play a heavy bass for 3 long sets one night.
you'll want to sell it no matter how nice it sounds.
/thread
you'll want to sell it no matter how nice it sounds.
/thread
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What's the bid deal with WEIGHT ?
- Thread starter davidchampoux
- Start date
I like my basses like I like my woman: on the lighter side with sexy curves and something to hold onto.
I agree there are heavy basses that sound like poo and light basses that sound like God, but that being said I prefer to gig these days with my lightweight and user friendly Godin: Easy on the back both on-stage and in the case back and forth to the truck, plus active EQ and pups give me access to any sound on stage. But I'll never part with my Boogie Bodies solid bird's eye maple bass that weighs like a sofa around my neck but has the aforementioned God tone...it is the primo recording axe, and honestly, as a rocker, I don't miss its tone on stage that much. IMHO real world experience is that live there is much less effect my axe has on my band presence. Too many other factors at play live to matter much. Recorded it's another story: you can pick out which bass I play on recordings but without the advantage of a kick butt PA like say Phish plays through, on stage a bass is a bass is a bass for me.
The Comfort Strapp is great for fixing any shoulder issues due to weight. It also helps with back issues as there is less jarring.
I've owned countless basses and never noticed or thought about weight, even long sets. I'm a tall skinny guy. Outside of people with back problems, I do have to wonder how much of it is mental. How many people actually questioned bass weight before they read about concerns on Talkbass? I've NEVER sold a guitar or bass through any other site or in person and been asked about weight.
With all due respect, lets break your comments down a bit...
I started being concious of weight 20 years before I ever even heard of TalkBass .. I also have no idea about the GUITAR world, as I haven't touched one in 40 years ...
but, I really wonder WHO is buying your basses, and how informed/concerned they are about the DETAILS of their gear ... are they concerned about resale?? Here on TalkBass we are GEARHEADS ...this is where people learn WHAT questions to ask prior to buying a bass ... also, every bass I buy over the internet is a potential to be sold almost immediately, if it doesn't hit my switch, or meet my expectations ... so, I buy accordingly, and if I am going to list a bass, I want to know the details, and weight is just one of those details ...
also, TalkBass is where people come for answers ... the level of information/knowledge about the bass guitar world in general, is higher here, in many cases, than you will find on any other site that I have ever been on ... unfortunately, the level of misinformation is also very high, so you need to learn for yourself who is accurate in the info that they are sharing ... and as a result, you will find more informed/concerned buyers on here that will visually and inquisitively 'tear an item apart' before a purchase to find info ...If you list an item for sale on TB, you had better be prepared for it to be scrutinized, because if it is bogus, or if you are errant on your listing, you WILL be corrected ...
...with that said, I will be the first to admit, it appears that 'What does it weigh?' has become the 'buzz' question for theTB world, so it does appear to be a MAJOR concern, when actually it probably has BECOME a concern, because people see more folk inquiring about it, so it is perceived as more widely important than it probably is ... there was a time several years back, when only occassionaly a few of us would ask what the weight was ... nowadays, I dont have to even ask anymore, I know it will be one of the first questions asked by somebody ...
and lastly ...if someone is buying in person, why would they NEED to ask you about the weight?? .. they have it in their hands ...
...as always, it is all JMHO
light fenders sound open tangy have more sustain without huge hunks of metal for bridges, they have better tone imo, newer heavier ones have one sound damped, dull and muted not in a good way. All other basses different companies I compare to that gold standard of a good fender since they are the first and the oldest basses and have not changed the design that much so these issues are easy to compare. Except Gibson which have long standing and are equally good, but very different from fenders. Try a very good one, borrow one, and use it in a band setting and you'll know, it makes all the difference.
D
I agree with Roy, and the other guys. Weight isn't something that I paid much attention to until I started playing standing up for multiple hours at a stretch. I don't notice the weight much/at all when I'm doing pit work, because I sit for those gigs. Stage stuff though, it starts to factor in a bit.
