Push pull on neck to get slight vibrato technique, bad for guitar?

[Gaetano Capuano]

Just been wondering is this damaging or in any way harmful for the nec? It sounds great that's for sure.

 

[LarryN]

Only on a guitar that has a weakness to begin with. Within reason, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[SteveO]

Telecasters view it as foreplay.

 

[LarryN]

OK, that was funny.

 

[vortexxxx]

Slash had a neck explode on him when he did that once and it gave him a new piercing.

 

[Chris Scott]

Telecasters view it as foreplay.

As a looongtime Tele player, this gets my "Post of the Year" award reccomendation.

I do it so much on my hardtail Strat these days that I don't even notice, until someone points it out - just part of the technique I reckon.

 

[walterw]

you can get a lovely vibrato on a sustaining open string by just holding the guitar up and shaking it.

 

[strat56]

Maple neck? I do it all the time without issue. Never tried with mahogany.

 

[walterw]

i won't push on my LP neck, but my tele gets its share. they both get the "shaken baby" treatment, though.

 

[kugelblitz]

Slash had a neck explode on him when he did that once and it gave him a new piercing.

Yeah but he was probably playing a Gibson.

 

[Rockledge]

I use to do that all the time on guitars, I did the intro to Baracuda by bending the neck.
But I don't do it now. I think it probably over time changes the necks shape.
I seen a guy crack a neck doing that once, a neck on a vintage SG. He wasn't a real strong big guy either, he was kind of slight. I suppose he just did it one too many times, the air humidity was just right, or something.

 

[walterw]

to be fair, you can crack an SG by looking at it wrong.

 

[Rockledge]

to be fair, you can crack an SG by looking at it wrong.

That is true, particularly and old dried up one.
But I just don't do it anymore, I am just too fond of my instruments now.

 

[rumblebox]

i do it on all my non-trem guitars.

 

[nrandall85]

i do it on all my non-trem guitars.

I block the trem on all my guitars do I remember to do it.

How about we get a list of guitars NOT to do it on going?

-Gibson SG (though Frisell did play one for a while, maybe his exploded too.)

I had to dowel and redrill some neck screws as a result of doing it on a Yamaha Pacifica 112 many years ago, but to be fair that was after demonstrating the durability of a bolt on neck design to a friend by throwing my guitar off of his 20 ft back deck into the yard. It wasn't even out of tune when I went to go pick it up.

Man, seventh grade was fun.

 

[Chris Scott]

to be fair, you can crack an SG by looking at it wrong.

Close runner up here.

 

[antiquodian]

As a looongtime Tele player, this gets my "Post of the Year" award reccomendation.

I do it so much on my hardtail Strat these days that I don't even notice, until someone points it out - just part of the technique I reckon.

I second this nomination.

 

[Ronsonic]

you can get a lovely vibrato on a sustaining open string by just holding the guitar up and shaking it.

Flash-back .....

Back in my punk days kneeling on a stage, SG screaming with feedback as I hold it up in front of me with both hands shaking the thing.

You can really dive-bomb an SG by bending the neck.

Never did break it or do it harm like that. Did it more damage with a router and learning how to work on guitars. That poor thing has been so many different colors. Had a Dimarzio super distort that I dewound by a bunch of turns. And of course a Leo Quan bridge and Grovers and a brass nut.

I really gotta resurrect that guitar.

 

[epluribus]

One other little goodie...if you're a few cents off onstage, see if you're holding tension on the neck as you play...easy to do if you're not relaxed. Also a handy way to fine-tune an errant string when you don't have a free hand. But it's always been use-with-caution in my book...never knew whether it was actually bad or not, didn't want to find out. Now we're finding out.

--Ray

 

[Mike9]

Telecasters view it as foreplay.