zappafreak
Member
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2023
- Messages
- 40
- Reaction score
- 13
I'm wondering, what are the heaviest set of tuners you can fit to an SG without causing neck dive?
Last edited:
Heavy metal tuners
- Thread starter zappafreak
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.
It really varies from one SG to the next. Check the SGs on Wildwood's or Sweetwater's site and you'll see a variety of diffrent weights on SGs. Similarly some have heavier and lighter body and neck woods, so some dive, others don't. Some come from the factory without neck dive, other's not so much. So how much weight in tuners you can put on a particular guitar will vary.
Go Nigel Go
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2020
- Messages
- 1,230
- Reaction score
- 1,213
And here I thought this was going to be about heavy gauge strings and drop tunings. Neckdive? Heck nothing screams "Metal Attitude" like playing with your headstock dragging the ground! 
In all seriousness though, lighter tuners should reduce neckdive tendencies, but a lot depends on the natural balance of the body and neck wood densities, and whether or not you have a vibrato tail piece attached. Some guitars will be unaffected by even the heaviest tuners, some will be pretty sensitive to any small changes in mass. A "grippy" strap will usually tame neckdive in all but the most extreme cases.
In all seriousness though, lighter tuners should reduce neckdive tendencies, but a lot depends on the natural balance of the body and neck wood densities, and whether or not you have a vibrato tail piece attached. Some guitars will be unaffected by even the heaviest tuners, some will be pretty sensitive to any small changes in mass. A "grippy" strap will usually tame neckdive in all but the most extreme cases.
Col Mustard
Well-Known Member
As said above, each SG is a little unique. Their weight may vary
quite a bit (in relative terms) from one instrument to another. SGs are so light
that small differences out at the end of the neck make a bigger difference
than you might think, if you're used to Fenders Strats or Tele's or
boat anchor Les Pauls.
Gibson guitars are still made with some hand work
which is why making general statements about such and such a
year class or such and such a model are mostly doo-doo.
People do it anyway, general statements seem popular even if they
are false. *shrugs
If you look at the StewMac link I gave you in another thread, you'll see
the Grover Vintage Keystone tuners listed. (Or the Klusons the guitar
was designed for). Go look where they describe them
and make a note of the weight. Use that as your guideline. If you buy tuners
heavier than that, you're gambling, and likely to lose.
On an SG, the only really important issue with tuners is the weight.
It's not the ratio, or whether they lock or not, or the shape of the buttons or the
color. It's only the weight that's important. Other guitars aren't so sensitive.
IMHO if you own an SG that doesn't neck dive, leave it be. Don't rock the boat.
If it does neck dive, replace the "Heavy Metal" tuners with a lighter set.
quite a bit (in relative terms) from one instrument to another. SGs are so light
that small differences out at the end of the neck make a bigger difference
than you might think, if you're used to Fenders Strats or Tele's or
boat anchor Les Pauls.
Gibson guitars are still made with some hand work
which is why making general statements about such and such a
year class or such and such a model are mostly doo-doo.
People do it anyway, general statements seem popular even if they
are false. *shrugs
If you look at the StewMac link I gave you in another thread, you'll see
the Grover Vintage Keystone tuners listed. (Or the Klusons the guitar
was designed for). Go look where they describe them
and make a note of the weight. Use that as your guideline. If you buy tuners
heavier than that, you're gambling, and likely to lose.
On an SG, the only really important issue with tuners is the weight.
It's not the ratio, or whether they lock or not, or the shape of the buttons or the
color. It's only the weight that's important. Other guitars aren't so sensitive.
IMHO if you own an SG that doesn't neck dive, leave it be. Don't rock the boat.
If it does neck dive, replace the "Heavy Metal" tuners with a lighter set.
Decadent Dan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2021
- Messages
- 1,949
- Reaction score
- 1,659
Jazz is heavierAnd here I thought this was going to be about heavy gauge strings and drop tunings. Neckdive? Heck nothing screams "Metal Attitude" like playing with your headstock dragging the ground!
In all seriousness though, lighter tuners should reduce neckdive tendencies, but a lot depends on the natural balance of the body and neck wood densities, and whether or not you have a vibrato tail piece attached. Some guitars will be unaffected by even the heaviest tuners, some will be pretty sensitive to any small changes in mass. A "grippy" strap will usually tame neckdive in all but the most extreme cases.
