Am I the jerk here? Reverb return

[mongo2]

I have a bad back (7 broken bones in my spine - 2 in my neck, 5 in my upper back) and 11 pounds isn't too heavy.

Sorry for your health tribulations and congrats on what appears to be a good recovery.

I have a pinched nerve in my left shoulder and a bass weighing more than 7 lbs. is way too heavy for playing while standing even with a soft neoprene strap. Sitting is also an issue since I had a mild stroke nearly four years ago and any excessive weight on my right thigh causes a lot of pain after a while even with padding. Lighter is defintiely better for me, hence my accumulation of a few basses weighing under 5 lbs.

 

[DOMIT]

Likewise, sorry for your health tribulations. I'm curious, what do you have that is under 5 lbs.? That seems very light!

 

[Bass Viking]

Just to put this out there. I have been playing for 35 years and have never been asked to weigh a bass nor have I ever asked anyone to weigh a bass. Didn't even know it was thing until last year when I joined this group. It seems very important to certain people and I honestly don't get it. I'm not sure I could tell the difference in 2 pounds with my custom wide leather strap anyway. To each his own.

There are a lot of older players on Talkbass which explains why weight matters. I used to have an F Bass that was 7 1/2 pounds and the difference from my heavier basses (9 pounds or more) was definitely noticeable. I bought a combo amp a few years ago and a big selling point was its light weight.

 

[JRA]

It seems very important to certain people and I honestly don't get it.

i can feel the same about the frets you probably have on your axes --- you probably feel that you can't get along without them while i'm thinking that they're just 20-24 problems that inhibit your playing...why do that to yourself?

TBH: my 72 y.o. bones are just too 'impatient' with heavy axes...i'm not as fit as i once was + i have age-related issues that make a lighter ax really cool for me, e.g., they solve some problems! fortunately: there are enough options for everyone these days! if you're lucky enough you may never have to be concerned about weight --- so, good luck!

 

[Lowbrow]

There are a lot of older players on Talkbass which explains why weight matters. I used to have an F Bass that was 7 1/2 pounds and the difference from my heavier basses (9 pounds or more) was definitely noticeable. I bought a combo amp a few years ago and a big selling point was its light weight.

To add to this -- yep, I'm 60 now but I blew out my lumbar discs at age 24 ... MOVING AMPS ... and weight placed on the upper body has been a constant concern since then.
So yeah, weight matters, and not always directly attributable to age. And to those moved to say 'man up,' the best advice I can think of is 'grow up.'

 

[sleddogn]

Impossible to even discuss this topic, everyone has own take that isn't others take. To some 2 pounds is just too much to take, peeps like me couldn't tell the difference in 2 pounds even if my life depended on it.

 

[FunkHead]

I just built a 7.52 Lb P-bass. It wasn’t that hard to do but the carbon fibre Gotoh tuning machines really helped.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Bartrinsic]

2lbs is 22% more than you were told. While the seller may not have understood how important that is, that's not strictly 'your' problem. If you'd paid 22% less than you agreed to, the seller would definitely have called you a jerk. You are bighearted to think as you are. An 11lb unit will sound different than a 9lb one--mass matters--whether different is better depends on the ears. But 10.4+.5 strap is my limit. Even if the heavier bass sounds 2lbs better, I'd still be looking for something lighter.

 

[Bass Viking]

To add to this -- yep, I'm 60 now but I blew out my lumbar discs at age 24 ... MOVING AMPS ... and weight placed on the upper body has been a constant concern since then.
So yeah, weight matters, and not always directly attributable to age. And to those moved to say 'man up,' the best advice I can think of is 'grow up.'

I’m the last few years we’ve seen more manufacturers offer lighter amps and cabs while still packing in a respectable amount of power. Clearly there’s a demand for it. My Traynor combo weighs about 25 lbs and puts out 200 watts RMS. Back in the 80s my Yamaha combo weighed 100 lbs and was only 100 watts. Sounded good but man what a pig to haul around!

 

[electracoyote]

I just read OP’s recent update where he says the seller normally deals with guitars and didn’t think weight was an issue with basses. Um, what? As a life-long guitar player, I can say with confidence weight is just as big an issue in the guitar world too. Just to pick one quick example out of the air, there is usually a huge and possibly significant difference between the weight of a vintage Les Paul and a Thinline Telecaster, or even between a dense mahogany vintage Les Paul and a more modern Les Paul that is chambered or made of a different type or density wood. That was a lame excuse. The rule broken here is if you’re not sure about a detail don’t specify it in the item description as though it is a fact, especially in a long-distance transaction with shipping fees involved. Sorry, no excuse for that, and if you’re guilty of breaking that rule you are also obligated to a remedy no matter how painful. Be accountable, live and learn. OP is being extremely generous in finding a new home for a bass that he can’t enjoy due to the seller’s inaccuracy.

 

[FunkHead]

I just read OP’s recent update where he says the seller normally deals with guitars and didn’t think weight was an issue with basses. Um, what? As a life-long guitar player, I can say with confidence weight is just as big an issue in the guitar world too. Just to pick one quick example out of the air, there is usually a huge and possibly significant difference between the weight of a vintage Les Paul and a Thinline Telecaster, or even between a dense mahogany vintage Les Paul and a more modern Les Paul that is chambered or made of a different type or density wood. That was a lame excuse. The rule broken here is if you’re not sure about a detail don’t specify it in the item description as though it is a fact, especially in a long-distance transaction with shipping fees involved. Sorry, no excuse for that, and if you’re guilty of breaking that rule you are also obligated to a remedy no matter how painful. Be accountable, live and learn. OP is being extremely generous in finding a new home for a bass that he can’t enjoy due to the seller’s inaccuracy.

