Bass weight?

[Maku021]

I think the tb population is aging. I have yet to weigh a single one of my bases. I care more about balance. Light, yet unbalanced is bad… i would prefer heavy and balanced any day!

I agree with this 100%... balance and playability over weight.

 

[Eilif]

I don't have any profound thought on the matter, but yeah, weight matters to me quite a bit. It began to matter alot more as I got toward 40 and my gigs got closer to 4 hours. When the gig goes past an hour or so many of us find out that weight is key part of playability.

I don't require super lightweight instruments but my only bass over 10 pounds is my T40, and that only leaves the house for recording.

As quality and price of basses goes up, lighter weight is something that often becomes more of an expectation.

 

[Maku021]

Thoughts, you say???

Not only is this one of THE most asked questions on this forum, but it’s also the one that is easiest to figure out without having to ask it.

Funny thing is, it’ll still get 100+ comments because no one on TB can resist feeding the trolls. (myself included, apparently)

So I am a troll for asking this question? Interesting point of view.

 

[silky smoove]

As a hiker, climber, mountaineer who frequently carries a 35lb pack for 8 to 12 hours a day I kinda chuckle at the agonizing over a lb or 2.

It’s all about context. I’m a 39 year old avid hiker, backpacker and rock climber in excellent physical shape. I’m frequently carrying 30-50lbs in a pack. Those packs distribute the weight onto your hips and evenly between your shoulders. A bass, by comparison, predominantly loads one shoulder and requires you to hold that same side’s arm up and perform comparatively delicate finger movements while under a load. The two are entirely apples and oranges. I won’t bat an eye at a 44lbs pack versus a 48lbs pack, but I won’t buy a bass if it weighs 9lbs or more.

 

[DrThumpenstein]

I am 51 and been playin for over 30 years... is that old enough or long enough lol?

Apparently not, and good on ya!

I think a lot of it has to do with the relative size of the bass and the bassist. It never used to bother me. At my peak, I was about 6’1”, now I’m 6 feet even, weigh about two bills, pretty solid, always have been. I never paid much attention to weight until the last year. I’m playing more than I used to play, and dammit, I keep getting older every year! I feel lucky that I’m playing better than ever and I’ve got lots of years left, I hope.

All of my basses weigh less than 10 pounds now. I have a couple in the 8 lb range that I can play forever, but my most recent bass is also my heaviest @ 9.5 lb. It’s my new workhorse but I feel it after 40-45 minutes. That’s new for me. That’s as long as any of our sets, so it’s not an issue just now, but yeah, it’s a thing. New thing for me, old thing on the TB. Welcome back, by the way!

As for me, I’m hoping to check out in my 90s after one last gig, playing a light-weight bass with a smile on my face!

 

[TTA]

I get that weight matters.

Controversial time… i also bet if i was able to secretly to add a lb to someones bass they would not notice. And i bet if i told them a bass was 1 lbs lighter, yet it was 0.5lbs heavier… people would think it is lighter… and have less back pain. Assuming i did not let them do an a/b comparison.

Humans are funny creatures… and it has been well studied.

weight does matter, but so does belief. I would argue that the latter is more important. The power of placebo and nocebo (expecting negative effects… and thus getting more negative effects) is strong.

i like to tell a story of pro cyclists. A wheel manufacturer was making wheels for lance armstrong and his pro team. The riders tested the new wheels… and returned very upset. The new hubs had too much flex. It was sapping power from the riders.

the engineers were told they had 72 hours to fix the hubs before the race started. The chief engineer knew it was impossible to machine 24 new hubs in this time… especially when their shop was back in in the usa (they were in france).

so he had an idea. He sent the hubs to a friends shop.

the final test ride before the race, the engineers had a team meeting. They showed the new red hubs. The new design was 30% stiffer laterally. No change in weight. “Everyone have the new red hub? Yes? Good… now go for a ride and tell us what you think. 30% is a lot.”

the riders… lance armstrong included… all came back from the ride with huge smiles. The new hubs were way better. They could feel the increased hub stiffness, and power transfer. There was less flex under hard cornering.

“i dont know what you did… but your engineers are genius.”

they had the old hubs anodized red. They then lied to the riders about the stiffness because they know that belief is far more important than actual stiffness.

i have countless examples of this. It is human nature. And marketing departments use it to manipulate us on a daily basis.

Weigh bases less… or even have others do it and lie to you… and i bet fewer will complain of a heavy bass during a long gig.

:-/

 

[SteveC]

I tried to “will” myself into thinking my fretless (the best sounding and playing bass I’ve ever had, literally) wasn’t THAT heavy. Didn’t work.

 

[TTA]

I tried to “will” myself into thinking my fretless (the best sounding and playing bass I’ve ever had, literally) wasn’t THAT heavy. Didn’t work.

Partly Because you knew it was heavier. That is the point.

i am not saying weight dies not matter… is not real. It is… but so is belief.

 

[GretschWretch]

After years of neglect I pulled my main gigging bass from the nineties (when I was in my forties) out of its case and was appalled how heavy it felt. In the nineties I never noticed.

 

[blowinblue]

I prefer my basses to be as lightweight as possible. Pics or it didn't happen.

M. M.

 

[Samatza]

Weight can be a huge factor as we age, depends on the individual.

We used to do 4 hours in one set. Longest set ever for me was 7&1/2 hours. Luckily I was sitting, using my Tune 5 string which is light and still at the end my legs had gone numb.

These days our gigs total 3-4 hours with a break. I don’t mind using heavier basses but my back does get sore. This is not from any damage but age hasn’t helped.

