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"How much does it weigh?"

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#41
IPA said:
Why is this always the first question asked about any bass posted on here? I've never seen a more weight-obsessed group of people.

Is it just because you guys are careful about your backs, or is there something else that I don't know about? I don't think I've ever cared about the weight of an instrument except when I'm hauling it off to UPS. Are you guys sizing them up for shipping awaiting the day when the bass inevitably ends up in the classifieds? :D
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Ive found 10+ lb basses kill my left trap 3-4 hours into a gig. lighter is better when most of your gigs are 4 hours
 
#42
IPA said:
Why is this always the first question asked about any bass posted on here? I've never seen a more weight-obsessed group of people.

Is it just because you guys are careful about your backs, or is there something else that I don't know about? I don't think I've ever cared about the weight of an instrument except when I'm hauling it off to UPS. Are you guys sizing them up for shipping awaiting the day when the bass inevitably ends up in the classifieds? :D
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To me light basses usually sound better than heavier ones.
I also think that a lighter bass is more comfortable.
 
#43
cnltb said:
To me light basses usually sound better than heavier ones.
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I've noticed this on a few passive basses, but I'm not sure if I feel the same about active. That said I'll be pushing 50 soon and heavy gear has already started bothering me. In the past few years I've sold an 11 pound P bass, an 80+ pound SVT head, and an 8X10 SVT cabinet. The long and short of it is if you see a lot of people asking about the weight but you don't understand why then don't assume it's much ado about nothing; chances are when you get older you'll join the "how much does it weigh?" club. It's great, we have bingo, square dancing and shuffleboard.
 
#44
The weight issue sometimes starts to get heated here. It does seem to me that a lot of weight does give a certain character to the tone a bass, but there are plenty of lightweight basses that also have wonderful (just different) tones.

Sometime the same model of a bass will vary widely in weight so the people that are concerned about weight need to ask. The Patriot in my avatar is dramatically heavier (about 2 1/2 pounds) than another Patriot that I have. They both have great tone. I like the heavy one better, but I can see how others might prefer the light weight one.
 
#45
I'm 59, 160 pounds, and never gave a thought about weight on a bass till I joined this forum. Of course, I don't tour and I only work weekends--though our sets are at least an hour each. I do work hard to keep fit, but I think that balance, a wide strap, perhaps a comfort model, makes a big difference. Interestingly, my Stingray feels lighter than my Fender Ps and Js; perhaps it is the ergonomics.
 
#47
IPA said:
Why is this always the first question asked about any bass posted on here? I've never seen a more weight-obsessed group of people.
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I often wonder and think the same thing. I've heard all the explanations but I'm still not buying it. A pound is only a pound regardless of your back, age, and ailments. I've had many SR5's of considerable weight that have done 4 hour gigs and a T-40.

That said, it's a fair question for the people that obsess over it. They are the buyers and that is the bottom line.
 
#48
baba said:
I often wonder and think the same thing. I've heard all the explanations but I'm still not buying it. A pound is only a pound regardless of your back, age, and ailments. I've had many SR5's of considerable weight that have done 4 hour gigs and a T-40.
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You can buy it or not, but the truth *for me* based on years of experience is I know pretty well what weights work for me and what don't. My gigs are also 4 hours. A difference of as little as a half a pound means my dealing with significant pain through the next day, or not.

It wasn't always so, either. 20 years ago, I gigged a 14 pound Tune 6-string regularly without trouble and never gave a thought about weight. If you don't have to, enjoy it while you can.

/rick
 
#49
IPA said:
Why is this always the first question asked about any bass posted on here? I've never seen a more weight-obsessed group of people.

Is it just because you guys are careful about your backs, or is there something else that I don't know about? I don't think I've ever cared about the weight of an instrument except when I'm hauling it off to UPS. Are you guys sizing them up for shipping awaiting the day when the bass inevitably ends up in the classifieds? :D
Click to expand...

I personally couldn't care less how much a bass weighs, I don't use the weight of the bass to assess the tone. It either sounds good or it doesn't, if the weight is to blame, there's not much I can reasonably do about it. However, some people have back and shoulder issues, or stamina concerns, and those are legitimate reasons to question weight IMHO.
 
#50
Webtroll said:
I've noticed this on a few passive basses, but I'm not sure if I feel the same about active. That said I'll be pushing 50 soon and heavy gear has already started bothering me. In the past few years I've sold an 11 pound P bass, an 80+ pound SVT head, and an 8X10 SVT cabinet. The long and short of it is if you see a lot of people asking about the weight but you don't understand why then don't assume it's much ado about nothing; chances are when you get older you'll join the "how much does it weigh?" club. It's great, we have bingo, square dancing and shuffleboard.
Click to expand...

