Never saw it that way, just keep your guitar safe any guitar with an angled headstock will break if you drop it. Have had my standard for 12 years and it still looks perfect.
IMO it's a body design flaw often remedied by strap button placement but to truly balance the guitar it has to have an evenly weighted body. an offset body tilts the weight on the top half of the body towards the headstock causing it to nosedive. a body with parallel conrours doesn't do that
After playing Les Paul's four three past 20 years, I just bought my first SG and the neck dive is driving me crazy, but I love the guitar. This is a GREAT tip man. Thanks!
This is perfectly timed. I just finished building a double neck yesterday and it tends to neck dive a lot, and I'm trying to find ways to fix that dive. This was really helpful. Thanks for the upload!
My father has these so I decided to throw them in my thunderbird bass to fix that neck dive. I even changed where the strap knob was and it helped a little. This legitimately helped me out a lot. Excited to be able to play my thunderbird again without that horrid neck dive!
Then ya gotta worry about neck warp from the upward stress. Plus if any helium gets in the guitar, it will make it higher pitched. Also, using the wrong color balloon has been proven to negatively affect tone. Terrible idea all around.
Hi ! I definitely cured my 2017 Gibson SG Special HP neck dive by DOING THE FORBIDDEN THING. I bought a "VOX Strap Button Extension VSBE 500005000040", and simply relocated the strap button at the tip of the upper horn. Relocated at this place, plus the little extension provided by the "VOX VSBE 500005000040", the guitar became PERFECTLY BALANCED and extremely comfortable to play (very lightweight thin body). So, it has surely slightly changed the aesthetics of the guitar (the strap button isn't hidden behind the guitar anymore), but I don't give a freaking furniture about it, 'cause it's one of my main guitars and it's a dream to play (and I don't intend to ever sell it). COOL VIDEO MR FLUFF !
Thank you so much for this video. I've been playing guitar for 28 years and this is the single greatest way to fix this issue. I literally just used this technique yesterday on a SG copy that I love but couldn't play live without left hand fatigue
Fluff says: "Its very simple, its quick, doesn't require any mods like moving the strap pins because who wants to put additional holes in their guitar" 1/4 of the comments be like: "bro just move the strap pins!" I honestly cant tell whose stupid, deaf, or just trying to turn Fluff's beard grey. The world may never know....
I think you may be taking his word as "the word of god." There is more than one way to skin a cat. Just because you don't like one solution, doesn't give you the right to call people stupid or deaf because they found it helpful.
That's a good solution if a small amount of weight is needed. For those of us with bad backs, ounces matter. Also, the further back you put the weight, the less you will need (leverage!). If the neck dive is too bad a wider strap is a good way to combat it as well. If those fail... you have no choice but to move the strap buttons so the center of gravity is further back on the guitar. You gotta do what you gotta do to make it playable.
My Jackson Dinky JS32Q, which also happens to be my first guitar and what I'm learning on, has EXTREME neck dive. I didn't think to test it when I was choosing a guitar, and now I'm kinda regretting it. But this fix helps things tremendously! Can't wait to try it out!! Thanks, O' Great Bearded One!
DUDE THIS COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. I HAVE A 7 STRING MARC RIZZO SIG. STEALTH AND IT HAS KNARLY NECK DIVE. NEVER REALLY CARED UNTIL ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO SINCE I STARTED PLAYING TECH DEATH LIVE. I EVEN DM´D MARC RIZZO TO ASK HOW HE DEALT WITH IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I greatly appreciate this info, because I have always just moved strap buttons, but I don't want to move ANYTHING on this guitar that I'm having neck dive with. It's an obscure make that was only produced for a year in '81. Cheers!!
This was the answer I was looking for!! All other options did not work and was thinking of small object with weight to counteract! Never would have thought of this, thank you so much!
Sadly, I'd need to add like 2lbs to my bass for this to work...It's a really bad problem on the Epiphone Thunderbird 5 string, to a point that I can't play it standing up.
You could always move the button or have someone do it for you, my 7 string is the only guitar I've owned that has neck dive. Going to try wheel weights and on a strap too first...
250g on a cheap precision clone from a kit.. The body is like made of balsa or something, i already was worried when i got the parts that this body feels sooo light and i was right. I'm going to make a cavity and pour lead weights and epoxy in it. It really sucks to have such unbalanced instrument.
