unusual problem with guitar

[dubstyle5000]

I have this Ibanez GAX70 that I bought when I first started playing. After some mods, it actually sounds really good but I can't play it because it's so out of balance that I have to use my fretting hand to hold up the neck while I'm playing. As a result I don't even play the thing and it just sits around in my apartment. Has anybody found a way to fix a problem like this? Would a better strap help?

Thanks in advance.

 

[thevirgin]

Straps and buttons

Yes and no - A strap with a textured back or a big cotton pad will help the neck from nose diving as easily but it will not fix the balance problem itself. Depending on how bad the problem is, the right strap may or may not be enough to make for comfortable playing. Depends on the balance of the particular guitar and how much you move around while playing.

If the strap alone is not enough of a change, you may be able to to help things more by relocating one or both of the strap buttons. If you need to move a button to a location that would create a weird angle, say one that might cause the strap to come off too easily, you may need to switch over to straplocks. There are several types of locks available but I personally use the Shaller type. - YMMV

Peace,
ST

 

[edgarallanpoe]

A strap that is made from something other than nylon will definitely help. Try getting a strap made with suade or rough leather of some kind. Relocating the strap pin will probably not help. More than likely the Ibanez is made with a basswood body. Basswood is very light and if it is too light, the maple neck will throw the guitar off balance. The suade strap will help, but ultimately you still have an unbalanced guitar. Maybe the strap will fix the problem enough for you not to notice, and maybe it wont. It is worth a try though.

 

[dubstyle5000]

Plus 1 for theVirgin. I never thought of moving the button. Thanks also to Poe. Even though you don't think it will work, I think I'll give it a try. Maybe in comination with a suede strap I can make it work.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

I never thought of moving the button.

Be careful of moving that button. Basswood is notoriously soft, and moving the button can wind up leaving you worse off than you were before. You may or may not be able to put the button back, especially if the basswood is more soft than usual. I have seen the holes get stripped very easily when doing something as simple as installing strap locks. Good luck, I hope you find your solution.

 

[thevirgin]

Good tip

Yes that is a good tip, to be careful when moving the button.

I would only move the button(s) if a better strap does not make enough of a difference. When I install buttons, usually to install straplocks, I use a longer than stock screw. Also, if I am sure of the button location, I then take the screw out, squirt in some super glue and do the final installation. The combination of the longer screw and the superglue has prevented problems for me but I don't jump around much and I don't believe that any of my instruments have a basswood body.

Peace,
ST

 

[Dani Pace]

The GAX70 model comes in two different woods, one as already mentioned is basswood the other is agitha (hope I spelled that right) which have very different properties. In many ways basswood is similar to mahogany but much lighter and less dense, it has a similar tone but less sustain. Basswood is used mostly on the ones with a transparent finish. Agitha is slightly heavier and has a little brighter sound, it is similar to alder (alder is commonly used in Strats) but lacks the sustain of alder and is also a little lighter.
I have two GAX70 guitars, one is balanced quite well while the other is a bit neck heavy. I use a wide leather strap for both and really don't have a problem with slippage. I have to admit the appeal of the GAX70 is (to me anyway) the small body and thin neck. Although I switched the pups on both of mine they are not bad guitars for the average player and the price makes them affordable for even a beginner.

 

[legionserial]

Why not hang something heavyish off the button on the butt, or tape it to to the strap near it to balance it out maybe? Sounds like a daft idea but I've done botchier things in my life.
Or you could move the other button to the neck.

 

[edgarallanpoe]

. Basswood is used mostly on the ones with a transparent finish.

Really? Thats odd...I have never seen a basswood body with a transparent finish. My understanding was that basswood is mostly found with solid finishes because it is not an attractive wood.

 

[rayc]

I go along with the strap idea.
I have a semi acoustic bass that, with a synthetic strap, was constantly dipping like the "bird drinking from a glass" toy.
A wide rougher undersided leather strap has kept it "at hand".
As a last resort the counter balance'd be a goer.
I'd also be loath to drill & fill - it's not really a case of measure twice, cut once unless you get an engineer to do the maths for it.
Cheers
ray

 

[ibanezrocks]

Try resting your forearm of your picking hand on the area where the forearm contour is on some guitars (such as a strat), the tiniest amount of pressure just from resting your arm there should easily be enough to keep it in balance. Unless you're doing windmills you should be able to easily do this without changing the rest of your technique.

