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When did weight become the top priority in a bass?

#61
My late friend gigged until about
age 84 or 85. He was the band leader and hauled/ set up the PA until about age 81. He sat on a stool with his 40# accordion strapped on.
I no longer play my 1977 Stingray because I found basses I like better. Weight is never considered in the selection process for me.
 
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#62
I first discovered weight was a problem when I bought a 13lb Fender Precision Special. Nice bass, but even for a fit and healthy half marathon running, karate and squash playing 30 year old it was uncomfortable to play. Throughout my youth I regularly bought cabs that required 2 or more people to lift. The weight issue really hit home when, in my 50's, I damaged a disc in my lower back gigging 2 x 90lb mesa boogie cabs. I work out but I still have physical limits, which will be with me for life. Fortunately Neo cabs came along shortly after my injury and I've been able to carry on gigging. Without Bergantino and Barefaced I would have retired 20 years ago. The other upside, I'm gigging 2 x 112 neo cabs and I sound better than I ever did with my Marshall 412 stacks and Ampeg 215's etc.
 
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#66
Enjoy a heavy bass while you can, gravity conquers ALL in the end, though I never saw the need for it. Beyond a certain level of structural rigidity, it really is just dead weight. I think the heaviest bass I ever played was an Alembic Series 1, gorgeous bass and Epic tone....and a total boat anchor at something like 13+ lbs. I couldn't get on with that at 20, let alone 64. Given the choice between a heavy bass that balances well or a neck diver, I'd take the heavy bass, though both are the hallmarks of poor design.
 
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#69
Before the Internet (yes, there were people that long ago), we used to go into our local music shops, shoot the bull with the proprietor and/or staff member for a while, play a few instruments; and if one of them really felt and sounded right, we might dicker on the price.

These days, with the “wonderful” Internet, we are buying expensive instruments sight unseen. Pause and think about that for a moment. What could be wrong with that?

Musical instruments can be a very personal choice for a given player. OK, Carol Kaye used to trade her P’s in for new ones whenever she needed new strings; but, whatever. Most of us are fairly discriminating about items we purchase with our hard won earnings.

Weight is one factor in how a given instrument responds; so, it matters. Alembic will tell you that heavier basses tend to “sound better.” Marcus Miller prefers a heavier ash body for his fretted sounds, and a lighter instrument for his fretless work. Etc.

Making this topic about age is sophomoric cafeteria food fight; but, then, one contribution the internet has produced is we can virtually fight with each other at a moments notice. Food fights are fun, and you can do it without using your brain.

Instruments of any given make or model do NOT all feel the same, sound the same, weigh the same, or vibe the same. Yet, we make these substantial purchases HOPING everything will work out.

Asking about weight is just one aspect that can easily be provided by sellers, and which gives the potential buyer just a little more information. I’ve been doing that since, oh….the late 90’s, when we started this foolishness. Heavier instruments have some advantages, lighter instruments have some advantages.

So, why are we making this about age? Oh, right; food fights are fun.
 
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#70
melarson said:
I know, I know, plenty of you will say it's ALWAYS been important but I don't remember it being so high up on the priority list, or one of the first questions in a NBD post. I've been flipping local deals online for a while and don't remember being asked this until fairly recently. I have a beautiful 2000 EBMM StingRay 5 H on Reverb and the only question I've had, buy several different people no less, is what's the weight? It's a StingRay, it's heavy! (11 lbs 3 oz if you're curious) Someone on Facebook was asking if Sadowsky made anything under 6.5 lbs. I had a Hagstom Super Swede that was 7 lbs even, it felt like a toy. Maybe I've never picked up on it, it just seems like a weirdly recent phenomenon.
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The recent generation of bassists are "soft".
 
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#72
At the high end, my old Kimbara J-bass weighs 11.7 lbs. At the low end, my Squier Sonic Precision weighs 8.2 lbs. I'm happy with a cheap woven nylon straps but maybe I'm lucky.

Weight is sometimes reputed to increase sustain but how often do we let notes ring for more than a few seconds? I often end up rolling the side of my palm onto the bridge to "fade out" sustained notes.
 
#75
chris_b said:
I first discovered weight was a problem when I bought a 13lb Fender Precision Special. Nice bass, but even for a fit and healthy half marathon running, karate and squash playing 30 year old it was uncomfortable to play. Throughout my youth I regularly bought cabs that required 2 or more people to lift. The weight issue really hit home when, in my 50's, I damaged a disc in my lower back gigging 2 x 90lb mesa boogie cabs. I work out but I still have physical limits, which will be with me for life. Fortunately Neo cabs came along shortly after my injury and I've been able to carry on gigging. Without Bergantino and Barefaced I would have retired 20 years ago. The other upside, I'm gigging 2 x 112 neo cabs and I sound better than I ever did with my Marshall 412 stacks and Ampeg 215's etc.
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Yep, amps and cabs are a bigger concern for me. My Trace Elliot combo weighs about 40 lbs.
 
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#78
Weight was always an Issue for many bassists, there just wasn’t anything that could be done about it at the time. My Ampeg B-15N weighs 65 lbs. It stays at the house. I got it to lighten the load of my Kasino 200 2x15 one combo piece refrigerator, posing as a bass amp. I got into the Duo Strap concept a long time ago, with the McIntosh Double Comfort Strap (not a computer) They were available in 1985 I’ve had one ever since. Now I use the Gruv Gear Duo Strap with two Lakland 55-94’s coming in at around 8 1/2 lbs and a Godin LR Baggs that’s closer to 6 1/2 lbs. 35 “ Scale 5 string necks along with
muli-laminate body’s and necks feel heavier because they balance differently. Four string basses feel lighter to me. Just my take adjusted for inflation.
 
#80
crazycloud said:
When lots of people got fat and lazy and stopped taking care of themselves.
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I don't like jumping in after this many posts but I have to disagree. At 19 I was in good shape and playing 22-minute sets with a punk band, and even then, a really heavy bass was annoying. 20 years later, I am not fat or lazy, and I'm in better shape, but all else equal, I would still pick a lighter bass over a heavier one. Why not use the lightest tool for the job?

I don't want to argue but I don't think you can draw a straight line from caring about the weight of a bass to fat and lazy.

Equally - I don't think you can draw a straight line from caring about the weight of a bass to old(er).

A heavy bass does not feel any better to a teenager than it does to a fat, lazy, old person.
 
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