Had some serious neckdive on my LTD Alexi-600 yellow stripes. Watched a few videos on Alexi playing and it didnt look like he had that problem at all. Studied the videoes closer and found out his straps was attached on a different place on the guitar. Changed the location on the strap bolt and solved it 😀 nasty hole coverd with a few matches and some black paint and good to go 😎
I do that too for my Schecter V-1, they get crammed into all of its cavities. It has a Floyd, so there's a lot of missing wood mass in the body, so it takes a lot of them. Neck dive is an unbalance of a guitar's center of mass and the point where the guitar hangs from the strap on your shoulder. A guitar neck is a perfect moment arm that applies a lot of torque without a lot of weight because it's so long; think of using a pipe on a wrench to break a pesky bolt free with minimal effort as opposed to just using the wrench alone.
I’m so glad I found this video. I’ve just got my dream custom shop Bass and it has a bit of neck dive!! Wheel Weights now in order!! Thanks so much!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Wow, I never thought of this. I've been a sg player since I started about 12 years ago and I always lean my right arm on the body to counteract the neck dive. I will try this for sure, thanks!
This happens with my Les Paul a lot. It’s pretty annoying when I’m in the middle of playing something and I slowly start leaning to my left till I’m basically playing on the floor. Thanks for the tip
I use a 3" wide leather strap, but I turn it so the suede side faces out. I still need to be able to move the neck around without the strap grabbing on my shirt. The width and shape of the strap is enough. The width of the front end and narrowness of the strap tail keeps the bottom of my bass from sliding back. I don't know if that's an issue on guitars, but that's largely what causes it on bass. Every time I use a strap that's the same width on both ends (e.g. most slider straps), it positions it on my body in a way that allows the bottom to move back and out, facilitating neck dive. Something about the narrowness of a leather strap tail limits the range of motion, probably because that narrowness allows me to hold the bass more in front of my body than to the side. It pushes against my body better, and that seems to be what prevents the neck dive.
Great idea! I recently putchased a guitar that has neck dive. I placed two small wrist weights in the control cavity. It's not quite enough weight. I'm sure by adding more weight using your method will totally correct the problem! Thank you for making your videos!
Another thing you could try is hanging the guitar higher so that it hugs your body better. Strapped that low, the body of the guitar doesn't have much to grab onto and it creates a big pivot point.
yo Fluff, nice video but i got an idea on how to improve your technique. if you glue them inside cavity, you'll have less space to fix your guitar if something happens with potentiometers (or something like that) but if you glue them on the cavity cover, you'll be able to have the whole space of cavity after you remove the cover. and it's easy to replace if something happens to it. have a nice day and keep on doing nice videos bro
Here’s a fix: Don’t wear your guitar down to your knees. I play with my guitar like Tom Morello, and I never have neck dive. People have this weird idea that playing your guitar strapped low is cooler, or playing with it strapped high is nerdy looking.
Thanks for the idea, I just bought a BC Rich Mockingbird bass, I knew about the heavy neck, but just had to have it's beauty and killer sound. Now to sort out the dive 😂
Thank you so much for this. I just got an LTD EX-401 and was so excited....but I'd never tried it standing up and as soon as I did I hated playing it standing up and didn't really get why at first...then gradually realized it was the neck dive. I was so bummed but now I can fix it!
hey there! just bought the same guitar and am having the same problem, let me know what works best for you, i was planning on moving the strap buttons but now idk
@@justinnewsome9142 Awesome, I love the guitar but the dive is really annoying. Unfortunately the wheel weights did almost nothing 😭 so we'll have to think of something else. I wonder if there are any special kinds of straps or accessories that would help. Inreally don't want to drill into it if I can avoid it. I know Matt Heafy uses a special strap to help with lower back pain, I wonder if there is something similar to that designed to adjust the balance point etc.
@@RiffRock51 unfortunately the wheel weights did almost nothing. I dont think they are heavy enough. Im going tk take it to a local custom builder and see what he can do. Might make a special bracket or something
An amazing and cheap tip! I've heard lead fishing weights in the past but this is a much more elegant solution! Thanks Fluff! Now I can play my double cutaway Gretsch guitars!
