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Neck Dive Solution Options?
- Thread starter mintondm
- Start date
With respect to how much a difference light weight tuners might make with the balance, you could always just remove two of the current tuners and see what the effects are on the balance, before spending the cash on the lighter ones.
I've switched out tuners on a headstock heavy instrument before and it made a much bigger difference than I would have expected.
I've switched out tuners on a headstock heavy instrument before and it made a much bigger difference than I would have expected.
My 2 dollar solution:
I posted my solution in another thread but I'll repeat it here. I attached a carabiner clip on my strap where I can clip it to my belt loop on my jeans. All you gotta do is sew it on the stray with thick thread.
No added weight and no need to change your tuners. It keeps your pants up too.
I posted my solution in another thread but I'll repeat it here. I attached a carabiner clip on my strap where I can clip it to my belt loop on my jeans. All you gotta do is sew it on the stray with thick thread.
No added weight and no need to change your tuners. It keeps your pants up too.
Modify the headstock into the BC Rich eagle and mockingbird type end. Instead of the existing widow headstock. And get heavier bridge. The bridge is practically hanging off the rear of the bass at its centerline., So weight added back there is gonna be more effective then any other place on the bass. Think horsesaw tetter totter effect.
I'd just attach enough helium balloons to the headstock to compensate. Just make sure they are black helium balloons or else you would look silly.
- Jul 28, 2010
- 91
- 1
- Disclosures
- Engineering Manager, Community Professional Loudspeakers
Thanks guys, even for the silly ideas lol, trust me, I'm not rulling anything out yet! BUUUUT... I noticed last night when I was taking the strings off, that there is a second design issue with the dumb thing, the studs being on the back are allowing the whole body to fall forward from the top. So it's essentually being held from the bottom and the back only, and all the weight is falling forward and up, so inherently it's just ********. I think my first step is to fabricate some bolt through 30-out studs on the two top legs and get it to a top-center mounting position, then I'll weigh the tuning studs tonight (need a more accurate scale than I had at home last night. Hopefully between these two changes, I can center drop it and also better allow the thing to "drop" plum. Have to play around with the angle options, but here's a sketch of what I'm thinking might help center it. The red dots are the current back-mount studs... :-/ Oh well, show today and tomorrow, maybe for next weekend lol. Thanks again guys.
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If you don't mind moving the strap button on the back of the neck, about 3-4 inches from the heel, that should balance it out too.
- Jul 28, 2010
- 91
- 1
- Disclosures
- Engineering Manager, Community Professional Loudspeakers
There's just something inherently wrong with mounting anything that stresses or pulls on the neck area to me, and that would cause it to kick forward even more.
Damn B.C. and their crazy ass designs... 
If you leave the bridge end stud as you drew it, but reverse the neck end stud so it's on the underside of the horn, you could then route the strap around the end of the horn, thus buying yourself another inch or two of balance point without weakening the horn.
- Jul 28, 2010
- 91
- 1
- Disclosures
- Engineering Manager, Community Professional Loudspeakers
I was acctually thinking about something like that, only problem I saw with it was that I would have to bring the strap across the front side of the horn or up parallel with the horn itself. that might lead to slipping or worse, snapping the horn tip off if I pushed down the wrong way or something crazy. Idk, gonna sleep on it a few nights before drilling anything lol.
Here's the solution I came up with for my bass.
First of all I have a 4" grippy (suede) strap. Then I just attached the thin part of another strap between the middle of the strap and to the top horn strap button. This way the bass hangs as if I moved the bottom strap button way far over. You could use a piece of rope and run it behind the bass if you don't want to look goofy (which I don't mind personally).
With this setup I am able to hold the bass almost vertically when I want good access to the top few frets on the low B or whatever. It takes no modification and it's cheap and easy to do. Adjustments are made by shortening the added piece, the shorter it is, the more it pulls the middle of the strap and moves the apparent "center" around which the bass hangs.
First of all I have a 4" grippy (suede) strap. Then I just attached the thin part of another strap between the middle of the strap and to the top horn strap button. This way the bass hangs as if I moved the bottom strap button way far over. You could use a piece of rope and run it behind the bass if you don't want to look goofy (which I don't mind personally).
With this setup I am able to hold the bass almost vertically when I want good access to the top few frets on the low B or whatever. It takes no modification and it's cheap and easy to do. Adjustments are made by shortening the added piece, the shorter it is, the more it pulls the middle of the strap and moves the apparent "center" around which the bass hangs.
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Am I the only one that likes the Truck Nuts solution? I mean you're already playing a ridiculous looking bass, might as well go all out, right? 
Well, I don't know if it's really a solution, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it!
yeah, me too!
anyway, looking at the diagram you made, it looks like the back button is out at the end of a horn; move that!
bring it in all the way up to the "crotch" area by the bridge, and you'll get a real improvement.
i had to do the same thing to my flying V guitar, take the back button off the end of the point and re-install it about 2/3rds up towards the split; now it hangs perfectly.
anyway, looking at the diagram you made, it looks like the back button is out at the end of a horn; move that!
bring it in all the way up to the "crotch" area by the bridge, and you'll get a real improvement.
i had to do the same thing to my flying V guitar, take the back button off the end of the point and re-install it about 2/3rds up towards the split; now it hangs perfectly.
Interesting solution.
Moving the rear button forward will be a big improvement. It may be all you need to do. Or that coupled with some light weight tuners.
Drilling through the upper horn might be problematic. There could be a shearing problem across the short grain. It might be wise to try the other remedies first before trying this.
As you are already indicated, moving the button to the middle of the neck is the solution that creates more problems than it solves. And it will devalue the instrument in a major way at trade in time.
Moving the rear button forward will be a big improvement. It may be all you need to do. Or that coupled with some light weight tuners.
Drilling through the upper horn might be problematic. There could be a shearing problem across the short grain. It might be wise to try the other remedies first before trying this.
As you are already indicated, moving the button to the middle of the neck is the solution that creates more problems than it solves. And it will devalue the instrument in a major way at trade in time.
So these suggestions beg the question... where is the fulcrum on this thing? If you attach the strap to only the top button, does it balance?
- Jul 28, 2010
- 91
- 1
- Disclosures
- Engineering Manager, Community Professional Loudspeakers
Sorry for the delayed response guys! Just got home and getting ready for a show! I would sell it, but I doubt I'd live it very quickly, and as I stated before, I like everything else about it lol. It's cheesy and goofy, but I'm in a cover band in NJ, the armpit of the country, people live it when I grab the thing to play some Metallica or Pantera, drunkies kick a kick out it lol! Besides, I'm not in a rush to buy new, and I mostly wanted to just get this "right".
As far as the COG (center of gravity) is right around fret 15 or so. Holding at the front peg alone, the neck is still diving :-(
The cross drilling might be problematic, but most screws enter the horn on the end anyway. This one is extremely wide, and I wasn't thinking of anything more than 1/8" diameter.
Ok, sorry guys, I'm running late lol, I'll check back in!
As far as the COG (center of gravity) is right around fret 15 or so. Holding at the front peg alone, the neck is still diving :-(
The cross drilling might be problematic, but most screws enter the horn on the end anyway. This one is extremely wide, and I wasn't thinking of anything more than 1/8" diameter.
Ok, sorry guys, I'm running late lol, I'll check back in!
You have 3 options:
1 - Loose weight at the headstock.
2 - Add weight to the bridge end of the body.
3 - Move the horn strap button closer to the headstock.
My vote goes for a threaded rod truck nut weird looking but appropriate extension thing for the horn strap button.
