The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

Boy, there's nothing more distracting than having to hold your guitar/bass neck up while playing!
I have now 24 beautiful guitars, half of which are Mats. And at least 3 are "neck heavy" and drive me to distraction.

Awhile back in a post I was lamenting the fact that my Vantage VE550, although a beautiful playing guitar, was neck heavy and tended to nose dive when played while standing. Slo-hand offered a nice (read "cheap" solution ) involving weights in a bag: http://www.matsumoku.org/ggboard/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5876#p35445
I still haven't gotten around to stealing that idea, but it's on my "Cheap Bastid" list of guitar things to do.

Meanwhile, I noticed a small ad in the current issue of Guitar Player magazine (I treated myself to an issue) for a product called Heads Up Strap: http://www.headsupstrap.com/index.html Which appears to take Slo's idea and turn it into a rather elegant solution using lead(!) weights.
It's a pricey solution though, particularly if you need more than one! But it might be just what the Doctor ordered to cure the dreaded neckus droopus.

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"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Great link Barry!

Have you though of buying a wireless set up... the added weight from the transmitter attached to the strap might do the trick. You can benefit twice as more....

P.

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MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Do they weigh that much?!

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"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

Good question... lets see...

Senheiser: Weight (Bodypack transmitter): 3.17 oz., (90 g) (without battery)

AKG: Net weight: 3.2 oz. (90 g) without battery

Audio Technica: Net Weight: 2.82 oz (80 g) without battery

Not the 8 oz like the weight pack but its a start.. I though they were heavier....

P.

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MAA Member since June 29th 2009, taking one baby step at a time..... and failing miserably!

Dang. I had a cobbler put a pocket on a leather strap in the late 80s or early 90s (total cost: around $3 + tax), except I used brass slugs (rods) for weight (in a pinch, both the the loaded strap & the rods themselves serve as good self-defense weapons). An old stoner kind of copied the idea by making a "money belt" strap with the pocket on the inside to hide his stash.

50 bucks a pop? Just think--I could have been selling those things for 20 years.

I hope he sells 3, maybe 4 of them.

A cheaper, cleaner way to do it is to find a cheap velcro tri-fold wallet, put metal weights in the middle section, & just fold it around your strap. That way you can use the same strap for different guitars & remove the weight without fiddling with a pocket & worrying about losing weights.

Steal my idea, you jerk. I'll put you outta bidness.

Feel free to post this idea on any board or web site you want to. NO CHARGE!
All I ask is that you mention that it was slo-hand's idea.

A good idea it is too, Slo-hand. I think this puts you at or near the top in the acsesory category of cheap bastard

Funny you should say this. That's exactly what I had in mind to do!!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com

I don't remember who said it but I still like the "weighted Crown bag tied to the strap button" approach.

I think it was Squid Head's Idea. I have a bottle of Crown still in the bag somewhere. I am more of a single malt guy when I drink whiskey. Then again I don't have any neck heavy guitars (yet).

That would be Slo also. And he doesn't drink!

_________________
"A little song, a little dance. A little seltzer down your pants." -Chuckles the Clown
Guitars: https://legend.barryeames.com
Music/Pix/Videos: https://getback.barryeames.com