I bought my first semi-hollow guitar, and though I loved the sound, I found it almost unplayable standing up due to the neck dive. The added support my fret hand had to produce made it very uncomfortable. Guitar Center suggested using an Ernie Ball Stretch Comfort strap, and that pretty much solved the whole issue.
I finally made the leap and bought me a Gretsch. It was the import double cut semi hollow body that sell for $449. The guitar was so neck heavy that it was unplayable. The hollow body was so light, and they just stuck a normal neck and tuners that would be on a solid body. Even sitting down there was downward force on your fretting hand. If you pulled your hand away, it was heading for the floor. I took a 2 lb weight and tied it onto the strap button to counterbalance it, and it was *STILL* diving. I took it back and got me an Ibanez (the one that looks like it's 100 years old) and it is perfectly balanced. So buyers, check that out before you buy. It's a show stopper. I would need that whole box of wheel weights to fix that Gretsch!
Thank you! With so many neck diving instruments I have had, I cant’t believe I haven’t thought of this before. Gonna get myself a pack of those as well 😎
Great Tip... I'm using Fishing(led) weights wraapped in electrical tape (wow I wrote this like 2 seconds before you mentioned the tape)in the cavity and strap of my SG :)
In stead of adding weight to your guitar or bass you can "relocate' the position of the strap button (the one on the bridge side). Put it a little higher so the weight distribution is more balanced.
That riff used in the intro is one of my favorite of yours. I believe it's in the Lace sensor alumitone review as well. Very badass choice for it. Love the vids.
I have an Ovation Baritone Acoustic with bad neck dive. I saw a bass player on youtube use a wireless pack case with a lead scuba weight bag. I did the same and it works. I am using a 1 pound weight, but I think a 1/2 pound weight would work as well.
I used to tech for a guy that had a Korina body flying V with the huge pointy headstock and grover tuners on it. If you ever let it go it'd point straight to the floor. Was a great sounding guitar, so the annoyance was worth it.
Cue the Tone Weight discussion... =) I've been adding strips of lead weight to the back side of the strap close to the body to address neck dive on two BC Rich Bich's. With the DiMarzio strap system, I can use one strap for both guitars.
I just got my 28.5 Hyperion 7 string. Holy neck dive from hell. I'm in love with it but.. I'm still battling minimal dive. The control cavity on my guitar is huge so I loaded it with weights like you suggested. It feels balanced when I balance it on my forearm. Standing however, the front strap mount on mine is not like yours which I thought was strange. I'm positive if I move the mount inline with the neck this will fix my problem.
Great tip. I had not really thought about wheel weights to add some ballast weight. Great option for anyone that doe not want to/cannot reposition the strap buttons.
I never really got the whole neck dive issue as I was never bothered by it even though I have an SG. Maybe that's because I have my guitars strapped a bit high (belly height). Maybe it's more noticable if one has the guitar strapped lower. Any Thoughts?
The better the guitar hugs your body, the less neck dive. You're right; hanging it lower, it doesn't hug your body as much, and the potential range of motion is increased, allowing the bottom to move back and out. It's one of the reasons I stopped playing strapped that low.
After years never playing a guitar with neckdive I played one with. It really was a bad experience. That would be a dealbraker for a guitar for me. If it does you always need a bit of strength to counter it. I think that could make your technice worse. Also I play with like a medium to low strap hight. If the guitar is balanced it doesn't neckdive even if it's really low.
Plus playing strapped higher up is much more ergonomic on the joints in your arms and hands. They free, loose, and relaxed enough to both play better and act as damage control to tendons and ligaments.
Thank you for this video. Just got a Jaguar bass and the neck dive is real! I didn't have wheel weights but had some fishing weights which worked a charm.
I used to attach a large gauged chain with some thread to the strap buttons on the outside of the strap. The chains would basically dangle off the light end of the guitar and counter balance the neck. This might not be super safe for finishes but it looks cool AF.
Good idea, sadly didn't work for my ESP Viper. I put 250g into the cavity, didn't change anything. A leather strap was the better choice, for i don't want to drill holes into the guitar.
I'm a little doubtful on adding more weights. My bass is unbelievably heavy in itself, and I use double strap to compensate the weight. Adding them sticky weights kind of means higher chance of shoulders ache and such.
