"How much does it weigh?"

[MasterBass!]

About 2 months ago, I sold my pair of Ampeg SVT-8x10's to a guy.

When he came to pick them up...he saw an old natural Precision Bass that I had sitting on a stand.

He asked if I'd sell it, and said he wanted to buy it, but when we weighed it on my scale, he said he couldn't lug around a 9 1/2 pound bass!! !!

Go figure!!

 

[EagleMoon]

The heavy is sometimes better attitude is pretty prevalent with me. If someone made lightweight basses that sounded like my main ones, I'd be on that bandwagon. Hasn't happened yet.


Besides, most bikes aren't built for tone.

No of course not, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make.

I personally haven't found heavier basses to sound better than lighter basses. Sorry to hear that in your case that they are. I would much rather play something lightweight if I have a choice.

 

[Showdown]

I personally haven't found heavier basses to sound better than lighter basses. Sorry to hear that in your case that they are. I would much rather play something lightweight if I have a choice.

I agree. I have some great sounding lightweight basses. For example:

Lakland 44-01 with Nordstrand DC and Bart NTMB.
Lakland 44-01 with Bart US MK1 and Bart NTMB
Fender Zone with Nordstrand NP4/NJ4SE and Bart NTMB
Lakland JO 4 with Fralins and Audere pre
Peavey G

These basses sound great, and I can play them all night.

I also have an '86 G&L L2000 that sounds great, but weighs over 10 lbs. I can't play it for more than 20 minutes without severe pain. It doesn't sound any better than the light basses.

When I'm distracted by back pain I don't play my best. It doesn't matter if it is the best sounding bass in the world if I don't play my best.

 

[guy n. cognito]

JD (and some on this board) are using a business strategy called "firing the customer". Business have determined that 90% of their problems come from 10% of their customers. If they can get rid of those customers then their business will run better and profits will increase. Many retailers are doing this by only allowing a limited number of returns from a customer before they revoke their return priviledges. If the customer gets mad and stops shopping at their store they are better off because the customer's returns ate up far more profit that their purchases generated. Doing this cuts their expenses and allows the store to lower their prices. The lower prices lead to more sales and more profits. The lower prices also benefit the stores other customers. If this were taken to the extreme, the problem customers would end up with only one store to shop at. That store would cater to them, but would charge much higher prices to pay for the costs.

Let me blow your mind here......Corner Music (the most sucessful private music shop in town) has a no return policy. Gasp!!!!

Ever actually been to Corner??

 

[guy n. cognito]

I'm a little bit surprised at this comment from you, since your posts are usually very logical, but this one is a bit silly. At a brick-and-mortar store, you can pick up an instrument or cabinet and judge the weight for yourself. You don't have that opportunity when purchasing an instrument over the internet.

I have never asked the weight of an instrument before purchasing online, but as someone who has suffered through some brutal gigs with a herniated disk in my neck, I can certainly understand how it can be a useful metric for some.

Yes, I understand it was a bit silly. I was responding to this:

If I walk in and am looking at a cabinet and ask them how much it weighs... I expect them to care enough to find out 'if they wish to sell it "to me"'. I see asking the same about basses no differently... 'if they wish to sell it "to me"'

Hence my response. Can you imagine walking into a store, handling an instrument, then asking the retailer to weigh it? Well, that previous poster certainly can. I was responding to him. His silly comment got a silly response from me.

I hope my reputation with you is intact........

 

[guy n. cognito]

In a store the buyer can actually feel the weight of the bass. Online he can't.

Yes. Reread my post. Read the comment to which I was responding. It might clear things up for you.

 

[EagleMoon]

Can you imagine walking into a store, handling an instrument, then asking the retailer to weigh it? Well, that previous poster certainly can. I was responding to him. His silly comment got a silly response from me.

I've done this many times. Nothing silly about it.

 

[GeneralElectric]

So if a bass weighed 9.2lbs you'd pass on it?

Yep. I played a heavier bass for a 2 hour set last night. Today I cannot turn my head and it feels like someone wrenched my neck extremely hard. Sometimes I've have my fingers go numb on my fretting hand which isn't conducive to playing either.

My main bass is about 7 1/4 pounds and its a Fender P-bass. If you look in my profile you'll see that I've got a lot of basses and almost all of them are under 8.5 with most of them hovering around the 8lb mark.

 

[Showdown]

Can you imagine walking into a store, handling an instrument, then asking the retailer to weigh it?

If you are in the store with the bass in your hand you can FEEL how heavy it is. You can put it on a strap. Hell, I can tell if it is too heavy for me just by lifting it. That is not comparable to buying online. You are comparing apples to oranges.

 

[Showdown]

Yes. Reread my post. Read the comment to which I was responding. It might clear things up for you.

It doesn't, because you continue to make the same claim.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

This thread makes me laugh a little. You guys are debating minutiae regarding how much a bass weighs and whether it's a vital piece of sales data.

If it's important to the person buying it, weigh it to the best of your ability, then give them the info.

But of course, this is teh interwebs, so we must argue about everything down to the smallest detail, while often forgetting the original subject altogether...

 

[SJLee]

I like this.

This thread makes me laugh a little. You guys are debating minutiae regarding how much a bass weighs and whether it's a vital piece of sales data.

