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On the fence due to weight....

#61
I would not gig a 10.5 lb bass without a strap system that relieves my shoulder. Fortunately there are now many such systems on the market. Slinger Straps for example has several models that distribute the weight to your waist as well as to one or both shoulders.

If it's a fantastic bass and a great deal, I say go for it and then deal with the weight, either by replacing hardware with lighter substitutes, or with a weight relief strap, or both.
 
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#63
two fingers said:
I'm 50 years old, but in good shape. That said, I'm not sure how I would do with a 10 1/2 pound bass around my neck for a gig.

In my area, there's a screaming deal on a bass I REALLY like. I did hundreds of gigs with an 11 pound version several years ago. I recall it felt heavier than my other basses. But I don't recall avoiding it due to weight. Like I said, I did a LOT of gigs with that bass!

I think I could flip it if it winds up being just too heavy.

Spitball with me. Throw out the first thing that comes to mind. I need to talk this out.
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Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Buy it. If it causes problems, sell it. You don't have to gig with it do you? I mean you probably already own a suitable bass for gigs. JMO.

BTW, I'm 69 and still gig with a pretty heave Warwick Corvette made out of Babinga with no problems other that I must be an idiot for using it.... but it sure sounds good.
 
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#65
Altitude said:
I sold an 11 pound Yamaha TRB5 because of the weight. Did the big strap thing but I was still coming home from gigs with a knot in my left shoulder.

I loved the bass but at the end of the day there are lots of others I love too that weigh less.

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And this is why the guys saying to just "get into the gym" or to tough it out just don't get it. Heck, I work out, use neoprene thick straps and it never stopped the neck and shoulder pain. It eventually led to cubical tunnel syndrome… not fun. That "knot in the left shoulder" you speak of is exactly what the human body does in reaction to a heavy bass played at gigs or with the strap connected while sitting. That's why you hear weight concerns from guys who play bass more than just an hour or so a day. Gigging hours on end makes a HUGE difference.

Add up those gigs for years… then add more years… it adds up to syndromes and loads of pain in the neck and shoulder on the side you use the strap. The lighter the bass, the less this cause and effect relationship takes place.

Sitting while playing strapped in is a must to me. If you play a passage on the bass (especially one with lots of shifting) the bass will move all over the place if you do it without a strap. You will constantly shift the bass or parts of your body to compensate for where you play on the neck. That is a BIG ergonomic no-no. Guys like Gary Willis say to play strapped in 100% of the time. You may have to adjust the strap for this. This is a good thing. Then, the bass the feels the exact same way when standing and sitting.

So if you gig a lot and play strapped in like you should, weight is a big concern over time because that pain will happen eventually to most people.
 
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#66
Killing Floor said:
I get inspired by Suzi Quatro and Mary Ford. Either of these is heavier than your bass.
Even Randy Rhoads, the dude was positively jacked, arms like tree trunks. He at least had a wide strap.
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Randy Rhoads was 5' 7" tall and weighed 105-123 pounds depending on what source you're looking at.
I'm sure he was in fine shape but his arms were tiny (fit but tiny) like the rest of him.
As far as talent...he was 50 feet tall. :)
 
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#67
Get a real big strap with lots of surface area and nice padding and get that bass!! I have a Sire Jazz Bass and that thing weighs a little over 10lbs. I couldn't play it a whole show but it's important to note that I'm not at all in shape. So I am confident that if you stay in shape you'll probably be able to play that thing just fine.

And if all else fails just buy it and play it at home or when you do gigs where sitting is fine haha
 
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#72
Ric Vice said:
There are a couple of new double straps that will distribute the weight of the bass evenly over both your shoulders. I use the Duo Strap from Gruv Gear expensive but IME worth it. That said my favorite Lakland 55-94 is 8.5 lbs. With the Duo Strap it's very comfortable. My other Lakland is 55.94 is 9.5 lbs and feels fine with the Duo Strap.
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I did a couple practices with my fretless T40 when my back was bothering me, switched to a double strap (Slide strap I think). Got a couple training bra comments, but my back didn't hurt at all. If I wore a black shirt nobody would have even noticed.

