great. I only play it when I'm seated.

I don't think holding the bass at the neck joint is a good indication. You're best bringing a strap with you and trying the bass out whilst standing. If it were me, I'd be choosing the Player series PBass because, as you mentioned, it was light with no neck dive. You can always change the pickup if the sound becomes bothersome.

 

[mesaplayer83]

I've been playing Fender and Fender style basses for over 35 years - and I prefer the P neck. But I've never had one that dives.

+1

 

[Cutter8]

If the FujiGen model you tried has the same tuners on it that my FGN Expert MJ has (pic below), you may be able to solve the problem pretty easily. Those tuners are super high quality, but they are basically military grade and weigh a ton! They are the heaviest tuners I’ve ever come across. The fix may be as simple as replacing them with Hipshot Ultralites or something similar, which could lighten up the headstock by nearly 300 grams.

 

[electracoyote]

Neck dive on a standard Precision? That's a new one for me after 40+ years playing P basses. Thank goodness I read TB so I catch all this new information.