Neck Dive (Poll)

[Wisebass]

Hi fig

I don't like neck divers! But...

But it seems some bass makers don't care enough to do so.

see below

And “We” insist on basses that look just like Leo designed in the 1950s.

That's just the way it is!

I'm aware of the multitude of workarounds suggested in this forum, and web, to correct neck dive. No need to repeat them here.

Okay no old tricks and workarounds!

Here is a new one! When your bass wants to neck dive...

Don't fill the pool!

greetings

Wise(b)ass

 

[Bassistcool]

I don‘t care neck dive nor neck profiles and feel comfortable with any of them.
The only thing I hate is high action. This makes playing hard - at least to me.

 

[Pyrrho Epoche]

Dingus, easy to make.

 

[Warpeg]

I've played hundreds of basses over the years and discovered long ago that neck dive, heavy weight, and all the other common Talkbass complaints are non-issues for me. Guess I'm just lucky.

 

[Gervais Cote]

Supporting the weight of the neck adds forearm/wrist muscle tension.
No matter how slight

Many have unknowingly(or knowingly) compensated for years by pushing down with the plucking arm and lifting with the fretting.
And don't know it until they play a bass that doesn't dive and are relieved at the relative ease of playing.

Like running with a weight on your back for years and then having it removed.


Tune TWB63OB has a little,but the Comfort Strapp takes it away.
This bass is 10.6lbs
View attachment 5271970

In a playing position,wiggle your fretting hand fingers without anything.
Now wiggle them while holding a 5 lb dumbbell.
That's the difference.



Fretting a bass should be as effortless as possible.
You really should "float"while fretting.


Ibanez BTB676.
This bass is 11 lbs
No neck dive because the upper horn reaches the twelfth fret.
A simple solution that seems to be lost on many makers
View attachment 5271976
.

This ! Long horn design eliminates neck dive most of the time so it’s up to the bass manufacturers to offer something similar when needed.

 

[Gervais Cote]

I voted doesn’t matter to me but I should add up to a point where it becomes uncomfortable.
I usually hold my bass with both hands so not sure if neck dive can happen to me………
In fact, I have a p bass with a bit of neck dive or at least something I can slightly feel but gosh, it sounds sooooooo good that it’s my workhorse and I just forget about any defects it may have when I power up my amp and let my fingers play.

 

[2F/2F]

I’ve owned hundreds of basses over the past 35 years, and still own over a hundred. I’ve had three with neck dive. Two were Epiphone EB-3s. The other is my newer Rick 4003S, which has a much more mild case than the Epis, which were extreme.

I gigged all of these successfully, and sold none of them for being neck heavy – just for other reasons. I still have the Rick. I just noted the dive, and corrected it when I was playing. It wasn’t difficult, burdensome, or annoying.

I just don’t get how “divey” basses are seen as a rampant problem, or why people find it SO problematic when it is there. If the person had real sensory differences, and pathological rigidity, such as is common in spectrum disorders, it would make some sense in those cases. But your average person: nope. I think they’re just overblowing the problem.

 

[XLunacy]

Poll: "do you like basses that poke you in the gut"
TB: meh I can live with it

 

[Gluvhand]

I almost voted for "You like basses with neck dive." just because who the hell likes that? Why is that even a question?

The same people that "like" walking around with a pebble in their shoes.

 

[Stranger Danger]

I’d rather have a slightly heavier bass with no neck dive than a super light one with it.

100%

 

[Cleezmo]

Neck dive absolutely is a thing. For those saying it doesn't exist, I'd respectfully suggest that those opinions formed because you haven't experienced it.

I have a 35" scale bass that I love, but that thing has neck dive. You can make it a little better or a little worse by strap length, and yes I use a wide leather strap, but no matter what, it's there - no strap is going to solve it. If you put on a slick nylon strap, the headstock is going to head for the floor as soon as you take your left hand off the neck. It's not my imagination, it's a fact. On the other hand, my G&Ls balance perfectly on a strap. So I've experienced both.