If it's important to the person buying it, weigh it to the best of your ability, then give them the info.

But of course, this is teh interwebs, so we must argue about everything down to the smallest detail, while often forgetting the original subject altogether...

 

[Wademeister63]

This thread makes me laugh a little. You guys are debating minutiae regarding how much a bass weighs and whether it's a vital piece of sales data.

If it's important to the person buying it, weigh it to the best of your ability, then give them the info.

But of course, this is teh interwebs, so we must argue about everything down to the smallest detail, while often forgetting the original subject altogether...

Yep. I can look at the pics (you GOTTA have pics!) and tell if I like the style, the color, the inlays etc. Might have to ask about string spacing at the nut or bridge if it's not a typical jazz or p, might ask about the tone or the preamp or something, or maybe the weight if it's not listed.

For me, light weight is an attractive feature. Might not make or break a deal for me but being part of the package I like to have a reasonable idea of what I'm looking at. A bass is about looks, feel and tone right? Some of it you can see, some might be listed, and some you might have to ask about if you care. If you DON'T care then why are you gassin for another bass anyway??

 

[guy n. cognito]

It doesn't, because you continue to make the same claim.

I'm sorry, fella, but you just aren't reading what I'm typing. Go back and reread my original post. I was replying to a poster who initially claimed that he would ask to weigh a cabinet in a bricks and mortar store.

Reading is fundamental.

 

[guy n. cognito]

If you are in the store with the bass in your hand you can FEEL how heavy it is. You can put it on a strap. Hell, I can tell if it is too heavy for me just by lifting it. That is not comparable to buying online. You are comparing apples to oranges.

I understand all of this. My comments make this clear.

 

[guy n. cognito]

I've done this many times. Nothing silly about it.

With all due respect, the fact that you do something does not preclude it from being silly. Asking a retailer to weigh a bass that you are holding in your hands IS silly. It's like asking a car salesman to describe to you how a car rides..........while taking a test drive.

 

[Brad Johnson]

No of course not, but that wasn't the point I was trying to make.

I personally haven't found heavier basses to sound better than lighter basses. Sorry to hear that in your case that they are. I would much rather play something lightweight if I have a choice.

Why in the world would you be sorry? I'm not. I did three sets last night with a 10+ lb bass and didn't even notice the weight. As usual.


There's a reason my basses sound like they do and I'm sure the wood is a big part of it. Not getting the sound I want would be a compromise I'm not willing to make. I'd rather play basses that sound great, not just light and whatever I settled for sonically.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I've done this many times. Nothing silly about it.

Actually there is something silly about it. No offense.

If you're holding the bass you should be able to determine whether or not it's too heavy. If you are then told the actual weight and it changes your opinion based on holding it... that could be seen as at least a bit silly.

 

[Eskimo Spy]

With all due respect, the fact that you do something does not preclude it from being silly. Asking a retailer to weigh a bass that you are holding in your hands IS silly. It's like asking a car salesman to describe to you how a car rides..........while taking a test drive.

Why is it silly? Are my hands a scale? Can I determine the weight properly simply by holding a bass? I'd wager most people can't accurately determine the weight. For some, weight is very important. For example, those with back problems might need a lighter bass for those long gigs. So, it would make sense for them to make sure that the bass is not too heavy for them. Playing a bass for a short period in the store, probably while sitting down, probably won't give you a good idea of how it will feel after three hours. Knowing the actual weight might help you answer that.

Also, your comparison doesn't make sense. Weight of a bass contrasted against how a car feels when it drives are not the same thing, it's like comparing apples and rocks. If the person was asking how a bass plays while playing it, then it would be comparable.

Well, I'm done with this, just thought I'd throw in my .02

 

[guy n. cognito]

Why is it silly? Are my hands a scale? Can I determine the weight properly simply by holding a bass? I'd wager most people can't accurately determine the weight. For some, weight is very important. For example, those with back problems might need a lighter bass for those long gigs. So, it would make sense for them to make sure that the bass is not too heavy for them. Playing a bass for a short period in the store, probably while sitting down, probably won't give you a good idea of how it will feel after three hours. Knowing the actual weight might help you answer that.

Also, your comparison doesn't make sense. Weight of a bass contrasted against how a car feels when it drives are not the same thing, it's like comparing apples and rocks. If the person was asking how a bass plays while playing it, then it would be comparable.

Well, I'm done with this, just thought I'd throw in my .02

If you can't, in person with a bass in your hands, determine whether or not a bass is too heavy, then a scale won't help you. I'm not sure anything will.

Really, what does the number tell you that your hands (or shoulders) won't? Is it really possible that you'll strap on a bass and think "hey, this feels great!" only to change your mind once you throw it on a scale? Do you really judge weight and comfort with your eyes? Are you going to take the scale with you to a gig to confirm throughout the night that the weight is still light enough to be comfortable? Ridiculous.

Posts like this confirm the theory that some other posters had above; some people want to know weight just to know weight.

I spent 4 hours playing a heavy Stingray Classic last night. A good, heavy, padded leather strap and good posture kept me comfortable all night. Gosh, if I had weighed that bass I would have known to be miserable instead.......