It is passive basses I am talking about.
In the case of actives the comfort element is still relevant though.:)
 
#51
Nobody has mentioned a bass ever being too light.
Purchased a MIJ Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass a few years back that was. For those who don't know, it is a slimline design made of basswood, only 7 lbs. Tested it in the store with no issues, but only while sitting as they wont allow you to try instruments using a strap (have other people run into this too?). After bringing it home and playing it for a few months the weight really began to bother me. I like to move-n-groove alot while playing and need my bass to stick to my side. It was so light it felt like it would float away whenever I turned. Found myself using my forearm to constantly hold it down, which was harming my technique. So I traded it for a P and never looked back.

I don't mind 10+ pound basses either, but I do like to mingle with the crowd after a set, and after a full set with a 10+ pounder I just want to sit down for a moment.

9lbs seems ideal
 
#53
Scoliosis.gif
 
#54
IPA said:
Why is this always the first question asked about any bass posted on here? I've never seen a more weight-obsessed group of people.

Is it just because you guys are careful about your backs, or is there something else that I don't know about? I don't think I've ever cared about the weight of an instrument except when I'm hauling it off to UPS. Are you guys sizing them up for shipping awaiting the day when the bass inevitably ends up in the classifieds? :D
Click to expand...

Why do people ask questions about people who ask questions about weight? I don't get it.
:D

The thing about asking any general question about a potential purchase is pretty simple. If they were buying it for you, they wouldn't need to ask.

And how often does that happen?
;)

I lean towards medium to heavy basses based on the tonal results I've gotten with them* vs. the general disapopointment I've had with most lightweight fare. By employing a better than average strap, technique that doesn't cause pain and good posture, that heavier weight is a non-issue for me but here's something I figured out as child...

everyone is not me. Duh.

Everyone does not have the same preferences, build, experience, whatever... so what would be the big mystery about why they'd be curious about something that will affect them? This is akin to asking why everybody doesn't wear the same size shoe as I do. My shoes fit me just fine, what's with the questions about shoe size when you shop for them? Just buy a 13... I do.

If you look at it from outside yourself and you still don't get it... oh well.
:cool:




* and if anyone really wants to debate my preferences... LOL
 
#56
RickC said:
Here's a better question. Why don't more for sale ads just post that info in the first place, instead of making me ask for it :confused:

/rick
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I'll answer that question.

Personally, I've found that there are some real weight sissies around here. They want to know the EXACT weight of a bass, and any variance to the heavy side causes them to be upset with their purchase.

Like most people, I don't own a scale specifically to weigh basses. When someone asks me the weight, I have to use the old bathroom scale, or some other inaccurate method. On two separate occasions, I've had buyers threaten to leave me negative feedback because a bass weighed "too much." In one case the bass weighed 1/4 lb more than my estimate, in the other, it was a 1/2. In both cases, I had to spend days discussing the issue, dealing with threats and other such silliness before I got the issues resolved in my favor. In a third circumstance, a buyer claimed that, despite weighing exactly what I told him, the bass "felt heavier than advertised" and wanted to "return it." I told him I sold him a bass, not a feel.......I never heard from him again.

After the third time, my pat answer is "I'm sorry, I have no accurate way to weigh the bass." I've never had a problem selling a bass. Quite honestly, most people that are super sensitive to weight have no business buying basses over the internet in the first place, unless they buy from a retailer with a good return policy.
 
#57
Brad Johnson said:
Everyone does not have the same preferences, build, experience, whatever... so what would be the big mystery about why they'd be curious about something that will affect them? This is akin to asking why everybody doesn't wear the same size shoe as I do. My shoes fit me just fine, what's with the questions about shoe size when you shop for them? Just buy a 13... I do.
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The weight of a bass is exactly nothing like the size of a shoe. Does a heavier bass "fit" better than a lighter bass? Do you ask about the weight of shoes before you buy them?
:rollno::hmm::):eyebrow::confused::smug::eek::crying::mad::hyper::rolleyes::help::cool::ninja::p:hiding:;):bassist::D:bawl::o:scowl::spit::(:atoz:
 
#60
Weight is a big issue with me! I want it heavy enough so it feels solid, not like a toy. But I also want it light enough so I still have feeling in my left shoulder after a gig. For me that is somewhere in the eight to nine pound range.
 
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