What Is The Best Way To Weigh A Bass ?

[Dingus]

I want to get an accurate idea of what my basses weigh and my little kitchen scale is wholly insufficient , not least of all because it gives a different weight every time depending on where I put the bass on the tray . What weighing equipment can anyone recommend to get a more consistant and accurate result ?

[tonyquipment]

Luggage scales?

[Clarky]

Digital hand held luggage scales (only cost about a tenner) and hang the bass from a tuner. Bob's your uncle

[BigRedX]

How accurate to you want/need to be?

My "bathroom" scales are good to the nearest tenth of a kilogram which is good enough for me (and whatever delivery service I used when shipping instruments).

[Clarky]

£4.33 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50kg-10g-Digital-Hanging-Scale-Portable-Electronic-Luggage-Scale-B20E-New-/310657059905

[redstriper]

I got my digital luggage scales from Morissons for £4.99.
Easy to put in your pocket when you go bass shopping

[Billy Apple]

Weigh yourself holding bass on bathroom scales. Then weigh yourself on your own. (you+bass) - you = bass

[Roland Rock]

Careful though, when you dial in a fat tone, it adds approx. 1lb

[Clarky]

And my scales lie

[Junkyard Rocket]

I've seen cheapo luggage scales in Poundland. I don't now how much they cost though.

[Dingus]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1371300877' post='2112304']
How accurate to you want/need to be?

My "bathroom" scales are good to the nearest tenth of a kilogram which is good enough for me (and whatever delivery service I used when shipping instruments).
[/quote]

Tenth of a kilo would be fine . At the moment I have got about a half a pound area of error on any given attempt .

[Dingus]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1371301173' post='2112309']
Weigh yourself holding bass on bathroom scales. Then weigh yourself on your own. (you+bass) - you = bass
[/quote]

A lot of folks on Talkbass use that method , but it's not going to be very accurate Because of the Principal of Moments , the act of holding the bass intoduces a measure of inertia which prevents the full weight of the bass bearing down upon the scale , according to my brother . He's an astrophysicist , but look at the bollocks up NASA made with that space shuttle , so I suppose he could be wrong .

Edited June 15, 2013 by Dingus

[Dingus]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1371301373' post='2112318']
And my scales lie
[/quote]

Our bathroom scales were lying so maliciously that Mrs Dingus threw them out and refused to replace them .

[Dingus]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1371300764' post='2112302']
Digital hand held luggage scales (only cost about a tenner) and hang the bass from a tuner. Bob's your uncle
[/quote]

Will it be safe to hang the bass off the tuner ? I don't want to break or bend the machine head .

[Clarky]

Is that Mrs Dingus in your avatar?

[Clarky]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371303299' post='2112346']


Will it be safe to hang the bass off the tuner ? I don't want to break or bend the machine head .
[/quote]its what I do but then I am only ever weighing basses with heavy, solid tuners (Fenders). I would probably be more circumspect if it was a lightweight skinny tuner

[Dingus]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1371303313' post='2112347']
Is that Mrs Dingus in your avatar?
[/quote]

No , but It's a timely reminder to her of what she should be aiming for and the standards she is expected to meet .

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371303077' post='2112342']
A lot of folks on Talkbass use that method , but it's not going to be very accurate Because of the Principal of Moments , the act of holding the bass intoduces a measure of inertia which prevents the full weight of the bass bearing down upon the scale , according to my brother . He's an astrophysicist , but look at the bollocks up NASA made with that space shuttle , so I suppose he could be wrong .
[/quote]

I hold the bass tight in to my body, and I think that works pretty well. The weight has always squared up to other folk's hanging scales I have used. But, who am I to argue with an astrowhatnot.

[ezbass]

This
[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1371301173' post='2112309']
Weigh yourself holding bass on bathroom scales. Then weigh yourself on your own. (you+bass) - you = bass
[/quote]

Do it a couple of times and pick the most consistent result. Conversely anglers' scales.

[Billy Apple]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1371304309' post='2112368']
[size=4]Do it a couple of times and pick the most consistent result. Conversely anglers' scales.[/size]
[/quote]

[size=4]A couple of times I stopped for a kebab mid trial, which has affected results. I even things out with a fag and a copy of The Sporting Life upon my throne.[/size]

[EssentialTension]

I use luggage scales. They work fine and very cheap.

[Clarky]

[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1371305769' post='2112386']
I use luggage scales. They work fine and very cheap.
[/quote]
but are they good for metal?

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1371305852' post='2112387']
but are they good for metal?
[/quote]
Never.

[steve-bbb]

9.3 lbs

all of them

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1371303077' post='2112342']
A lot of folks on Talkbass use that method , but it's not going to be very accurate Because of the Principal of Moments , the act of holding the bass intoduces a measure of inertia which prevents the full weight of the bass bearing down upon the scale , according to my brother . He's an astrophysicist , but look at the bollocks up NASA made with that space shuttle , so I suppose he could be wrong .
[/quote]

From what I recall from O Level Physics (it was a long time ago and I wasn't very good at it although I did manage to get a passing grade), the whole point of the principal of moments was that the force bearing down would be the same no matter what angle you the item providing the force was at in relation to the point of contact.

I just did some real world tests with a bass and my bathroom scales and there is no difference in the combined weight of me and bass with it held directly over the scales and with me holding it by the headstock at 90° to my body with the body of the bass as far from the scales as possible.

And even if there was most sensible people would hold the bass with the body resting on their feet and the headstock at chest height directly over the platform of the scales when weighing both themselves and the bass, so the principle of moments would be having no bearing on the outcome anyway.