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Light P Bass, what's the lightest?

#21
If you don't mind a J style neck, get hold of the later P-style USA made Peavey Fury bases. They have an longer upper horn so the lighter body doesn't dive.

EDIT: Just saw you wanted a PJ. The PJ version of the Fury was called the Forum. Only available for a couple years as a PJ before they switched to dual humbuckers. There was also the "Foundation S" a PJ available in active and passive versions.

A Fender P-Lyte is one of the most comfortable and light bodied PJs I've ever played though as with the other bases listed here, I think it has a J neck.
 
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#22
If it doesn't have to have a J pickup then as far as production Fenders ( no disrespect to G&L) my American Professional 2 P bass is one of the lightest basses I've ever owned that didn't neck dive.
20210627_152405.jpg
 
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#23
bdgotoh said:
Anything below 7 lbs starts to neckdive, depending on the hardware used.
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I agree, but will clarify: Anything that light with the clunky steel tuners that Fender uses will neck dive. I have built P's as light as 6.6 pounds, using Hipshot Ultralites, that you could put on any strap (doesn't need to be a grippy one), take your hands off the bass, and jump up and down, and the thing would absolutely stay put. The problem with light Fenders is mostly a tuner weight issue.

At this time, I don't have any basses that light, as I'm playing 5's almost exclusively (the 4's have been donated), but I do have a 7.1 pound 5'er that...same thing - unconditionally balanced. A 5'er naturally needs a thicker neck, a bigger bridge, an extra tuner, and a B string actually weighs something; a half pound is about the minimum added weight you can make a 5'er with.
 
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#24
I owned several Reverend Rumblefish years back. WONDERFUL basses and am quite sorry I sold them all. I should have kept 2 of them! Anyways - for the OP you may want to check into how the Rumblefish was put together. It was a center tone block with a structural ring around the perimeter and lightweight (formica?) top & back. Semi hollow body but they didn't sound like it. VERY lightweight, resonant, outstanding design that is sadly no longer available except in the used market.
 
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#26
Jack Clayton said:
I'm looking to build or buy another PJ, but I want it to be as light as poss, what's the lightest wood, and what's the lightest I can expect? My IbanezSR675 5 sting is 7.4 lbs, My self built PJ is 10.14 lbs, and my Nate Mendel signature is 9.8 lbs. I want to build another PJ and want it to be as light as possible. Suggestions?
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You need a body that weighs around 4 lbs. Neck, tuners, and hardware add up to around 4 lbs. So, if you want it somewhere around 8, start with around 4.

Problem is, the lighter the body, the more it will dive.

You could get a medium scale warmoth. That'll shave a little weight.
 
#27
As light as possible:

Keep an eye on Warmoth in-stock bodies and snag a roasted alder or swamp ash that has a light weight. No finish, that adds weight.
Rear-routed controls, no pick guard.
Get a roasted maple neck from them, also no finish, thin contour, 20 frets instead of 21, low profile vintage frets, graphite rods instead of steel
Carbon fiber Gotoh tuners
Carbon fiber Gotoh bridge
The pickups will weigh what they weigh unless you go with something like Lace alumatone (I think that's what they're called) Neodymium pickups may also be lighter.
Light gauge strings, less mass, less weight
Cheap strap locks on Amazon will probably be the lightest

I think that's the lightest I can come up with. Unless you are willing to go 30".
 
#33
TrustRod said:
Necks are not often considered but single action truss rod (old school Fender style) can save weight over a dual action one, titanium can save even more though it's uncommon at best. Rock maple is not needed for necks. Maple fingerboards tend to be lighter than rosewood.

Passive saves battery weight. Plastic knobs are much less than metal chrome domes. Mini pots less than full size....

Hipshot's stainless steel vintage bridge is surprisingly light.

There are a handful of areas often overlooked by us gram shavers that can add up to quite a lot. If you're trying to get that last pound off I think you need to go beyond lightweight tuners and chambering. I got a 5 string down under 7 pounds 2 ounces and could have gone farther if I didn't use a double action rod and epoxy block humbuckers.
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I agree with this. I own an ash Jazz Bass that is in the 7.5 lb range. The builder examined EVERY possible detail and came up with a high quality bass that sounds great, plays great, and looks great too. I would say you really have to do your homework on what individual parts weigh, what performance compromises you are willing to endure for lighter weight in each component, what compromises in weight savings you are willing to endure for specific features, what compromises in both you are willing to make to stay within a budget (or not) and carefully map a plan.
 
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#34
I wonder if Warmoth or any other part manufacturer or even builder has considered just using hardwood inserts in the hardware anchoring positions and then have the rest of the body a chambered lightweight wood. So, route out the bridge location and put a block of hardwood (seen some describe this area as a "toneblock"), and put hardwood dowels in the strap pin attachment points. Dingwall used to do this on their higher Canadian models. I don't know if they still do.
 
#40
Ian774 said:
is Empress still an option at G&L? Can’t see it on the website….
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I can't quite remember when they temporarily stopped using it, maybe rwo years ago, but I've seen half a dozen or more new basses on their Instagram page this year with the description "Here's an SB-2T...Empress...in Tangerine Metallic headed to Robbie's Music in Totowa" etc, etc, etc
 
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