The OP made the offer which was accepted and THEN asked about the weight. Don't you agree that changes everything?

 

[LBS-bass]

The OP made the offer which was accepted and THEN asked about the weight. Don't you agree that changes everything?

I agree. Also, "I sell guitars" doesn't tell me a whole lot. I worked in a store for a while that only sold acoustic instruments. Nobody in that store gave a rat's a$$ about the weight of any guitar.

But yes, some Les Paul's are made out of lead. You sorta know that's what you might get when you're buying an LP, especially an old one. Not so much most other models.

 

[Bass Viking]

I agree. Also, "I sell guitars" doesn't tell me a whole lot. I worked in a store for a while that only sold acoustic instruments. Nobody in that store gave a rat's a$$ about the weight of any guitar.

Weight doesn't matter in a brick and mortar store where people can come in and hold the instruments. On the other hand if you're selling guitars online you'd better be prepared to answer the question.

 

[LBS-bass]

Weight doesn't matter in a brick and mortar store where people can come in and hold the instruments. On the other hand if you're selling guitars online you'd better be prepared to answer the question.

Well, yeah, but people would still say things. It's not like they're picking things up without commenting what they like and don't like.

I heard plenty of "boat anchor" comments about LPs in my days in another store that sold those. Anyone who plays (or has even handled) acoustic guitars can use a little common sense to suss out that the weight on those isn't back breaking unless you're really impaired, in which case you are likely too incapacitated to play any instrument.

 

[rojo412]

TL;DR on all 13 pages, maybe this has been covered, but I'll say this as a frequent reverb user myself:

Ask EVERY question before actually paying if the answer is truly important to you.
People make mistakes and/or lie, so you need to have all of the answers lined up before money exchanges hands.

Mass produced instruments can vary WILDLY in their weights. If they say "it's about 9 lbs" and that is close to your limit, have them get a pic of it being weighed.
If they won't do that, maybe take that as a sign that you shouldn't buy it.

I've done enough business to know that buying a proper scale was a wise move for me. I weigh everything and can prove it with pics (and my scale is accurate, I've tested it). If the difference between my scale and theirs is any more than an ounce in either direction, I'd be pretty shocked. However, if they tried to return something I accurately weighed to the best of my abilities over that small of a difference, then not only would THEY be the arsewhole, they also shouldn't have been buying something that close to their limit to begin with.

So to sum it up, I think the 2 lb difference clears you from being the jerk because that is quite a bit of difference. But certainly demand better proof in the future if anything is suspect and don't send any money until you have an answer that suits you.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

So Anyway, I inherited a Fender Jazz Geddy Lee model that was 'Crafted In Japan'. It sounded wonderful, set-up was super-nice, was extremely well made and never needed any attention. But it was also a bit over 11 pounds.

I played a few gigs with it and decided that no matter how nice an instrument that it was, I couldn't manage the weight. I'm 5'8" and 165. If I was bigger/stronger/younger/etc., it might not have been an issue.

Since all my instruments are working tools that earn their keep, I sold it to someone who was going to use it. It was too nice a bass to sit in my music room. It deserved to be played.

Two pounds can be a lot to some of us.

 

[electracoyote]

The OP made the offer which was accepted and THEN asked about the weight. Don't you agree that changes everything?

Long thread, maybe I missed something, but I thought OP told us a weight was specified in the original sellers description. Maybe OP can clarify for us, and apologies in advance if I got that wrong.

 

[FunkHead]

Placed a lower but still fair offer. Accepted!

my first very first question before payment and checkout (and perhaps out of order here and my one and only error in the process)

“what’s the weight?”

“about 9lbs, very comfortable!”

Long thread, maybe I missed something, but I thought OP told us a weight was specified in the original sellers description. Maybe OP can clarify for us, and apologies in advance if I got that wrong.

 

[jpbicknell]

I've been racking my brain for a good real world analogy. let's see if this tracks:

I put an offer on a home, an agreement to buy. Seller accepts the offer. We are now in escrow. This is a formalized and regulated process. I place a contingency on my offer while in escrow, even after said offer was placed. Seller could have denied but acting in good faith and happy to unload the house, the seller obliges as it was an entirely reasonable contingency. The seller seemingly satisfies the contingency. We move forward. Check for the house clears (only in an analogy could I pay cash for a house). I move in and find out the seller didn't satisfy the contingency. There'd likely be some sort of post-sale lawsuit?

this is a silly analogy as those stakes are greatly raised and details are poured over by multiple parties. I’m not sure a detail/spec could be called a contingency, it’s not like I said “I’ll only pay for this if your answer is exactly within these parameters”...

We were essentially in escrow with both parties were at the table and acting in good faith.

Maybe I should write schoolhouse rock episode about marketplace ethics.

I'm confident I can find someone who wants this bass. It is seriously the biggest/deepest sound I've ever heard from a P and I haven't even explored other strings. A studio workhorse. clips posted to the classified listing coming shortly!

 

[electracoyote]

The OP made the offer which was accepted and THEN asked about the weight. Don't you agree that changes everything?

I agree with OP’s analogy above. No money exchanged, bass not shipped, transaction incomplete and in limbo, perfect opportunity for both parties to back out no harm no foul. Before transaction was finalized seller gave inaccurate (and in hindsight critical) information and description of bass, seller caused the problem. I understand everyone does business differently, to each his own, and that would be my feelings on the matter. Glad to hear OP will be able to move it, sounds like a great bass.