Please help me spec the lightest possible Warmoth P-bass

[Sharon Lewis]

Hi Everyone,

I’ve played a LEFT-handed Kiesel/Carvin LB70 active-controlled bass for 7 years in our country band and my band mates and I both love its strong low-end w/a little mid-range and zero treble sound.

Unfortunately, as I age 2-hour rehearsals and gigs with the 9lb weight of my Kiesel/Carvin is starting to cause shoulder problems for me (and I’m fit and strong).‍

So, a friend just bought a:
Warmoth chambered roasted swamp ash body &
roasted maple neck Dinky-J bass with
graphite truss rods,
active controls,
Hipshot USA aluminum hardware and
Nordstrand pickups
that weighs just 6.5lbs (!)
And recommended I order a Dinky-P-bass spec’d out like his.​

I called Warmoth but sadly the Rep said they could NOT chamber a Dinky-P body, although I could eliminate 1lb by chambering a regular P-bass body.
Also, I’d order passive controls because I set my Carvin active controls 7 years ago and have NEVER adjusted them, AND I don’t want a short-scale bass because my muscle memory on a regular scale bass is VERY important to me.

Here’s how you might be able to help me: If you play a Warmoth chambered, regular-scale P-bass: 1. How much does it weigh? AND 2. Do you think it would feel and sound similar to my Kiesel/Carvin LB70?

With appreciation…

 

[JRA]

i can't answer your questions as i have no personal experience with the "merchandise" you mention, but: assembling (or having it assembled for you) a bass from great parts is a good way to get all of the features you want while possibly saving some money. something to consider...

on the sound: i doubt if a passive p-bass is going to sound like your active, two-pickup ax. but passive instruments have their own cool sounds (and charm!) so i think you'd still be appreciative...even if it's just for the simplicity of a p-bass.

FWIW: i put this passive p-bass together with the goal of making the lightest possible instrument and after a few recent tweaks it weighs exactly 6 lbs., so it's possible to get what you want in the lightweight category!

this one has a paulownia body = very lightweight, and the tuning machines are carbon fiber (gotoh carbon-o-lites) that eliminates the neck dive on this particular ax.

warmoth experts will be able to address your specific questions, but in any event, no matter what you do, i hope that you get the instrument you want! best of luck with your p-bass plans!

 

[Sharon Lewis]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply—-you’ve given me good points to consider.

 

[shade_1313]

No, but I can tell you a mahogany body and wenge neck is absolutely NOT the way to get a light bass. At 10.34 pounds, it is heavier than 3 out of my 5 six-string basses.

That said, start looking through their in-stock bodies and necks. They’ll have a weight listed, and you can start to get a feel for how much some of the wood combos weigh. Figure out what lightweight hardware you want, and use the information to make a better informed decision.

 

[shade_1313]

FWIW: i put this passive p-bass together with the goal of making the lightest possible instrument and after a few recent tweaks it weighs exactly 6 lbs., so it's possible to get what you want in the lightweight category!

It astounds me that your (presumably) full-sized P is nearly a pound lighter than my Squier Mini-P, which fits in a regular electric guitar gig bag.

 

[J Posega]

Warmoth allows you to specify super light swamp ash or alder for bodies, as well as roasted versions. They often come in under 4 pounds. Get a neck with graphite instead of steel reinforcement, Hipshot Ultralite tuners, a Gotoh Carbon-o-lite bridge, and plastic knobs and you'll be well on your way to putting together a light bass.

IMO weight/wood density does impact the sound of an electric instrument IMO very minimally IMO. (please don't @ me about this) That said, if you match the electronics, pickup locations, wood choices, and strings with your Kiesel, your Warmoth should sound almost identical.

You could also try out a dual-shoulder strap or a hip strap for your current bass (since it'll take a while for Warmoth to produce the parts for you).

 

[patrickhowell]

This full scale bass weighs 7lb 10oz. I bought the body from Guitar Fetish, and I don’t know what type of wood it is but it’s incredibly light. It’s also really soft/easy to dent, and I had to widen the neck pocket a little bit to get the Fender neck to fit.

