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Why are people obsessed with weight??

#481
dj5 said:
If anyone's limit is so critical and their well-being is so flip/flop that 0.5lb will stop them buying the perfect bass, then their body must be designed differently from mine. Go home fine after a gig with an 8lb bass, but crippled with pain after same with a 8.5lb bass? Hard to imagine.
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If that half pound of extra weight is located at the headstock then it's not hard for me to imagine since it's very possible that it could throw off the balance of the instrument sufficiently to cause a ergonomic disadvantage for some individuals.

dj5 said:
I've got an idea that if we were all as fussy about women as most of us seem to be about basses, then we'd all be confirmed batchelors.
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I just kept trying out a bunch until I found one that was a good fit.
 
#482
Good reply!
On your first point, I agree, but we're still talking about balance rather than total weight. In fact, your second point applies to basses too if I think about it - we should try out a bass in a real-life situation rather than chuck it on the scales and say "it's perfect, but i'm afraid it's 6oz too heavy for me, so it's going back" In other words, because of the balance, strap, etc, it MIGHT be ok for your back/shoulders if you gave it a chance. Not to try it ou seems OCD to me, and to a lot of others it seems, and that's where the disagreement is coming from.
To return to the GF analogy, someone might turns down a nineteen-year-old with the figure of a pro ice-skater, a private income, and an insatiable curiosity with regard to older men, because her hair has a tinge of red in it when the sun is behind her and he doesn't like redheads, whereas I'd probably see how it worked out.
 
#483
Dark Horse said:
KaneRoberts.jpg
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That album sounded about how it looks.
 
#485
While balance plays a BIG part of it, I can't discount weight. I played my Ray 35 for a gig. I hurt after. The bass is pretty heavy. Last night I tried my new 55-02 and there was a noticeable difference. I don't have a scale at home, but it's noticeable, and I felt better last night at the end of the gig. New bass honeymoon? Maybe. We'll see after a few weeks.

Still nothing lighter and smaller than my BB605.
 
#486
dj5 said:
I don't think anyone has picked up on the point I implied earlier.
Would you return a bass that was 0.5lb heavier than your sel-determined weight limit? I think that's where a lot of the disbelief/incredulity is coming from - if someone says no to an otherwise perfect bass because of 0.5lb, and I have seen this several times recently, then they seem to be putting a tiny departure from their limit over what everyone here wants - perfect tone/playability.
To many that apparently seems just like following a rule that's important to them, and to many others it seems like nitpicking and obsessive adherence to an arbitrary rule, ie, OCD-type behaviour. I think this is a case of "take your pick", but I must admit if I found the "one", my first thought wouldn't be to get the scales out, despite my health problems.
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0.5 lbs will make all the difference, to ME. If I am looking at a Northern Ashe 1976 Fender Jazz bass, and it is 9.5 lbs, its out of my interest range. IF it is right on 9 lbs, i can live with it being a Jazz. A half lb. can make or break the decision to buy or use that particular instrument. This is MY preference. It is up to each of us to decide which weight feels 'right' for them.
K ? :hmm:
 
#491
Dominick said:
If I was an obgyn and realized that I am squeamish at the sight of birth, I really should either shut up and deal, or find another medical practice I can succeed at.
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Right. Because an otherwise competent bass player who prefers a lighter bass to a heavier bass is just like your hypothetical ob/gyn. :rolleyes:

It's really amazing the lengths that some of you will go to to try to convince yourselves that your personal preference is more valid than someone else's personal preference.
 
#495
Stumbo said:
Try carrying a 10-12lb kid around for 3 hours and you'll know why many players prefer lighter basses.
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This was actually the case with me- after our daughter was born, I had to do almost all of the baby work along with my regular stuff, and got a big inguinal hernia as a reward. Now I'm more hesitant to play a heavy bass if I can help it. I bought my current fretted 6 used and it is between 11-12lbs- the original owner may have requested a heavier body, as I have a fretless twin to it and it weighs several pounds less. I may have another one made to be a couple pounds lighter when I can afford to.

spade2you said:
That album sounded about how it looks.
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Totally bitchin'?
 
#497
spade2you said:
More like, they put more effort into the cover than the record.
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Pfft, if they put HALF the amount of awesome into the record that went into the cover, it'd still be the best album ever.

Looks like his guitar only has five tuning pegs.
 
#499
OK Fenderbassman, no-one is saying it's not your right, but do you try the bass first, or do you get the scales out first? My point is that I'm pretty sure I couldn't even tell if a bass was 1/2lb heavier or lighter, so I'd give it a try first.

It's your right to do what you like, just as it's our right to comment on the behaviour of others if we find it odd. k?
 

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