# SG Owners... Is your guitar balanced?



## axxessdenied (Oct 18, 2012)

Just curious how many SG owners here have an "unbalanced" guitar with neck-dive?

I have a 2009 Gibson SG '61 ReIssue and have never had an issue with neck dive and find it really odd when people talk about the poor balance of SGs which seems to be the complete opposite of my SG.
I use a fairly wide strap with padding which might help keep the guitar in place.

So, I'd like to see what other SG owners on here think? 

Does your SG neck-dive? Did you find a way around it? Chime in!


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## MAGGOTBRAIN (Oct 18, 2012)

I have the cheapy Faded SG... No neck-dive issues here.


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## MFB (Oct 18, 2012)

My '82 SG never had any balance issues and I used both a regular Levi's strap and a Planet Wave LockStrap


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## feraledge (Oct 18, 2012)

It's been a while since I had mine, but I moved the strap pin to the upper horn and found it way more comfortable.


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## Swyse (Oct 18, 2012)

As I said in chat, the SGs I've had had neck dive so bad I had to wear shin guards to prevent damage to my legs while the guitar is doing a half barrel roll. This is an exxageration, but with every SG I've played its been the same.


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## jordanky (Oct 18, 2012)

No SG (or Viper) that I've ever owned was too bad. Lowering the guitar strap a few inches helped immensely. I suppose that you could rig up some type or weight on the back side of your strap if you had to.


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## baptizedinblood (Oct 18, 2012)

SG Standard here, no neck dive whatsoever.


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## StevenC (Oct 18, 2012)

My SG dives suicidally and has hurt itself once or twice from a lack of balance. A good leather strap helps. Also, neck dive has decreased since I moved the strap from being around my waist to way up high and shreddy.


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## exo (Oct 18, 2012)

Epi SG Prophecy Custom EX. Dives more than a bit on its own (I believe someone up there used the term "suicidally", and yeah, that fits the bill...), but between a decent leather strap, and where I rest my forearm, it's a non issue.


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## Rorfin (Oct 19, 2012)

My ltd viper had horrible neck dive. Fixed it by moving the strap pin to the tip of the horn.


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## elrrek (Oct 19, 2012)

I have a Gordon Smith SG which is basically a straight copy of a Gibson SG body shape but features a few differences such as wider neck with compound radius fret board and a brass nut. It *did* suffer from neck dive like most other SG style guitars I have strapped on until I started using a wide perspex Levys strap which fixed the issue instantly.

Unfortunately, it looks like Levys aren't making this strap any more


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## Loomer (Oct 19, 2012)

I have never had any neck dive issues with Gibson SG's, ever, least of all my trusty punk-as-fuck SG-I.

That said; People who say SG's neckdive are people who've only ever played Epi SG's or similar. The strap button placement in a Gibson negates any neckdive there may be, while Epi's have their strap buttons situated about 5 cm further back. Holding an Epi and a Gibson up next to each other makes this clear as day.


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## 7thsonofa7thson (Oct 19, 2012)

A friend of mine owns a Standard Gibson SG and it has a neck-dive-issue, I find it really uncomfortable (and quite risky) while not actually playing it, just standing up there and the guitar's hanging from your shoulders...


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## snowblind56 (Oct 19, 2012)

MAGGOTBRAIN said:


> I have the cheapy Faded SG... No neck-dive issues here.



I have a faded too. Mine dives, but not to the floor. It stops near my belt. And really, the only time it dives is when you take your hands off the neck. I don't even notice it when I am playing.


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## purpledc (Oct 19, 2012)

didnt some SG's have a larger headstock? maybe those were the ones prone to diving?


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## MetalDaze (Oct 19, 2012)




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## Swyse (Oct 19, 2012)

^ using hand signals makes the guitar obey and not dive.


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## Ocara-Jacob (Oct 19, 2012)

While I don't own an SG, one of my good buddies who I used to play guitar with all the time (until he got married and doesn't have time anymore) has one, and while there WAS neck dive, it wasn't too bad at all.


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## FACTORY (Oct 19, 2012)

I also had that horrible neck diving problem on my ESP LTD Viper-1000 (SG) before I relocated the strap button.

BEFORE.





To fix it this is what I did. I did what most of you do.

I'm quoting an old post.



FACTORY said:


> Well I did the unthinkable and drilled a hole (a pilot hole) into my new born LTD 1000 (that I just got) in order to correct that horrible neck diving problem caused by a bad location of the strap button, luckily I did it perfectly! It was nerve racking shit.
> 
> AFTER
> 
> ...



