• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

"On my bathroom scale"

#63
I weigh myself and then me and the bass. Subtract weight. Do three times. Also calibrate your bathroom scale with a known weight like dumbbells. We probably have a produce scale in the shed back when we were doing the farmer's market thing. I am not selling coke or weed and a few grams off should not matter. I am at high altitude though 7K if I am in Santa Fe, so wondering if my measurements are way off. :D
 
#64
logdrum said:
I weigh myself and then me and the bass. Subtract weight. Do three times. Also calibrate your bathroom scale with a known weight like dumbbells. We probably have a produce scale in the shed back when we were doing the farmer's market thing. I am not selling coke or weed and a few grams off should not matter. I am at high altitude though 7K if I am in Santa Fe, so wondering if my measurements are way off. :D
Click to expand...

Had no idea Santa Fe was that high. Altitude. Even just Denver had me feeling like I was walking in slow motion when I got off the plane.
 
#65
MultiScaleMale said:
Had no idea Santa Fe was that high. Altitude. Even just Denver had me feeling like I was walking in slow motion when I got off the plane.
Click to expand...
Santa Fe is 7.2K, Albuquerque is the other mile high city, the valley is already at a mile. We are getting a place that is at 7.5k om the Pecos near Santa Fe.

The cure for altitude sickness is a bowl of Green Chile Posole. It really works.
 
#66
I hate weighing basses. Not because I'm concerned about the accuracy of my scale but because I'm concerned about how others read weights. 8.3lbs and 8lbs 3oz are different enough to cause a huge problem to the right buyer. Anyone that needs a specific weight, I recommend ponying up and buying from Sweetwater. It is much easier to exchange through them than a private seller.
 
#67
Yup. I think some of the weight concerns are because most of the people playing bass nowadays are just old. It's a valid concern, and I'll probably get there one day.
Still, if I have to get all mil-spec everytime a tire kickers types "Weight?!" in my sale thread, those folks should have to list their acceptable weight discrepancy on their profile.
"Hi I'm flojob. I'm a sagittarius. My favorite color is blue, and my weight aversion is +/- 7oz. I enjoy long walks on the beach, and dislike having to ask for refunds."
I can imagine standing in line at a post office, or praying your 10$ fish scale is accurate, because you know you'll have to eat outrageous shipping cost both ways if your 11 pound Peavey is 11.3!
Liko said:
Anyway, you're right on two points. Accurate scales (+-0.1oz) in the weight range of the average solidbody guitar are not expensive. However, interest in the accurate weight (+-0.1oz) of a solidbody guitar is not commonly demanded. Most people just want the ballpark figure; "15 pounds? That's a friggin' anchor, sorry but I value my back more than that", or "6 pounds? What, is the thing made of styrofoam?". "OMBS" is shorthand for "ballpark figure, just to tell you what you're getting into".
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: dxb, Billyzoom and 31HZ
#68
Because it’s the only scale I own, and I don’t sell enough to justify buying a better scale. I weigh myself with and without the bass. When I see a bathroom scale weight posted in a classified ad, I take it to mean this is close but may be +/- a few ounces. If the weight was that important to me I’d ask for a more precise measurement, but if it’s close to 10 lbs on the bathroom scale I know that’s too heavy for me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bourbongangster and dxb
#69
@RichSnyder , I'm with you 100% mate. Just bought a bass last week listed at 7.2 lbs which showed up as 7.9 lbs. Disappointed, yup although it was still under 8 if it had been in the low 8's and came in over 9 I'd be wanting to return on the sellers dime.
 
#71
mikecd1 said:
@RichSnyder , I'm with you 100% mate. Just bought a bass last week listed at 7.2 lbs which showed up as 7.9 lbs. Disappointed, yup although it was still under 8 if it had been in the low 8's and came in over 9 I'd be wanting to return on the sellers dime.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I jumped on a commonly found bass because it was listed at 8.2 lbs instead of it's 8.9 lbs on arrival. Still a good bass, but I would have offered a little lower or waited for a lighter one. I don't think the seller intentionally scammed me, but a number is a number, it should be accurate and precise. +/- 2 oz is easily attainable at a very low cost.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GregC and mikecd1
#72
MultiScaleMale said:
Personally, I usually pass on these because it comes across, to me, as either lazy or trying to hide the actual weight because it's easier to sell something under 8.5 lbs than over 9 lbs. The worst one I saw was someone listed the weight as "not too heavy, not too light".
Click to expand...

Agreed. If a seller refuses to disclose the weight, I assume "boat anchor" and move along. Buyers on TB want to know the weight, it's a big deal here.
 
#73
Just curious, those that are disappointed in the weight of your new bass ("advertised 7.2lb, it's 7.9, etc") do you immediately weigh it upon arrival? Or do you pick it up and play it first? I've owned over 250 basses, only 2 made me want to weigh them because they felt unreasonably heavy. Both came in over 11lbs. I've also sold over 100 basses on TB, and over 100 on Reverb/ Ebay. Only on TB have I ever been asked about the weight of an instrument. And NEVER has the TBer who asked for the weight actually bought what I was selling.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyP-, dxb, db59 and 3 others
#77
I'll probably take some flack for this, but why ask in the first place? You are on talkbass, you have access to the internet, you have the model and the year, google is your friend.

Same with nut width, neck radius, and all the other silly questions sellers get asked. Unless the bass has been modified, and if it has that should be clearly stated and explained, model and year is all you need to know.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyP-
#78
mongo2 said:
I use a Mustad digital fish scale.
Click to expand...

I keep a $15 fish scale in my RV to check propane levels and it should be accurate enough for instruments. I've compared it to commercial calibrated scales and it's within 1/4 ounce.

While 1/4 ounce isn't good enough for the local dope dealers, I can't see someone crying over 1/64 of a pound on a bass. Then again, I also peruse Reddit on occasion, so I could be wrong. :laugh:
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: DrMole and Cowboy0071
#79
MultiScaleMale said:
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.
Click to expand...

The fish scale is a great idea and probably much more accurate!
 
As an Amazon Associate, TalkBass may receive commissions from qualifying purchases made via links on this site.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back