Heaviest Bass You've Ever Owned?

[thunesBARROW]

My first nice bass was an ash bodied Jazz. At some gigs I’d have to take a knee to support the bass towards the end of the night. Also, it made my leg fall asleep sometimes when I played seated. I’m sad I sold it because it was really beautiful. I now own a Gibson DC Les Paul tribute short scale and it’s pretty heavy.

 

[Burwabit]

Excluding ones I sold quickly, an EBMM Stingray Classic 4 at 10.5 lbs. Only 10+ lb bass that I gigged with. Tone was good so I didn’t mind.

Now days, 9 is max for me other than a Ric that’s like 9.3.

 

[m-j]

In 1988 I briefly owned a Fender Precision Special. In my estimation it weighed 12 or 13lbs.

I was fit, ran 1/2 marathons, did Karate and played Squash, but no way was I wearing that thing around my neck for an evening!!

Yup - when I got mine I had to get a padded strap.

 

[ale_vanlager]

I used to have a ~13 pound Warwick Corvette Standard 6-string

 

[Wesley R]

I don't know what a Ampeg Baby Bass weighs, but made a strap and hung across the shoulder like a normal bass. Very heavy indeed.

I did a bunch of goofed (stupid) stuff.

 

[ebo]

My Ibanez 705 fiver is exactly 10lbs. I keep it around to feel better about my other basses. I think the bridge is one or two pounds alone! It does play well so I’m keeping it, but when it comes to picking a bass out of the lineup to gig with, she usually doesn’t jump out at me…13lb bass? Dear lord!

 

[Blueinred]

'77 Travis Bean TB-2000. Weighs about, oh, 40 lbs. Never giving it up.
View attachment 4524909

This is what I had! Seriously, was at least 15 lbs.. Shoulder was sore after every gig. What is the actual weight of your Bean?

 

[ArteK]

***. You sure that's not the shipping weight?

I’m not sure. Usually on the spec sheet, they’re talking about the actual weight.
It’s heavy, but it doesn’t feel like it’s twice as heavy as my other basses.

 

[Khrist92]

My two heaviest. Alembic 5'er is about 12 lbs, the EGC Aluminum/Acrylic is 14 lbs on the dot.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

The bass is in a different continent and I can't weigh it but my heaviest is a 1979 fretless Ibanez Roadster (or Roadstar) II series bass. It's also bigger than fenders and it won't fit into some hard cases.

 

[JIO]

I did a stained trans-green finish on a friend's home-made maple body/neck fretless that weighed 13lbs. Sounded good but it would hurt after playing it seated on your leg. I called it "Creature from the Black Lagoon" No way would I ever own a bass that heavy no matter how good it sounded.

 

[BVaccaro]

Don't know if this counts as I still own it and it weighs 14lbs

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The difference between a very heavy bass and a very light bass is the difference between a 6 pack of beer and one beer consumed.

What I’m saying is You Can Do This.

Being able to hoist your 9 pound bass should be every player’s new year resolution

Oh yeah? Even those of us with a history of back injuries and a spine that looks like the Autobahn? It isn’t merely a matter of physical strength and endurance. One of my upright basses weighs about 25 pounds and carrying it is no problem because the weight isn’t focused on one shoulder, which stresses the spine and back muscles. Try thinking before you post.

 

[Killing Floor]

Oh yeah? Even those of us with a history of back injuries and a spine that looks like the Autobahn? It isn’t merely a matter of physical strength and endurance. One of my upright basses weighs about 25 pounds and carrying it is no problem because the weight isn’t focused on one shoulder, which stresses the spine and back muscles. Try thinking before you post.

That’s why I was clear to give the beer example. We are quite literally debating 6 bottles of beer vs 5. Was not trying to be insensitive.

 

[dkelley]

Alembic Series I. I don't recall the weight, as it was nearly 24 years ago that I sold it.

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

Was not trying to be insensitive.

You were unsuccessful.

 

[drumvsbass]

I see these guys here talking about basses in the 12 pound range and it hurts my spine. I had a 10 pound stingray that I parted with only because of the weight. I'm a delicate flower I guess.

 

[mikewalker]

Back in the 70's when I started out and there were NO inexpensive good basses as there are now, my first bass was a Gibson Ripper which was fine. THEN I got the bug up my +++ that I needed something fancier, and bought a brand new one of these . . . .

View attachment 4525609

. . . . which is where I found out two things: A BIG, all-maple bass (save for the ebony fingerboard) is one ungainly, heavy SOB, and second, this is when I realized the immutable truth that Gibson Bass is an oxymoron. ...

Wow for some reason this bass suddenly reminds me - I briefly owned a Gibson VICTORY, and now that was some boat-anchor

 

[sotua]

No idea how much it was, but it was a Warwick Fortress I made of solid maple. Oof!

 

[got_the_bug]

Heaviest bass i ever owned was a 1978 Fender P - 12lbs. Can anyone top that?

While I can’t top it, my heaviest bass was also a ‘78 Fender P…black and maple, a bit shy of 12 lbs.

I’m not a weight weenie, but after owning that bass, I understood why people ask “weight?” in every classified post where it isn’t expressly stated…