Depends on the severity of the neck dive. If the center of mass of your bass isn't too far down the neck you'll only have to add a few grams, so take some measurements and see if it's worth a try.
Interestingly, I've found that an unbalanced instrument is sometimes harder on the shoulders than a heavy one. I have a Vox SDC-33 that's lightweight, but has lots of neck dive, and it hurts my shoulder when I play it live. On the other hand, I also have a Les Paul knockoff that's super heavy, but it's balanced so nicely for me that I don't really notice the weight very much.
@@j.ivguitar8636 Necro bump but totally agree. Heavy isn't bad if it sits well. I marched drumline in school and all those instruments sit horribly on your shoulders. My back would aaaaalways ache after hours of practice
Place a " No diving " sign on your guitar and assert dominance
Yes
I read this as no driving and consciously agreed to it
or just mount a big fan on the headstock to lift it like an helicopter. doh.
Hahahhaha
were playing checkers while this dude playing chess
I'm a big fan of this technique
Lol
i went with balloons but i have a jackson so they popped on the headstock
But does lead have better tone that steel? You have opened up the whole metalwood tone debate Fluff!
*tonemetal
^mvp
*metalwood*
Gold
As an auto mechanic, I wholeheartedly approve of this message. Can't believe I never thought of it (considering my daily environment). Genius.
I had a Jackson Kelly that had terrible neck dive. the way I fixed it was gave the POS to my brother.
Ouch
I have the same guitar you had. To fix it i just attached the strap to the body of the guitar lol
My brother actually loved the guitar so he got it. I couldn't stand it. it drove me nuts
Was it a performer? I got one and the neck dive is horrible. My simple trick is to just play upside down
No professional series.
Alternatively you can also add some weight to the strap-end that is attached to the rear of the guitar.
Haven't you heard? You can fix neckdive by popping the headstock right off--Gibsons already have this feature built in! (Heeeeyyyoooooo...)
Darn right. It's a feature, not a flaw. "Play authentic" lol
Never saw it that way, just keep your guitar safe any guitar with an angled headstock will break if you drop it. Have had my standard for 12 years and it still looks perfect.
A little elbow grease... But hey! Neck dive is no more and I am very satisfied with the results! Thanks!
Ha Ha Gibson's Nice!
Neckdive is actually most often caused by strap pin placement
IMO it's a body design flaw often remedied by strap button placement but to truly balance the guitar it has to have an evenly weighted body. an offset body tilts the weight on the top half of the body towards the headstock causing it to nosedive. a body with parallel conrours doesn't do that
but some guitars have a serious neck dive even without the straps.
Its the main cause. You can fix neck dive on any guitar by moving the strap pins.
@@misterknightowlandco Yup. Moving the back pin up will usually offset the problem.
Yep, my Jackson Rhoads had some bad dive. I moved the strap button onto the top right screw of the joint
After playing Les Paul's four three past 20 years, I just bought my first SG and the neck dive is driving me crazy, but I love the guitar. This is a GREAT tip man. Thanks!
Just get someone else to hold the headstock while you play.
g00D TiP
That will help me a lot!
Lol
This is perfectly timed. I just finished building a double neck yesterday and it tends to neck dive a lot, and I'm trying to find ways to fix that dive. This was really helpful. Thanks for the upload!
My father has these so I decided to throw them in my thunderbird bass to fix that neck dive. I even changed where the strap knob was and it helped a little. This legitimately helped me out a lot. Excited to be able to play my thunderbird again without that horrid neck dive!
You could strap some helium balloons to the headstock
Then ya gotta worry about neck warp from the upward stress. Plus if any helium gets in the guitar, it will make it higher pitched. Also, using the wrong color balloon has been proven to negatively affect tone. Terrible idea all around.
I’ll strap a drone to my headstock, so the propellers can simultaneously give me a haircut while holding my guitar up. Improvisation101
This is quite possibly the most important, functional, useful video on UA-cam! Not just about guitars, of any video.
Hi ! I definitely cured my 2017 Gibson SG Special HP neck dive by DOING THE FORBIDDEN THING.
I bought a "VOX Strap Button Extension VSBE 500005000040", and simply relocated the strap button at the tip of the upper horn. Relocated at this place, plus the little extension provided by the "VOX VSBE 500005000040", the guitar became PERFECTLY BALANCED and extremely comfortable to play (very lightweight thin body).
