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Is it just me or are lightweight basses overrated?

#2
Some of my favorite basses tone wise have been heavy. Warwicks come to mind.

However, overrated? Definitely not. I have a chronic shoulder issue and anything much over 8.5lbs and I'm in pain for days after a gig.

The journey to lightweight basses has also taken me to 32" basses which I find more comfortable to play. Also brought me to my Muckelroy which is an incredible sounding and playing bass, no compromises.
 
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#3

Is it just me or are lightweight basses overrated?​

i'd say it's "just you."

i don't know who's doing the ratings, but those of us who appreciate a lightweight instrument are likely to rate them highly.


Morgys said:
Every super light bass I’ve tried sounded good, but didn’t quite have that same solidity or punch.
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that could be a 'real' thing, or it could be your imagination. none of my lightweights lack "solidity or punch" --- that could be a real thing, or just my imagination. ;)
 
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#4
Yeah, this has been covered ALOT here already. I don't give a crap how good a bass sounds, if it's over 9 pounds someone else can enjoy it ALLLLLLL they want, I'll find one that sounds amazing and is still under 9lbs... trust me on that. My current favorite AVRI II P bass is 8.6 lbs and it's the best sounding P bass I have EVER played. If you are looking for a reason to just go ahead and buy a heavy bass you are unsure of, I doubt you are gonna find any comfort in this forum.
 
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#5
Not only lighter, but smaller. Over the last few years I have almost completely gravitated over to uke sized basses. They are all light, sound great and are tons of fun to play.

CollectionOf10.02.JPG
 
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#7
pingvuiini said:
Not only lighter, but smaller. Over the last few years I have almost completely gravitated over to uke sized basses. They are all light, sound great and are tons of fun to play.

View attachment 7455311
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I'm sorry for trying to be humorous....................."can't you do anything right?" Yeah, I know. Over used statement.

Wonderful basses you have there! And your comment on short scale is to be considered! :thumbsup:
 
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#8
I don't mind a heavier bass, but lightweight is nice if it feels and sounds good. I think it's great there are lightweight basses that people love, anything to keep people playing if they want to! I'm happy there are options out there for nearly everyone, at the end of the day.

I've played good sounding light and heavy basses, and bad sounding light and heavy basses. I don't think it was purely the weight of the wood that made the difference. Or weight alone for that matter, otherwise I'd be strapping lead to my bass for that tone.
 
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#9
Isn't the unproven dogma that heavy basses are brighter and have more sustain than light weight basses?

I have a P Bass that is 7lbs 12oz and and I another P Bass that is 9lbs. I don't hear much difference. Every bass is like a fingerprint and has it's own individual kind of sound, Be it heavy, be it light. Right?

If a light weight bass is going to sound similar to a heavy bass.................wouldn't we want the lighter bass?
 
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#10
The weight and tone are not necessarily related at all. I build and I target less than 7lbs for my basses and there are multiple ways to achieve this. The construction techniques I employ don't end up compromising tone in the least, and though people often comment on how light my instruments feel, they are also sturdily constructed and don't feel like toys. Part of it is getting a good overall balance so that it doesn't feel unwieldy in the hand. :thumbsup:
 
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#11
"Is it just me or are lightweight basses overrated?"

Can we all just stop with this stuff? It's not a competition. This is as silly as asking if five string basses or Precision basses are overrated. everyone has their own priorities and likes.

I have five short scales basses all under nine pounds, a couple under seven pounds. they are my stable of sports cars. I'm not sacrificing anything. I can handle a big SUV bass, but I much prefer not to.
 
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#15
Ya, it's you.
There are people with back problems or people that just don't want to feel exhausted after wearing a 12 lb bass after a few hours of standing. Having so many lighter weigh high quality bass options nowadays is a game changer for them.
As for tone, my 7 & 8 lb Sadowskys sound amazing.
 
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#20
I think it's the OP, not that there are any shortcomings of lighter basses.

I have a 1963 P and it's the lightest 34" scale bass I own. Not many people have complained about the sound of a 1963 P. There are also basses like the Longhorn (Masonite), Gibson and Epiphone EB-0 series, Mustangs, and other short scale or lightweight basses that sound great.

IMO there is a LOT more difference in sound caused by the strings, the pickups and the player's fingers than by the weight of the instrument.
 
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