I bought a nice and wide strap around 6 years ago (forget exact...), it's a 5 inch wide Italia strap that I got on ebay for a steal. My StingRay5 weighs about 10.5 pounds and my Sadowsky weighs just under 9. The main days that I feel it in my shoulder are when I'm getting 8 or more hours of practice in on electric each day. By hour 6, I start to sit down a bit. Granted, I normally break it up into 1.5-2hr chunks with a 10min break.
I don't think being in shape has much to do with it. I'm 26, I've dead lifted over 400 pounds, and work out 5 days a week. Back strength/endurance has been more of a benefit when I'm marching bass drum, than when I'm playing bass guitar. I'd still rather player a bass that weighs less than 10 pounds. It helps that my favs so far are consistently below that.
I bought a nice and wide strap around 6 years ago (forget exact...), it's a 5 inch wide Italia strap that I got on ebay for a steal. My StingRay5 weighs about 10.5 pounds and my Sadowsky weighs just under 9. The main days that I feel it in my shoulder are when I'm getting 8 or more hours of practice in on electric each day. By hour 6, I start to sit down a bit. Granted, I normally break it up into 1.5-2hr chunks with a 10min break.
I don't think being in shape has much to do with it. I'm 26, I've dead lifted over 400 pounds, and work out 5 days a week. Back strength/endurance has been more of a benefit when I'm marching bass drum, than when I'm playing bass guitar. I'd still rather player a bass that weighs less than 10 pounds. It helps that my favs so far are consistently below that.
I used to think that heavier basses felt more solid when I was much younger. Now, 9.5 lbs is pretty much my limit. I sold two really nice playing and great sounding basses because they were too heavy and that is why I usually ask about the weight.
I think a good sounding bass is a good sounding bass and weight is only one factor that may affect the sound. That being said, I have heard many good sounding light weight basses, so I don't think that there is an advantage over one or the other (light vs. heavy). I do agree that balance also plays an important factor. A poorly balanced bass (i.e. neck heavy) will feel heavier.
I think a lighter bass is more comfortable to play and is obviously better for long gigs. I almost always practice and rehearse sitting.
I think a good sounding bass is a good sounding bass and weight is only one factor that may affect the sound. That being said, I have heard many good sounding light weight basses, so I don't think that there is an advantage over one or the other (light vs. heavy). I do agree that balance also plays an important factor. A poorly balanced bass (i.e. neck heavy) will feel heavier.
I think a lighter bass is more comfortable to play and is obviously better for long gigs. I almost always practice and rehearse sitting.
Yeah, some of us are older (as in 60), some not in the best of shape, some aren't the largest, and some of us actually play in real bands, not just our bedroom or dorm room, and therefore play standing up.
In my case, 25 years of playing soccer, 11 years taking F-4s and F-111 fighter aircraft apart and putting them back together, of spending long hours removing and replacing items that you couldn't see and had to imagine in your mind to accomplish because they were designed by engineers who never picked up a wrench, or were made by submarine manufacturers who had other concerns than ease of maintenance causing long periods of time in positions the human body wasn't engineered for. Subsequent years manipulating mouses and keyboards while sitting in a one-size-fits-all cubicle with an unadjustable table height, and minimally adjustable chair with poor back support and dealing with the resultant carpal tunnel. Impingement in both shoulders. Genetically, an L-1 disc which is less thick than all the rest, further worn down by all of the above so that I never know what random movement will turn into 10 days of agonizing pain.
I'm 5'10", 155 lbs, and have been playing since 1968. My body, not my mind tells me how heavy a bass can be for 2, 2 hour sets with a 20 minute break. For me it is 9.5 lbs max, regardless of how steady my weight lifting regimine has been. Some of us have spent all the time they can with a dying parent, or a grandchild who actually wants to spend time with them instead of just sculpting our body.