So, it has surely slightly changed the aesthetics of the guitar (the strap button isn't hidden behind the guitar anymore), but I don't give a freaking furniture about it, 'cause it's one of my main guitars and it's a dream to play (and I don't intend to ever sell it).
COOL VIDEO MR FLUFF !
I'm taking these off my spare set of rims and fixing my SG right now
You’re in for a bumpy ride
Thank you so much for this video. I've been playing guitar for 28 years and this is the single greatest way to fix this issue. I literally just used this technique yesterday on a SG copy that I love but couldn't play live without left hand fatigue
Fluff says: "Its very simple, its quick, doesn't require any mods like moving the strap pins because who wants to put additional holes in their guitar" 1/4 of the comments be like: "bro just move the strap pins!" I honestly cant tell whose stupid, deaf, or just trying to turn Fluff's beard grey. The world may never know....
AGREED
I think you may be taking his word as "the word of god."
There is more than one way to skin a cat. Just because you don't like one solution, doesn't give you the right to call people stupid or deaf because they found it helpful.
Just move the strap pins.
Lots of people add holes by installing aftermarket parts.
Dude. I worked in a tire shop for years and I never woulda thought of this. Good thinking fluff!!!!
Best tip ever. A wide leather strap also help with the neck dive
Cotton works as well
I have a mockingbird that I use a leather strap but still experience neck dive. I will definitely be trying this. THANKS FOR THE TIP!!
Did this work for your mockingbird?
That's a good solution if a small amount of weight is needed. For those of us with bad backs, ounces matter. Also, the further back you put the weight, the less you will need (leverage!). If the neck dive is too bad a wider strap is a good way to combat it as well. If those fail... you have no choice but to move the strap buttons so the center of gravity is further back on the guitar. You gotta do what you gotta do to make it playable.
My Jackson Dinky JS32Q, which also happens to be my first guitar and what I'm learning on, has EXTREME neck dive. I didn't think to test it when I was choosing a guitar, and now I'm kinda regretting it. But this fix helps things tremendously! Can't wait to try it out!! Thanks, O' Great Bearded One!
DUDE THIS COULD NOT HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME. I HAVE A 7 STRING MARC RIZZO SIG. STEALTH AND IT HAS KNARLY NECK DIVE. NEVER REALLY CARED UNTIL ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO SINCE I STARTED PLAYING TECH DEATH LIVE. I EVEN DM´D MARC RIZZO TO ASK HOW HE DEALT WITH IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I greatly appreciate this info, because I have always just moved strap buttons, but I don't want to move ANYTHING on this guitar that I'm having neck dive with. It's an obscure make that was only produced for a year in '81. Cheers!!
I have an SG and never had neck drive, BUT I had recently purchased a Jackson Kelly and it had BAD neck dive. Thank-you so much!!!
This was the answer I was looking for!! All other options did not work and was thinking of small object with weight to counteract! Never would have thought of this, thank you so much!
I’ve used plumbers putty for the same application, and it molds to tight corners a’la les Paul’s. Worked wonders with my 335 (copy).
Chris O'Daniel you places the putty just as he placed the lead?
Kevin - Pretty much. The coolest thing about the putty is that you can still embed the lead weights too. Think of a pinewood derby car 🙂
Sadly, I'd need to add like 2lbs to my bass for this to work...It's a really bad problem on the Epiphone Thunderbird 5 string, to a point that I can't play it standing up.
You could always move the button or have someone do it for you, my 7 string is the only guitar I've owned that has neck dive. Going to try wheel weights and on a strap too first...
250g on a cheap precision clone from a kit.. The body is like made of balsa or something, i already was worried when i got the parts that this body feels sooo light and i was right. I'm going to make a cavity and pour lead weights and epoxy in it. It really sucks to have such unbalanced instrument.
