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heavier bass = better tone?

#62
I've found when shopping around that the basses that sound best to my ear tend to be on the heavy side. My two main players are about 11 pounds. Could be coincidence; as with Brad, if I found a great-sounding lightweight bass, I'd buy it.
 
#64
rob7 said:
I GOT AN AXL ACYLICC, THE SUSTAIN IS SOMTHING ELSE,IT IS HEAVY,I ONLY GOT IT FOR DECORATION IN MY HOUSE REARLY, I USE AN OLD DEAN,AND A FRETLESS TANGLEWOOD,THERE OK..CHEAP GOOD SOUNDS..IF YOU CAN HANDLE THE WEIGHT,BETTER SOUND.....STEVE HARRIS PREFERS A HEAVY BASS,SO THERE YOU ARE IF ITS GOOD FOR S,HARRIS,GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME...GOD SPEED
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How do you know that Steve's bass is heavy? I have always wondered how much it weights.
 
#65
mongo2 said:
Not totally true.

While the material will attenuate frequencies, additive support/reinforcement also occurs for the same reason...the complex phase relationships of the waves passing through the material.
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Show me where you plug the wood into an energy source and I'd be tempted to agree with you.

Wood is an ablative and can never add to any regeneration of frequency or vibration except to release it's stored energy in the form of a nice fire.

Complex or even simple wave propagation requires energy input for some less than ethereal source than good intentions and wishful thinking.

"Passing through" any medium always results in degradation since setting the molecules into motion does NOT come free.

Energy IN = Energy OUT minus Resistance. We don't even have to factor-in entropy yet - but I can go there if you want.

Are you thus proffering perpetual motion in a bass guitar? That's what you are saying.

That's the only way to explain additive magnitudes as you've stated.

Interesting concept - wrong, but interesting.

Wood is an energy sucker and has NO ability to increase the amplitude of anything to which it might resonate by ANY magnitude you might want to suggest.

Different woods may suck up different frequencies or tones as they vary in density and all the other factors I've already mentioned.

Variables as might occur in Balsa compared to Lignum Vitae will appear to resonate or act differently - so that's a given.

If you think that's somehow incorrect - just start beating on your house to find it's resonant frequency and then keep it resonating by continuing to beat on it for a while.

'Taint easy. You'll also work up a really big sweat. The energy you put into beating on the house came from the Wheaties you ate this morning. The house will never sweat since it's not working.
 
#66
JimmyM said:
eh, some heavy basses sound like crap and some light basses sound fantastic. and vice versa. but the heaviest hitting, most brutal sounding bass i own weighs 4 1/2 lbs. it's a jay turser beatle bass, and it'll rip your face off.
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Impressive Jimmy! You like your Turser that much!

What strings do you have on it? Brutal sounding, eh? Wow. Do you use flat or round and what gauge?
 
#67
SurferJoe46 said:
Show me where you plug the wood into an energy source and I'd be tempted to agree with you.

Wood is an ablative and can never add to any regeneration of frequency or vibration except to release it's stored energy in the form of a nice fire.

Complex or even simple wave propagation requires energy input for some less than ethereal source than good intentions and wishful thinking.

"Passing through" any medium always results in degradation since setting the molecules into motion does NOT come free.

Energy IN = Energy OUT minus Resistance. We don't even have to factor-in entropy yet - but I can go there if you want.

Are you thus proffering perpetual motion in a bass guitar? That's what you are saying.

That's the only way to explain additive magnitudes as you've stated.

Interesting concept - wrong, but interesting.

Wood is an energy sucker and has NO ability to increase the amplitude of anything to which it might resonate by ANY magnitude you might want to suggest.

Different woods may suck up different frequencies or tones as they vary in density and all the other factors I've already mentioned.

Variables as might occur in Balsa compared to Lignum Vitae will appear to resonate or act differently - so that's a given.

If you think that's somehow incorrect - just start beating on your house to find it's resonant frequency and then keep it resonating by continuing to beat on it for a while.

'Taint easy.
Click to expand...

Instead of writing all that (though it did give me a good laugh), you could have spent some time researching constructive and destructive interference.
 
#72
smcd said:
If any luthier told me that a bass sounds better because it's heavier, that would be the last he'd see of me. I don't want any quacks touching my guitars.
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i totally agree. but still feel like, some of the best sounding basses i've played, were rather heavy. two particular basses come to mind, and both have very thick necks, as well as massive bodies. there is absolutely 100% unquestionably something that that mass- not neccesarily weight- adds (but of course, more wood = more weight.) i've got a feeling it just feels nice to hold something with so much girth, but whatever it is, i like it. i may just be tricking myself because they feel differnt and i like it, but i think more wood = better tone.

that is not at all to suggest i've never played some super lightweight basses that sounded stellar.
 
#73
If a luthier told me that he'd found that basses he builds with certain woods exhibit certain qualities, I hardly see how that would make him a quack. Merely an experienced luthier who's noticed things about his builds and has an opinion based on that.

Because when it comes to instruments, "better" is usually just that... an opinion. I don't have a problem with a luthier giving me an opinion about his work. It's ultimately up to me to agree or disagree.
 
#77
smcd said:
If any luthier told me that a bass sounds better because it's heavier, that would be the last he'd see of me. I don't want any quacks touching my guitars.
Click to expand...

+1. great to hear that, since i've been a luthier since 1973.

of course,'better' doesn't really mean anything, since everyone's definition of 'better' means something different.
IME, heavy basses usually are brighter and have more sustain, whereas lighter ones usually have more resonance and are warmer/fuller sounding, vibrate more, and can feedback easier at high amplifier levels. personally, i'll take a light one over a heavy one any day (for both tone and comfort).

i'm currently rebuilding my 10lb 3 oz 'boat anchor' of a stingray (with a new lighter weight body) to not only make it more usuable for long gigs, but to also improve my opinion of its tone.
 
#80
I think the lighter ones (specifically talking about Fenders here) sound better. In general, lighter basses tend to have more bloom to the tone and are more resonant, and heavier basses tend to be brighter with a more compressed tone.
 

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