Hollow Cobra question

[SteveK]

My hollow Cobra with rosewood neck is a bit neck heavy. I am using the top strap button. I'll be replacing the split shaft tuners with stock Anderson locking ones, will this help? Any other ideas...adding a weight to the control cavity :eek: :confused:...?

[JoeB63]

I think it should balance better on the bottom strap button. Try that first.

[Stan Malinowski]

The laws of physics would say Joe's solution makes sense.

This seems to be a constant issue with a lot of solid RW neck guitars (both solid and hollow bodies models). The fact is a solid RW neck is going to be heavy casuing the guitar to be neck heavy. I beileve Killerburst had the same problem with a Melancon that was neck heavy and ended up selling the guitar.

Adding weight to the body is probably going to effect resonace and tone (my un-professional opinion).

Please don't laugh at this one but how about......adding one of those weights you wrap aound your wrists (for exercising) around the guitar strap at the body end? It would tend to pull the weight of the guitar back towards the body.....

[JoeB63]

Originally posted by Stan Malinowski
I beileve Killerburst had the same problem with a Melancon that was neck heavy and ended up selling the guitar.


Actually, that was me (though it might have happened to Killerburst too).

As far as I'm concerned, this is a serious problem. I don't believe that any high-end guitar makers should ship a guitar that's neck heavy. It is abosolutely no fun to play a guitar when you have to hold the neck up while you play. This is mainly a problem for Tele-style guitars. Anderson and other manufacturers should simply figure out how much a Tele-style body needs to weigh to have a well balanced guitar -- and then stop making bodies that are too light. Why just last week I played a high-end Hollow Tele style guitar that was just a little bit neck heavy. Had the body weighed a few (5 or so) more ounces, it would have been a great, great guitar. But to me, this guitar was unusable (unless you always play sitting down).

[Stan Malinowski]

Joe,

JUst curious...why do think tele shaped guitars are more sensitive to being neck heavy?

[killerburst]

Originally posted by Stan Malinowski
I beileve Killerburst had the same problem with a Melancon that was neck heavy and ended up selling the guitar.


Nope. My problem was the body was too heavy. Strange thing is my Cobra Special is solid, yet it's a featherweight compared to the chambered Melancon body. I guess we know where all the lightweight mahogany goes- to Tom!

[John Price]

Steve!
I thought it balanced better using the top button!
:)

[JoeB63]

Originally posted by Stan Malinowski
Joe,

JUst curious...why do think tele shaped guitars are more sensitive to being neck heavy?

Because on a Tele body, the front strap button aligns with the 15th fret on the neck, on a Strat it aligns with the 12th. That means on a Tele, there's more of the length of the neck on the far side the strap -- hence more weight past the point of the strap connection. Think of it like a lever or a see-saw.

[SteveK]

Originally posted by JoeB63
Because on a Tele body, the front strap button aligns with the 15th fret on the neck, on a Strat it aligns with the 12th. That means on a Tele, there's more of the length of the neck on the far side the strap -- hence more weight past the point of the strap connection. Think of it like a lever or a see-saw.

Intersting perspective...as you point out, my hollow Cobra S is perfectly balanced on the strap. I really like the tone and feel of the hollow CObra also. It balances a little better when using a different strap. I guess I need to experiment a little more. I've also been thinking about attaching a little weight to the body end of the strap. It's not as if I let go the neck will hit the floor, it's more of an annoyance in constantly having to reposition the strap on my shoulder.