Had some serious neckdive on my LTD Alexi-600 yellow stripes. Watched a few videos on Alexi playing and it didnt look like he had that problem at all. Studied the videoes closer and found out his straps was attached on a different place on the guitar. Changed the location on the strap bolt and solved it 😀 nasty hole coverd with a few matches and some black paint and good to go 😎
I do that too for my Schecter V-1, they get crammed into all of its cavities. It has a Floyd, so there's a lot of missing wood mass in the body, so it takes a lot of them. Neck dive is an unbalance of a guitar's center of mass and the point where the guitar hangs from the strap on your shoulder. A guitar neck is a perfect moment arm that applies a lot of torque without a lot of weight because it's so long; think of using a pipe on a wrench to break a pesky bolt free with minimal effort as opposed to just using the wrench alone.
I’m so glad I found this video. I’ve just got my dream custom shop Bass and it has a bit of neck dive!! Wheel Weights now in order!! Thanks so much!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
2:05
“They come in different uh...”
Music pauses
“Sizes”
Music continues
Lol
Yep I have a SG moved the pins no more neck dive. ( I looked at Angus's set up on his)
Heath Thompson was thinking of moving the pins on my SG do you have a link to the angus set up you reference or a pic of how you did yours?
Wow, I never thought of this. I've been a sg player since I started about 12 years ago and I always lean my right arm on the body to counteract the neck dive. I will try this for sure, thanks!
Great trick! been using it for years. I use the 1oz weights. Only took two oz. So you get more weight for less space.
Omg I’ve been trying to think of a way to counter weight the neck dive in some of my guitars for years but never knew how…..until now!!!
This happens with my Les Paul a lot. It’s pretty annoying when I’m in the middle of playing something and I slowly start leaning to my left till I’m basically playing on the floor. Thanks for the tip
I use a 3" wide leather strap, but I turn it so the suede side faces out. I still need to be able to move the neck around without the strap grabbing on my shirt. The width and shape of the strap is enough. The width of the front end and narrowness of the strap tail keeps the bottom of my bass from sliding back.
I don't know if that's an issue on guitars, but that's largely what causes it on bass. Every time I use a strap that's the same width on both ends (e.g. most slider straps), it positions it on my body in a way that allows the bottom to move back and out, facilitating neck dive. Something about the narrowness of a leather strap tail limits the range of motion, probably because that narrowness allows me to hold the bass more in front of my body than to the side. It pushes against my body better, and that seems to be what prevents the neck dive.
Great idea! I recently putchased a guitar that has neck dive. I placed two small wrist weights in the control cavity. It's not quite enough weight. I'm sure by adding more weight using your method will totally correct the problem! Thank you for making your videos!
Great tip, I own a ESP viper 7 with a bad neckdive. I will try this and see how it works out
Another thing you could try is hanging the guitar higher so that it hugs your body better. Strapped that low, the body of the guitar doesn't have much to grab onto and it creates a big pivot point.
yo Fluff, nice video but i got an idea on how to improve your technique. if you glue them inside cavity, you'll have less space to fix your guitar if something happens with potentiometers (or something like that) but if you glue them on the cavity cover, you'll be able to have the whole space of cavity after you remove the cover. and it's easy to replace if something happens to it. have a nice day and keep on doing nice videos bro
Here’s a fix: Don’t wear your guitar down to your knees. I play with my guitar like Tom Morello, and I never have neck dive. People have this weird idea that playing your guitar strapped low is cooler, or playing with it strapped high is nerdy looking.
I've been doing this for 20 years. Great tip.
Nice remedy to a common yet unnecessary problem (builders should design the guitars better), another great video fluff.
Thanks for the idea, I just bought a BC Rich Mockingbird bass, I knew about the heavy neck, but just had to have it's beauty and killer sound. Now to sort out the dive 😂
Gonna try this with my 6 string bass. I've done the strap pin relocation which helped... a little.
Thank you so much for this. I just got an LTD EX-401 and was so excited....but I'd never tried it standing up and as soon as I did I hated playing it standing up and didn't really get why at first...then gradually realized it was the neck dive. I was so bummed but now I can fix it!
hey there! just bought the same guitar and am having the same problem, let me know what works best for you, i was planning on moving the strap buttons but now idk
@@justinnewsome9142 Awesome, I love the guitar but the dive is really annoying. Unfortunately the wheel weights did almost nothing 😭 so we'll have to think of something else. I wonder if there are any special kinds of straps or accessories that would help. Inreally don't want to drill into it if I can avoid it. I know Matt Heafy uses a special strap to help with lower back pain, I wonder if there is something similar to that designed to adjust the balance point etc.
