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80's Washburn B-20, looks lovely.


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[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1373272548' post='2135405']
The neck dive is down to the body shape and the position of the top strap button. If anything the 4 string actually be worse since it doesn't have the added weight of the body end machine heads...
[/quote]


Maybe a luthier can help out here, but this sounds like absolute psuedoscience to me.

I'd suggest there are two reasons necks dip on some basses. Firstly they lose the battle against string tension. Secondly, climatic factors like humidity, storing next to a radiator and so on.


What does weight of the body or position of a strap button have to do with tension on the neck? If you tape a bag of sugar to the back of your bass body it may tilt the bass when you play standing up but it won't make a blind bit of difference to the neck. The strap button is positioned on the thick part where the neck has joined the body. It'll contribute no more to neck dip than cutting a groove for a fret.

Your "added weight of the body end machine heads" is going to be precious little anyway because of the amount of wood that has to be cut away to accommodate them. Given the variety of shapes of basses (pointy explorers, cricket bats, Bootsy stars) I doubt that body shape is important either, though obviously woods used and so on may affect sustain.

I have owned both the B-20 8-string and the 4-string as well as a Dean Rhapsody 8-string. The B-20 8-string was good but over time its neck did dip a bit. The 4-string and the Dean 8-string played superbly with no issues whatever. The Dean has a wider neck than the Washburn. Voila.

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[quote name='Bassclef' timestamp='1373276977' post='2135479']
Maybe a luthier can help out here, but this sounds like absolute psuedoscience to me.

I'd suggest there are two reasons necks dip on some basses. Firstly they lose the battle against string tension. Secondly, climatic factors like humidity, storing next to a radiator and so on.


What does weight of the body or position of a strap button have to do with tension on the neck? If you tape a bag of sugar to the back of your bass body it may tilt the bass when you play standing up but it won't make a blind bit of difference to the neck. The strap button is positioned on the thick part where the neck has joined the body. It'll contribute no more to neck dip than cutting a groove for a fret.

Your "added weight of the body end machine heads" is going to be precious little anyway because of the amount of wood that has to be cut away to accommodate them. Given the variety of shapes of basses (pointy explorers, cricket bats, Bootsy stars) I doubt that body shape is important either, though obviously woods used and so on may affect sustain.

I have owned both the B-20 8-string and the 4-string as well as a Dean Rhapsody 8-string. The B-20 8-string was good but over time its neck did dip a bit. The 4-string and the Dean 8-string played superbly with no issues whatever. The Dean has a wider neck than the Washburn. Voila.
[/quote]

I wasn't under the impression we were talking about tension on the neck, but the fact that the bass doesn't balance on the strap. Or have I got it wrong?

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Yup, did a few bits in Europe in the 80's with one of these strapped on. Hideous neck dive, thunderous sound. I'm going to have a punt on this one as well.
Saw it yesterday couldn't believe it, first one I've seen for years.
Gentlemen, start your engines.
Oh and there's an Ibby Destroyer up at the moment. I got one of those early 80's (P/J unlike this one) and the shop in Stockton told me it was the first in the UK. Bet they said that to all the boys :P

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  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1373290978' post='2135705']
and the shop in Stockton told me it was the first in the UK. Bet they said that to all the boys :P[/quote]

Early 80's eh?
Please tell me it was that little **** "Fast Eddie" from Regency Music who, suddenly closed down after he allegedly re-badged and sold a CMI SG as a Gibson, sounds like the sh*te he'd come out with.

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Ahh that was Bandland on the corner of Dovecot and Prince Regent Street.
They were/are a mainly TAMA/Ibanez outlet, they're still going strong, though long gone from that location,
the guy who owns it, (Peter Webster) is a decent enough bloke. :)

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[quote name='pst62' timestamp='1374395147' post='2148222']
Ahh that was Bandland on the corner of Dovecot and Prince Regent Street.
They were/are a mainly TAMA/Ibanez outlet, they're still going strong, though long gone from that location,
the guy who owns it, (Peter Webster) is a decent enough bloke. :)
[/quote]

As soon as you mentioned the name.... well done that man, it had been nagging me for days :P

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Had a bright blue one of these in my 80's NWOBHM days! Hideously ace, used to play it low round me knees, if I'd ever let go the neck it would of smashed into the floor in a microsecond, ha ha, horrible triangular neck too. Fun though!

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