So for me, I want a bass at 9 lbs or less, it MUST BE 9.2 or less or it is gone. I have been burned here before, and traded or sold a 9.2 or 9.3 lb bass for one that was "very light, well under 9 lbs" which turned out closer to 10 or 11 lbs (mainly before feedback became commonplace here at TB). So when I ask about weight, there is a reason.
I wish people would just list an accurate rate so save us all some time and trouble. A digital fish scale is not expensive. UPS, FEDEX, USPS, etc. will weigh a bass for free. I ask about weight, don't get an answer when I explain the ole digital bathroom scale won't cut it for me. Then I see the bass in question languish in the classifieds for weeks, or read unhappy seller comments wondering why their bass won't sell. Not trying to be a jerk, some of us have valid reasons for asking. Yes, and maybe the best sounding bass I ever owned was a 76P that weighed 10.5 lbs. It is long gone (still missed) and I am more than happy to play a slightly inferior sounding bass cuz that's what it takes to do what I love.
In my case, 25 years of playing soccer, 11 years taking F-4s and F-111 fighter aircraft apart and putting them back together, of spending long hours removing and replacing items that you couldn't see and had to imagine in your mind to accomplish because they were designed by engineers who never picked up a wrench, or were made by submarine manufacturers who had other concerns than ease of maintenance causing long periods of time in positions the human body wasn't engineered for. Subsequent years manipulating mouses and keyboards while sitting in a one-size-fits-all cubicle with an unadjustable table height, and minimally adjustable chair with poor back support and dealing with the resultant carpal tunnel. Impingement in both shoulders. Genetically, an L-1 disc which is less thick than all the rest, further worn down by all of the above so that I never know what random movement will turn into 10 days of agonizing pain.
I'm 5'10", 155 lbs, and have been playing since 1968. My body, not my mind tells me how heavy a bass can be for 2, 2 hour sets with a 20 minute break. For me it is 9.5 lbs max, regardless of how steady my weight lifting regimine has been. Some of us have spent all the time they can with a dying parent, or a grandchild who actually wants to spend time with them instead of just sculpting our body.
So for me, I want a bass at 9 lbs or less, it MUST BE 9.2 or less or it is gone. I have been burned here before, and traded or sold a 9.2 or 9.3 lb bass for one that was "very light, well under 9 lbs" which turned out closer to 10 or 11 lbs (mainly before feedback became commonplace here at TB). So when I ask about weight, there is a reason.
I wish people would just list an accurate rate so save us all some time and trouble. A digital fish scale is not expensive. UPS, FEDEX, USPS, etc. will weigh a bass for free. I ask about weight, don't get an answer when I explain the ole digital bathroom scale won't cut it for me. Then I see the bass in question languish in the classifieds for weeks, or read unhappy seller comments wondering why their bass won't sell. Not trying to be a jerk, some of us have valid reasons for asking. Yes, and maybe the best sounding bass I ever owned was a 76P that weighed 10.5 lbs. It is long gone (still missed) and I am more than happy to play a slightly inferior sounding bass cuz that's what it takes to do what I love.
I never used to care (much), and I'm not a big guy. Last summer I was cut off and ran my bicycle into a car at 20+ mph, separating my left shoulder. It will never be quite the same. That and being 58 y.o. makes me think it's a lot more important. Accurate weight seems like something that belongs in a well done classified.
With the mind boggling number of choices you have in basses these days why would you put up with an uncomfortable instrument? I've got chronic pain issues in my neck and shoulders so a relatively light bass is essential to me. Every bit as important though is good balance. The leverage a severely neck heavy 7 pounder exerts can easily put more pounds of force on your shoulder than a perfectly balanced 10 pounder will.
How a bass sounds is a complex combination of factors, but in my experience, heavier instruments with harder and denser body timbers tend to emphasize attack and top, where lighter timbers tend to be softer and warmer. But the quality and resonance of the timber is far more important. A light bass is nice, but not if it sounds dull and dead. For me, balance is critical too. I'd always go for a bass that was a couple of pounds heavier but well balanced over a lighter one that is neck heavy.
