# How To Fix A Neck Heavy Explorer?



## RLG167 (May 22, 2016)

Hey all, so I have an Explorer, but it's too neck heavy. If I just put a strap on and let go of it, the neck will dip. I added about 5 lbs of weight to the end of the strap, but that only brought it up maybe 2 degrees. So I've left it for a while, but I want it to be at the proper 45 degrees. What can I do to fix it? I like where the strap button is (behind the heel), but I can move it if it's the only way to fix it.
Thanks, RG


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## HUGH JAYNUS (May 22, 2016)

Im not sire if this trick will work, but worth a try. Remove the pickgaurd (if yours has one), and put some weights in the route underneath. Probably towards the bridge to keep the weight balanced on the correct side of the strap peg


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## HUGH JAYNUS (May 22, 2016)

There is alot of room here. let me know if it works. I just got an Explorer with the peg in the same place. I may have the same issue. Waiting on a strap to arrive before i find out


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## jeremyb (May 22, 2016)

Wide leather strap will fix it, the friction against your clothes will stop it moving


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## Floppystrings (May 22, 2016)

How to Fix a Neck-Heavy Guitar or Bass - Warmoth Blog

Also, you could find a piece of metal like this and maybe change the strap button position without drilling any new holes, you would have to get a little creative.


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## MajorTom (May 22, 2016)

You can get wide leather guitar straps the have padding and suede lining on the 'inside' of the guitar strap, the side of the strap that comes in contact with your body, the suede acts as grip and can sometimes be enough to stop a neck heavy guitar from neck diving.

You can also get guitar straps that have weight pouches on 'each end' of the strap, i.e. the neck end and the body end, if you add weight to the body end of the strap, it counter acts the weight of the guitar neck stopping it from neck diving.

The above two suggestions are the best ones I have that don't involve making changes to the guitar.

If you don't mind making changes to the guitar, you can raise the position of the strap button closest to the guitar neck, or you can lower the position of the strap button on the body furthermost from the neck. Or instead of moving, you can simply add an extra strap button or two.

I would strongly advise against making any permanent irreversible changes to the guitar, I would strongly suggest you try changing straps first, and if that doesn't work, ask around for other ideas and try them before you even think about making any form of modification to the guitar.


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## thinkpad20 (May 22, 2016)

Adding weight seems problematic because a heavier guitar is one that's going to be uncomfortable or even injurious to play standing for long periods of time.


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## DistinguishedPapyrus (May 22, 2016)

I've had a similar problem with the Gibson SG, neck heavy, likes to dive too much... one way that can help (also adding weight to the guitar) Put a bunch of BB'S into a cloth sack or a sock or something similar and put it in the electronics cavity. The BB'S conform to the shape around the pots and such, and the cloth keeps them from interfering with the guitar electronically so nothing shorts out.


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## RLG167 (May 22, 2016)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I tried a wide leather strap and it didn't stop the diving. And in addition to the weight on the strap not helping much, it is very uncomfortable to hold now because of the added weight. It's heavier than my LP! I may just try what Floppystrings suggested with the piece of metal to move the strap position without moving the button.


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## DistinguishedPapyrus (May 22, 2016)

Oh, one other thing I thought... and this may be hard to get a huge difference for the cost of doing it, but look into finding some lighter weight tuners.


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## RLG167 (May 22, 2016)

DistinguishedPapyrus said:


> Oh, one other thing I thought... and this may be hard to get a huge difference for the cost of doing it, but look into finding some lighter weight tuners.



I actually tried that with another neck heavy guitar I had, I found absolutely no difference.


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## 7JxN7 (May 23, 2016)

I have a couple of 3" wide leather DSL straps that i use on neck heavy guitars. They have a rough, untreated underside, with no padding. The guitars pretty much stay where I put them and it's really comfortable for long periods of time. I currently use them for a Ibanez XPT707 and a 7 string Iceman


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## jeremyb (May 23, 2016)

3" worked on the mockingbird I had, maybe ditch the explorer and get something light like a chapman ghost fret, really gassing for one of those lol!


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## MajorTom (May 23, 2016)

Just out of curiosity what type of Explorer is it, it's very unusual to hear of an Explorer being neck heavy, especially when you consider how large their bodies are. All of my Explorers have the opposite problem, they are all body heavy, even my Epiphone Gothic Explorer, which as Explorers go, is really light and thin, compared to the standard Epiphone Explorer, it's about half the weight and two thirds of the thickness, and when compared to Gibson Explorers, the Epiphone Gothic Explorer is about a third of the thickness of a Gibson Explorer if not a bit less, and just a little over a quarter of the weight.

Am considering buying a Explorer clone, a Chapman ghost fret, and as far as explorers go, the Ghost Fret gas a small body, and I've not heard any problems with them being neck heavy, in fact, everyone I know who has one, and everyone that I have tried has balanced quite nicely, I was initially worried about them being neck heavy, instead of the traditional Explorer body heavy, due to their smaller body size.


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## RLG167 (May 23, 2016)

It's the Epiphone Thunderhorse Explorer (Brendon Small sig.-Deathklok) 




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