On the fence due to weight....

[johnnynitro]

Get It !!! Your still young. I'm 65 with an 84 (heavy) Pbass with a thin strap. Don't wuss out ! I never knew the weight of a Bass was a thing till I came here !

 

[DigitalMan]

Physiologically there is nothing about being 50 years old that is any different from being 30 years old aside from a few wrinkles and grey hairs. Any difference in strength and durability at that age are due to activity level and not the aging process itself. It's science*. My 20's self and 50's self are both measurably stronger than my 30's and 40's self.

(*Does not apply to professional athletes)

 

[kerrycares]

There are a million light weight alternatives.
There is one back.

 

[Laurent]

Four quick thoughts for you:

1. How long are your gigs? If you regularly play 3 hours, maybe such a heavy bass would become uncomfortable.
2. Heavier bass have a special tone, does that matter to you or can you get the tone you want out of a lighter instrument?
3. I tend to reach for lighter instruments when playing and heavier instrument tend to sit. Do you have the same tendency?
4. Heavier instruments can be a little harder to resell.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Mr Kringle]

Matt Heafy of Trivium designed a "double strap" it holds the body up as well as works as a normal strap
https://www.richterstraps.com/en/p/matt-heafy-black-and-oni-double-guitar-strap-1612

 

[two fingers]

After all of this discussion, has nobody asked what bass is it that has captivated your interest.
Spill the beans Mr. Fingers.

Trying to avoid poachers.

 

[GIBrat51]

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.

As long as you've been posting on FB, I have no doubt that you know the answer to this one. Strap the thing on, and see how it feels. The only back and shoulder involved, is...yours.
Personally? I'm no longer in a position to say yea or nay. There was a time - a long time ago, now - when I was a Combat Engineer, and ran around playing war (and sometimes not playing) with a 34+ lb. M-60 machine gun on an assault sling. Neither the bass in question, or the 11 lb. P-Bass I own now, would have bothered me in the least. But now, as I come within spittin' distance of 71, with a body that's paying the painful price of being rode hard and put away wet for a long, long time? I might buy it (if it was a lefty), because - unlike you - I haven't played a bass in front of an audience in... gee; this year will be 50 years... And don't plan to, ever again. Like any of the basses I own - several of them being in that weight range - I can put the thing down whenever I want. Or, more to the point; when my back and shoulder wants... So; I say - play it, if you can, and see how your body reacts. Be guided by that...
Now, excuse me; I think I need to play my new, weighs-almost-nothing Hofner Club Bass for a while. My back really likes that little beauty...

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

Contrary to frequent TB posts, "fitness" and "strength" have little do do with the pain that can come from wearing a heavy bass on a strap for long periods, even with a wide strap. The underlying cause is usually decreased blood flow to the muscles and tendons directly under the strap. FWIW, the 2 rotator cuff tendons on the "top" of the shoulder are only 6mm thick when normal. They don't care if you're a 250 lb muscular athlete or a 139 lb weakling.....they're 6mm thick and they don't heal well because even under normal circumstances they get very little blood flow. Once they're made weaker/more sensitive by chronic pressure, they rarely if ever get back to factory spec. My free 02. is to keep your money in your pocket and walk on by.

This man knows what he is talking about!

If it's a bass you can enjoy at home practicing sitting down on your leg, I'd say go for it. If you want to gig it or rehearse with it and are strapping it on for more than 30 minutes, then I'd pass.

I've sold at least 4 nice basses because of their weights (or partially because of their weights) and none were over 10.5 lbs. 9.5 lbs is my absolute cutoff.

 

[Ostie]

At my age I'm done with heavy basses. I have one J left in my collection and I only keep it for sentimental reasons. It's retired from gigging.

 

[Joeykun]

I played under 8lb Sadowsky Basses for over a decade. Got a Lakland 5 string bass that's a solid 10lbs. I now gig that bass 100% of the time with no issues. BTW I got 9 years on you!!

I must say that extra 2lbs adds some nice "weight" to the notes! Go for it!

 

[wvbass]

I'm in your age bracket, plus a couple of years. I've also worked over the past two years so that I'm in the best physical condition of my life. The weight of a bass isn't much of a factor for me.

Having said that, I have 11+ pound basses, and I have 8- pound basses. The two basses I have gigged the most in the past year are a 7.3lb four string and a 7.9lb five string.

