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Is a 9 pound bass too heavy?
- Thread starter Stone Soup
- Start date
BassHouston
Supporting Member
- Jan 30, 2012
- 657
- 859
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Fodera Guitars,Michael Tobias Design, DR Strings
Back and neck issues are not foreign to bass players, especially if play both upright and bass guitar like myself. That's why for some people the weight and the balance of the instrument have a significant impact on the experience playing the instrument. For me 9lbs is the most I can comfortably play a full night gig.
Warmoth claims improved sustain with their chambered bodies. I've also noticed they'll usually use swamp ash for the chambered bodies vs alder for the solids in their showcase units. Seems they're shooting for the best of both worlds.
It's surprising to me there isn't more focus in the industry on minimizing weight. It doesn't matter how big or strong you are - your body wasn't designed to hang a 10 or 12 pound weight around your neck for hours at a time. Or even a 7 pound weight for that matter, but at least in that case you're trying to minimize the burden.
Agreed. And maybe I missed it but some stretching and physical fitness/therapy go a loooong way towards neck, shoulder and back pain. Tons of info on the web for good stuff to do.
9 lbs is the cut off for me. Maybe a little bit higher if the balance of the bass is juuuuust right. Might be coincidence, but I prefer the tone of the heavier basses I've owned. But just can't deal with the weight.
It's not surprising to me. The industry's marketing mostly caters, it seems to me, to younger players. As mentioned, weight isn't a big deal to a lot of younger bassists. Hell, I'm not that far from 30 and I still prefer my 11 pound Rickenbacker to any other bass I've played (except for another, even nicer Rickenbacker). I even like the way that weight feels.
As I said, I may feel differently in ten years, but even now, I don't feel that usually I'm the one the industry is mainly advertising to. Light basses, fortunately, will still be around, though.
Yeah, my heaviest bass is my most aggressive, gnarliest sounding one, and so I love it. But my back might not, in a few years.
There are far more hobbyist who don't gig long sets compared to gigging professionals. They have no reasons to worry about weight.
Personally, weight means little.
Most of mine are 10 lbs or more, and the doubleneck weighs 14.69 lbs.
I can handle it for the whole night, unless I'm tired, then my shoulder gets sore.
I did play a Squier P in a pawn shop that had to weigh less than 7, however!
WAY too light.
Very uncomfortable to me, I need some heft for the bass to feel right.
Most of mine are 10 lbs or more, and the doubleneck weighs 14.69 lbs.
I can handle it for the whole night, unless I'm tired, then my shoulder gets sore.
I did play a Squier P in a pawn shop that had to weigh less than 7, however!
WAY too light.
Very uncomfortable to me, I need some heft for the bass to feel right.
Or people who play gigs, but just not super long ones. Not everyone who's gigging is doing so in a house band, multiple set type of situation.
Yeah, same for me. A bass that's too light feels weird and delicate to me. I don't like it.
Hmmm...wide straps...my experience...helps but doesn't make a 10 lb bass feel like a 5 lb bass. And some of those wide straps are very heavy and just add more weight. That said, I do like the Levy's MSS2-4 for very heavy basses because it's lighter than most, but a wide strap can only do so much.
The bass guitar: possibly the only worn/carried item on the planet called uncomfortable if it's too light.
I cut up an old roll of lead roof flashing into rectangles and sellotaped them together then to the strap. I have since tripled the amount of lead. SG players sometimes insert tungsten into the body of the guitar as tungsten has a higher density than lead so less body material must be removed.
People will judge, but I don't gig much these days so its not too bad.
Phil.
I feel that way about guitars, too. For me it's not a matter of total weight, but rather density. Too much lighter than I expect for the instrument's size, and it feels kinda cheap, fragile, and like a toy to me.The bass guitar: possibly the only worn/carried item on the planet called uncomfortable if it's too light.
And also jackets, actually. I like my jackets to be substantial. Same with boots.
Interesting. I'd thought of putting these big steel bolts into my Peavey, but haven't done so as of yet.
My gigging bass is 9.2 lbs. I have two lighter basses but they don't sound as good. Still more about sound and balance for me and according to my profile , I'm getting to be quite a geezer.
I wouldn't necessarily say it felt delicate, but that it was awkward to control becuase it bounced around too easily.
And it neck dived fairly badly.
A heavier body gives it enough inertia to not feel like a balloon in a strong wind when you dance around on stage.
