"On my bathroom scale"

[MultiScaleMale]

Why do sellers list a weight with "on my bathroom scale"? Whatever means you use, the weight is the weight. When I see OMBS, I think "it's probably a little heavier, but that's the lowest number I got on this imprecise scale". Then when the bass arrives, it's a full pound heavier, "sorry man, the bathroom scale is all I had". It's similar to listing a bass as "34", using an old shoe string" or a $1350 selling price and I'll just pay in CAD.

Use a postal scale (and don't touch the bass to balance it, balancing is nothing more than lower the weight on the scale by a pound or so.) A cheap solution is a fish scale or a luggage scale like this where you hang it by the neck or a tuner, hands off the instrument, and you get an accurate reading.

https://www.amazon.com/HEETA-Portab...YVWTJ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=fish+scale

I bought a bass awhile ago listed at 8.2 lbs and it turned out to be 8.9. It was a really good sounding bass, so I just let it slide but if I were looking for an instrument because I had shoulder surgery or something, an accurate weight is a big concern. So, why list the weight if it's not accurate? When you can get a means to measure the weight at +/- an ounce for ten bucks, it's really inexcusable, IMHO.

 

[DirtDog]

Why do sellers list a weight with "on my bathroom scale"? Whatever means you use, the weight is the weight. When I see OMBS, I think "it's probably a little heavier, but that's the lowest number I got on this imprecise scale". Then when the bass arrives, it's a full pound heavier, "sorry man, the bathroom scale is all I had". It's similar to listing a bass as "34", using an old shoe string" or a $1350 selling price and I'll just pay in CAD.

Use a postal scale (and don't touch the bass to balance it, balancing is nothing more than lower the weight on the scale by a pound or so.) A cheap solution is a fish scale or a luggage scale like this where you hang it by the neck or a tuner, hands off the instrument, and you get an accurate reading.

Amazon.com : HEETA Fish Scale with Backlit LCD Display, Digital Portable Hanging Scale Luggage Scale with Measuring Tape for Home and Outdoor, 2 AAA Batteries Included, Black : Sports & Outdoors

I bought a bass awhile ago listed at 8.2 lbs and it turned out to be 8.9. It was a really good sounding bass, so I just let it slide but if I were looking for an instrument because I had shoulder surgery or something, an accurate weight is a big concern. So, why list the weight if it's not accurate? When you can get a means to measure the weight at +/- an ounce for ten bucks, it's really inexcusable, IMHO.

There’s those factors but also the accuracy and precision of the measuring device itself.

Precision: my bathroom scales goes to like 300 lbs and measures in one pound increments. I don’t expect its precision to be at the ounce level - realistically, the precision is +/- half a pound, at least. So maybe not appropriate for weighing a guitar where, apparently, ounces matter.

Accuracy: how often is a seller calibrating a bathroom scale before weighing an instrument? Like with a known mass? I’d venture a guess of “never”.

So, from both precision and accuracy perspectives, I’d be taking the “bathroom scale” measurement with a huge grain of salt.

If I was making a $1000+ buying decision based on ounces, I’d want as accurate and precise a weight measurement that I could get. Typical bathroom scale wouldn’t cut it.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

A good way to test accuracy is by weighing a gallon of water. That's the general weight of instruments and easy to obtain. A gallon of water will weigh about 8.33 lbs.

 

[SoonerBill]

Also, scales are usually more accurate in the range they are expecting to see. For weighing a bass I would weigh myself and the bass. Then just myself and subtract.

 

[mongo2]

I use a Mustad digital fish scale.

 

[bholder]

A good way to test accuracy is by weighing a gallon of water. That's the general weight of instruments and easy to obtain. A gallon of water will weigh about 8.33 lbs.

"A pint's a pound, the world around."

 

[bholder]

I use a Mustad digital fish scale.

What kind of bait do you use for digital fish?

 

[LBS-bass]

Also, scales are usually more accurate in the range they are expecting to see. For weighing a bass I would weigh myself and the bass. Then just myself and subtract.

This. Also, you can do this twice and come up with a slightly different number each time. Bathroom scales just aren't that accurate. So spelling that out is, for me, a way to avoid someone coming back and saying "it weighs one ounce more than you said it does!"

 

[MultiScaleMale]

This. Also, you can do this twice and come up with a slightly different number each time. Bathroom scales just aren't that accurate. So spelling that out is, for me, a way to avoid someone coming back and saying "it weighs one ounce more than you said it does!"

An ounce is one thing, but say, half a pound, which is well within tolerances of a bathroom scale?

 

[LBS-bass]

An ounce is one thing, but say, half a pound, which is well within tolerances of a bathroom scale?

Yep, that could be a problem. I would measure three or four times and take an average to get, hopefully, as close as possible.

 

[bass12]

I don’t even trust my bathroom scale to weigh me accurately, let alone my basses.

 

[Stewie]

A UPS or Post Office will weigh it for you accurately if you ask nice.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Why do sellers list a weight with "on my bathroom scale"?

Because for some folks, that's the only scale they own.

(And some of us don't even own one of those! Anyone asks me "What does your bass weigh?" Imma have to just shrug my shoulders.)

 

[frankie5string]

Part of the problem is with how bathroom scales rely on two feet (or at least a relatively wide impression) upon them. If you place a bass guitar on them, that weight is concentrated on a point, and I find bathroom scales are very inaccurate in those cases. If you are going to use a bathroom scale, weigh yourself holding the bass, and again without the bass, and subtract to see the difference.

They're just being lazy.

 

[Craig Orndorff]

I have used a doctors office scale (one of those kinds with the slider) in a pinch, but I always offer to do it again once I get to a better scale

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Because for some folks, that's the only scale they own.

(And some of us don't even own one of those! Anyone asks me "What does your bass weigh?" Imma have to just shrug my shoulders.)

Then just list the weight as unknown. 8.12 lbs means 8.12 lbs. With the availability of scales for $10 and you can take it to the post office / UPS / FedEx if you don't want to buy a scale, accurate weights are not difficult to obtain. Would people be happy if the posted pics were B&W and the color just listed as "reddish"? Of course not. Bad data is worse than no data.

 

[BobKos]

I agree with the OP. I bought a body recently (ebay) listed as 4.5 lbs in the original ad. Came in at 5.5 lbs! UGH! What's worse is the seller acted like I was nitpicking 'over 8 ounces give or take'. Double ugh! I still have the opportunity to rate neutral or neg feedback and may do just that. Accurate scales are cheap or even free to use at many USPS locations. Accurate weight is important to many buyers including me regardless of whether it is important to the seller.

 

[Nuage420]

A good way to test accuracy is by weighing a gallon of water. That's the general weight of instruments and easy to obtain. A gallon of water will weigh about 8.33 lbs.

As long as they place the container on first and zero it out before adding the gallon

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I agree with the OP. I bought a body recently (ebay) listed as 4.5 lbs in the original ad. Came in at 5.5 lbs! UGH! What's worse is the seller acted like I was nitpicking 'over 8 ounces give or take'. Double ugh! I still have the opportunity to rate neutral or neg feedback and may do just that. Accurate scales are cheap or even free to use at many USPS locations. Accurate weight is important to many buyers including me regardless of whether it is important to the seller.

An ounce or two would be nitpicking. A pound on a body, roughly 20% difference is misrepresentation. The seller should offer a return. They listed a weight, it should be that weight. Ash/Alder, what's the difference?

 

[MultiScaleMale]

As long as they place the container on first and zero it out before adding the gallon

Yes, I made some assumptions. I think anyone that would go through the trouble would be aware and most will shrug and say, "On my bathroom scale".