With its lightweight build, speedy neck and devilish good looks, the Gibson SG is one of the all-time great rock guitars (even if Les Paul wasn’t a fan).
Yet one issue has persistently plagued SG players: the affliction commonly known as ‘neck dive’, where the guitar’s headstock drops the second you let go of the neck – especially noticeable when the model is played strapped on while standing.
This occurs due to the distribution of weight across the guitar’s body: when the center of mass is positioned towards the headstock, this causes the neck to start drooping without any support.
Now, the SG isn’t the only electric to be afflicted with this condition – the Explorer and Flying V are also known to dive, as are certain short-scale basses – but Gibson’s iconic double-horn is the most famous.
Given that the issue is inherent in the guitar’s design, fixing the problem isn’t easy. Guitarists have proposed everything from adding weight to straps, reducing headstock mass by switching out tuners or moving strap buttons.
But now a far more straightforward – and non-invasive – solution has been proposed by Frantone mastermind Fran Blanche, who has devised an ingenious guitar strap, which she outlines in a new video upload.
Essentially, Blanche’s remedy involves affixing a clip to the strap at roughly hip height, which then clips to her belt. This distributes the weight more evenly across the guitar’s body, thus preventing neck dive – and it’s so discreet, audiences won’t even notice.
As Blanche notes, the Frantone Clip Strap is a “very simple, elegant solution” – although showboating guitarists should note that it will prevent the ambitious-yet-very-cool-if-you-pull-it-off ‘throwing the guitar around the body’ move.
It’s such a smart solution, you might wonder why Blanche hasn’t patented the idea. But in the video above, she outlines the obstacles to patenting products in the modern age, noting long waiting times and high costs. Not to mention the fact that the moment a patent is approved, it goes public – which means someone else could get the product manufactured before the inventor is able to do so.
So for now, you’ll just have to make one for yourself by sewing or riveting a belt clip to an existing strap. Although we imagine it’s only a matter of time before some enterprising Etsy seller fabricates their own solution – just cut Blanche in on the profits, yeah?
