Neck Dive...Really?

[Goatrope]

Just wear a sandpaper jacket. Holds the strap nice and firm right where you put it.

EDIT: make sure it's made with the rough side facing OUT. Very important.

Haha! But seriously, ever see those hunting jackets with a patch of leather over the front of the shoulder? What if that patch was Velcro? Mated to a Velcro-bottomed strap- IT COULD WORK!

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Every Jazz I've ever picked up neck dives a little in the seated position. IMO, that's neck dive, since I mostly play or practice sitting down. This could be resolved in most cases by hipshot ultralite tuners, but I feel like I shouldn't have to modify a bass to get it balanced. A minor pet peeve at worst. A T-Bird is a different story, I just cant tolerate that much dive, same goes for SG style basses, which is too bad because I love the shape. My G&L always balanced perfectly, so its not necessarily inherent to fender design.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

Hey folks...

So I keep seeing all these warnings about neck dive with Fender basses. I've never owned enough P basse long enough to have any real standing up all night performing with a P experience, but what limited experience I do have in that regard, I cannot recall ever having to wrestle to keep the neck up off the floor.

With Jazz basses I've own(ed) all manner of variants from Fender, standard, dinky body, long scale, UL tuners, factory BA bridge, factory Schaller locking bridge, and just about anything else you can think of. I've also logged a lot of hours standing all night with a Jazz performing and have never experienced even a hint of neck dive. I've also discussed this with a lot of other bass players and so far I have yet to meet a single bass player with any experience with neck dive when using a Fender Jazz bass.

Outside of Fenders I've played a lot of other basses over the years, a lot of different Peavey models, a bunch of hollow and semi hollow bodies, short scale, long scale, ex long scale, and 4 and 5 strings and unless it happened in my sleep I can honestly say I've never experienced any neck dive, or so little I can't recall it happening.

Am I living a sheltered life or is there something I'm missing here. I understand the basic premise of balance and how strap button placement, top horn length, etc, can have an effect on balance, or the obvious too much weight out at the end of that lever called the neck, but are there other factors like where you wear you bass in relation to your body, neck angle in relation to the ground, type of strap, width of strap, etc that can contribute to or cause neck dive.

I'm just trying to get a handle on why I read about neck dive but have never experienced it and don't know anyone else who has.

Thanks in advance for any and all opinions and experiences.

Gibson EB0 and EB3. Had one of each, got tired of holding the necks up. Loved the shape and color. I have heard from people here that they did not experience the problem but you will find it's not uncommon. Bought a J-Bass and have never had the problem since.

 

[tzohn]

Neck dive is real.... but if the upper 'Horn' ( or strap button location on a single-cut) is close to the 12th fret, its virtually guaranteed to be a non-issue.

But even for SGs, RGs, explorers, flying Vs , T-birds with crazy heavy headstocks (etc!) THERE IS AN EASY WORKAROUND that I just ran into the other day...

check it out:

Yeah, I have tried this method and it is super uncomfortable. Think it like someone is pulling your pants one-side up... It's good for a cripple look though...

 

[edro]

Never had an issue with neck dives on Fender basses.

I prefer equally dense bodies/necks...on the heavier side...for guitars and basses.
If it is a balsa-body, I don't even get to the playing it part. I know it's imbalanced.
It's a Nawt. Hang it back up and move on.
This precludes imbalance issues.

I also pretty much have always used wide leather. Greater surface area, greater surface friction...

I dicked up once with a Peavey Foundation. I got it in a spur of the moment trade of some sort decades back. Light ass balsa-body with normal density neck. Total pain in the ass... Ever since then, I'll tap, knock,hold on its back with one hand to feel balance...

Never liked balsa-bodied Strats/Teles/etc either.... I know the goal is get it out the warehouse door but damn, somebody had to pick up both neck and body and think 'damn, this is gonna suck...', and grab a different neck or body to match up....

 

[fhm555]

Neck dive is real.... but if the upper 'Horn' ( or strap button location on a single-cut) is close to the 12th fret, its virtually guaranteed to be a non-issue.

