Alembic Guitars Club
Alembic products => Alembic Basses & Guitars => Topic started by: brianm on June 30, 2006, 12:14:43 PM
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I currently own a 70's Series I, medium scale, point body, 4 string. I don't find neck dive to be much of an issue with my bass. I do use a very wide strap. I am looking for a second used Series bass. I'm wondering about how much neck dive there would be or if it would be roughly the same as my current bass. In a perfect world my new bass would be a small body 4 string either medium scale or short scale. I was wondering if there is much of a difference in neck dive with different body styles and also medium scale vs. short scale?
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You could put it this way. For a small body, they will only do medium scale if you're a special customer who knows what they're ordering - because of the neck dive.
Here's a recent thread about one of the rare long scale small bodies in existence -
http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/29335.html?1151643490 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=6256) - the owner has put the 'neck strap button' on the lower horn to fix the balance issue.
There are plenty of large body long scales, and there's not really a neck dive issue with them, just that they balance more or less horizontally, so you will have to rest your arm on the body to make the neck point upwards.
The wide strap is a very good idea in any case.
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Of all the Alembic body styles, the Small Standard has by far the most reports of neck dive; and as Adiraan said, almost all Small Standards have short scale necks as a result. Even with a short scale neck, balance can still be more of a problem than with the other body styles.
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I didn't think of relocating the strap button to solve the balance issue till I saw the pic http://club.alembic.com/Images/394/29335.html?1151643490 (http://club.alembic.com/index.php?topic=6256). Now I'm not worried about the different body tyes and balance issues. Thank you :-)
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Adriaan is right about the large body, long scale basses being better balanced, but man are they heavy! That or my age is becoming a factor.
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That seems a silly way to solve the balance issue. Now it's a bass that wants to fall forward because of the physics of how it is supported. A previous owner of my current bass didn't get it either, but had a better idea. He tried three times to move the bottom strap peg up the side of the body. That, at least, would still leave the bass hanging correctly. A wide, soft strap is still the best option in my mind.
I don't know, I think Epics are pretty bad on balance, too, especially in 5-6 string models.
The small standard is definitely not made to be a low slung rock star bass, but it is wonderful if you wear it at or above the belly button with a good strap. Not sure if it would still be so in medium scale, though.
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Flame Koa essence has absolutely no neck dive or rise, it feels prefectly balanced, 34scale. Michael
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I can't agree with bob here. I have a 5 string epic that has no balance problems at all. The upper horn reaches the 13th fret near enough.Until about a year ago, I was using a shiny PVC strap and it never took a dive earthwards.
Graeme
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My extra wide strap is actually screwed into the body in three places,,,,1.behind the 24th fret(into the body) 2.into the upper horn, 3 into the Butt ....so it cannot be removed at all, & I also wear my bass sorta high up so that helps balance too......I don't trust strap locks so therefore my strap is part of the Bass....... Stanley Clarke does to his Alembics also!