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How heavy is too heavy for a bass?
- Thread starter slapDoctor
- Start date
How heavy is too heavy for a bass?
That's a personal question there's no "set in stone" answer.
IMHO maybe over 9.1 lbs.
What is comical for me is that most of us are at least 10 lbs or more over weight but we have an issue with a bass that is 1 lbs too heavy.
Google...........
Nearly 1 in 3 adults (30.7%) are overweight. More than 1 in 3 men (34.1%) and more than 1 in 4 women (27.5%) are overweight. More than 2 in 5 adults (42.4%) have obesity (including severe obesity). About 1 in 11 adults (9.2%) have severe obesity.
I have 6 basses. All of them except for one is a 5 string. My four string is 7 lbs give or take a few cents.
All of my fives are around 8lbs except for one. My Sandberg is just 2 cents over 9lbs. It stays because it slays . I’m not interested in going any heavier .
All of my fives are around 8lbs except for one. My Sandberg is just 2 cents over 9lbs. It stays because it slays . I’m not interested in going any heavier .
This is kind of how I feel. It's not that a bass is too heavy. It's just that there are other choices. If basses were all 11 lbs, then I'd play an 11 lb bass. But, since I have so many other choices, I always ask the weight when purchasing. My main bass is a little under 9 lbs. I also try to find comfortable T shirts, jeans, chairs, sunglasses and fishing rods.
To me this is another totally subjective topic with no one "right" answer.
I like mine to be 8 lbs or less, and I suppose that's easier since mine are all short scales.
If you're fine with 11 lbs that just means we won't be shopping for the same bass. No problem.
I like mine to be 8 lbs or less, and I suppose that's easier since mine are all short scales.
If you're fine with 11 lbs that just means we won't be shopping for the same bass. No problem.
Personally, I can make anything that is 11 pounds (~5kg) or lighter work. A good, wide padded strap can make a heavy bass work for me. Anything above that weight, though, is too much for the wide padded strap to mitigate, at least for me.
I once had a white Peavey T40 that was just shy of 14 pounds (over 6kg) that I loved, but the weight was just too much to bear standing. I always sat "it was a good instrument to SIT and play!"
I once had a white Peavey T40 that was just shy of 14 pounds (over 6kg) that I loved, but the weight was just too much to bear standing. I always sat "it was a good instrument to SIT and play!"
Too heavy and neck dive, that would be a Kramer aluminum neck. My 450B was almost 12 lb.
When I bought it used for $150 in 1979, at 17 it was just about the coolest thing I’d ever seen. What did I know?
My hard limit is 8.5 lb and I’m happier with my 7.5 lb basses.
When I bought it used for $150 in 1979, at 17 it was just about the coolest thing I’d ever seen. What did I know?
My hard limit is 8.5 lb and I’m happier with my 7.5 lb basses.
It depends partly on the balance and ergonomics of the instrument, but for me it's somewhere around 10 1/2 lbs II have a couple of basses that are in the 11 lb. range and a Lakland Darryl Jones 4 that is upwards of 12 lbs. If I play any of those on a gig that's more than one set i start to get cranky pretty fast.
Consider a hip strap to distribute the weight. Examples :Ergonomic Guitar Straps | Bass Straps
Hmm. 4 point bridge. Try AlBridge, lightweight aluminum bridge Here are the dimensions
Hmm. 4 point bridge. Try AlBridge, lightweight aluminum bridge Here are the dimensions
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If one needs to apply Preparation H after playing I would surmise the bass is probably too heavy.
