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P Bass weight question
- Thread starter sjperry54
- Start date
In my experience, yes. I've found that in most Fenders, under about 8 lbs things start to get imbalanced. However, it's much easier to add weight to the body than to take it away.
That does sound a little light but I have seen them this weight. Neck dive is an issue I would say but I have replaced stock tuners with Gotoh lightweights and it has made a huge difference on the neck dive issue.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
There are some Paulonia or pine bodies or some chambered bodies that weigh in at approximately 3 lbs or so which can make for a 7 lbs bass. I'd expect some neck dive even with lightweight tuners.
I think there's a good chance that an inaccurate scale was used to determine a weight of less than 7 pounds.
This is a new Squier VM P/J P Bass at Sweetwater. The body is listed as Agathis. They've got another one that's listed at just over 7 lbs.
I see the one you're talking about. I'd buy it if I were you. Get a wide strap to combat neck dive. They're great basses and the fact that you can get one that's under 7 pounds is a bonus.
My US Standard P was 7.5 pounds bone stock from the store. It does dip a bit at the neck, but nothing like a bass with proper neck dive.
I'd also be skeptical of any full-sized P under 7 pounds.
I'd also be skeptical of any full-sized P under 7 pounds.
You know something else to consider is the angle at which you hold your bass as this will have a rather large effect.
My G&L LB-100 Empress/Paulownia weighed in at 7.4 lbs, and no neck dive, or shirt pull. I use Sadowsky straps (if that matters to anyone).
P Basses are often light. Neck dive only happens because of heavy tuners. Change them out and you'll have an enviably lightweight bass.
I believe it. In my experience, the weight of agathis bodied instruments seems to vary quite a bit. The lightest and heaviest Ibanez SRs I have ever held were agathis bodied SR300s. I believe that my circa 1999 agathis Squier P-Bass Special was about 9 lb.
I find it amazing that a bare body of the same size, same wood type, and same brand can vary by as much as two pounds.
At $300 retail, I am guessing that they are not very selective when creating the body blanks for these basses. I would expect the manufacturing process of much more expensive basses to insist on consistency in density and other qualities (especially with translucent or transparent finishes).
7 lbs even is light. I think 7.5 lbs. to 8.5lbs. is the magic weight range for fender style basses.
I'm fine with anything under 9 lbs.
I'm fine with anything under 9 lbs.
That's why it's ridiculous when people hear differences between two basses and then insist that the differences have to be a wood species difference when even two samples of the same species can have completely different physical properties.
I know where you're coming from but if you look at the weights of more expensive basses on websites like Sweetwater, you'll see that's not particularly true.