Weight won't keep me from buying a bass. Weight does seem to affect which bass gets taken to a show.

 

[Spidey2112]

My 20's self and 50's self are both measurably stronger than my 30's and 40's self.

So, solid sides bookending a creamy center...

... you've been living the fantasy life of an OREO.

Somebody, quick! Get the milk, while he's distracted.

 

[Indiana Mike]

Try it !

but

I really want to to try a sandberg superlight.
seriously considering liquidating 5 basses and getting a superlight.

 

[thisheregiraffe]

I still think you should buy the bass

Weight isn't necessarily the #1 factor for me when buying a bass, though I certainly won't be bothered if it's on the lighter side. The important factor, like others have mentioned, is that it balances well.

But… after reading all the weight talk in this thread, I now kinda feel compelled to put together a boat anchor of a bass for myself, just for funsies. There is a rather heavy solid maple Dinky J body in the Warmoth showcase calling my name…

I'm gonna log off now

 

[ComeHomeShane]

First off, sometimes up to one full lbs can come off of the weight of a bass with hardware changes. Lighter tuners. Lighter bridge. Replacing metal knobs with plastic or aluminum. Dumping the pick guard. Aluminum strap buttons. Buying Alumitone pickups.

IMO, the worst thing about a heavy bass is...........RESALE! It is very difficult to sell a heavy bass guitar and it is usually the first words out of a potential buyer's mouth............."How much does it weight?"

What he said ^. It's very likely that the bass is on sale for a good deal because no one else will buy it due to its weight. How many and how long will the sets be with this bass? Playing a single set with a back-lined rig is WAY different then playing a full 4-set night and then having to tear down and carry to the car at 1:30 am...

 

[two fingers]

What he said ^. It's very likely that the bass is on sale for a good deal because no one else will buy it due to its weight. How many and how long will the sets be with this bass? Playing a single set with a back-lined rig is WAY different then playing a full 4-set night and then having to tear down and carry to the car at 1:30 am...

Nah. We're I'm a pretty rural area. Not a lot of buyers who wouldn't have to travel. And so dar the guy isn't willing to ship. So the field has been narrowed by circumstances, not bass weight.

 

[jnewmark]

I think you need to find a " sweet spot " when it comes to weight. 9.2 lbs. is it for me. I had a '70's Jazz that weighed 9.9 lbs, and gave me upper back aches the whole night. Otoh, basses that weigh under 9 lbs aren't comfortable either, feeling awkward, or not the right balance. My two cents.

 

[BobKos]

I will be a naysayer. Don't bother with it. Light basses are nice. I don't NEED a light bass. I enjoy having light basses. I don't want 10+ lb basses anymore.

 

[lomo]

Physiologically there is nothing about being 50 years old that is any different from being 30 years old aside from a few wrinkles and grey hairs. Any difference in strength and durability at that age are due to activity level and not the aging process itself. It's science*.
(*Does not apply to professional athletes)

I'm glad you're in great shape for your age, but really? NO difference? ROFLMAO.....of what alternative "science" do you speak???Differing levels of numerous hormones, accumulated wear and tear on tissues that regenerate slowly, poorly or not at all (like articular cartilage, central neurons, spinal discs to cite but a few examples), lower bone density.....are just a few of the ways a human over 50 is "different" from one at 30. Changes in some of these parameters can be partly mitigated for a while, by many, but in the end, age is more than a number and although time is kinder to some than others, it waits for no one. Good maintenance of our machine goes a long way, but like all machines, it doesn't last forever. For 30 years I have spent my working life looking at MRIs, CTs ultrasounds and X-rays of human innards and I can assure you, real science documents countless ways we're more worn out at 50 than 30, rose coloured glasses notwithstanding Pro athletes tend to wear out their bodies faster because they push them to their limits, but we all put mileage on our odometers, just by living a "regular" life.

 

[Bartrinsic]

9.66 lbs, courtesy of Adrian Kuban-Maruszczyk. Haven't found that more weight is needed for great tone, since this bass has it. Hard birdseye neck, quilted ash top, wenge fretboard and mahogony body. Plenty of tonewood, no chambering--bass commands the strings, not the other way around. 9-9.8 gets me there.