Recommendations for budget friendly lightweight bass

[Jack Deth]

Reverend basses are very good instruments and usually comfortably light weight
Five piece neck construction
Dual acting truss Rod
Hipshot tuners
High quality pickups
The four string models are under or around $1000

I would recommend a Mercalli or a Thundergun

I have a Triad, great bass.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Ibanez!

Ibanez is one of the brands that gives you absolute best quality for the money they ask.

Even their cheapest budget line are mostly great instruments, bar the admittedly less great, but still fairly decent, hardware and electronics.

One of the SR, or even better one from their new headless EHB, series would be a good bet for a lightweight bass.

The cheapest model in the latter EHB series is almost exactly matching your budget limit, though being a bit of an acquired taste design wise, but the SR series giving you a wide array of different options at all sort of price points within you budget limit.

You could also consider a Danelectro Longhorn Bass, which actually both plays, sounds, and in my personal opinion also looks, genuinely awesome, despite being a fair deal under your budget limit (goes for just over 500$ from new), but it doesn't come much lighter than that.

 

[luisinchi]

Ibanez Soundgear.

There are examples of Fender style instruments that are truely light but they are few and far between. The smaller Soundgear body results in far more consistently light instruments. They are available in a dizzying array of options and Ibanez quality control is among the best.

My first bass was a soundgear. Amazingly light, comfortable, balanced and light.

For my taste the neck was the best. Even better than my Fender jazz and my epiphone t-bird.

What I didn't like was the sound. I should have upgraded that axe.

 

[DrBnz]

I'd agree that Ibanez is a nice option. Inexpensive, GADs of them to chose from and they are light. Mine has a very thin neck and weighs in at 8.5. I threw on a DROP D tuner on there and it plays TOOL just fine.

I'd also throw out there that all of my Fenders weigh in 9+ lb. range. I just don't associate FENDER and "light". I'd think that's on a case by case basis. So I dunno how light a DUFF would be.

Aside from WEIGHT. What do you want in a neck is a big consideration here. Fenders have a wide range. (for example: Duff has a modern C, whereas Nate has a slim C, the older models have even thicker necks)

 

[luisinchi]

I'd agree that Ibanez is a nice option. Inexpensive, GADs of them to chose from and they are light. Mine has a very thin neck and weighs in at 8.5. I threw on a DROP D tuner on there and it plays TOOL just fine.

I'd also throw out there that all of my Fenders weigh in 9+ lb. range. I just don't associate FENDER and "light". I'd think that's on a case by case basis. So I dunno how light a DUFF would be.

Aside from WEIGHT. What do you want in a neck is a big consideration here. Fenders have a wide range. (for example: Duff has a modern C, whereas Nate has a slim C, the older models have even thicker necks)

What's your tool gear? I have some of the pedals, but my jazz bass doesn't quite get there.

Also, my amp is a fender rumble

 

[lfmn16]

Hello!

So I need a bass that doesn't weight that much, no matter if new or used. My budget is around us $1000. I do have a Peavey t-45 and is too heavy for me

Any offers or recommendations?

I'm really into pj's (those Duff fenders seem legit), but i like to cover tool, so... Yeah, you guys surely know better.

What do you consider light? 8 lbs, 7 lbs, 5 lbs?

 

[luisinchi]

What do you consider light? 8 lbs, 7 lbs, 5 lbs?

Anything less than 9lbs is good for me

 

[Eilif]

My first bass was a soundgear. Amazingly light, comfortable, balanced and light.

For my taste the neck was the best. Even better than my Fender jazz and my epiphone t-bird.

What I didn't like was the sound. I should have upgraded that axe.

Definitely worth upgrading.
However, the upside to the SGR's ubiquity is that it's been released in so many variations in electronics that between the new and used market it's likely one can be found with a tone you like.

 

[DrBnz]

I think you're on a higher "level" than I am. I can PLAY tool, but I dunno about sounding exactly like them. I sound like me having a good time with what I got. HAHAHA.... When I use the Ibanez it has a unique sound (different than Fenders or Musicman) so that helps, and then I pipe it all thru a Sansamp DI-2110 Tech-21 and that gives me enough knobs and buttons to play with. From there I run that thru a Rumble 500. Well, until the wife tells me to put my headphones on. I can only shake the walls when she goes shopping.

 

[Pugosaurus]

Yamaha TRBX and Ibanez SR series basses fit the bill.

 

[luisinchi]

From there I run that thru a Rumble 500. Well, until the wife tells me to put my headphones on. I can only shake the walls when she goes shopping.

The struggle is real. I have a rumble 25, and get the same premium wife treatment.