Heavy Basses?

[Thor]

If you spot an 1980's Ibanez Musician, that is a nice instrument, rather heavy, very nice quality build and trading well under your price target.

 

[SolidBass]

My G&L L2000e (82) weighs over 11 pounds (northern ash body). I won't use it on long gigs- my back can't handle it

I concur. My brother's Tribute L2500 is a beast.

 

[elgecko]

So I have a thing for heavy basses. I like how they inscrutable and how they usually have a deep, heavy sound to it. Anyone know of any nice ones that are still being made, look cool, feel good, and sound amazing?

I know they're not heavy, but I'm looking at these two:

Buy Italia Torino Bass Guitar | 4 String Electric Bass | Musician's Friend
In black^

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
In Fireglo^

Any opinions on those two?

If they're not heavy and that's your preference, why would you even consider them?

 

[carlos840]

The heaviest to rule them all!

 

[Thor]

Rule all EXCEPT Mothman, of course.

 

[ghostdog93]

So I have a thing for heavy basses. I like how they inscrutable and how they usually have a deep, heavy sound to it. Anyone know of any nice ones that are still being made, look cool, feel good, and sound amazing?

Here's the problem with this sort of question...almost all the criteria are completely subjective.

Look cool? Feel good? Sound amazing? Just about everyone is going to have a different opinion, and therefore, a different answer for these questions. What really matters is what YOU think looks cool, feels good, or sounds amazing.

People talk about heavy basses, but that too can be subjective, based on the player. For example, I walk around most days with a 20-lb tool belt strapped across my back, for 8 hours a day. Frankly, most basses don't seem all that heavy to me after that. A 12 pound bass on a 3 hour gig would not be much of a bother for me, but it might really put the hurt on someone else.

Getting advice from other bassists is great, but there comes a time when one needs to step away from the keyboard, try some basses out, shop around and form your own opinion. It's the only one that matters in the end.

 

[Jimmy Riot]

You can add a brass pickguard and/or a brass backplate on the underside of your headstock to add weight & sustain. Adam Dorn added the headstock thing to his Sadowsky & liked it, although I found it a bit top-heavy with a strap.

 

[alembicbones]

Alembics tend to be heavy. A lower end used one might be close to your price range.

Bones

 

[Altitude]

My Yamaha TRB5II weighs in at about 12 pounds, which means it doesn't get to go out much.

But, it's one of the best sounding basses I've got and really well balanced as well.

If you don't mind a little weight, it's a great choice.

Edit -

I had to go all the way back to 2006 to find a good recording of that bass, but what I found was a live-to-16 track recording we made one night, so it's pretty decent. It might be the same show those pictures came from. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed].

 

[Thorsoundcore]

You want a heavy bass, buy a thunderbird!

EPIPHONE thunderbird that should be. i've played and lifted both gibby and epi thunderbirds one after another and the gibson was like a damn feather compared to the epi. i also second the T-40 and the RD artist. both of those basses are freakin boat anchors.. i think they are both around 15lbs. and hell why not the VM jazz?? (all maple one) that thing was pretty heavy too.

 

[Setebos]

Warwick FNA.
anything else I hang from my shoulder feels like a feather compared to the FNA.

 

[Eublet]

I had two Lakland DJ's at one point. One was 8.5 lbs, and the other was 9.5 lbs. Same hardware and electronics. The heavier one sounded much better to me. I now have another weight 11.5 lbs, and it sounds even better to me.

 

[Altitude]

I had two Lakland DJ's at one point. One was 8.5 lbs, and the other was 9.5 lbs. Same hardware and electronics. The heavier one sounded much better to me. I now have another weight 11.5 lbs, and it sounds even better to me.

I've always heard that DJs are all over the place weight-wise.

 

[Eublet]

I've always heard that DJs are all over the place weight-wise.

This is true of all Lakland Skyline models in general. I've owened a bunch, and you have to specifically check the weight if it's important to you. The US models have a tighter delta which runs lighter.

 

[rtslinger]

1970 something Gibson Ripper sounds great and heavy as h*ll

 

[lankycharlie]

i must have a very light thunderbird, it is one of the lightest basses i own, either that, or everything else is just crazily heavy... =p

try a burns bison, my 80's one cripples me, but it sounds and plays amazing, and looks badass, so its worth it..

 

[Eublet]

Lighter woods like swamp ash to me are more resonant, and the sound thicker in one way, but less deep in another. My heavier basses don't have that low-mid thickness, but rather a deep bottom end punch. Kind of hard to explain to me, but I think there's a definite correlation on wood density and tone from what I've noticed.

 

[The Owl]

Warwick's are pretty weighty basses, sound amazing but man, they is HEAVY!

 

[spade2you]

Warwick's are pretty weighty basses, sound amazing but man, they is HEAVY!

In most basses, the bulk of the sound comes from the center block. It's quite possible to use a very dense tone block with lighter wings to get the same effect.

 

[YuriPavlinov]

I used to have a Gibson Victory... It was THE HEAVIEST bass ive ever player, total shoulder killer!