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Is a 9 pound bass too heavy?
- Thread starter Stone Soup
- Start date
If weight is a concern please check out the Ibanez Mikro Bass 28.6" scale and mine weighs 5.5 lbs. on the bathroom scale with a 3" leather strap. With some work these basses are great especially for the price. I am awaiting the UPS brown truck with my 2nd used Mikro which I will defret if I like it. $89.99 for the first with DMarzio pups, upgraded controls, LaBella white tape flat wounds, and a gig bag. My second was $99.00 plus SH charges. My Ibanez SR500 and Squire J bass are both 9 lbs. and long but not as long as my EUB.
9.5 is my upper limit, most of my basses are around 9.2. At 62, I'm not young, at 5'10" and 160 lbs I'm not a stud so I'm thinking 9 lbs should be okay for most gigging bassists. Ive had some nice 8 1/2 lbrs and they were nice to gig with but could exhibit some neck dive which is very annoying and feels worse than a well balanced 9+ lb bass. Lightweight tuners are available but look to spend $100+ for good ones.
i actually like a heavy bass.
there's thing thing that happens to me where if it's too light i feel uneasy (almost naked) and can't relax into it.
there's thing thing that happens to me where if it's too light i feel uneasy (almost naked) and can't relax into it.
I felt the same way, really only playing 5-ers where 9-10.5 pounds is the norm (Modulus, Fender, EBMM), until I got my Status which barely touches 7 and is now my main gigging bass.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,906
- 142,342
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
The Queen says 9 lbs is fine for her, but recognizes others have totally legit reasons for needing something lighter
I lose feeling in my legs standing still without a bass.. The bass doesn't make any difference. I illnesses are awful things. I have to keep moving....
I just got a double neck..... Will be interested to see how I can gig it.... Weight on my shoulder hasn't been a problem so far
I just got a double neck..... Will be interested to see how I can gig it.... Weight on my shoulder hasn't been a problem so far
Yep balance and ergonomics, where the head stock does not dive or try to move out in front of me instead of staying in a close plane right in front of me. I am getting ready to sell one of my favorite basses, if all I ever did was studio work sitting in a chair. When I strap it and gig it the darn neck wants to point away towards the audience and dive a little bit. This has nothing to do with the fact that my beer belly grows slightly every year
Funny thing is my heaviest bass is a G&L 4 string p/j SB2 with a moses graphite replacement neck. Balances perfectly and has my sound. I use the 4" wide Levi padded leather strap. For now anyway it is no problem, I am in my 60's. So are my music choices. Go figure. I go to the gym and play all tube amps and my favorite cabs weigh a lot too. I will not keep any bass with a wimpy E or B if a fiver, and don't tolerate dead spots. I am not required to dance around live, or anything so YMMV. Someday I might not be so lucky.
Shorter isn't always lighter. There are Les Paul guitars that weigh more than my Spector 35" scale bass.
Also, short scales are difficult for some people to handle. I can't play them.
I recently had an opportunity to strap on a couple of Lull basses. Both came in at well under 8lbs. While they weren't life changing, I could definitely could see the appeal of a bass that weighs just 1 lb less than mine.
The difference was startling.
The difference was startling.
All mine are around 9.5, and they will hurt my back after extended hours of play on a regular basis (3 hours or so per day). So yeah, I would say its too heavy for comfort, but not too heavy for use.
i did once try one that was 6, dunno how they managed that, and it just felt
the queen doesn't play bass, she can only play piano.
Weight used not to bother me, but as I've gotten older I have gone light weight with both my instruments and amps.
YMMV. I believe lighter Fenders sound better than heavier Fenders. 9 to 9.5 pounds is average for a good Jazz bass -- a little less for a P.
I have a 10 lbs 2 oz Jazz bass that kills. My buddy has a '78 that has to be 12 lbs. It sounds great too. I wouldn't want that one because of the weight, but I think your tone logic is flawed.
