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Lightest bass for a small girl?

#102
After an almost year long search, and trying out various basses (I think I lived with at least eight before returning them. I have finally found the perfect light weight bass for me that sounds great, has a comfortable body, great tonal variety,great balance (no neck dive), Bartolini Humbucker pickups, and good looks.

My new bass is an Ibanez SR500 that weighs in at about 6 1/2 pounds. Thanks to Sweetwater listing the bass weight, along with the serial number, so there was no question, on their site, I knew that the lightest bass was being shipped to me. The other bass listed there at the time was almost 8 pounds. Not for me!

It is really a beauty. I am barely 5'5", so I also appreciate the smaller body and well-balanced neck. This is a full scale neck, BTW. Short or micro necks do not work for me.

And kudos to Sweetwater for listing the weights of some of their basses. My journey this past year also included two previous SR500 basses, one bought online, and another I picked up at GC, thinking they were light enough, but they were not. And this saved me the cost of having to have some kind of custom bass made for me. I also learned that short scale basses were not for me, and not necessarily lighter. And, I also learned that hollow body does not necessarily mean it is light weight either. I tried a knock off Hofner Beatle bass, which was light, but the body design was very uncomfortable, especially on a gig. Its not just weight, although that can be a big factor. The Artcore was nice, but not as light, and, after awhile, too bulky, compared to an Ibanez sr type of bass.

This bass is definitely a keeper and feels so good to play and sounds great for the jazz, Latin, funk, pop, you name it, I play.

Needing a lighter bass is not a question of not being in shape or not working out. I do work out and do yoga, but I also have a somewhat curved spine that reacts to too much weight on one side. I am beyond thrilled to find this bass!!

My suggestion to anyone looking is to keep looking until you find the one that is right for you. The variation of weight within the same model of bass can vary a lot.
 
#106
I'm a guy but I'm a weakling so I prefer light basses too. :bassist:

I had a VM Jaguar and after a couple hours of practice, my shoulder and back were shot, plus the long-scale was too much of a stretch for me, especially when trying to get around the fretboard quickly. I switched to a Squier Mikey Way Mustang which is noticeably lighter and the short-scale neck is much better. My shoulder still aches a bit after a while though.

I don't know what kind of tone you want, but I would suggest a Hofner or some other short-scale hollow-body for the best weight. Plus they can anchor a mix as well as a P-bass or anything else (IMO). If that's not the tone for you, I suggest a Mustang. I love mine.

Edit: I haven't tried the SS Jaguars. Those might be a good fit too.
 
#107
I don't want to add to the avalanche of specific model recommendations because I haven't actually played most of them. But with my $0.02 I'd like to stress some recommendations that were made earlier:

Don't focus exclusively on weight. Weight makes a huge difference, but so does balance. If the body of a bass gets too light, you could be asking for neck dive. And the way different basses hang on your body can make certain frets feel further or closer, even when the basses have the same scale length.

Your best bet is to try things in person. Or if that's not possible, at least try and go used so you can resell the bass if it doesn't work for you.
 
#110
A somewhat off-the wall suggestion: I've seen performers on videos who play multiple instruments during a song. They have their bass or guitar on a stand so they can play keys/harp/horn for part of the song without their stringed instrument complicating the transition. It would look strange, but it would also save wear and tear on your back and shoulders.
 
#111
rfslick said:
I continue to be amazed that the OP has already bought a bass, stated clearly that she wants a 34 inch, non hollow, non Beatle bass, and that people continue to offer up different models, short scale, hollow etc. without regard to what the OP has already done!
Click to expand...

All the more reason for the OP the try to find another less than 7 pound Ibanez sr500 that is a full scale slab 34" bass.
 
#114
Born Villain said:
No, I have brachial plexus in my right shoulder (only one out of the four muscles work, as in the one muscle does everything), so it puts stress on my back and my other shoulder. Also, keep in mind, I'm tiny as all hell and it is most definitely the instruments weight that bothers me. I can't stress that enough.
Click to expand...

You might want to look into having a strap made that goes over both shoulders. About 20 years ago, golf bag manufacturers started doing this and from experience, I can say that it makes carrying clubs a lot easier, even though I'm a former golf caddy who has carried in a couple of PGA tournaments. Those guys seemed to have everything they owned in their golf bag and it was almost 80 pounds. I'm 56 years old and still carry my clubs for 18 holes when I don't ride a cart and with this strap, it's not a problem.

If you can't find one online or in a store, go to a good upholstery shop and talk to them- they do custom stuff all the time and this wouldn't be very hard for them.

I was going to mention Birdsong too, but someone beat me to it. I don't have a Birdsong, but I do have an old SD Curlee and Birdsong has begun making an improved version of this bass. It's light, shorter scale and very playable. It's also less than what you paid for the bass you mentioned and you may be able to have them build one to fit your hand. He recently acquired a bunch of original parts and could build one, possibly for less than their custom models. I think he's selling some of his own instruments, too.

With the SD Curlee or the Curlee models, which were a later version from the same company after two of the three original owners left, don't worry about the low notes- it doesn't have any problem producing them.

Look on YouTube for Birdsong and SD Curlee bass videos to get an idea of the look and sound.
 
#116
I would advise that you go for a Hofner Ignition, or a CT if you want the extra sustain. I play a Hofner CT and it's a real joy to gig with because it's so light. My back is still in great shape after two one hour sets. I had the string heights lowered at the zero fret - they were way too high for me, and I also had the neck/bridge set up to give a reasonably low action, fit flat wound strings and now it plays like a dream.
 
#118
bass81800 said:
After an almost year long search, and trying out various basses (I think I lived with at least eight before returning them. I have finally found the perfect light weight bass for me that sounds great, has a comfortable body, great tonal variety,great balance (no neck dive), Bartolini Humbucker pickups, and good looks.

My new bass is an Ibanez SR500 that weighs in at about 6 1/2 pounds. Thanks to Sweetwater listing the bass weight, along with the serial number, so there was no question, on their site, I knew that the lightest bass was being shipped to me. The other bass listed there at the time was almost 8 pounds. Not for me!

It is really a beauty. I am barely 5'5", so I also appreciate the smaller body and well-balanced neck. This is a full scale neck, BTW. Short or micro necks do not work for me.

And kudos to Sweetwater for listing the weights of some of their basses. My journey this past year also included two previous SR500 basses, one bought online, and another I picked up at GC, thinking they were light enough, but they were not. And this saved me the cost of having to have some kind of custom bass made for me. I also learned that short scale basses were not for me, and not necessarily lighter. And, I also learned that hollow body does not necessarily mean it is light weight either. I tried a knock off Hofner Beatle bass, which was light, but the body design was very uncomfortable, especially on a gig. Its not just weight, although that can be a big factor. The Artcore was nice, but not as light, and, after awhile, too bulky, compared to an Ibanez sr type of bass.

This bass is definitely a keeper and feels so good to play and sounds great for the jazz, Latin, funk, pop, you name it, I play.

Needing a lighter bass is not a question of not being in shape or not working out. I do work out and do yoga, but I also have a somewhat curved spine that reacts to too much weight on one side. I am beyond thrilled to find this bass!!

My suggestion to anyone looking is to keep looking until you find the one that is right for you. The variation of weight within the same model of bass can vary a lot.
Click to expand...

I came to the same conclusion and now have an SR 500 and SR 600. Just played the 500 out for the first time last night and it was SOOOOO much more comfortable than any bass I've played. :bassist:
 

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