My first bass was a Yamaha RBX 260, which I still have. I was perfectly happy with it until my playing progressed to the point where I realised that it was hampering my playing as I was having to stop it neck diving. I must have been unconsciously doing it for quite some time before I realised the problem. It became very apparent after I changed my playing postition slightly and got a new stap that was non-grippy. I know a grippy strap can mitigate to a certain extent, but it's not really ideal as with that my shirt moves instead. Some people seem to manage fine with neck heavy instruments, but unfortunately I'm not one of them.
I spoke to one of the Yamaha reps at a recent show, and my understanding from that conversation is that the designs are done for the higher spec. instruments, and then when they come to make the cheaper instruments they use different, lighter, wood, hence the neck dive. I know wood is a natural product and does vary, but I keep coming back to the conclusion that it amounts to poor design. I measured the RBX and it needed a balance of 1 and 1/2 lbs to stop the dive, which I think is quite a lot. I considered drilling out part of the body and putting in lead plugs, but don't know what that would do to the sound. Still haven't abandoned that idea completely, but I'll probably use the neck as the basis for a project at some point.
In desperation I bought a Hohner "The Jack", untried, from a well known auction site ... (that's another story all in itself). It's headless, so no neck dive, but a much chunkier neck, which I'm not very keen on, so the search for my perfect bass is on, hampered by the fact that the RBX that I learnt on was 24 fret, and so I do use right up to fret 24. (The Hohner is 24 fret too).
So, I thought it would be interesting to hear your experiences of neck dive, or not. And any recommendations for 24 fret, thin necked, non neck divers!
VERDICT:
Yahama RBX 260 - guilty
Hohner "The Jack" - innocent