The neck dive on my LTD EX-400 is very bad, that's why I'll probably trade it. Is yours still diving after your fix?
@@RiffRock51 unfortunately the wheel weights did almost nothing. I dont think they are heavy enough. Im going tk take it to a local custom builder and see what he can do. Might make a special bracket or something
An amazing and cheap tip! I've heard lead fishing weights in the past but this is a much more elegant solution! Thanks Fluff! Now I can play my double cutaway Gretsch guitars!
Same here. Stick on wheel weights are a life save for my RRXMG Rhoads.
I absolutely LOVE the RD style guitars!!!
Man, I literally was thinking of ways to eliminate this on a new guitar yesterday! Nice one dude!!
I bought my first semi-hollow guitar, and though I loved the sound, I found it almost unplayable standing up due to the neck dive. The added support my fret hand had to produce made it very uncomfortable. Guitar Center suggested using an Ernie Ball Stretch Comfort strap, and that pretty much solved the whole issue.
I used to have an SG. This is a really ingenious idea. Thanks Fluff!
Got a new bass with serious neck dive. I will try this out.
Now i can finally fix the neck dive on my 84 Explorer copy! It was so frustating, thanx a lot
I finally made the leap and bought me a Gretsch. It was the import double cut semi hollow body that sell for $449. The guitar was so neck heavy that it was unplayable. The hollow body was so light, and they just stuck a normal neck and tuners that would be on a solid body. Even sitting down there was downward force on your fretting hand. If you pulled your hand away, it was heading for the floor. I took a 2 lb weight and tied it onto the strap button to counterbalance it, and it was *STILL* diving. I took it back and got me an Ibanez (the one that looks like it's 100 years old) and it is perfectly balanced. So buyers, check that out before you buy. It's a show stopper. I would need that whole box of wheel weights to fix that Gretsch!
Just a thought, you might want to keep Neck Dive as a gravity assist when pitch bending ! :)
Love the new intro man!
I got my SG fix from Tony Iommi. I moved the strap lock to the top horn.
This is so simple but such a great idea... Good job Fluff... Six Beards
Thanks for the advice - My new Gibson SG Special has awful neck dive. I'll try some weights!
Thank you! With so many neck diving instruments I have had, I cant’t believe I haven’t thought of this before. Gonna get myself a pack of those as well 😎
Great Tip... I'm using Fishing(led) weights wraapped in electrical tape (wow I wrote this like 2 seconds before you mentioned the tape)in the cavity and strap of my SG :)
Sweet! This is what I figured out too. Glad it's not just me!
In stead of adding weight to your guitar or bass you can "relocate' the position of the strap button (the one on the bridge side). Put it a little higher so the weight distribution is more balanced.
This was very useful, im going to use this from now on. Thank you Fluff!
That riff used in the intro is one of my favorite of yours. I believe it's in the Lace sensor alumitone review as well. Very badass choice for it. Love the vids.
i worked in a garage ones, and have had a guitar with some neck dive for about 6 years. why did i not think of this?..
thanks for the tip anyway:)
I have an Ovation Baritone Acoustic with bad neck dive. I saw a bass player on youtube use a wireless pack case with a lead scuba weight bag. I did the same and it works. I am using a 1 pound weight, but I think a 1/2 pound weight would work as well.
Hey I was thinking about this the other day, great video!
My gretsch doesn't have a control cavity. Good video though. My sg actually has no neck dive oddly enough
Great tip. Super clever, affordable and best of all hidden in the control cavity!
I used to tech for a guy that had a Korina body flying V with the huge pointy headstock and grover tuners on it. If you ever let it go it'd point straight to the floor. Was a great sounding guitar, so the annoyance was worth it.
I own an sg and have never experienced neck dive.
Oxymoron
1:23 - "It'll slam into the ground."
Me, with the guitar in my armpit: 🤔
Cue the Tone Weight discussion... =) I've been adding strips of lead weight to the back side of the strap close to the body to address neck dive on two BC Rich Bich's. With the DiMarzio strap system, I can use one strap for both guitars.
Good solution. I have an SG clone that's d-r-iving me nuts ... and a ton of wheel weights. Will give it a try.
