Neck dive and pulling to the left

[Watchootognbout]

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!

 

[RED J]

I have to go with the strap length theory. Ergonomically your instrument should balance.
I thought of teeny Suzi Quatro rockin' a big old T-Bass. Not much of her for the strap to get hold of. Similar posture. Maybe a short scale is in your future.

 

[scourgeofgod]

I think you're screwed man, you should probably just cut your losses and give that bass to me....

Really though, you need to lower it a little and/or get a better/wider strap

 

[RickBlair]

I'd say put on 100 lbs and report back.

Rick B.

 

[Bob-I]

I'm surprised at how many folks suggest lowering the strap. Ergonomically that's a bad idea, it puts the left hand and wrist at a bad angle that can lead to serious injury, plus it makes you crane your neck to look at the fretboard.

From looking at the pictures, it appears that the strap buttons are too far apart causing the bass to swing to the left. The neck dive is another story, it appears that the neck is a disproportionate weight to the neck. Lighter tuners may help.

 

[scourgeofgod]

I'm surprised at how many folks suggest lowering the strap. Ergonomically that's a bad idea, it puts the left hand and wrist at a bad angle that can lead to serious injury, plus it makes you crane your neck to look at the fretboard.

From looking at the pictures, it appears that the strap buttons are too far apart causing the bass to swing to the left. The neck dive is another story, it appears that the neck is a disproportionate weight to the neck. Lighter tuners may help.

We're not talking about dropping it a foot or something, dropping it a couple of inches would hardly affect the angle of the wrist or neck. I'd at least try it before spending over $100 on lightweight tuners, not including the cost of installation if op should choose to have a pro take care of it. From what I can tell from his pics there doesn't seem to be much headstock dive at all, but if it's pulling one way or another I'd be quicker to assume it's due to the strap being to tight, therefore not allowing the bass to sit at a more relaxed position.

 

[JustForSport]

I'd say put on 100 lbs and report back.

Rick B.

Absolutely!
Beer and a belly will fix that...

 

[Showdown]

Weight the bottom of your strap. I did with mine since they don't make the HeadsUp strap anymore.
It's pretty easy to see if this will work without actually altering your strap first. You can wrap an ankle weight, for instance, around the strap's bottom…1/2 pound, 3/4, full pound, etc

This. I use the Heads Up strap with my Thunderbird s but since they don't make them anymore another solution is putting weights in a pouch for a wireless unit that fits your strap.

 

[JustForSport]

Looks like the upper horn is plenty long, and if you prefer to play the bass at the angle in the photo, you could lower it 2" to 3" so your fretting wrist will still be able to stay straight, and the right wrist should be at an even better/straighter angle for plucking- and you may even want it just a little lower (body) even for picking.