 

[Sharon Lewis]

Warmoth allows you to specify super light swamp ash or alder for bodies, as well as roasted versions. They often come in under 4 pounds. Get a neck with graphite instead of steel reinforcement, Hipshot Ultralite tuners, a Gotoh Carbon-o-lite bridge, and plastic knobs and you'll be well on your way to putting together a light bass.

IMO weight/wood density does impact the sound of an electric instrument IMO very minimally IMO. (please don't @ me about this) That said, if you match the electronics, pickup locations, wood choices, and strings with your Kiesel, your Warmoth should sound almost identical.

You could also try out a dual-shoulder strap or a hip strap for your current bass (since it'll take a while for Warmoth to produce the parts for you).

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and Warmoth-specific reply—-I feel encouraged that I can do this!

 

[FunkHead]

I can definitely recommend the Gotoh Carbon Fiber tuners. They are ridiculously light. I just wouldn't use the crappy screws that come with them. The tend to snap off at the head.

MJT will make/paint a nice Alder body for you that is very light. As for the neck, I would consider BYOguitars and possibly no stiffening rods at all. Definitely not steel rods. A nice thin Jazz neck is obviously going to be lighter than a baseball Bat P-Bass neck.

My most recent build is 7.52 LBs. MJT body, BYO 1/4 sawn neck W/Brazillian Rosewood Fretboard. I honestly wouldn't want it any lighter!
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[Bass Man Dan]

You could get a LH Glarry, there's your lightweight body for under $100. Then go from there with the pickups, neck, bridge and tuners of your choice.

 

[micguy]

Making a light bass is something that takes attention to ALL the parts. Here's a Warmoth build that came in at 7.31 pounds (aka 3314 grams on my postal scale):

Note that it's a 5 string - a similar build I did for a 4 landed it at 6.6 pounds. Anyway, this body was from their showcase - I knew the weight on it (3 pounds, 4 ounces) before I bought it. It's roasted swamp ash, the neck is roasted maple (with graphite reinforcing bars, not steel).

The bridge is a Hipshot A in aluminum, the tuners are Hipshot Ultralites, the neck mounting plate is aluminum; even the knobs on the thing are aluminum (plastic is even lighter). The pickup on this is heavier than a P pickup - you'd save about 80 grams if you used a standard P pickup.

Anyway, the lesson here is it's not just about the body and neck - you have to get light parts everywhere if you want a light bass. And whatever you do, on a bass this light, DO NOT use standard Fender style clunky steel tuners - half a pound of extra weight out on the end of your neck is something you really don't want.

One final note: if you want the lightest body possible, roasted swamp ash is your friend - call Warmoth and order it over the phone. Ask for their lightest blank - they will charge you something like $40 to do that (they won't do that over the web site - it's a kind of off menu option), but you will get a light body that way - I've done that a few times, and even my heaviest 5 string (2 pickups) comes in at 7.75 pounds, and they all (because of the light tuners) balance perfectly.

Oh yeah - Warmoth makes a G4 body that's got skinnier horns than a P bass - you can get the P pickup and all that, but it'll be a bit lighter than a strict P shaped body - it looks kinda like a G&L SB-1 body, so it's "Fender-esque", but a more modern shape than the old P shape.

 

[non]

i bought a warmoth p/j some years ago with a swamp ash body and roasted maple neck with ebony board and graphite rods. the bass weighs 9.51 lbs. this has been my number one bass since i bought it.
now at 55 years old and shoulder and back problems i just contacted warmoth today about a new body. i am going with a chambered p bass to lighten the load. they said for $40 they will find an extra light body blank. he did say they don't weigh the blank to find you the lightest blank they have. they just find one the fits into the extra light weight category.

 

[non]

Ask for their lightest blank - they will charge you something like $40 to do that (they won't do that over the web site - it's a kind of off menu option)

yes they will get you a light blank over the website. i was told today when i place the order to say in the "special instructions section" that i am requesting a extra light body and i except the $40 charge for this.

 

[darwin-bass]

Empty body weights of 3.5 to 4.0 lbs are where you want to be. You can get that in alder or ash but it is not typical. Be careful though, if the body is too light, you'll end up with neck dive.