Brent hinds flying v is king of neck dive, thankyou bro i’ll try it
I just got my 28.5 Hyperion 7 string. Holy neck dive from hell. I'm in love with it but.. I'm still battling minimal dive. The control cavity on my guitar is huge so I loaded it with weights like you suggested. It feels balanced when I balance it on my forearm. Standing however, the front strap mount on mine is not like yours which I thought was strange. I'm positive if I move the mount inline with the neck this will fix my problem.
Great tip. I had not really thought about wheel weights to add some ballast weight. Great option for anyone that doe not want to/cannot reposition the strap buttons.
this is just what i was looking for. i just would like to ask how much weight did you put on???
Been doing this for years also, and it works pretty well.
damn... Never even thought of that little trick! Thanks Ryan!
I never really got the whole neck dive issue as I was never bothered by it even though I have an SG. Maybe that's because I have my guitars strapped a bit high (belly height). Maybe it's more noticable if one has the guitar strapped lower. Any Thoughts?
The better the guitar hugs your body, the less neck dive. You're right; hanging it lower, it doesn't hug your body as much, and the potential range of motion is increased, allowing the bottom to move back and out. It's one of the reasons I stopped playing strapped that low.
After years never playing a guitar with neckdive I played one with. It really was a bad experience. That would be a dealbraker for a guitar for me. If it does you always need a bit of strength to counter it. I think that could make your technice worse.
Also I play with like a medium to low strap hight. If the guitar is balanced it doesn't neckdive even if it's really low.
Plus playing strapped higher up is much more ergonomic on the joints in your arms and hands. They free, loose, and relaxed enough to both play better and act as damage control to tendons and ligaments.
If your guitar doesn’t cover your balls, it’s too high. . .
@@buhimoth I let the audience gaze at my beautiful balls so that i can play better...nu metal and cockrock sucks, mathcore is the best...
I either mount my strap at a different point on the body or a non invasive and effective fix is to run the strap through my belt. Works like a charm
Do like ZZ top does.
What would that be?
I think he is talking about the belt buckle attachment that allows their guitar to spin 360 degrees.
@@KlonBlastbeat yes sir, I am.
I'd kill for that thing
@@jernie9384 Hell yeah. Especially if it has a friction adjustment to allow you to position the guitar and have it stay in position.
Thank you for this video. Just got a Jaguar bass and the neck dive is real! I didn't have wheel weights but had some fishing weights which worked a charm.
How did you stick them
@@jdssurf I used double sided 3M foam.
I used to attach a large gauged chain with some thread to the strap buttons on the outside of the strap. The chains would basically dangle off the light end of the guitar and counter balance the neck. This might not be super safe for finishes but it looks cool AF.
auto tech and guitarist here -- glad somebody else does this lmao
Good idea, sadly didn't work for my ESP Viper. I put 250g into the cavity, didn't change anything.
A leather strap was the better choice, for i don't want to drill holes into the guitar.
Thank you my friend (SG).
Ok...Thank's man! I'll try this. I just got Danelectro coral sitar and that's like a neckdiving nightmare!
never thought of wheel weights...been thinking of using fishing weights for the longest time to fix my bass but these would work even better
I just sent back a brand bew Epi Les Paul because of this. I had a Rick 4003 bass that had neck dive and my back after a gig was toast.
Going to try this asap! I have a Schecter Demon S-II and the body style is similar to an SG. The body is super light but the headstock is heavy
You fight gravity so well!
I've never had a problem with neck dive on my air Guitar.
I'm a little doubtful on adding more weights. My bass is unbelievably heavy in itself, and I use double strap to compensate the weight. Adding them sticky weights kind of means higher chance of shoulders ache and such.
Depends on the severity of the neck dive. If the center of mass of your bass isn't too far down the neck you'll only have to add a few grams, so take some measurements and see if it's worth a try.
Interestingly, I've found that an unbalanced instrument is sometimes harder on the shoulders than a heavy one. I have a Vox SDC-33 that's lightweight, but has lots of neck dive, and it hurts my shoulder when I play it live. On the other hand, I also have a Les Paul knockoff that's super heavy, but it's balanced so nicely for me that I don't really notice the weight very much.
@@j.ivguitar8636 Necro bump but totally agree. Heavy isn't bad if it sits well. I marched drumline in school and all those instruments sit horribly on your shoulders. My back would aaaaalways ache after hours of practice