lightest bass - not hollow or wierd

[mongo2]

I replaced a J body with one made of Paulownia that weighed 3.5 lbs, used Gotoh 350 Res-O-Lite tuners and a vintage style bent plate bridge to bring the weight down to just under 6 lbs.

 

[drpepper]

I guess "weird" is in the eye of the beholder. Cort Curbows are certainly not traditionally styled, but wouldn't be out of place in a rock/jazz setting -- Luthite, 6ish lbs, balanced with a strap but not on your lap, new $369 in 4 sting and $459 5 string.

 

[SallyGrowler]

I had a fender Precision Lyte back in the 90's.

It was pretty light. Sold it to a friend in exchange for recording time.

 

[SonourBrum]

Or you can get a real curbow... although they can be a pit pricey and hard to find. Bassemporium has one that is practically new. Ask the boys to give you a deal.

 

[drpepper]

Or you can get a real curbow...

The goal is light

 

[nocontrols]

Hey, if luthite is lightweight, why not find one of those out-of-production Ibanez Ergodynes on eBay? There must be some used ones floating around somewhere. I've played one before and I thought they sounded bad, never mind the weight, but that's just my opinion.

 

[enjoi1018]

I'm sure it's mainly my personal opinion, but I cannot find a more comfortable, lightweight bass than my Ibanez SR-505. It's light as can be and perfectly balanced. I have a fat, stretchy, comfort strap on it that also takes the pressure off.

Even when I go play a bunch of basses at GC I literally cannot find a more comfortable bass. Go play one, you'll see what I'm talking about.

I got mine for under $500 new, with a trade in of a newbie bass.

 

[Warfender]

I had a fender Precision Lyte back in the 90's.

It was pretty light. Sold it to a friend in exchange for recording time.

+1....about 7 1/4 pounds.

 

[tabdog]

6 pounds 8 ounces.

Very cheap Bently basswood P bass for $40 off Craigs List.

The weight is the reason I bought it,

This thing doesn't even have a neck plate,

I changed the "B" into "David"

It plays/sounds surprisingly well,

Tabdog

 

[Rickett Customs]

For jazz, I know a Rob Allen is probably the way to go.

The Rob Allen is semi-hollow, right?

 

[AgIdoc]

Steinberger...... he he. Minimalist indeed. Oh wait.. those are "Weird".

this is what I was gonna say! plus I like "weird".

 

[Rickett Customs]

you could always check for these specs (since no chambering):

At least or under 1 1/2" body thickness....

Aluminum hardware (no brass)...

Swamp ash or equally light wood....

 

[Hoover]

I replaced a J body with one made of Paulowina that weighed 3.5 lbs

C'mon, she's gotta weigh at least 95 lbs!

 

[mongo2]

^^^

Not Paulina...Paulownia (though I did typo Paulowina at first, since corrected.)

Paulownia on Wiki

 

[SteveC]

The Rob Allen is semi-hollow, right?

Yes, and for jazz gigs that special sound will be great. For funky pop rock stuff, maybe not so much. That's what I meant by no hollow stuff.

 

[SteveC]

Well, it looks like for a number of considerations (mostly financial and lack of ability to sell, trade or otherwise redirect this bass) I'll be playing my jazz for a while. Maybe I'll look into different strap options to help with the weight and some new strings to help with the bright tone of that maple board.

 

[stflbn]

As a contrast... I recently added about 3/4 lb+ of flat lead auto wheel weight to an OLP MM3 copy because the body was to light for the neck. Still under 9lbs, and balances great now also.

 

[SteveC]

Decided to get a Lakland 44-02. 34" scale, active/passive Barts, 22 frets, Rosewood board, ash body, maple neck, natural finish. Fit's my criteria - minus the made in America and expensive part. Hopefully this will stay around a while.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[EagleMoon]

I personally never liked the 44-01/44-02's due to the thicker P bass type neck and odd way they sit on your leg when sitting, but I know a lot of people do like them. Hopefully you'll like it better than I did.

 

[SteveC]

I personally never liked the 44-01/44-02's due to the thicker P bass type neck and odd way they sit on your leg when sitting, but I know a lot of people do like them. Hopefully you'll like it better than I did.

I hope so. On paper it meets my needs...but so do many things. We'll just have to see. I did like the 55-02 I had so maybe...with my budget and criteria, there aren't too many choices. I have been noodling on a lot of P's lately and the necks weren't quite as offensive to me as they have been in the past. Actually, this jazz neck (and I usually like jazz basses) has not felt very "homey" to me. Hopefully this will be OK. If not, I move on and try something else.