Jazz bass that is too heavy...

[fourstringburn]

I have Squier jazz bass that I never play because it's too heavy for me (it's 9.4lbs). I have a 3" air-pocket strap but still get neck/shoulder pain when I play. I used to play it a lot - maybe it started to feel too heavy after extended playing during covid, or maybe it was after I changed the neck to a fretless one. Not sure, but either way, I tend to play my Fender CB60SCE acoustic, or Höfner violin bass instead these days, and the jazz just hangs on the wall.

I'm thinking a different kind of strap might help, something wider, or different type? Any suggestions?

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Changing your strap can only work if the strap was the problem in the first place. If your problem is the weight of the bass then no strap is going to fix that. . . . you need a lighter bass.

The above quote is correct.

To add to that, those types of straps you and others are referring to only help with neck heavy Basses (neck diving).

 

[JimmyM]

Ultimately you should lighten up since a wider strap helps but doesn't make a heavy bass a lighter bass.

 

[cs1422]

Lol my 78 Jazz is 11.4 Lbs.

I use the Mono wide strap and its great

 

[newwavefrank]

Just a suggestion…
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I just picked on of these up a week or so ago. Gigged with it Saturday. I love it and it weighs next to nothing.

 

[newwavefrank]

has anyone ever tried a slingerstrap? I haven't. you wear it like a belt so nothing over your shoulders. One downside I potentially see is you might have to wear your instrument lower than you like. I would be curious if anyone has experience with it.

 

[mark107]

Replace the body. I bought a Squire loaded J body on stratosphereparts.com that has a listed weight of just over 4lbs. The final weight with Gotoh GB7 tuners is 6.37 lbs. And that's with a Hipshot drop-tuner. Serious, just replace the body.

 

[bigjames]

I bet you'd just hate my 10.5 lb American deluxe 5 string.

I was thinking the same...I have a warmoth jazz 6 string fretless that tips in around 14lbs I think. I have a massively wide strap...played it for almost 20 years then bought an Fbass AC6 (~9lbs?) and never played the Warmoth again. LOL.

 

[JRA]

I'm thinking a different kind of strap might help, something wider, or different type? Any suggestions?

a lighter J-bass and the best strap would make a good combination!

my J weighs 7 lbs., it's from parts (purchased for their light weight):


the paulownia body is from a glarry-type ax (but unbranded) i found on ebay. the rest of the parts are commonly available. i assembled the parts myself, but if you're not keen to do that work yourself you could pay a trusted tech/luthier to do it for you. (i realize prices on some/most/all of those parts may have increased in the last two years.)

just something to consider! good luck with your quest for a different J-bass experience!

 

[ole Jason]

has anyone ever tried a slingerstrap? I haven't. you wear it like a belt so nothing over your shoulders. One downside I potentially see is you might have to wear your instrument lower than you like. I would be curious if anyone has experience with it.View attachment 4734906

Never tried one but my concern would be lower back pain, it would be like wearing a 10lb belt buckle I guess that system is aimed at people with shoulder issues specifically though.

 

[MrLenny1]

I had one that weighed 12 lbs.
Try a strap first and take it from there.

 

[ThinCrappyTone2]

Buy an Ibanez EHB. No headstock so no lever weight from it, and light weight.

+1… big fan of headless ergonomics

 

[Corevalay]

It's wonderful that many of you are fine with your boat anchor basses, but that doesn't help the OP at all.

OP, do yourself a favor and see about a lighter bass. I can guarantee you will be much happier!

 

[marchone]

Sandberg looks interesting.

 

[BioDriver]

One of my old Js was almost 11 pounds and I shelled out big bucks for the widest and thickest leather strap I could find. Wound up selling both down the road.

Now I'm looking exclusively at short scales to aid my busted shoulders. Dropping a heavy bass for a lighter one works better than using any strap.

 

[Rootbeer]

A Slider strap helps me out a lot. Duo's mentioned before are better but more expensive.

 

[zubrycky]

Try a Danelectro, OP.

 

[BassyBill]

I just picked on of these up a week or so ago. Gigged with it Saturday. I love it and it weighs next to nothing.

Glad you're enjoying it!

Lucky for me, I have two Status Streamlines, fretted and fretless, both 4 strings. For me, the Streamline is a work of design genius and the very nearest thing I've found to a perfect bass - very light, perfectly balanced, no dead spots at all, totally stable tuning, double ball end strings, electrics with terrific output and headroom, brilliant ergonomics, eye-catching design / elegant looks, faultless construction and finish, it's almost indestructible (including the fingerboard), and it's British. No other bass can match all of that for any price.

Put simply, it's the best bass in the world, bar none. Whatever else you choose to get in future, it won't be as good as what you've just bought. Congrats!

 

[Wambemando]

With all due respect............get rid of the BadAss and go bent plate, buy some Gotoh Res O Lite tuners and you'll be dropping about 10 oz of the weight.

That'll get you into the 8 lb territory.

This!!!

 

[newwavefrank]

Never tried one but my concern would be lower back pain, it would be like wearing a 10lb belt buckle I guess that system is aimed at people with shoulder issues specifically though.

I would actually guess that the weight would be on your hips, out to the side, so not as bad as a belt buckle, but I have no idea without having tried one.

 

[RSBBass]

Nine pounds is not excessive for a solid body bass and it looks like the strap you have is pretty wide and well padded. I think you best option is to sell it and get something lighter unless you want to tie helium balloons to it every time you play.