Neck dive solution?

[JIO]

Yeah I was being tongue in cheek there. Personally, certain models I won’t own because of ergonomics. T Birds are one example. Not that they aren’t cool. But there are plenty of other basses to keep me happy.

For sure - I've played basses that were heavy and/or really neck-dove (both deal breakers) but liked the way they look and sound.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Here's a solution to neck dive.

 

[stringthrough]

Here's my free solution for eliminating almost all neck dive on an EB3 - A twist tie to position and keep the strap in front the bass. (It also keeps the bass flush against your body - Eliminating another annoyance inherent in these basses.)

 

[JIO]

Nice!

Here’s what the Soviets came up with:

View attachment 7150952
View attachment 7150953

Doubles as antenna for reporting to Moscow.

Also receive secret communications from moose & squirrel...

 

[JIO]

Here's a solution to neck dive.
View attachment 7151221

Yah - no neck dive on this T-bird shaped object...

 

[HaphAsSard]

Nice!

Here’s what the Soviets came up with:

View attachment 7150952
View attachment 7150953

Doubles as antenna for reporting to Moscow.

Did they make basses in the shape of ALL the Eastern Bloc nations? This looks like the Estonia model.

Here's a page dedicated to the Tonika, the first Soviet mass-produced electric guitar, originally made in Leningrad, then in Ekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don and Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia:
Link Removed
and one about the bass (same distinction)
Link Removed

 

[Dirk Diggler]

That's the magic of using the 12 fret on your upper bout to tell you how much you have to extend the strap point.

I applaud the use of a divers weight @lug, awesome solution, and it's pretty well camouflaged.

 

[Basta-bass]

No-one ever tried to just reposition the REAR strap button (not the horn one) a little higher on the body? Like an offset straplock ?
I didn't had the need to do so but simple physics suggests it should work just fine.

 

[Jazz Ad]

My similar fix in the old days was to add a 1.2 lb scuba weight to the end of the strap....

Then there was the ancient dead cat method.

 

[Snakeman1066]

Lots of creative solutions here...but the easiest one of all requires nothing more than a belt or a belt loop...no mods...no special strap, no weights, no extensions...


jump to 1:15 and watch until 2:31

 

[HaphAsSard]

No-one ever tried to just reposition the REAR strap button (not the horn one) a little higher on the body? Like an offset straplock ?
I didn't had the need to do so but simple physics suggests it should work just fine.

@stringthrough's solution in post #43 above operates on the same principle.
You're of course right. The rear button is positioned where it usually is because that's where it pretty much has to be...on acoustic guitars, where the tail block is the only area solid enough to support it.
On solid bodies there is zero reason to consider that location as set in stone. Moving the button closer to the center of mass of the instrument, leaving a slice of the body, and its weight, to the right (if northpaw) of the button, can cure the worst neckdiveyness in a much more elegant way than adding weight or front button extenders can. (Lightweight tuning machines are just as elegant, but more expensive and ineffective for serious cases.)

 

[klattman]

My first bass was a Ric 4001 with a bit of neck dive.

The last mod I did was to install a 2-tek.

View attachment 7151002

I believe the original 2-tek was almost 2 lbs.

No more neck dive, but it definitely a heavy bass.

My bass equipped with the original 2tek is 11.5lbs. Sounds great but not a multiple hour standing up bass.

 

[klattman]

I used something like this. Drill two holes to mount to back of bass then another hole to attach a strap lock. Paint it flat black. Similar to a few others earlier in this thread. There used to be extenders available for the Steinberger bases as well.

Amazon.com

 

[lug]

Then there was the ancient dead cat method.

I remember that!

 

[Brian Patterson]

Light weight tuners help some. Might be better than the stock ones too.

It may be the ONLY solution, unless you ADD weight on the body itself!

I installed Hipshot Ultralite USA Mini Clover tuners and lost about a pound overall up there. Tuner quality is first class too.

 

[JIO]

@stringthrough's solution in post #43 above operates on the same principle.
You're of course right. The rear button is positioned where it usually is because that's where it pretty much has to be...on acoustic guitars, where the tail block is the only area solid enough to support it.
On solid bodies there is zero reason to consider that location as set in stone. Moving the button closer to the center of mass of the instrument, leaving a slice of the body, and its weight, to the right (if northpaw) of the button, can cure the worst neckdiveyness in a much more elegant way than adding weight or front button extenders can. (Lightweight tuning machines are just as elegant, but more expensive and ineffective for serious cases.)

On my custom basses, I always locate the lower strap peg off center toward the E side. If positioned correctly - a 'contoured body' bass can stand upright on its own with a Dunlop Strap-Lok system & strap engaged.

 

[J Wilson]

Neck heavy? No Problem.

Probably better to just buy another bass . . . . .

 

[Basta-bass]

It may be the ONLY solution, unless you ADD weight on the body itself!

Well...no!

 

[Basta-bass]

@stringthrough's solution in post #43

Yes, but the strap being before the body looks ugly!

 

[RedNuk]

Lots of creative solutions here...but the easiest one of all requires nothing more than a belt or a belt loop...no mods...no special strap, no weights, no extensions...


jump to 1:15 and watch until 2:31

Exactly what I do with my Thumb BO5. Only drawback is when you want to put it down you have to unstrap... but that's really minor