Does a bass being a lightweight indicate a negative?

[nutdog]

All I know is any heavy bass in the classifieds "balances perfectly on the strap".

 

[Chuck M]

My lightest bass is my Gould ggi6 and my heaviest is my Modulus Q6. Both have graphite necks, alder bodies and maple tops. There is no noticeable difference in sustain and both basses sound terrific.

I did briefly own a Stingray 5 that was over 11 pounds. It had an ash body and was hands down the best sounding Stingray 5 out of about 5 I have owned.

My take is that it is wise to play basses that are comfortable for you. My opinion and experience will not necessarily be helpful for anyone……but me.

 

[mrperkolator]

I have a back injury that flares up from time to time. I got a BTB and loved it. Sounded like a dream. But I couldnt play it standing - at all. I had to sell my favorite bass because of that. Now I'm enjoying a lightweight 7 lbs G2220. Still miss that BTB tone though....

I used to have a thunderbird that was a holy diver... so top heavy my left arm would go numb after a 2 hour set. Now that's a weird way to play.

So for me it isnt a tone issue as much as a medical one.

 

[Snaxster]

Does a bass being a lightweight indicate a negative?

My Fender P/J is on the heavier side of 9.5-10 lbs but I love the tone. But, my 80s Japan Tune maniac is a featherweight at 7.5 lbs and that thing kills.

It seems you answered your question right there.

My answer was going to be "No."

 

[TNCreature]

I've never paid attention to weight and couldn't tell you how much any of my guitars and basses weigh.

Sure, some are heavier than the others but that's where my observations end for the most part.

I will admit that I enjoy looking at the slab of Honduran Mahagony that the body of my '70 Les Paul Bass was made from - gorgeous IMO - but that's not the reason why I bought it.

My $0.02 only...

I've always felt the same way.
But I must say, I am 57, and this is the first year that I have picked up my Warwick 5 string and an audible involuntary "oof!" came out of my mouth.

 

[HertzWhenIPlay]

If a Heavy bass and a Light bass get into a fight the heavier bass wins 64 percent of the time.

 

[blmeier7]

I’ve heard people make claims for years that a heavier bass has more sustain, and overall better tone. I almost bought into that thinking until I purchased a Sandberg Superlight TT last year. It’s a hair over 6lbs and doesn’t lack sustain or tone at all.

I do know that I tend to pick up and play my lighter basses more often than my heavier ones.

 

[FishDub]

It seems you answered your question right there.

My answer was going to be "No."

Well yeah I guess but that’s just MY opinion

 

[Kipp Harrington]

I'm no spring chicken (57) and have shoulders and a back that are feeling like I'm 57. I can handle three 1 hour sets with a bass a little over 9 pounds. I picked up a Lakeland P bass at Sweetwater (don't rember the model) and I thought they had it hanging there as a gag! I about dropped it when I took it off the wall. It had to be at least 11-12 pounds. Now something like that I would have no interest in... no matter how nice the neck was or tone sounded. Good Lord!

 

[Lackey]

I've got two basses over 12 pounds. And a fretless under 8. I'd be hard pressed to think of how the weight has any impact on the tone or sustain... I feel the lighter instrument breathes better tonally, and has loooong sustain.

 

[PrairieThunder13]

I think i like heavy stuff but more for the fact that the stuff i like happens to be heavy rather than the nature of the weight imparting objective tonal improvement. I've heard and own some good sounding lightweight stuff (my old european non-hofner-violin-shaped-object comes to mind) but i also am pretty loyal to my rics. My "favourite" one is on the heavier side for a 4001 at little more than 10lbs and does sound thick. A little natural compression and a nice attack profile. My fender is also heavy and sounds good. My old peavey is also heavy and sounds good. I don't know to be honest. I will say sometimes light stuff feels like it moves around too much when i'm all strapped up and that can throw me on the playability side, but that's also an effect of instrument balance and having a strong preference for vintage, lightweight balance wasn't really invented yet in any grand sense. I think you've gotta try before you buy!

 

[two fingers]

My most resonant and lively bass is my lightest. It's a sub 8 pound parts P bass. Sound (even unplugged) just JUMPS off of that bass.

 

[svlilioukalani]

It is a myth that a heavy bass sounds better. Mike Lull went for the wood at the top of the tree. Not the dense heavy wood from the bottom of the tree.

Of the 39 basses I got, my best sounding bass is my lightest. It has a chambered body. But my second best sounding bass, a Nash, is a 9 pounder. So many factors go into a basses sound.

 

[micahwc]

Assuming it is otherwise well constructed, then no.

 

[Blues Bass 2]

I like a lightweight bass too but now I'm rarely gigging and my lightest bass is 9.5 pounds , my Sire V3 5 . My heaviest is 10.5 pounds and it really kills , Squier Contemporary Jazz 5 SS . I put Nordy single coil Big Blades in it with an Audere pre . I don't think weight matters with tone much , I've had some Ibanez Premiums that were awesome tone-wise . This is my 10.5 pound Squier , I call it the Beast !

 

[Ric5]

I ask this because I have read many threads on two different views of this, particularly in the classifieds. The first is that a nice, heavy, thick slab of wood in excess of 10-12 pounds accounts for unmatched, resonate tone quality(IE-Vintage Fenders/Musicmans). The other is the ongoing question of "weight?"...Weight isnt really a deal-breaker for me personally if I like the tone and balance, but I dont gig for hours either. So do most ask the weight because they want a heavy, resonant slab of wood OR do they ask because they want a super lightweight, or a bit of both? My Fender P/J is on the heavier side of 9.5-10 lbs but I love the tone. But, my 80s Japan Tune maniac is a featherweight at 7.5 lbs and that thing kills. Been curious about this..

i had a basswood p-bass ... very light ... it resonated wonderfully

 

[A9X]

The Ibanez SR range are 6 to 7.5 lbs and are great to play.

Nope. Neither of mine are. One's a bit above that range and the other is a lot above it.

 

[A9X]

Probably the lightest full scale bass in my collection is the least fun to play standing. The long 4IL headstock with old fashioned large open gear tuners means it dives terribly. <- Not a Fender.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Seems to me that most folks ask about the weight because they hope to avoid an aching back after standing up at a gig for two hours with your bass strapped on. Ouch!

And not only now, but also for preventing a potential future physical issue.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I ask this because I have read many threads on two different views of this, particularly in the classifieds. The first is that a nice, heavy, thick slab of wood in excess of 10-12 pounds accounts for unmatched, resonate tone quality(IE-Vintage Fenders/Musicmans). The other is the ongoing question of "weight?"...Weight isnt really a deal-breaker for me personally if I like the tone and balance, but I dont gig for hours either. So do most ask the weight because they want a heavy, resonant slab of wood OR do they ask because they want a super lightweight, or a bit of both? My Fender P/J is on the heavier side of 9.5-10 lbs but I love the tone. But, my 80s Japan Tune maniac is a featherweight at 7.5 lbs and that thing kills. Been curious about this..

I’m 68 and still gigging, I’m still not worried about weight (for now), but I understand the other side of the coin. Without lighter weight gear, some would not be able to play. Keep in mind, the world is a better place with each note we play.