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Club Sadowsky!!!

NECK DIVE,

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have had to have this conversation.

All Fender-style basses (and many others) have neck dive when seated. It does not matter if the bass weighs 7 pounds or 12 pounds.

When standing, neck dive is a function of the strap you use. If the back of your strap has a slick material (vinyl, shiny leather, etc), you will experience neck dive.

If your strap has a backing that provides more resistance (cotton, suede or anything with a rougher texture, your bass should remain in place, even if you let both hands off of the bass.

All Sadowsky straps are designed to eliminate neck dive. We offer a 2" and 3” cotton strap, a leather strap with a suede backing and our NeoStrap.

Neck dive…..end of conversation!

The J bass weighs 7.44 pounds.
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The P bass weighs 8.44 pounds
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I didn't experience neck dive. I was just surprised to find my shoulder hurting at the end of the night which is something I haven't experienced with my other jazz style basses that weigh around 10lbs compared to 8.
Are you using a wide strap? It helps to distribute the weight more evenly across your shoulder.
 
I didn't experience neck dive. I was just surprised to find my shoulder hurting at the end of the night which is something I haven't experienced with my other jazz style basses that weigh around 10lbs compared to 8.

I can't for the life of me figure out why an 8 pound bass would cause shoulder pain where a 10 pound one didn't. I don't doubt that your pain exists, just sayin' it's got to be from something other than the bass: different strap, different playing posture/spine alignment, tilted stage (been there, felt that), unfortunate coincidence (e.g. even if all else was equal, you developed some condition that night that would have been aggravated by any bass).
 
I use a wide strap, essentially the same strap for each bass. My thought is that a bass with more weight in the body pulls down from the back, focused in a different area of the shoulder, whereas a bass that is susceptible to neck dive pulls down from the front. With a heavier body the weight is distributed more evenly over the whole instrument, eliminating the lever effect of the neck. This is just an idea, no idea of the actual physics involved. I was very surprised by my experience as I was not expecting any sort of shoulder pain from the Sadowsky because of its light weight.
 
NECK DIVE,

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have had to have this conversation.

All Fender-style basses (and many others) have neck dive when seated. It does not matter if the bass weighs 7 pounds or 12 pounds.

When standing, neck dive is a function of the strap you use. If the back of your strap has a slick material (vinyl, shiny leather, etc), you will experience neck dive.

If your strap has a backing that provides more resistance (cotton, suede or anything with a rougher texture, your bass should remain in place, even if you let both hands off of the bass.

All Sadowsky straps are designed to eliminate neck dive. We offer a 2" and 3” cotton strap, a leather strap with a suede backing and our NeoStrap.

Neck dive…..end of conversation!

The J bass weighs 7.44 pounds.
View attachment 3528521

The P bass weighs 8.44 pounds
View attachment 3528522

Roger, hopefully now that you said it people will listen!

If you’re balancing your bass on your thigh, of course it’s going to dive when you let go. The amount of people who complain about Fender-style neck dive here is mind boggling. It’s as if they’ve only used cheap $5 straps on their expensive basses, or only play in a chair.
 
For what it’s worth, different straps do different things. Try the Sadowsky Neo strap its the bomb! Curved to for your hot bass bod. I never play without mine. I’ve had a ton of straps. It makes a huge difference in the balance having the right strap. My NYC 5-24 pj is 8lbs and no dive even with a chambered body.
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I use your typical 2” vinyl strap. Always have, always will. Do I have neck dive with my Sadowsky’s? Never have, never will.

If you experience neck dive, here are a few steps to prevent it.

Step 1) Extend left arm
Step 2) Hold neck with left hand

Neck dive problem solved. :smug::laugh::roflmao:
 
I use your typical 2” vinyl strap. Always have, always will. Do I have neck dive with my Sadowsky’s? Never have, never will.

If you experience neck dive, here are a few steps to prevent it.

Step 1) Extend left arm
Step 2) Hold neck with left hand

Neck dive problem solved. :smug::laugh::roflmao:

Also Step 3) Don't be a clown who is looking for reasons to complain. "This long piece of wood is tipping over when I balance it on my lap!" ...Have you tried even a little bit of reasoning? :roflmao:

I really don't like being condescending on here but some people are ridiculous. No, you don't need to buy a headless bass to alleviate neck dive. Use a strap with a somewhat grippy material. If you're sitting down, use a strap. Don't like to? Okay, your neck might tip a bit, lol.
 
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I haven't seen anybody on here really complaining about neck dive, though it was mentioned. For me, the surprise was that a lighter weight caused comfort issues that I haven't experienced with heavier instruments. Given that I do believe a heavier instrument sounds better than a light weight instrument, this opened my eyes to the fact that, within reason, I don't have to worry about weight when buying an instrument, other than it being too light, which for most brands is rarely an issue. 9-10lbs is right for me.
 
I haven't seen anybody on here really complaining about neck dive, though it was mentioned. For me, the surprise was that a lighter weight caused comfort issues that I haven't experienced with heavier instruments. Given that I do believe a heavier instrument sounds better than a light weight instrument, this opened my eyes to the fact that, within reason, I don't have to worry about weight when buying an instrument, other than it being too light, which for most brands is rarely an issue. 9-10lbs is right for me.

Do you have big meaty arms? I used to be on the B.O.B. (Big Old Bubba) side of the scale and pressed down with my right arm too much. Hurt a bit.

I too like a big heavy gal. My PJ5/M5 fretless/Metro MV5 (main dameys) are built like brick #%!* houses.

They don’t bother my back/neck at all.
 
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