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On the fence due to weight....

#121
At 63' no matter how much I love a heavy bass, it will get passed over for a lighter version for 2 hour rehearsals and longer gigs.
I can't appreciate the tone or playability nearly as much if it makes me play differently due to being too heavy.
OTOH, I have way too many basses for fun and anything new will be expensive and have to become a main payer, 8.5 lbs. or less, 1 5/8" nut, and be awesome.
 
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#123
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...

Do post it, play it!
 
#125
Spidey2112 said:
If there anything else we can get you?*

*Hope you and yours are well, Jim!
Click to expand...
Same to you!
I have plenty of Fenders and variants and lately have re-bonded with my 83' SR which weighs something like 10.5 lbs. The tone and playability are perfect for what I'm doing now. But all of these 2-band EQ SR's are heavy including the Classic series.
I'm actually using an OLP to rehearse and gig with right now.

I'm having trouble with the idea of buying $2.5K of Special and then drop another $250 for a 2-band pre and Alnico pup for a factory made bass. Great time to be thankful for what you have.
 
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#128
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...
I recently went from 40 years of playing mainly Fender J to playing exclusively Fender Kingman acoustic/electric. Once I had sufficient reps on it to overcome the neck dive I love the light weight, short scale and let the amp do all the work.
 
#129
My working weight range right now for 5 strings is about 7.5lbs-10.2lbs, and most favorites fall between 8.2-9.5lbs. I can't say that range will work for anyone else. But 1/2 pound below 7.5 (potato chip bass) or above 10.2 (real man bass) sounds/feels like a lot to me. I let go of a 10.6 pound bass, but I'm fine around 10. I don't want a bass I can't carry, but among those I can carry often the heavier ones are preferred for tone. Take some time to figure out what strap works best (Kliq for me) and what the heaviest you can hold is. Experiment on this one only if you can afford to. If it turns out to be too heavy, you'll have to move it.
 
#133
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...

Any chance you could sit on a chair or a high stool to play?
 
#134
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...
Noooo...Do not buy
 
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#135
Depends on how the bass is designed.

My FBass weighs 10 lbs, but it seriously feels more like 9 - or less. FBass engineers their instruments to "pull" closer to you so that while it's hanging from the strap, there is more of the instruments body on your right side, and the neck is closer toward you. So the weight ends up being distributed much better.

My Fender Jazz Elite 5 is also 10 lbs, but there is a world of difference between those 2 instruments when they are strapped on and you are playing. I start feeling the pain of the Fender pretty quickly, while the FBass doesn't bother me at all. And I've played it standing for more than 3 hours before without issue.
 
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#136
BobDeRosa said:
Any chance you could sit on a chair or a high stool to play?
Click to expand...
but not a high chair, that might not be the best look.... ok but seriously, could this be an option? the first time i saw joe bonamassa play, carmine rojas was his bassist and had just had eye surgery so he sat on a stool for the show and it didn't detract at all. (his eye patch was something though!) incidentally he is the only one i ever saw play a musicman Big Al live. he used it for the 1st one or two songs and then switched to another bass.
 
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#137
Not with my current band. I'm one of the front guys so not an option.

BobDeRosa said:
Any chance you could sit on a chair or a high stool to play?
Click to expand...

DRBP said:
but not a high chair, that might not be the best look.... ok but seriously, could this be an option? the first time i saw joe bonamassa play, carmine rojas was his bassist and had just had eye surgery so he sat on a stool for the show and it didn't detract at all. (his eye patch was something though!) incidentally he is the only one i ever saw play a musicman Big Al live. he used it for the 1st one or two songs and then switched to another bass.
Click to expand...
 
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#140
N8YHX9Jl.jpg
 
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