But even for SGs, RGs, explorers, flying Vs , T-birds with crazy heavy headstocks (etc!) THERE IS AN EASY WORKAROUND that I just ran into the other day...

check it out:

I saw this quite a while back and now that i think about it, this was the thing that planted the image of a headstock trying to hit the floor when the bass was not being held in place by a player's hands. It was also the first (and only) time i'd seen a 12 string bass so i figured neck dive was a thing confined to oddball pieces with oversized headstocks loaded with machine heads.

 

[Maureen M]

I've had several Gibsons and BC Riches that were neck divers. I got rid of all of them because it was too uncomfortable to play full sets holding up the neck with my left hand.

Another reason why many end up with a bass that has neck dive,is that they don't take a strap with them to the store when they check out a bass.
Many will sit and balance on their leg.
Check out everything else but the balance with a strap.
They go home and strap it on at band practice and it's nuclear sub time!

And gebass6 is correct - always check before you buy. I don't bring a strap though, I just ask the salesman for one so I can check for neck dive.

 

[pholli00]

Never owned or played an ibby with neck dive..evah!!!
Wouldnt want to own a neckdiver.

Neckdiver. Good name for a band.

 

[jefff100]

Hey folks...

So I keep seeing all these warnings about neck dive with Fender basses. I've never owned enough P basse long enough to have any real standing up all night performing with a P experience, but what limited experience I do have in that regard, I cannot recall ever having to wrestle to keep the neck up off the floor.

With Jazz basses I've own(ed) all manner of variants from Fender, standard, dinky body, long scale, UL tuners, factory BA bridge, factory Schaller locking bridge, and just about anything else you can think of. I've also logged a lot of hours standing all night with a Jazz performing and have never experienced even a hint of neck dive. I've also discussed this with a lot of other bass players and so far I have yet to meet a single bass player with any experience with neck dive when using a Fender Jazz bass.

Outside of Fenders I've played a lot of other basses over the years, a lot of different Peavey models, a bunch of hollow and semi hollow bodies, short scale, long scale, ex long scale, and 4 and 5 strings and unless it happened in my sleep I can honestly say I've never experienced any neck dive, or so little I can't recall it happening.

Am I living a sheltered life or is there something I'm missing here. I understand the basic premise of balance and how strap button placement, top horn length, etc, can have an effect on balance, or the obvious too much weight out at the end of that lever called the neck, but are there other factors like where you wear you bass in relation to your body, neck angle in relation to the ground, type of strap, width of strap, etc that can contribute to or cause neck dive.

I'm just trying to get a handle on why I read about neck dive but have never experienced it and don't know anyone else who has.

Thanks in advance for any and all opinions and experiences.

I've not had dive issues on any of my basses, and have had 2 Fenders. Until recently I was in the same mindset as you, I heard about neckdive but just figured some folks are more sensitive to it etc.

Then I bought a Warwick Thumb. Woah. So that's what neck dive is like. Its for real.

I'm still on the fence as to if this bass is gonna be a keeper or not. Wide strap with suede side down helps allot.

 

[bdplaid]

I've also discussed this with a lot of other bass players and so far I have yet to meet a single bass player with any experience with neck dive when using a Fender Jazz bass.

Pleased to meet you...
My band leader has a Fender Aerodyne that I find unplayable, the neck dives so much. I've had others along the way, even using a strap that is grippy, it usually just pulls my shirt down making me look a mess.
Just say no to neck dive!

 

[fhm555]

Only bass I've had neck dive issues with is my Epiphone Jack Casady. I've got a P and a J, and have never had an issue.

But what's the big deal? If the bass sounds good and you're aware it's a bit unbalanced, just take normal precautions.

Which is what prompted this question in the first place. I couldn't imagine a bass that hung naturally anywhere between say one and three being described as exibiting neck dive, but now i know that is indeed the case, it clears up a lot of the confusion i had about the term.

