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Does this make me look heavy?
- Thread starter ustabawannab
- Start date
I've owned a 13 1/2 lb t-40 and right now I'm playing an sg bass that's probably sub 8 or 8.5. It's all about the sound look and playability for me, although I probably wouldn't play anything heavier than a t-40 which you could most likely only find with a double neck or something ridiculous
My Gibson Victory weighs about 14 lb. My Fender Precision Lyte weighs about 7.5 lb. They're both great basses.
I really don't care how much a bass weighs so long as it sounds and feels great.
Although 20 lb might be too much...
I really don't care how much a bass weighs so long as it sounds and feels great.
Although 20 lb might be too much...
8 1/2 lbs is my limit, I prefer lighter when I can get it, and anyone who doesn't like that I want basses that light can kiss my ass. And yes, that includes you bigshots who think you're all that when you tell people they need to work out and quit being such weenies. You want to impress me? Buy me lunch.
I belive its easy to talk about weight as a non issue if you are a hobbyist who rehearses 2h each thursday and then keep your bass in the case until next thursday, then I wouldnt mind a 10lbs bass.
But if you have your bass strapped on your shoulder for 20 hours a week it becomes a big issue in the llng run, the human body is not designed for that and even half a pound can make a big difference.
Personally I had almost chronic pain in my shoulder for a couple of years due too playing a 10, 2lbs bass. It was a Sadowsky Metro and I loved the thing to death but it was it or my health and I chose my health (and yes I do exercise, im only 28 yrs old, im also tall and well buildt and no little wimpy guy)
Well lets just say after getting a custom made 7,2 Lbs jazzbass im now painfree after 4 months, (I play around 10-15 hours a week probly)
But if you have your bass strapped on your shoulder for 20 hours a week it becomes a big issue in the llng run, the human body is not designed for that and even half a pound can make a big difference.
Personally I had almost chronic pain in my shoulder for a couple of years due too playing a 10, 2lbs bass. It was a Sadowsky Metro and I loved the thing to death but it was it or my health and I chose my health (and yes I do exercise, im only 28 yrs old, im also tall and well buildt and no little wimpy guy)
Well lets just say after getting a custom made 7,2 Lbs jazzbass im now painfree after 4 months, (I play around 10-15 hours a week probly)
The second.Please pick the bass you would want.
1. Your preferred color, your preferred body wood, your preferred fret board wood, your preferred pup's and the perfect price...... 8 lbs. 7 oz.
2. Your preferred color, your preferred body wood, your preferred fret board wood, your preferred pup's and the perfect price...... 10 lbs 11 oz.
I actually don't like overly light basses. They feel cheap to me. Partly because when I was starting, for whatever reason, the cheap crappy basses were often really light (and not balanced).
I would love to know which of my instruments is heaviest, a precursor to deciding which ones to sell first.
On the other hand, I don't really want to shell out $20 for a postal style scale that I will basically use once.
Maybe I can carry them into the supermarket scales w/o anyone noticing.
That postal scale I linked is a good tool to have if you do any business online. It also helps me calculate shipping costs ..... which in turn factors into my pricing. The way I see it at $20 ... for me it has made things easier in that respect.
Yes.... I don't think weight players much a factor in the sound of an instrument as some think.
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Well, as if that was the only option. I discussed this recently in another thread with no other than Sheldon Dingwall, no less, regarding that his customers doesn't want heavier basses, they would eschew them. My repsonse was, that all of a sudden, when ordering a 6 string bass, that added weight is - all of a sudden and for for no reason - perfectly acceptable even if you have to do weekly visits to the physiotherapist. Your shoulder, or body doesn't care how many strings there are on a bass. And thus, all of a sudden you'll accept the added weight (on some considerably) when comparing to any 4 string bass, if everything else was equal. A 4 string bass is always lighter than its corresponding 5 string or 6 string equivalent, considering everything else the same.
I do care MORE about balance and if it neck dives, or "body dives". If it has perfect balance both when sitting AND standing, you'll bet that you can stand considerably more total weight before it starts to wear on you. Thus, I do not want any lightweight bass, no matter how little lbs, if it neck dives. And I've tried those paddles Steinbergers, and Gittler basses. If they're too lightweight, all they do is bounce around and wiggles while playing. The fingers force on pressing down the frets are just enough to move the whole bass around. Tip it in our out, lever effect/principle.
So yes, I wouldn't mind a 4 string bass with 6 string weight. If I can stand it while playing a 6er, I can sure stand it playing a 4.
And remember one thing: For a tall, hefty bodybuilding guy with hands and fingers of a wrestler and shoulders to go with it, most basses are not heavy at all. For the short 5"6 kind of guy with small stature and no beefy muscles, even the most lightweight bass can turn out heavy in the long run. So...
Ergonomic and lightweight for whom?
I do care MORE about balance and if it neck dives, or "body dives". If it has perfect balance both when sitting AND standing, you'll bet that you can stand considerably more total weight before it starts to wear on you. Thus, I do not want any lightweight bass, no matter how little lbs, if it neck dives. And I've tried those paddles Steinbergers, and Gittler basses. If they're too lightweight, all they do is bounce around and wiggles while playing. The fingers force on pressing down the frets are just enough to move the whole bass around. Tip it in our out, lever effect/principle.
So yes, I wouldn't mind a 4 string bass with 6 string weight. If I can stand it while playing a 6er, I can sure stand it playing a 4.
And remember one thing: For a tall, hefty bodybuilding guy with hands and fingers of a wrestler and shoulders to go with it, most basses are not heavy at all. For the short 5"6 kind of guy with small stature and no beefy muscles, even the most lightweight bass can turn out heavy in the long run. So...
Ergonomic and lightweight for whom?
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I just sold a 6 because it was advertised at 9lbs.. but it weighed 11.6 lbs.. The reason I bought the 6 I have is because it was under 10 lbs.. I saw a Roscoe 6 advertised here a while back and the seller said it was just over 9lbs.. right up my alley..
My new Fender Steve Harris Precision weighs in at 12 lbs., 3 oz.
Its heavy as all hell, but it sounds so good I can excuse the weight.
These days, most of my gigs are only 1 or 2 sets, so for me, weight limit depends on how well the bass balances when strapped up, and on how good it sounds.
Its heavy as all hell, but it sounds so good I can excuse the weight.
These days, most of my gigs are only 1 or 2 sets, so for me, weight limit depends on how well the bass balances when strapped up, and on how good it sounds.
Weight? Pshaw!!!! I'm a T40 fan.....I SNEER at "weight"!!!!!!
Especially with the preamps that exist today.. Icould see it possible playing more of a role in passive basses .. but with active basses I just don't see it.
This is probably very true, in my experiences with 1970s Fenders ( which vary wildly in weight ) it always felt like the light ones had more top end and a more resonant "airy sound" while the heavy ones had a more dark and thumpy sound.
Am I crazy for thinking this?
I've owned some heavy basses. Bubinga warwicks, Conklin 7 string. I mean really if I was sitting or even standing still I wouldn't mind weight at all. But I never do the 4 hour marathon cover gigs a lot of guys here do so weight isn't as much of an issue to me as for them which is understandable. My problem with weight comes with just wanting to be able to rock out onstage. Trying to jump around with a 15 pound bass for an hour is kind of ridiculous.
