Inexpensive, light but balanced basses

[DavidEdenAria]

What do you guys suggest for a lightweight but well balanced, inexpensive bass for the days my back and neck are acting up?

Right now its my 72 Musicmaster but it is apart waiting to be refinished.

I need Long scale, but is a semi hollow something to consider first?

Used is best for me usually....that way I can resell it hopefully without losing too much dough if need be.

I am fond of 80's Japan guitars but am open minded to anything as long as its fairly high quality.

Needs to be WELL balanced and lightweight and hopefully at least somewhat toneful.

 

[matti777]

I tried one of those Fender Aerodynes yesterday. Its light and not too expensive.
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[Primakurtz]

You can buy an astonishingly good, light, higher-grade Ibanez SR used for under $600.

 

[bassmanrocke]

90's Peavey Foundations. Very light, well balanaced and great tone. '91's seem to be the lightest, but late 92 and on are better balanced. Pretty much all I play nowadays. I can get out my jazz for short nights or studio stuff should any come up, but I'd just as soon use my foundations.

Edit: Didn't realize who the OP was. Your eighties Foundation is probably 1 or 2 pounds heavier than the nineties models. I would guess they run in the 7-8 lb range.

 

[verycoolname]

You can buy an astonishingly good, light, higher-grade Ibanez SR used for under $600.

This.

My Ibanez is light, great-sounding, good looking, and balances perfectly on a strap. It's not a thick leather strap either, it's a cheap nylon one that looks like this...

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You can buy my bass (well not my bass, but the same model ) for <$600. There's one on eBay for $520 used, and I actually got mine brand new from Sweetwater for $552 because they spotted me 15% off (matched a GC coupon that I had). Excellent basses for the money.

 

[Stinsok]

Masters Design. I have one, weighs 8lbs. It's 24 fret though.

 

[DavidEdenAria]

Thanks folks!

Seriously I don't think I want much over 7 lbs.

My 85 Foundation is around 9 1/2 lbs......one of the lighter ones out of the earliest versions with the top grade tuners.....it seems heavy to me though!

Coming from the guitar where my 65 SG Special is around 7 lbs, I wasn't sure how light you could go with basses that still balance well overall.

Seriously 6 lbs would be better but I am wondering about tone in that range and the balance issue.

 

[dedpool1052]

for me, yamaha rbx series. can be found very cheap used, balances very well, and are pretty lightweight.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Hmmm&#8230;I was going to give a "+1" to the Aerodyne, but it's not anywhere near as light as 7.5lbs. Mine weighs in at 9.5lbs and could probably be made only a fraction lighter with Hipshot Ultralites. However, the balance is amazing. I can prop it up on three fingers at the neck joint and it will hover there.

 

[Davo-London]

Headless bass or an ABG would be my suggestion.

Davo

 

[TolerancEJ]

Ibanez Soundgears. Also, you could try an Ergodyne, for a more ergonomical design.

 

[spufman]

Heartfield DR4s are criminally inexpensive. Japanese quality from the late 80s to early 90s. I've never held one that wasn't a well-balanced featherweight with great playability and good tone (including my '89).

 

[Webtroll]

The SUB SR14 I bought weighs in at 7 pounds

 

[Roscoe East]

90's Peavey Foundations.

Was going to suggest a 90s Peavey Unity! Admittedly not the best balanced instrument out there, but not at all terrible...and incredibly light. And apparently they go for ~$300 these days.

 

[therhodeo]

The new Yamaha TRBX basses are nice too.

 

[chuck norriss]

The SUB SR14 I bought weighs in at 7 pounds

I like these a lot.

Search hollowbody basses yet? Epiphone Casady model is very nice but I had problems w two of them. Fender has some--Starcaster & Coronado. I don' tknow the weight or details, never played them. Maybe all of these are lightweight options
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[peledog]

My SBMM SUB Ray4 is probably close to 7 lbs. And yes, it does balance nicely.

 

[45acp]

Ive owned quite a few soundgear SR's, all were very light and great players, but hands down the SR900 is the lightest bass Ive ever picked up. I'll weigh it later when I'm home. With a wide strap it feels like nothing is there.

 

[randyripoff]

It may be too low end for you, but consider a Danelectro Rumor. I can't find exact specs on weight, but my guess is somewhere between 5-7 pounds. I have one; it plays fine. The tone is a subjective thing that I'm less than fond of.

 

[pedroims]

Check the Squier Jaguar, I used to own one that the weight was around 7 pounds.