 

[jefff100]

Pleased to meet you...
My band leader has a Fender Aerodyne that I find unplayable, the neck dives so much. I've had others along the way, even using a strap that is grippy, it usually just pulls my shirt down making me look a mess.
Just say no to neck dive!

I have a Aerodyne- it was my starter bass - several others have come and gone but so far this ones a keeper. It balances just fine and I actually prefer straps that are smooth on the underside so that the bass will slide easy & move with me when I move. Had to get a suede strap for the Thumb.

 

[bassplayertom77]

I've experienced this with a Warwick Thumb. Never struggled with it while playing Fenders.

 

[Goatrope]

My Thumb NT 4 hangs as in image "C".

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Hey folks...

So I keep seeing all these warnings about neck dive with Fender basses. I've never owned enough P basse long enough to have any real standing up all night performing with a P experience, but what limited experience I do have in that regard, I cannot recall ever having to wrestle to keep the neck up off the floor.

With Jazz basses I've own(ed) all manner of variants from Fender, standard, dinky body, long scale, UL tuners, factory BA bridge, factory Schaller locking bridge, and just about anything else you can think of. I've also logged a lot of hours standing all night with a Jazz performing and have never experienced even a hint of neck dive. I've also discussed this with a lot of other bass players and so far I have yet to meet a single bass player with any experience with neck dive when using a Fender Jazz bass.

Outside of Fenders I've played a lot of other basses over the years, a lot of different Peavey models, a bunch of hollow and semi hollow bodies, short scale, long scale, ex long scale, and 4 and 5 strings and unless it happened in my sleep I can honestly say I've never experienced any neck dive, or so little I can't recall it happening.

Am I living a sheltered life or is there something I'm missing here. I understand the basic premise of balance and how strap button placement, top horn length, etc, can have an effect on balance, or the obvious too much weight out at the end of that lever called the neck, but are there other factors like where you wear you bass in relation to your body, neck angle in relation to the ground, type of strap, width of strap, etc that can contribute to or cause neck dive.

I'm just trying to get a handle on why I read about neck dive but have never experienced it and don't know anyone else who has.

Thanks in advance for any and all opinions and experiences.

Sheltered life? Or a great strap?

 

[garciawork]

I had an Am Std P and a Am Pro P, and the Am Pro... is a little more biased to the neck. I noticed it as soon as I got it when compared to my MIM Jazz, but I don't notice it anymore. I use a wide strap, and it sits where I want, but if I were to move around a bit with no hands on the bass the neck would end up parallel to the ground. I stay pretty fixed, so non issue for me.

 

[tb4sbp]

There are a lot of factors that goes into the reasons for neck dive. Weight of body to neck/headstock, strap hook placement, size and material of strap, overall design of the body and the bass players body type. Me, I am a big fat guy so there is not much of the body of the bass to connect with (think a ball, my belly, on a table, back of bass). So I get neck dive from almost all basses if I take my hands completely off the instrument. But a big wide strap fixes that. I think neck dive on any bass can be corrected with the right strap for the instrument IME.

 

[Doner Designs]

It's more driven by the length of the upper horn than weight of the neck vs body. With a long horn on the bass side (like most Fenders) there is normally no issue even with a lighter body such as basswood. Some of the other Fender body shapes like the Mustang do have a little bit of a neck dive tendency. Gibsons tend to be notorious for this issue. The SG and Allen Woody are two examples where the horn just doesn't extend far enough. The Thunderbird and Jack Casady I'm not sure.

 

[tpaul]

I always figured ubiquitous neck dive was the reason for the popularity of this sort of thing:

Or for warm weather gigs, this:

 

[dfoehr]

I have only had three basses that had neck dive. I have list them below.
1. Sadowsky PJ 4 String (P body style)
2. Early Fodera NYC Empire bass with D-Tuner (jazz body). This was one of the early Empire basses from the 90's, not the current line of Empire basses.
3. Mid-90's Fender Jazz V with the inline 5 tuner headstock.