Why aren't upper horns longer, to eliminate dive?

[pepj]

A well designed and constructed bass won't have dive. Mine don't. I've never owned a bass where it was an issue.

 

[Bass4LifeRS]

A well designed and constructed bass won't have dive. Mine don't. I've never owned a bass where it was an issue.

But many basses do have neck dive.

 

[2saddleslab]

A well designed and constructed bass won't have dive. Mine don't. I've never owned a bass where it was an issue.

 

[osv]

Well Warwick did it. View attachment 7337288

Warwicks answer to the neck heavy Thumb.

 

[GTHintz]

Warwicks answer to the neck heavy Thumb.

And to me the most underrated bass in their lineup. I've always wanted a fortress with the thumb bass pickup layout. I've had the Corvette but I think the fortress looks a little cooler.

 

[Major Seven]

Sorry, I don't. It was from back in 1987.

So a drawing. I want to try this myself.

 

[Major Seven]

View attachment 7337371

He's dead Jim. Jim, he's dead.

 

[osv]

And to me the most underrated bass in their lineup. I've always wanted a fortress with the thumb bass pickup layout. I've had the Corvette but I think the fortress looks a little cooler.

I wanted a Thumb in the 90’s until I put one on a strap.

 

[GTHintz]

I wanted a Thumb in the 90’s until I put one on a strap.

Thumbs are like Spector, Steinberger, Gibson Thunderbird, rics, in that the people who like the body shape really like it but the rest really don't like how it rides off their shoulder. Polarizing for sure. After a few Warwicks in my hands I haven't tried one yet that I don't like or wouldn't buy in the right circumstances. And I've tried everything I listed except for a Spector.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I was in GC futzing with basses. For most, I had to use a grippy and/or wide strap keep the neck up. But one in particular hung beautifully, with the neck staying up even with a 2" wide slippery nylon strap.

Its upper horn was a bit longer, putting the strap button between the 10th and 11th frets.

I've seen posts here on TB where people have achieved that same strap button position by adding custom plates or long screws and tubes to their basses.

Why aren't most basses made like this?

View attachment 7331866

10th fret here

 

[JIO]

View attachment 7333493

Remember the fender long horn? Yeesh it was heavy, 10 lbs easy.

I got mine down to 9lbs3oz... only things original is the body & neck! And yes, it balances very well. Great US made Fender J's -

 

[Suntory]

I got mine down to 9lbs3oz... only things original is the body & neck! And yes, it balances very well. Great US made Fender J's -

View attachment 7338054
View attachment 7338057

I've never considered doing that, It's just something I've never heard of someone doing years ago. I've would have kept if I did. I bought a standard model and lost about $400 on the trade.

 

[Never2Late]

I use a nylon spacer, sand a curve on one end to match the curve of the horn, paint it black, add a longer screw, and done. This, along with/ lightweight tuners, have been the trick for me.
View attachment 7332107

Thanks. I just found some black nylon spacers (from a TV wall-mount bracket) and will be trying this on one of my basses that has black hardware.

 

[lug]

When I built this, horn to the 12th fret was the first design criteria.

 

[osv]

Thumbs are like Spector, Steinberger, Gibson Thunderbird, rics, in that the people who like the body shape really like it but the rest really don't like how it rides off their shoulder. Polarizing for sure. After a few Warwicks in my hands I haven't tried one yet that I don't like or wouldn't buy in the right circumstances. And I've tried everything I listed except for a Spector.

I’ve owned 3 Spectors and sold them mainly because of the balance issue. However, I did miss them and purchased a Euro Classic this spring which actually balances the best of all I’ve owned. I think I’ll be keeping this one for quite a while.

 

[GrowlerBox]

I’ve owned 3 Spectors and sold them mainly because of the balance issue. However, I did miss them and purchased a Euro Classic this spring which actually balances the best of all I’ve owned. I think I’ll be keeping this one for quite a while. View attachment 7338455

Short horn, but bottom strap button displaced. Do you think that's what's working for it?

 

[GTHintz]

Short horn, but bottom strap button displaced. Do you think that's what's working for it?

I'm not sure but I know the Warwick streamers I've seen and played have all had the bottom button dead center in the middle and they seem to not neck dive that much. I do realize it's a different animal but I think a lot of balance has to do with strap type, how low you set it on your body, if you use a strap lock that pushes the anchor point out further, and finally how the weight of the particular bass is distributed. Sometimes we get a denser cut of wood. It all factors.

 

[osv]

Short horn, but bottom strap button displaced. Do you think that's what's working for it?

I don’t think it’s the strap button placement as its the same on all Spector NS models. This one does feel overall lighter than others I’ve had. Maybe I just got lucky and this one has a lighter neck?

 

[Dincrest]

I've been reading/hearing a lot that with Spector Euro models, the neck-through models balance better than the bolt-on models, though they weigh more. Perhaps it's because the added weight/mass of the neck-through design counter balances the neck?

I once briefly had a Spector ReBop 5 (bolt-on) that should have been an ideal bass. 5-string, excellent low B, weight about 8.75 pounds... but it balanced too horizontally for my tastes and the neck jutted out too far to the left making first position a far reach.

And as folks have said before, the new Tobias Growlers have light pawlonia bodies (some on Sweetwater weigh under 7 pounds), long upper horns to the 12th fret... but they neck dive because the light bodies don't counterbalance the weight of the necks. So while, yes, a long upper horn helps for balance, it's not the only thing.