It doesn’t matter why I like lightweight basses !

[Dark Horse]

It doesn’t matter why I like lightweight basses. Yeah, I have a medical condition which is my main reason for it. But what if I like the tone of a lightweight bass ? What if I just don’t want to have to stand there every single night, or at least 200 nights a year with a big heavy bass on my shoulder? What if I want to save shipping money on sending it later in the future if I sell it? Who cares why the reason I like a lightweight bass is ?

If I ask you how much your bass weighs and I’m looking to purchase it, Just answer the question. Don’t give me a hard time about it, don’t try and give me an excuse, just answer the question.

Rant over.

 

[mongo2]

Hi, my name is Mongo2 and I prefer light basses.

I've done so since I started playing about five decades ago. Why? Because they're more comfortable for me to play...end of story.

 

[MattZilla]

How dare you ask a seller questions about basic info which they maybe should've posted in the first place?! Just be grateful that they were so generous as to post a picture and tell you the make and model!



This is my idea of a classified post:
Red Bass

$1,299.95

It has strings and frets. The paint is mint. There is finger space between the strings. The width at the nut is right.

 

[Inara]

It doesn’t matter why I like lightweight basses. Yeah, I have a medical condition which is my main reason for it. But what if I like the tone of a lightweight bass ? What if I just don’t want to have to stand there every single night, or at least 200 nights a year with a big heavy bass on my shoulder? What if I want to save shipping money on sending it later in the future if I sell it? Who cares why the reason I like a lightweight bass is ?

If I ask you how much your bass weighs and I’m looking to purchase it, Just answer the question. Don’t give me a hard time about it, don’t try and give me an excuse, just answer the question.

Rant over.

Amen and +1000. But prepare yourself for the storm of guys replying about how soft everyone has gotten and how back in the day you had to walk two miles to gigs uphill both ways carrying an SVT on your back and then play 4 hours with a 16 pound 70's Fender on your shoulder ...

 

[mongo2]

back in the day you had to walk two miles to gigs uphill both ways carrying an SVT on your back

I did cart an SVT and its 8x10 in my van for a few years way back when. Never again.

 

[And I]

Weight wasn't a concern for me until my L5-S1 disc had a massive bilateral herniation. Now I prefer lightweight basses as well. The Yamaha TRBX505 I am playing while my Brute is in the shop for a fret job is 8.5lbs. The Brute is 10 even. Let me tell you, the 15% weight reduction is definitely noticeable after rehearsals and gigs. I will still bring a stool and sit for a song or two if we are playing 2 sets...

 

[Dark Horse]

I did cart an SVT and its 8x10 in my van for a few years way back when. Never again.

I had you beat ..... TWO SVT cabs ... an 810, and a 215 .... plus , either TWO SVT heads, or one plus a GK800RB



No more. I already deal with loading in a full in ear monitor rig plus a big guitar vault and other stuff every single gig. Now I play direct through the in ears, so much easier.

 

[Dark Horse]

Weight wasn't a concern for me until my L5-S1 disc had a massive bilateral herniation. Now I prefer lightweight basses as well. The Yamaha TRBX505 I am playing while my Brute is in the shop for a fret job is 8.5lbs. The Brute is 10 even. Let me tell you, the 15% weight reduction is definitely noticeable after rehearsals and gigs. I will still bring a stool and sit for a song or two if we are playing 2 sets...

Yep. A pound can make a huge difference over the course of a night

 

[mongo2]

I had you beat ..... TWO SVT cabs ... an 810, and a 215 .... plus , either TWO SVT heads, or one plus a GK800RB



No more. I already deal with loading in a full in ear monitor rig plus a big guitar vault and other stuff every single gig. Now I play direct through the in ears, so much easier.

LOL, I never wanted the "big SVT" the "little SVT" was too much and I was very happy to dump it. Now I just use my SABDDI into the FOH/monitors or a small combo or, if it's a bigger venue without FOH/monitor support a GK MB200 and one, maybe two SVT-210AV cabs.

 

[Dark Horse]

LOL, I never wanted the "big SVT" the "little SVT" was too much and I was very happy to dump it. Now I just use my SABDDI into the FOH or a small combo or, if it's a bigger venue without FOH support a GK MB200 and one, maybe two SVT-210AV cabs.

Yeah, I’m with ya ! 95% of my gigs are direct with a Programmable BDI....

On gigs that I need an amp, I bring a Markbass head and a Boom Bass 1512 cabinet... the cab is 40# and has a built in rolling rack/wheels

Sometimes older = wiser

 

[mongo2]

Yeah, I’m with ya ! 95% of my gigs are direct with a Programmable BDI....