If your going to do this mod make sure to drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw itself first. Everything else is common sense, do not rush the process make sure you only drill as far as you need to based on how far the screw will go in when its in the strap button* not how long the screw is on its own!* Very important!

It stopped the neck diving problem 100% by the way. It now stays where it should whether I'm holding it or not.

Most SG's (be it a Gibson or some other company) and ESP (LTD) Vipers (depending) will have that neck diving problem UNLESS they have the strap button located at the neck heel. 

Well, at least from what I've seen.


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## Dabo Fett (Oct 19, 2012)

mine has a slight neck dive, not enough to go past horizontal though. its a gibson standard. but once i went to a big ass neoprene strap its never had a problem since


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## axxessdenied (Oct 19, 2012)

FACTORY said:


> I also had that horrible neck diving problem on my ESP LTD Viper-1000 (SG) before I relocated the strap button.
> 
> Before.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great info!


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## FACTORY (Oct 19, 2012)

Your welcome.

Yeah, that strap button relocation to the neck heel mod makes a world of difference.

Also a good strap that grips the shoulder will help a lot.


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## Loomer (Oct 20, 2012)

Also, taking out the neck pickup will balance it out. Really. Dead srs..

*_This message is brought to you by the Neck Pickups Are For Girly Mans Nyeeaaaarh Association._


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## darkinners (Oct 20, 2012)

Dont have sg but played my friend's, neck dive really bad


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## SkullCrusher (Oct 20, 2012)

I had one briefly and it was fine


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## Miek (Oct 20, 2012)

Loomer said:


> Also, taking out the neck pickup will balance it out. Really. Dead srs..
> 
> *_This message is brought to you by the Neck Pickups Are For Girly Mans Nyeeaaaarh Association._



I'm not just the president, I'm also a member


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## engage757 (Oct 21, 2012)

Never played an SG that didn't have horrible neck dive problems, and I have played quite a few, both mine and friends. Oh well, I guess you learn to deal if you like the guitar that much.


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 21, 2012)

The SG shape itself isn't any more prone to being imbalanced as most other designs. There are a ton of factors at play: strap height, type of strap, weight of the particular guitar, etc. 

I've owned four SGs and of them, only one didn't balance as well. It had a much thicker (even more so than the "50's Round" profile) neck and the body was relatively light weight, the guitar only weighed in at just under seven pounds. It was a recipe for balance issues, but even then, a proper leather strap and a slight lift did just fine to make it more than manageable. My other thinner necked SGs that weighed in at closer to 8.5 pounds didn't have any issues. 

Basically, if you have a lighter example, rock your guitar low, and use thin nylon straps, your SG probably won't balance.


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## engage757 (Oct 21, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> The SG shape itself isn't any more prone to being imbalanced as most other designs. There are a ton of factors at play: strap height, type of strap, weight of the particular guitar, etc.
> 
> I've owned four SGs and of them, only one didn't balance as well. It had a much thicker (even more so than the "50's Round" profile) neck and the body was relatively light weight, the guitar only weighed in at just under seven pounds. It was a recipe for balance issues, but even then, a proper leather strap and a slight lift did just fine to make it more than manageable. My other thinner necked SGs that weighed in at closer to 8.5 pounds didn't have any issues.
> 
> Basically, if you have a lighter example, rock your guitar low, and use thin nylon straps, your SG probably won't balance.




True, and agreed. But I am not changing up anything about how I wear a guitar, or what strap I use.  That might be my problem, I like the same straps, the same heights, etc. If the guitar doesn't work for me personally, I move on. Ya know?


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 21, 2012)

engage757 said:


> True, and agreed. But I am not changing up anything about how I wear a guitar, or what strap I use.  That might be my problem, I like the same straps, the same heights, etc. If the guitar doesn't work for me personally, I move on. Ya know?



To each their own. I guess I'm just a flexible enough a player to not mind a couple inches different in guitar height. Years of playing different guitars in different styles, etc.


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## engage757 (Oct 21, 2012)

MaxOfMetal said:


> To each their own. I guess I'm just a flexible enough a player to not mind a couple inches different in guitar height. Years of playing different guitars in different styles, etc.



The only thing I can wear at different points that doesn't bother me honestly is a bass. I like it around waist if not a little lower if playing with a pick.


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## BladeDTMGuitarist (May 9, 2013)

I own three Gibson SG's and have no neck dive issues with any of them. Two of them are vintage SG's and one 2011 Gibson SG Standard Limited. The vintage 60's SG I own is the most balanced and lightest guitar i've ever played, the 70's SG I own has a factory original Bigsby so it has weight at the back of the body from that to stop neck dive, and the 2011 is also extremely well balanced.


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