Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

kill your scene

kill your scene

New member
It seems that almost any metal-oriented guitar I play is neck heavy when I use them standing up with a strap. Gibson SGs, Explorers, Jackson Kellys, ESP Vipers, Jackson Warriors..... it's really frustrating trying to find an "extreme" guitar that's as balanced as my Strat.

I hate nose-dive. I hate nose-dive but I'm open minded enough to consider the possiblity of a more extreme guitar.

Any suggestions?
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

play metal with a strat then..... or get a better strap.... that may help
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Get a strap that holds good on your shoulder, suede does this well. Was the strap button behind the neck joint?
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Before you buy any guitar, hold onto the strapbutton and see how it balances. If it's neck heavy like a BC Rich Stealth or 24 fret SG type, steer clear. If it balances, it's still a little neck heavy, so beware. If the body is clearly heavier than the neck, it will hang much better. That's one reason why many 24 fret guitars have a longer upper cutaway horn like Jackson and Ibanez.

Last year, my friend Pat Lachman, from Halford and Damageplan, had the opportunity to have Jackson make him a signature guitar. He wanted a 24 fret neck with locking tuning pegs and inlays on the neck with an SG style body. His heart sank when his killer new Jacksons showed up and he strapped the first one on. He was holding the neck up with his left hand going "aw, sh!t." LOL The very next day, he quit guitar and picked up a microphone in Damageplan. Don't let this happen to you! LOL
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Gearjoneser said:
Last year, my friend Pat Lachman, from Halford and Damageplan, had the opportunity to have Jackson make him a signature guitar. He wanted a 24 fret neck with locking tuning pegs and inlays on the neck with an SG style body. His heart sank when his killer new Jacksons showed up and he strapped the first one on. He was holding the neck up with his left hand going "aw, sh!t." LOL The very next day, he quit guitar and picked up a microphone in Damageplan. Don't let this happen to you! LOL
Click to expand...

LOL
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Well, back to the topic. Yeah, why don't you play metal with a strat?

A neck-heavy guitar isn't that bad IMO. You have the neck in your hand most of the time anyway.
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

i don't believe there's a 'Metal Guitar' per se because my tele handles Black Metal very well... if there is then maybe that's the reason why some guitars are fantastic (balance-wise) when strapped on, they aren't Metal Guitars... or are they?

anyway, it could be a unique problem. no 2 guitars are identical. my Ibanez RG 1550 balances well when played sitting down & strapped on, a friend who has the exact guitar displays a dipping neck... :smack:

hey KYC, i see that the guitars you mentioned are all pointy guitars, maybe that's the reason why... quirky design = quirky balance. but my BC Rich Ironbird isn't a kamikaze either...
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Gibsons?

those guitars weigh up to 10 lbs due to all the mahogany. Youll have no prob with those, they are the standard for hard rock and metal IMO
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Gearjoneser said:
Before you buy any guitar, hold onto the strapbutton and see how it balances. If it's neck heavy like a BC Rich Stealth or 24 fret SG type, steer clear. If it balances, it's still a little neck heavy, so beware. If the body is clearly heavier than the neck, it will hang much better. That's one reason why many 24 fret guitars have a longer upper cutaway horn like Jackson and Ibanez.

Last year, my friend Pat Lachman, from Halford and Damageplan, had the opportunity to have Jackson make him a signature guitar. He wanted a 24 fret neck with locking tuning pegs and inlays on the neck with an SG style body. His heart sank when his killer new Jacksons showed up and he strapped the first one on. He was holding the neck up with his left hand going "aw, sh!t." LOL The very next day, he quit guitar and picked up a microphone in Damageplan. Don't let this happen to you! LOL
Click to expand...

Good advice, Jonesey.

BTW, Jackson will no longer make the "Lachman Signature", as it´s called on the J/C Forums, "because the Body is too similar to an SG".

But I´ve never had any real problems with Explorers,Kellys, Rhoads, KingV (NOT Flying V!!) or similar being Neck heavy. It´s all a question of where the Strap buttons are placed on those styles. SGs on the other hand always have been neck heavy, and probably always will. IMO the Warrior is one of the best balanced shapes out there together with the Rhoads.

Ideally, to test "head heaviness", strap the axe on, and take a bow without holding the axe. If the axe returns to the same position it was in before, you´re dreaming. ;)
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

I am going to find something heavy and small enough and tape it to the end of the strap for my Jackson Kelly... :laugh2:
I bought a better strap, and that helped a lot, and enough. But I would like it to be as balanced as my strat offcourse. I can't remember this problem when playing the guitar in the shop(a lot)...

I have a strange shaped bass, and it has the strap button on the nec joint, and it is balanced... Coult it be possible to get the strap buton on the nec joint for my Kelly? The balance may be caused by the cheap and light wood in the bass though...

enyne who had the strap button moved on a Kelly who knows?
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

I use leather straps. That might help because the leather grips to your body.
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

i find ibanez RG's to be well balanced and a can def. be used for metal
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

....I find it odd that an Explorer of all guitars would be neck heavy. Seems like all that wood mass at your hips would pretty well hold it there.


And if the Strat works, go with it! Guitarist in Maiden plays a strat and nobody argues with their metal!
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

kill your scene said:
it's really frustrating trying to find an "extreme" guitar that's as balanced as my Strat.
Click to expand...

I found the BC Rich Warlock to be pretty comfortable, and it fits in the extreme guitar shape catagory.

I'd like to test out a Mockingbird, but all I can find are those damn acrylics :mad:.
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

I use leather straps. That might help because the leather grips to your body.
Click to expand...

I had never thought of my Yamaha SG as being neck heavy, but last week I showed up for practice without my leather strap and had to borrow a nylon strap from our bassplayer. As soon as I put it on and turned loose of the neck it slid down! It's no problem as long as I wear a leather strap.
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Mayhem said:
I am going to find something heavy and small enough and tape it to the end of the strap for my Jackson Kelly... :laugh2:
I bought a better strap, and that helped a lot, and enough. But I would like it to be as balanced as my strat offcourse. I can't remember this problem when playing the guitar in the shop(a lot)...

I have a strange shaped bass, and it has the strap button on the nec joint, and it is balanced... Coult it be possible to get the strap buton on the nec joint for my Kelly? The balance may be caused by the cheap and light wood in the bass though...

enyne who had the strap button moved on a Kelly who knows?
Click to expand...
A ferw guys on the J/C Forums said the moving the (lower, bout mounted)button to the Top "neck furthest" (so bass side corner on the Bridge side) solves head heaviness in Bolt-on Kellys. Never tried it myself, Kellys are the only Jackson I can´t really get to like (but a KING Kelly :32: )
 
Re: Metal guitars - ALL neck heavy?

Actually, I've come to love my neck-heavy Cobra. At first, it seemed awkward, but now that I'm used to it I find it MORE comfortable because I'm supporting most of the weight with my arm and my shoulders don't get tired. I now see what designer Greg Bennett says on the samickguitar.com site that it's balanced for those long nights on stage. Just my 2 cents.
 
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