I agree, balance is very important. My two favorite sounding DIY basses are perfectly balanced and weigh just under 6 lbs (paulownia bodied 34" scale) and right about 5 lbs (lumber store pine shelving glue-up body 30" scale).
I don't know for sure if this is true because I've never A vs B a light bass to a heavy bass but.............an email from Bass Place or Bass Gear or someone stated that a light weight bass has better punch but less sustain and a heavy bass has better sustain but less punch. (Dunno.)
Other than that, IMO the Goldie Locks Story works for me with basses. No too light and not too heavy.
A really light bass feels cheap to me and there can be neck diving issues (not all but some).
A heavy bass is obvious. It's a "bear to wear".
IMO, maybe a few oz. past 10 lbs but anymore than that, it's just too darn heavy.
8 to 9 pounds more or less is a good weight for me.
Other than that, IMO the Goldie Locks Story works for me with basses. No too light and not too heavy.
A really light bass feels cheap to me and there can be neck diving issues (not all but some).
A heavy bass is obvious. It's a "bear to wear".
IMO, maybe a few oz. past 10 lbs but anymore than that, it's just too darn heavy.
8 to 9 pounds more or less is a good weight for me.
I agree. I would rather play a well balance 10 lb. bass than an unbalanced 7 lb. one. My back notices pretty quick when it is unbalanced.
With hundred or so basses I've owned string choice has by far made the biggest difference in sustain. Easily one of the lightest was a fretless Rob Allen Mouse strung with relatively fresh Chromes that had monstrous sustain. It was also one of the least "cheap" feeling instruments.
Over the last 5 years or so, I've developed a very nasty problem with a pinched nerve flaring up in my upper back and neck after playing for too long. It gets so bad, that by the last set of any gig, I am sometimes in so much pain and with that I am so distracted, that instead of enjoying playing the music I am wincing in pain and just wishing for the gig to be over.
Recently I built a new bass body for my 6 string (a converted Yamaha BB415 5 string) out of Douglas Fir. The whole bass weighs only 6.5 lbs. and is beautifully balanced. Not only has it saved my desire to play out, it sounds and plays beautiful, in addition to looking beautiful.
As far as weight translating to tone...Aside from being the lightest bass I've ever owned, this is, by far the best sounding bass I've ever played as well. Such killer tone that the weight savings is just a huge bonus.
I'm done with heavy basses forever. Whoever said "grow a pair" and deal with it, can kiss mine. I've been gigging for well over 30 years and a lighter bass allows me to continue playing out.
Here's my light bass...
Recently I built a new bass body for my 6 string (a converted Yamaha BB415 5 string) out of Douglas Fir. The whole bass weighs only 6.5 lbs. and is beautifully balanced. Not only has it saved my desire to play out, it sounds and plays beautiful, in addition to looking beautiful.
As far as weight translating to tone...Aside from being the lightest bass I've ever owned, this is, by far the best sounding bass I've ever played as well. Such killer tone that the weight savings is just a huge bonus.
I'm done with heavy basses forever. Whoever said "grow a pair" and deal with it, can kiss mine. I've been gigging for well over 30 years and a lighter bass allows me to continue playing out.
Here's my light bass...
"There are a lot of things to consider, other than just the sheer weight. Comfort is one. Once you stand around for a few hours with a Gibson Ripper anchoring you down, you'll pray for a lighter bass."
LOL! My first decent bass back in the 70's was a Ripper, and the ONLY reason I eventually sold it was because of the weight. I bought it for the first gig I ever played, and like you say, after a few hours my shoulder had deteriorated into jelly.
LOL! My first decent bass back in the 70's was a Ripper, and the ONLY reason I eventually sold it was because of the weight. I bought it for the first gig I ever played, and like you say, after a few hours my shoulder had deteriorated into jelly.
Heavy sounds better is a fallacy. I've had many sub 9lb basses that sound amazing. Not to mention many of the old Fenders that everyone considers tone monsters are very light. My '61 Precision is about 8lbs and sounds like freight train!