If you play long enough you will at some point start considering weight as an important factor, lightweight gear? I’m a big fan.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I can't get past the many comments mentioning 4-hour gigs. Where does one do a 4-hour gig...???? Or is that being a house band at a tavern where you play all night...?

IME, here in the USA we have shorter sets. Overseas, bars/clubs can book you for the night periodically meaning you are the house band of the day. I played gigs that were even longer than 4 hr w/ small breaks of course, but not much!

 

[Groove Doctor]

OP - you look like a solid built guy. Your forearms are bigger than my calf muscles.

Just be thankful you don’t have the list of ailments that most of us old blokes here have….. well, not yet.

 

[tb-player]

So I am a troll for asking this question? Interesting point of view.

It’s a figure of speech bro. Still, I’m rooting for you to hit 200 comments. People complain about a repeat thread subject and then respond to it in a frenzy. I’m not busting on you. I’m busting on the rest of us.

Oh, and I’m not that old but I still prefer a bass in the 8lb range because of a left shoulder injury. Makes a huge difference for me. Also less dense woods have been proven to have better sustain and resonance.

 

[retslock]

So I was a member here TB and on AB years ago... I never have seen so many bass players asking about the weight of the bass as they do now. ??? I find this interesting as weight of a bass means nothing to me. I don't find any basses to be too heavy (I've heard these called boat anchors). I also play some hollow body basses that would be considered light by some. But... ultimately why do you care what the weight of a bass is? I have never turned down or bought a bass based on weight. Thoughts???

Just take a moment to think about it. Many players here are no longer young. Some have injuries. I sold a bass that weighed 4.5kg because I didn’t want to have numb fingers by the end of the first set due to nerves pinched in my neck from the weight on my shoulder. The result of a whiplash injury. I’m not alone. Weight matters. Perhaps not to you but to many it most certainly does. I’m 72 and have a few health concerns that I didn’t have when I was younger. I didn’t care about weight when I was 30 but now - it matters. All of my basses weigh less than 10lbs. Why do you care that others are concerned about the weight of the instrument their shoulder will carry for several hours a night? Is there some sort of standard we are all supposed to adhere to? If it’s not important to you then let it be.

 

[retslock]

I’m with you. I have never cared about the weight of a bass. Although I have never put a bass on a scale I know dumbbells pretty well and I can tell for sure my Les Paul is heavier than any bass I own. I’ve played 3-4 hour nights and I use a strap so I’m not really holding the bass in an awkward position. Plus when I show up at the party I’m bringing beer and a case of beer weighs more than any bass. So I drink a few beers to make the case more comfortable to carry!?!
I’ve played sets in boots that weigh more than my bass. It’s worth it to look cool.

Also a tuba weighs 45 pounds and high school marching bands practice 6-7 hours a day in the Texas sun in July and august, 6 days a week. No bass player does that.

I’ve yet to meet a 65 year old high school student with back or shoulder injuries acquired from a long life. Give ‘em time. There’s a lot more life to live yet.

 

[FLStudiobassist]

I played my 9.8lb-10.2lb Fender Vintera 70s Jazz without any problems. I'll still pull it out for some mo town every now and then, but my Stingray Special in swamp ash weighs 8 pounds flat on my scale and I've become very accustomed to the added benefit of not having to worry as much about the weight.

With the Fender, I enjoy it mostly sitting down. The ash seems denser, it has a little knot in it and truthfully as a passive bass it sounds superior to the Ray, but the Ray is the superior instrument. Its active electronics and preamp compensate for the lighter body and you end up with a fat Stingray growl that can be tamed and made warmer for any style of music.

The Stingray can punch a hole in your chest at 8 pounds, but it just seems like nothing can shake the walls like my Fender Vintera 70s Jazz in aged natural. I've realized already I'm always gonna want to play her and just need the lightest nicest bass I can have in the meantime due to neck injuries

 

[retslock]

I used to do 5+ hr. gigs that had 85-90 songs. We would do four sets and take a 15 minute break in between each set. I don't know about the rest of the country but 5 hr. shows are not uncommon in Northern Virginia. I was in my mid 40's and I started off with a 5 string. I quickly ditched it and moved to 4 string jazz and precision basses with jazz width necks. The songs we covered were from the 70's and 80's so I didn't really need a 5 string. I also began seeking out basses that were under 9 lbs. just to help get through the fatigue of a 5 hour show. At this point I don't want to be in pain or tired when I'm playing and a lighter bass helps me achieve that.

4 hour gigs are common in Australia.

 

[chris_b]

I get that weight matters.

It seems you don't.

Controversial time… i also bet if i was able to secretly to add a lb to someones bass they would not notice.

You give me a 10lb bass and I'd give it right back to you. You can tell me what you want but I know what causes the pain in my back, as do all others with back issues. To call it psychosomatic pain is missing the point and insulting to people with damage and medical issues relating to their backs and shoulders.

Weigh bases less… or even have others do it and lie to you… and i bet fewer will complain of a heavy bass during a long gig.

Sadly, it appears you haven't understood anything about this subject!

 

[Joe Nerve]

The 1st 10+ yrs I was on talkbass I asked the same thing. I hate to admit I even ridiculed people who cared about a 1 or 2 lb difference thinking they seriously needed to start exercising. A 12 pound bass was the same to me as an 8 lb bass, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone else cared so much...

Then my lower back stated giving me problems.

I'm still in great heath and excellent physical shape except for my lower back, and all I can say is that I hope your experience is different than mine. Today I won't play a bass that's over 8 lbs.

I think more people are concerned today than in the past because way less younger people are picking up bass guitars than were 20-40 years ago. The older gang is still hanging strong and we seriously outnumber those who still don't care whether a bass is 7 or 17 lbs .