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All these questions about weight?
- Thread starter pedulla-2007
- Start date
I had an awesome Squier Jazz 5 that was my #1 for a while. I really liked the neck, it was a great jobber.
After doing back to back (3+ hr) gigs twice a week for a few months I started realizing how heavy it was on my shoulder.
Sold it to my buddy who now uses it as his #1 while I moved over to a shorty. I sat in with his group the other day and the bass felt monstrous. It wasn't even the weight, I used to love that big neck with wide string spacing. It still felt and sounded really good but it was strange to play. Almost like a fiery old relationship that was rekindled after a couple years just to find out that while all the things you dug about the partner are the same, you have changed.
Moral of the story? Love the one you're with!
After doing back to back (3+ hr) gigs twice a week for a few months I started realizing how heavy it was on my shoulder.
Sold it to my buddy who now uses it as his #1 while I moved over to a shorty. I sat in with his group the other day and the bass felt monstrous. It wasn't even the weight, I used to love that big neck with wide string spacing. It still felt and sounded really good but it was strange to play. Almost like a fiery old relationship that was rekindled after a couple years just to find out that while all the things you dug about the partner are the same, you have changed.
Moral of the story? Love the one you're with!
I'm amazed by how often this method alludes people. I also get a huge kick out of imagining people trying to balance a bass on a scale.
I've been playing for half a century and never knew there was any such thing as a too heavy bass until I got to talkbass. I also never knew they built "really good" Fenders during the 70's until I read your post
.
fwiw -- and I've mentioned this here previously -- I have no idea what any of my basses weigh, nor how I would even go about weighing them (don't own a bathroom scale nor a fishing scale) and until I joined TB I didn't even know weight was a thing that bassists would be concerned with.
Weight matters to me far far less than the number of gigs on my calendar and the quality of musicians I am fortunate enough to play with,
A light weight bass is like your first cell phone or ATM card. Once you have one, you wonder how you ever got along without it.
So funny, I just happen to own Jazz basses from just about every era, 70's, 80's 90's and mid 2000. I firmly believe my 70's bass was not a cookie cut or assembly line bass. To be 46 years old it plays like no other bass and I own 40!I've been playing for half a century and never knew there was any such thing as a too heavy bass until I got to talkbass. I also never knew they built "really good" Fenders during the 70's until I read your post
Interesting observation but far from the original content of the thread?
I just learned about Express wood through this thread, but don't see Alembic going there.
In my experience 70's Fenders are hit or a miss, obviously your's is a hit. I think the earlier 70's Fenders were made better than the later 70's were. The new Fenders are the best I've ever played or owned.
You say you are an older man who has had back issues, but can still gig with a heavy bass? I say "kudos to you, and God bless". I wish I could say the same. For me, weight is the number one consideration for purchasing a bass- nothing over 9 lbs.- and so that weeds out a majority of basses on the market. There are many out there who think heavier basses have better tone, sustain, etc- not sure if this is true. I envy your vitality.
I feel a rant! ...
I'll answer the question easily.... Amazon has food scales that goes up to 15lbs, by oz or grams. $7 american!... DELIVERED! So the next time your wifey or YOU for that matter want to weight something that's under 15lbs, you just pop it on. ALL THAT SAID, you're the seller if you HATE weight conscious buyers, just ignore them and don't sell them your bass and keep calling them feminine. If you want to embrace customer service (yes even as a casual seller) then do what the customer asks.... or don't let them be a customer. Still America right?
It's also your right to bitch... (just like I am!!) about some particular quirk someone has!
Me... 6'3" 160lbs... so YEA I need a bass that's under 9lbs or it feels like my neck is gunna pop off. Lucky you your a stout strapping lad and even when injured you don't care about no stinking bass weight!
I'll answer the question easily.... Amazon has food scales that goes up to 15lbs, by oz or grams. $7 american!... DELIVERED! So the next time your wifey or YOU for that matter want to weight something that's under 15lbs, you just pop it on. ALL THAT SAID, you're the seller if you HATE weight conscious buyers, just ignore them and don't sell them your bass and keep calling them feminine. If you want to embrace customer service (yes even as a casual seller) then do what the customer asks.... or don't let them be a customer. Still America right?
It's also your right to bitch... (just like I am!!) about some particular quirk someone has!
Me... 6'3" 160lbs... so YEA I need a bass that's under 9lbs or it feels like my neck is gunna pop off. Lucky you your a stout strapping lad and even when injured you don't care about no stinking bass weight!
I would not call 4 religious hymns at the beginning of church, gigging, but it requires woodshedding and a big part of my time in preparation, as I never was a religious guy, and all the hymns are new to me. The 14lb. natural Fender belongs to a fellow Talkbass Member in the classified ads, and I thought it very brave of him to disclose the action weight, but that is honor in this website, total disclosure.
In 1979 when I played 3 sets a night, 5 and 6 days a week ,I never cared or even thought abo gu t weight. Today when I play 3 sets once a week anything over 8.5lbs really gives me pain the next day. To me it's just that simple
Jim relax, I don't recall the word hate in my original post, I felt it was just a curiosity the emphasis people put on a few ounces. As for the scale, Im looking for it right now, thanks for the info!
The weight of an instrument is important to some players for whatever reason they have. That's really all there is to it.