I'd definitely go for it, like you said, you can flip it if it doesn't work out. That's the beauty of screaming deals!
 
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#73
N4860 said:
It seems to be mostly just a TB thing about asking the weight when buying and selling.
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because TB members are, on average, at least ~10-15 years older than the real-world, bass-playing group. old(er) players don't have to prove 'stamina' as much as they have to prove competence and relevancy --- which some find easier to do with lighter axes.

two fingers said:
Spitball with me. Throw out the first thing that comes to mind. I need to talk this out.
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:bassist: you're still a youngster (it's a relative term! :D ) but you're old enough that you're in for some surprises in the not-too-distant future! e.g., i played he-man (it's a relative term! :D ) until i was ~60 years old, playing a ~10 lb. ax. sometime in the past 10-12 years that MOR weight hit me like a ton of bricks: always sore, always a chore, always a little too heavy. i started looking at lighter-weight axes just so i could avoid that heavier one. you might not have that experience until you're 65, or 68, or 70....but you will have it! it's in the cards.

but, you're not there yet! get the ax because you're excited about the possibilities, play it until you're tired of it, mount it on the wall, or sell it when you're finished with it. hopefully, your physical/bones will keep you interested in the ax for many more years. but mark my words: the day will come when you prefer to gig with instruments that are built for comfort...and you'll be 72, still gigging, with a :poop: -eating-grin on your face because you found a 6 1/2 lb. bass!

in the meantime: good luck, stay healthy! :thumbsup:
 
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#74
First thing that comes to mind is how it balances on a strap, did the previous version have any neck dive,would a lighter body throw that off, I played a close to 13lbs. alder body EBMM SR5 for 5 years but it didn't have any neck dive so it was manageable but not desirable, my main bass is 10lbs. with perfect balance so in that particular bass I'm OK with the weight.
 
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#76
two fingers said:
Actually, it's about a mile from my house. Soooooo.... :D
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Yeah, never mind. There's another thread out here this morning about a Yamaha TRB1006 at an optically low price. That's the one with the $450 shipping and my Monday morning fog brain conflated the two stories. Not aided by the fact that my post here had a Yamaha bass in it.

I can only handle a certain amount of complexity apparently.
 
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#78
how good of shape..lol....Do you have strong strapping shoulders? Do you constantly rest your arms /hands on your bass in between songs making it twice as heavy. how long is your setlist? How wide is your strap? I'm sure you got a lighter backup just in case. Buy it!---Atleast you could still enjoy your new toy and suffer only minor pain:cool:
 
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#79
two fingers said:
I'm 50 years old, but in good shape. That said, I'm not sure how I would do with a 10 1/2 pound bass around my neck for a gig.

In my area, there's a screaming deal on a bass I REALLY like. I did hundreds of gigs with an 11 pound version several years ago. I recall it felt heavier than my other basses. But I don't recall avoiding it due to weight. Like I said, I did a LOT of gigs with that bass!

I think I could flip it if it winds up being just too heavy.

Spitball with me. Throw out the first thing that comes to mind. I need to talk this out.
Click to expand...

20 years ago, the weight of a bass was not really much of an issue with me, even on gigs. However, something happened about 5 years ago…no idea if it was due to conditioning, age, advanced pickyness, or something else…but I really feel the weight of a heavy bass now, and I have sold a couple that I simply didn't play due to their weight. If I were you, I would plan for the future and avoid anything heavy. You may be ok with heavy basses now, but in my experience, bass weight will eventually become an issue, and perhaps much quicker than you realize. Buying a heavy bass now, with the idea that you can flip it whenever you tire of the weight, is pretty risky.
 
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#80
Buy the bass, even if is heavier than what you normally use.
If youy are planning to play it for more than 3 hours a day, you should stretch and excercise your back and abdominal muscles to keep your spine straight. Rehab centers have literature for the type of excercise to address this and you should work in your posture. Remember than more than just the weight, the issue is with repetitive load the weight acts on your body, but conditioning the appropriate muscles should address that.
 
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