On gigs that I need an amp, I bring a Markbass head and a Boom Bass 1512 cabinet... the cab is 40# and has a built in rolling rack/wheels

Sometimes older = wiser

Funny thing, since I started playing more Jazzy style things my amps have gotten considerably smaller.

 

[5StringBlues]

Sadly, that wasn't much of a rant. I give it a 3.

 

[Dark Horse]

Sadly, that wasn't much of a rant. I give it a 3.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

"Oh, I don't know, it's not as heavy as my Lester Polsfuss..."

When a seller can't help you with the weight, just walk away.
If they use bathroom scales, it could be off by a lot anyway.

I've gone round and round on here with folks about that, but I'm not doing it today. I have my bad experience with bathroom scales & even the scales at GC.

 

[Dark Horse]

"Oh, I don't know, it's not as heavy as my Lester Polsfuss..."

When a seller can't help you with the weight, just walk away.
If they use bathroom scales, it could be off by a lot anyway.

I've gone round and round on here with folks about that, but I'm not doing it today. I have my bad experience with bathroom scales & even the scales at GC.

I’m with ya, brother.

I don’t even mind the bathroom scale method, at least it gives me some kind of an idea. It could be half a pound one way or the other, but at least it gets me in the ballpark.

What gets to me is when I ask a simple question like that, and the seller makes all kinds of excuses or asked me why I want to know. At that point I just tell them never mind, good luck with their sale.

 

[MCS4]

I agree that no one should question a person's preference for lighter basses -- I'm in the same exact same camp, due to physical limitations.

However, I don't think it makes sense to get upset if the seller simply doesn't list the weight of a bass or doesn't feel like taking the time or effort to weigh it. They don't have any obligation to you, and just because the weight matters to you does not mean it needs to matter to him/her. While I personally will not buy instruments without knowing the weight at this point, I get the impression that most buyers and sellers still do not really care. Even if it is possible that the seller might miss out on a potential sale by leaving out that information, that's their own business.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

It could be half a pound one where the other,

I'm not comfortable with that much one way or the other, unless the way I'm getting is lighter.
My bathroom scales were off by about 500 Grams.

Recently I asked the friendly folks at GC to weigh one for me & I made the order right away, thinking I'd really scored!
Turns out it was also 500 Grams off, & in the wrong way.

Cost me three hours of driving to return it.
Not to mention the pulling my hair out with the various ways they screwed up the order, necessitating too many calls to the store.

 

[Dark Horse]

I agree that no one should question a person's preference for lighter basses -- I'm in the same exact same camp, due to physical limitations.

However, I don't think it makes sense to get upset if the seller simply doesn't list the weight of a bass or doesn't feel like taking the time or effort to weigh it. They don't have any obligation to you, and just because the weight matters to you does not mean it needs to matter to him/her. While I personally will not buy instruments without knowing the weight at this point, I get the impression that most buyers and sellers still do not really care. Even if it is possible that the seller might miss out on a potential sale by leaving out that information, that's their own business.

This rant has nothing to do with the seller not listing the weight in the ad. That’s totally understandable. It is an important to them, so they don’t think about it.

It has to do with me ASKING about the weight on it, and the seller responding with all the reasons why I shouldn’t be concerned about what the weight is. I’ve even had them tell me that I “need to work out”. That’s ridiculous. I do 200 or more shows a year, most of them moving an in ear monitor rig, a heavy guitar vault, and a bunch of personal equipment. Then I also have to stand there on stage with the bass on my shoulder. My preference is to not have a big, heavy bass weighing down on my shoulder when I’ve already moved a bunch of equipment. Plus the fact that it triggers migraines with me, as I broke my neck. C4, C5, C6, and every ligament in my neck were shredded. I was a quadriplegic. I fought my way back from that, I dang sure shouldn’t have to answer why I want a lighter weight instrument, or be told that I need to “work out”.

 

[Corevalay]

There's nothing worse than when you ask for the weight and get "The website says around xxx lbs" or "Feels like it's xxx lbs".

 

[Dark Horse]

I'm not comfortable with that much one way or the other, unless the way I'm getting is lighter.
My bathroom scales were off by about 500 Grams.

Recently I asked the friendly folks at GC to weigh one for me & I made the order right away, thinking I'd really scored!
Turns out it was also 500 Grams off, & in the wrong way.

Cost me three hours of driving to return it.
Not to mention the pulling my hair out with the various ways they screwed up the order, necessitating too many calls to the store.

Yeah, if they bathroom scale it and tell me “about 9 1/2 pounds”, I’m probably going to pass on it.

If they tell me 8 1/2 or 9, on the bathroom scale, then I’ll consider it.

I totally understand about how frustrating and time consuming that must’ve been. Bummer.