Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
"How much does it weigh?"
- Thread starter IPA
- Start date
- Status
Do you frequently buy your shoes online from a store that has no return policy? That would be.....unusual.
Some of us have medical conditions. I have degenerative discs in my spine and arthritic concerns in the facets, my shoulders, hands, etc... Been told I'm headed for a wheel chair and various joint replacements over the next few years. I choose to lighten up and keep playing. If I can find a lighter bass, those 4 hours gigs are survivable.
You can call it an excuse if you like, as someone did earlier, but the fact is weight matters. But there's more to it than just pure weight. The Aerodyne was mentioned, and Yes I've run into basses that were too light. I had the Yamaha RBX4 A2. It was 6lbs, and it was too light, oh not the weight itself, but it threw it out of balance. Neck heavy, not neck heavy to most but I felt it and at the end of a couple sets my back was torqued and killing me. My P bass is around 8 and my MTD is even lighter. Both very nice and playable for a time. Working out, as best I can with various programs, Yoga, water aerobics, and trying to keep healthy, keep my back as stable as I can, I'll keep going as long as I can, and if being "weight-obsessed" helps, well.... Then So be it, I'm weight obsessed.
You can call it an excuse if you like, as someone did earlier, but the fact is weight matters. But there's more to it than just pure weight. The Aerodyne was mentioned, and Yes I've run into basses that were too light. I had the Yamaha RBX4 A2. It was 6lbs, and it was too light, oh not the weight itself, but it threw it out of balance. Neck heavy, not neck heavy to most but I felt it and at the end of a couple sets my back was torqued and killing me. My P bass is around 8 and my MTD is even lighter. Both very nice and playable for a time. Working out, as best I can with various programs, Yoga, water aerobics, and trying to keep healthy, keep my back as stable as I can, I'll keep going as long as I can, and if being "weight-obsessed" helps, well.... Then So be it, I'm weight obsessed.
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?
:scowl:
I knew someone wouldn't get the simple correlation. Hint: personal fit, not weight. I even mentioned size. Duh.
I love this place.
Ergonomics are important to some people. Probably most. The fact that that bounces off as many heads as it does on such a regular basis here is priceless.
Because that's the way they make 90% of the Stingrays
There are a few featherweights around but most are over 10lbs IMO
I want a basswood Stingray
I agree. To me balance is just as important as weight. A light but unbalanced bass (like my beloved '76 Tbird in my avatar) bothers my back more than a slightly heavier but balanced bass. So for me I need a bass that is under 9 lbs., but well balanced. I'll take a balanced 9 lb. bass before an unbalanced 8 lb. bass.
Never seen a post about weight of a bass except for those threads where poster is looking for lightweight bass. Never seen it as a routine or even occassional question otherwise.
Why do people focus on weight? Light weight is a common feature in many high-end basses (except Fodera), it's easier to manage than a heavy bass, many argue that chambered basses have increased resonance (definitely true when unplugged, at least), and there are no real advantages to a heavier bass, I don't think.
I knew someone wouldn't get the simple correlation. Hint: personal fit, not weight. I even mentioned size. Duh.
I love this place.
I got it brad. Funny, no one ever asks me about neck dimensions, or how a bass hangs in a strap. No one asks about body contours or freeboard radius. All those things go into "personal fit". Nobody asks about those. Just weight. Heck, I've gotten more questions about weight than string spacing and scale length.
I just keep it simple and don't cater to those with weigh issues.
While I would argue that weight is a valid consideration when buying a bass, I also concede that your points throughout this thread do have some merit. I would have to agree that the "how much does it weigh?" question is as possibly as much a TB fashion trend as it is a legimate factor in the purchase descision.
For some it is important, but I would suggest that many others ask it only because it's the "in" thing to do. It has become such a trend that makes like Nordstrand and Sadowsky list the weight of each instrument on their website.
I've been asking that question since long before it became an "in" thing. Some of us actually do have back problems, and your post is very condescending to us.
I think other companies have also jumped on this bandwagon. A new-ish trend seems to also throw in a good B in 32 or 33" scale. Either way, I think the consumer wins!
If you got it, why are you still acting like you don't get it?
Feel free to risk a sale over a pet peeve about a simple question.
Feel free to risk a sale over a pet peeve about a simple question.
If have read my posts on this subject, I think you would see that I fully support your position. In fact, I even prefaced my statement in the post you quoted with "For some it is important." I don't know how it would be viewed as condescending.
I just wanted to add that I believe it is as much trend as it is legitimate concern. I believe that many ask the question without the same legitimate concern that you obviously have. If you disagree, that's OK. But, there's no point in attacking my character.
- Status