 

[Wish]

I've got a guitar with the same problem. Moving the straplock to the back of the guitar rignt behind where the neck attaches is another option...that's what I've seen done by others with the same model guitar as mine...

I haven't changed it on mine as it hardly ever leaves my bedroom studio and I'm usually sitting when I play.

 

[dubstyle5000]

Thanks again for all the input. I decided, after further review, to not try and move the button. As ibanezrocks pointed out, putting a little pressure on the body with the strumming hand solves some of the problem. Doing that in conjunction with a more heavy duty strap should get me most of the way. I don't think I'll ever be totally comfortable with it...

I guess that's what I get for buying an "I've-been-had".

 

[Crash ©]

On the hole stripping thing... Stuff a toothpick in the hole with a dab of wood glue, break it off flush, let the glue dry and CAREFULLY put the screw back in. It's not a perfect fix, but not much is when you've stripped out a screw hole in wood..

I guess the CORRECT fix would be to drill the hole out a bit larger and plug the hole with a piece of dowel, then reset the screw in the dowel.

On the unbalanced guitar.. Duck tape the sucker around your waist..!!!!

--
Rob

 

[thevirgin]

There is nothing that says you can't add a second button without removing the first. When I had my aluminum necked bass, I had one button on the upper horn and another near the back of the neck.

Peace,
ST

 

[Niimo]

let me start by saying that one of the first things i look for now when buying a guitar is making sure its weighted right. i had an ibanez rg series back in the day and i had the same problem. i took the cheep way out fixing it though. i just took a few roles of quarters put them on my strap right near the end and duct taped the shit out of it. i found that it helped balance the guitar and helped keep it under control while i was jumping around like an idiot on stage.

 

[ggunn]

I have this Ibanez GAX70 that I bought when I first started playing. After some mods, it actually sounds really good but I can't play it because it's so out of balance that I have to use my fretting hand to hold up the neck while I'm playing. As a result I don't even play the thing and it just sits around in my apartment. Has anybody found a way to fix a problem like this? Would a better strap help?

Thanks in advance.

Here's an idea... Is there a SCUBA dive shop nearby? Go there and get a 1 or 2 pound lead weight from them, the kind that divers wear on web belts. Thread the tail end of your strap through the slots in the weight and attach it to the guitar.

Something like this:
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/ItemIndex_4/CategoryID_961/Sort_SKU/DescSort_0/AQULWC.html

Moving the strap button won't help unless you can move it toward the nut (further away from the center of gravity of the guitar), and a wide strap will only move the stress point to the back of your neck. You could attach the strap to the headstock with a leather thong like folk singers used to do, but that sorta sucks.

 

[dubstyle5000]

That's a pretty good idea ggun. I might give that a try.

I thought of putting the strap to the headstock too, like an acoustic, but I'll look like an idiot. I guess it beats being uncomfortable, but I'm too stubborn.

 

[ggunn]

That's a pretty good idea ggun. I might give that a try.

I thought of putting the strap to the headstock too, like an acoustic, but I'll look like an idiot. I guess it beats being uncomfortable, but I'm too stubborn.

Well, also there's the problem that with the strap attached to the headstock, it can slip off your shoulder down your back and let your guitar hit the floor. Not good.

 

[thevirgin]

Since it is actually the relationship of both strap buttons to the center of mass of the guitar or bass, there are other options WRT button placement. I just remembered that I had two strap buttons on each end of my old bass.

This might give you some ideas:

http://www.bunnybass.com/e-zine/tips.shtml

For a light instrument, the counterweight thing may be a good idea. I was dealing with an instrument that was heavy to begin with and also quite neck heavy so the prospect of adding several pounds was not appealing in that particular case.

Peace,
ST