I prefer Gotoh Res-o-lite tuners over Hipshot. The Gotohs are lighter and operate a bit smoother. I also prefer a 2x2 headstock. It reduces weight and reduces the lever arm effect that contributes to neck dive.

Graphite bars are lighter than steel. Warmoth 30 and 32 inch scale necks have no bars.

My light weight P build is documented here. Note that it is a 32" scale which further helps to keep weight down: Warmoth low-cost light-weight 32" scale P bass build - Done! | TalkBass.com.

You can have them pick a light weight blank but there is no guarantee on the weight of the final body. Chambering makes it lighter but not all of the super light bodies are chambered. Rear routing lightens the body by removing some wood.

 

[JRA]

a pound lighter than my Squier Mini-P

yeah, it's a light one, but it's 34" scale and takes a normal bass gig bag as you'd expect.

you have a list of items you want (all good stuff!) whereas i was going all out on the single issue of weight reduction, and i just chose parts i liked that aided and abetted that narrow goal. the fact that it's a p-bass also helps, inherently, i.e., fewer parts, all 'round.

that said, i second @micguy's reminder that all of the parts choices need to be included in the 'design' of your ax to reduce weight and protect the balance.

 

[6-3-2]

I prefer Gotoh Res-o-lite tuners over Hipshot. The Gotohs are lighter and operate a bit smoother. I also prefer a 2x2 headstock. It reduces weight and reduces the lever arm effect that contributes to neck dive.

G.

+1 for the res-o-lites. I installed them on my bass that had very good standard Gotohs from years ago and it's a dramatic improvement in playability. I gained 30 degrees of upward tilt from a bass that loved to be horizontal. The tuners also have a great precise ratio and turn very smoothly. Would install them another bass in a heartbeat.

 

[bassdude51]

The lightest bass that I own is a Warmoth P Bass body. It is swamp ash. I have a regular maple neck made by Allparts MIJ. I used the lightest hardware parts that I could find. In particular, Gotoh Res O Lite tuners which are about 5 oz lighter than regular. Bottom line is that I ended up with a 7 lbs 3 oz complete P Bass.

The key point to this fairly light weight bass is the Warmoth body which was about 3 lbs 8 oz. When I saw this on Warmoth's website I jumped on it. At the time, I made my bass for under $900.

If you go Warmoth or anyone else, you have to have a body that is under 4 lbs to get into the 7 lbs territory.

Your LB70 looks like a Jazz Bass pickup configuration and if you run both pickups, I doubt if a P Bass is going to sound like it. You could get Warmoth to make a P Bass body with J pickup routings.

Good luck.

 

[Huw Phillips]

I had a similar idea and eventually went with a MJT body in sugar pine I believe it is 3.2 pounds, there produce awesome bodies, however the costumer service is sometimes lacking

 

[shade_1313]

that said, i second @micguy's reminder that all of the parts choices need to be included in the 'design' of your ax to reduce weight and protect the balance.

I’m pretty sure my 10.38 pound Warmoth would be heavier if I’d gone with regular pickups, rather than the Lace Alumitone Sensors I used.

 

[MobileHolmes]

This is right up my alley, though I don't have direct experience with your build. I do have 2 warmoth basses, 2 Carvin LB76s, and am actually pondering a lightweight build as well, because I'm playing 4 hour gigs in my country band (and 3 hours in my R&B).

A few thoughts-
1. Why not just get a chambered Dinky J like your friend? The LB70 is sort of J like anyhow.
2. I'm not a huge fan of the LB series pickups/preamp, but I don't dislike them enough to change them out. I'm not sure that Keisel sells parts but Carvin used to. That said, I think there are a lot of LB70s out there with swapped pickups and electronics and you could probably get somebody's used stuff.
3. Definitely get light tuners and the graphite neck bars. That's about a pound of savings right there.
4. My Warmoth J (10 lbs because it has all the heavy choices) has Nordstrand NJ4SV humcancelling pickups and an Audere preamp, and it is a killer sounding combo. I prefer the sound of this bass to my Carvins.