Band 101 - Number 1

Playing in a band can be difficult at times.
Especially if you want to earn a living playing music.
Band 101 is going to focus primarily on some the trials and tribulations of playing in a working band. By working band I mean a full band that covers other peoples hit songs. Working bands usually play in local bars in an attempt to earn extra money.

The first Band 101 post deals with an issue that you may or may not have dealt with if you play a electric guitar or bass with a guitar strap. The issue is playing unbalanced guitars that are neck heavy. By neck heavy I mean that when you take your fretting hand off of the neck the head-stock and the neck of the guitar point down toward the ground, away from your body. Playing a neck heavy guitar can be a distraction because you always have to hold up the guitar neck while playing notes on the fretboard.
When you purchase a guitar online it may be neck heavy and you won't find out about it until it's delivered to your home and you proceed to put a guitar strap on it. If the neck droops down when you stand up then you have yourself a neck heavy guitar.
If you currently play a neck heavy guitar and you are comfortable with it then you're lucky, I find that a neck heavy guitar can be quite a distraction if you want to concentrate solely on the notes you're trying to play. Neck heavy guitars can also cause a problem if you plan on moving around and performing on a stage. You always have to pay close attention and be aware of the position of the neck so it doesn't hit someone or something onstage.
I recently found a easy solution that doesn't require any expensive mods to your guitar and no monetary investment to fix the problem.
It's a surprisingly simple solution, first take the guitar strap off of your guitar. Thread the lower part of the strap, the part closest to your waist, through a belt loop on your pants. Or you can simply thread the strap between your belt and your jeans. Then reconnect the strap to the guitar. You'll find that this simple solution solves the problem of playing a neck heavy guitar.