Last week I played a pristine used 5-string in local store. Had neck dive in the lap, but lots of basses do IME; to me it has to be balanced on a strap. So I asked for a strap to try it out. Neck dive. It went back on the rack.

 

[vibroverbus]

I don't have any diving basses. But I do have a gorgeous 1979 SG Custom in Walnut with gold hardware that dives like its trying to knock Greg Louganis off the podium. Any time that comes out all the dudes LOVE it and are like "WHY DON'T YOU PLAY IT ALL THE TIME!?!?". Well aside from it also having a neck as thin as a dinner mint, (which I thought was great when I was like 20 and couldn't play...), the diving just drives me mad. Tried acoustic-style strap with string around headstock but uggh its just so not rock and roll just feels terrible. A wide suede strap usually adds just enough friction to be manageable, depending on what you're wearing. The "pro" is the super light body, which makes it one of those the "pros = cons" causality things. If you really need/love super light maybe you don't care about the dive, and I'm sure that's true of diving basses even more so.

 

[Stranger Danger]

Neck dive absolutely is a thing. For those saying it doesn't exist, I'd respectfully suggest that those opinions formed because you haven't experienced it.

I have a 35" scale bass that I love, but that thing has neck dive. You can make it a little better or a little worse by strap length, and yes I use a wide leather strap, but no matter what, it's there - no strap is going to solve it. If you put on a slick nylon strap, the headstock is going to head for the floor as soon as you take your left hand off the neck. It's not my imagination, it's a fact. On the other hand, my G&Ls balance perfectly on a strap. So I've experienced both.

Last week I played a pristine used 5-string in local store. Had neck dive in the lap, but lots of basses do IME; to me it has to be balanced on a strap. So I asked for a strap to try it out. Neck dive. It went back on the rack.

They probably think the earth is flat too

 

[SubHuman]

Ever played a Warwick Thumb?

No I have not. Are they well balanced? Looks like a nice instrument but a little Higher end ($$$) then my Fenders, Gibsons and Epis.

 

[FRoss6788]

No I have not. Are they well balanced? Looks like a nice instrument but a little Higher end ($$$) then my Fenders, Gibsons and Epis.

They are not balanced AT ALL.

I had a bolt on for a minute, loved the tone and neck, but on a strap, it was ridiculous.

Had to let it go.

 

[Stranger Danger]

It seems like many of you have spent years in an abusive relationship with your bass and can’t imagine what we’re going on about. I hope for you that one day you can experience a healthy relationship with a well balanced instrument. You deserve better. You are worth it

 

[FRoss6788]

FWIW, the neck dive issue, for me, is only on a strap. In your lap, I can't think of any bass that doesn't dive and most folks have. their arm rested on the body anyway.

 

[cnltb]

I do NOT want to have to support the neck at all.
A little bit of dive can be corrected by a non-slippery top/strap, but more than can be corrected this way would be a No, no for me.

 

[FRoss6788]

I do NOT want to have to support the neck at all.
A little bit of dive can be corrected by a non-slippery top/strap, but more than can be corrected this way would be a No, no for me.

Yep, just pulls your shirt down all night, been there done that, never again.

Way too many nice basses that don't behave that way.

 

[SubHuman]

I found out many years ago to use a ~3 inch wide QUALITY soft leather strap. I have seen both guitarists and bassists wear a skinny ~1-1/2" polyester or slick strap to hang their instrument and it "slides" all over the place.
I don't buy a strap for looks (though it should look good) and it not only stabilizes the bass...my shoulder can handle the heaviest bass (to me) such as my through neck T-Bird and play for hours.
I also take my bass off if I'm not actively playing it. I don't walk around with my bass slung over my shoulder trying to do other things. I prefer a lighter bass with a wide strap over a heavy bass and skinny strap digging into my shoulder. I have an Epi EB-1 re-issue which is basically a neck with tuners on a tiny Violin shaped body and if anything should be neck dive city it would be that bass. No issues here.