What basses have the worse "neck dive" issues

[Skeeter1]

I'm always a little confused abt "neck dive". I've played for 30 years and honestly the most I can say is that I've sensed a bass may be a little headstock heavy but it has never been an issue for me. I always figured "it's a bass, the headstock is a long way from the body creating fulcrum/balance issues, deal with it". Seriously I never give it much of a passing thought, although I will say some basses are just too heavy but I have often wondered if they were designed that way to balance a heavy neck. Also my thought is that once I grip the neck the weight of my hand and arm are going to throw off any balance concerns making any bass neck dive unless I counteract with right hand/forearm pressure.

So time to teach an old dog new tricks. Tell me IYO some brands, models/year that have the worse neck dive and some makes that are the most balanced. I'd like to make a conscious comparison.

 

[SirMjac28]

Skeeter I'm with you I don't understand neck dive either I hear people complain about the Fender Kingman acoustic bass.

 

[Toptube]

Also my thought is that once I grip the neck the weight of my hand and arm are going to throw off any balance concerns

But now you are holding the neck up! Which can take away from your ability to play comfortably and smoothly. Certainly, it at least forces you to hold more tension in your arms.

Take your favorite strap to a Guitar center and strap up an Ibanez. they usually hang with the headstock at about 2 o'clock. You don't have to hold it up like that. They just do it on their own.

I'm not telling you to buy an Ibanez. I'm just saying, it's an easy choice to find a bass that will show you the benefits.


The two most neck divey basses I have ever tried are my first bass, a Lace Helix. And an bolt-on Epiphone Thunderbird that I played for an hour in a Guitar Center. I absolutely loved the tone, but that thing wanted the headstock on the floor.

 

[dcalde78]

The Dean Metalman Z. To me, the only other bass that will neckdive more than this is a bass that has been designed to neckdive. The forward strap button is on the neck plate and that is nowhere near the balance point. Add in the fact that it's a 22 fret neck mounted right at the edge of the body with that HUGE headstock and you have a dive machine.

Conveniently enough I found this picture of me almost 3 years ago playing mine whilst googling for a stock image. I have since sold it, moved on to loving Precision basses and I play in a different band.

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[Tunaman]

G&L ASAT Semi-hollow.

Neck dive: Stand up with a strap, let your bass go... watch the headstock fall !

 

[Thisguy]

The Dean Metalman Z. To me, the only other bass that will neckdive more than this is a bass that has been designed to neckdive. The forward strap button is on the neck plate and that is nowhere near the balance point. Add in the fact that it's a 22 fret neck mounted right at the edge of the body with that HUGE headstock and you have a dive machine.

Conveniently enough I found this picture of me almost 3 years ago playing mine whilst googling for a stock image. I have since sold it, moved on to loving Precision basses and I play in a different band.

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Wow! I had no idea Dave Mustaine had a son that plays.

 

[Trayster2]

The worst are Squier Jaguar short scale basses.... feather weight bodies, very heavy head stock. I wanted one 2 years ago. Lucky for me I was able to try one out first.

 

[JxBass]

My old (1964) Gibson Thunderbird.

 

[panamonte]

The worst neck dive I experienced was on an Epiphone EB3 that I bought for my son. If you took your fretting hand away, the headstock dropped like a stone. Never had an issue like that on any of my own basses (including a 2005 Gibson Thunderbird).

 

[Lobster11]

Most semi-hollow basses have at least some neck dive. If you attach a neck that weighs the same as a neck off a solidbody bass, and you attach to it a body that weighs have as much as a solidbody, it's pretty much inevitable....

 

[mojomike001]

If that upper strap button is not near the 12th fret, there is a good chance the bass is going to be neck heavy.

 

[smcd]

Also my thought is that once I grip the neck the weight of my hand and arm are going to throw off any balance concerns making any bass neck dive unless I counteract with right hand/forearm pressure.

You haven't had a bass with real neck dive issues. I had a Thunderbird where I constantly had to lift the neck while fretting notes. Granted it wasn't as if the neck was exerting unbearable pressure on my arm, but it was definitely a pain in the ass. I was willing to put up with it, though. That bass looked awesome.

 

[dcalde78]

Wow! I had no idea Dave Mustaine had a son that plays.

He's referred to by everyone in the metal scene here as "Shetland's Dave Mustaine". The similarities are uncanny, and not just in appearance.

 

[sotua]

Warwick Thumb bass. That guy looooves to be horizontal. Had to sell mine, the neck dive plus the long reach was killing me. Ended up selling it to a tall guy with long arms who loved it.

 

[jamminology101]

Yamaha attitude 2 & 3's....terrible neck dive. The body is real light and the neck and headstock are really thick with heavy tuners...not a good combo.

 

[JDLowEnd]

Epiphone eb0 and eb3, had them years ago, thank goodness I got rid of them. Even relocated the strap buttons and it didn't make a huge difference.

 

[socialleper]

The basses I've played with bad neck dive are:
Warwick Thumb 5 string BO (mid 2000s)
Hofner style violin basses
Gibson/Epiphone Thunderbird basses
BC Rich Ironbird bass

The problem with all of these are the same. They have small, light bodies that don't counter weight the neck properly. The center of gravity for correct balance is a inch or so into the neck.

 

[Rocky McDougall]

On my custom PJ, I extended the upper horn to the 11th fret for this very purpose and now it is perfectly balanced, no neck dive, even though it has a 22 fret neck.

 

[Handyman]

Some of the early Alembic designs with itty-bitty upper horns were horrible neck divers. Incredible instruments, but horrible neck divers.

 

[Doctor J]

If ever there was a sentence which summed up the bass player's lot it is this

It was definitely a pain in the ass. I was willing to put up with it, though. That bass looked awesome.