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Gibson SG Bass Neck Dive

MarkWtbyCT

MarkWtbyCT

Jan 9, 2013
204
218
Connecticut
#1
Hi All,
Just got a Gibson SG bass. Of course it neck dives when you take your left hand off of it.
Besides a wide leather strap, has anyone tried replacing the Grover tuners with Gotoh res-o-lites or hipshots? If so how much of an impact did it make? Which tuners did you try?
Thanx
 
#2
Have you tried weights at the bottom of your strap?
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#3
This
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Is a bad picture of an early version of an anti-dive extender. The current version is set into the body all nicey-nice and about an inch longer. The original strap button was in the hole occupied by the middle screw, and the guitar would point straight down when hanging on the strap -- not to mention having the thing sticking out of the back of the guitar in the case.

The extender was made of 5/8" by 1/8" bar stock. You can get it at someplace like
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If you don't set it into the woodwork it's dead easy to make. You only need to know how to drill a hole. Order a piece longer than you think you need because you're going to determine where the button has to be in situ. You'd think that somebody would say something derisive about this at gigs but nobody ever did. It works like a charm.
 
#5
MarkWtbyCT said:
Hi All,
Just got a Gibson SG bass. Of course it neck dives when you take your left hand off of it.
Besides a wide leather strap, has anyone tried replacing the Grover tuners with Gotoh res-o-lites or hipshots? If so how much of an impact did it make? Which tuners did you try?
Thanx
Click to expand...

I really think you are on to something with the tuner idea. It's been a lot of years, but my memory tells me those SG stock tuners are mighty heavy.

Here is a good test as advised by Hipshot below. The Ultralites are generally nearly 50% lighter. Just take one of the tuners off the bass and see how the dive is - then remove a second one and see what happens.

Here are the guidelines - even though you don't see the SG tuners listed, my guess is that they are pretty close in weight to the standard Fenders mentioned here. Check it out. Frankly, I wouldn't mess with any strange strap mounting devices or weight adding solutions until you thoroughly research this first. If you search you can probably find out how much those SG tuners weigh or else weigh them on a postal scale yourself. It's usually a pretty significant difference, in many cases 50% less headstock weight. From the Hipshot website:
Screen shot 2015-03-14 at 11.00.47 PM.png
 
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#8
I use the 3" Gibson strap. Cheap, no mod's. I have one on my SG, My flying V and my Midtown. On my lakland I use a 2.5" strap. All of these are padded, no leather, no studs, nothing spinal tapish in the least. Not a fan of the looks of the extender and don't want to sink too much $$$ into a new bass.
 
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#9
Try this!This works from the OTHER end.Take an old belt.(I prefer an old dress belt)Shorten it so that it can wrap around your upper thigh.Mine is about 25 inches long.(First picture)Drill some new holes so you can buckle it.Now,with your bass strapped on feed the belt from the outside of the back of your upper thigh in between your legs.Then between your bass and the strap.Wrap the belt around your upper thigh of your right leg to complete a loop and buckle it!(Second picture)Tighten it so that it is snug enough.There!Your bass neck is fixed at a good playing angle.(Third picture)




Now the neck doesn't dive!You can walk around with it.Your left arm doesn't have to support the weight of the neck.And your right arm doesn't have to push down on the body's upper edge.You can fret and play your bass with less forearm muscle tension.


This works by using a lever and fulcrum basis.Your bass is a lever.Your neck and shoulders together are a fulcrum.You can either decrease weight on one end of the "Lever"(the neck) to raise the neck.Or you could increase the weight or"counterbalance"and/or anchor the other end.The belt "dead ends"or anchors the shortest end of the "lever" without adding weight.Try it out!
 
#10
Psychbunny said:
I use the 3" Gibson strap. Cheap, no mod's. I have one on my SG, My flying V and my Midtown. On my lakland I use a 2.5" strap. All of these are padded, no leather, no studs, nothing spinal tapish in the least. Not a fan of the looks of the extender and don't want to sink too much $$$ into a new bass.
Click to expand...

On the other hand, I've always had a particular dislike for the way big wide straps look on stage. Different tastes makes the world go round.
 
#13
MarkWtbyCT said:
Hi All,
Just got a Gibson SG bass. Of course it neck dives when you take your left hand off of it.
Besides a wide leather strap, has anyone tried replacing the Grover tuners with Gotoh res-o-lites or hipshots? If so how much of an impact did it make? Which tuners did you try?
Thanx
Click to expand...
well, I finally solved this issue for myself after some epic failures. Ihad a thought and tried a clamp first and...voila! It solved the balance, neck dive, and bass wanting to swing out form your body all at once. Here' my recipe in pics...trust me it hangs perfect and if you sue a 2 pc strap like this you can adjust the strap length plenty. Look ma no hands!gibson strap issue 1.jpg gibson strap issue 2.jpg IMG_20211218_150501008.jpg IMG_20211218_145715274.jpg gibson no hands 1.jpg gibson no hands 2.jpg gibson strap issue 1.jpg gibson strap issue 2.jpg
 

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#15
My SG bass didn’t neck dive but I think Gibson needs to
1. Adopt a smaller ‘65 and earlier headstock instead of the big 69
2. Make the break angle proper for a gibson, it irritates me
3. Get rid of the 3 point and go to a new heavier bridge that offers a little more room for silk and offers extra weight.
4. get a proper neck pickup with pole pieces going (and a heavy magnet).
5. Add a 2+2 and pickup selector.

Add weight on the body and take it away on the neck. Tuners are good Imo. The bass is due for a refresh after 15 years.
 
#17
hdracer said:
The SG really doesn't neck dive like most neck heavy basses.
It wants to roll out more than neck dive so the weights will not do much to help.
The best and cheapest way to cure it is to learn to play like John Entwistle. Rest your forearm on the bass.
It sure works on my SG and Explorer.
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A Thunderbird is the world's most comfortable bass when played this way. John sort of cut His teeth on one so He must've known. An SG... Not so much IME. I keep the former but sold the latter for the very reason, despite being a Mudbucker fan.
My SG wanted to roll out, and neck dived when strapped or seated (the Thunderbird OTOH has a perfect seating balance). I can't help but felt its chunky neck had contributed to the neck weight, despite being short scale. I doubt if a tuner change will help THAT...
 
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#18
hdracer said:
The SG really doesn't neck dive like most neck heavy basses.
It wants to roll out more than neck dive so the weights will not do much to help.
The best and cheapest way to cure it is to learn to play like John Entwistle. Rest your forearm on the bass.
It sure works on my SG and Explorer.
Link Removed
View attachment 2373842
Click to expand...

… but the minute you raise both arms above your head … down she goes.
 

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