Same bass different weight

[bonzodog]

I'm in the process of looking to buy the squier vintage modified 4 string jazz in black as it ticks all boxes for me.
However I tried one in pmt Bham other day and despite really liking it I thought I'd shop around to see if there were any cheaper. I came across a smaller shop that stocked one and although it was slightly cheaper the main thing that struck me was it definitely felt lighter than the same one in pmt. I know it's hard to tell as it was a few days apart but as soon as I picked then second one up it just felt really light.
I haven't bought either yet.
Am I going mad or could it be maybe a change in production could change weight. No mention of weights on fender Web site.

[gary mac]

A few years back my daughter and I both had VM Jazzes. Identical to look at but very different in weight, hers being much heavier than mine.

[Cameronj279]

Wood isn't always going to be consistent. You get some heavier slabs of it than others.

[warwickhunt]

This is the reason I ask for the actual weight of a bass a seller has; often manufacturers weight can be out by a pound either way... yes potentially 2lb difference between identical basses. I have 4 Warwick Streamers the lightest is 7lb 7oz the heaviest 9lb 3oz and my saga to find a light weight Lakland identified identical model basses that exceeded the 2lb differential.

[kristinaelias]

Last summer I tried out a s/h Squier VM 77 bass in black which was lively and light, in Epsom GG, I should have snapped it up then but they were just closing, & it sold before I could go back again. I decided it was so nice I would get a new one from Andertons, again the bass I tried was lovely and light, but it was slightly marked. Fortunately Andertons had plenty in stock so I took home another, still in it's box. When I got it home & unboxed it, it felt heavy. I weighed it and it was 4.4kgs 9.5lbs. That's not light in my book. I took it back & asked that they swap it for the lightest one of the 3 in the warehouse, unboxed it in the shop and sure enough, that felt light. I weighed it when I got home, it's 3.394kgs / 7.48lbs. Exactly the same model, from the same shop, alegedly made of the same Agathis body wood, & presumably very possibly bought from the same production run, yet over a kilo weight difference!

[karlfer]

As alluded to by the guys above, no such thing as the same bass. Same model, yes, same bass, no.

That's why a lot of folk ask for the weight of a bass for sale. Especially us older gits who've had basses on our shoulders for 40 or more years

[BigRedX]

It's made of wood. Every piece is different.

If you want an instrument that is a consistent weight from one example to the next it will need to be made out of a material that is consistent such as carbon fibre/graphite or aluminium.

[bonzodog]

I understand that wood weighs different according to batch but these differences were very noticeable.
As weight is a factor for me (prolapsed disc) it means that I can't rely on buying one via the Internet even if I've tried one in a shop beforehand.

[naxos10]

Have you thought of trying a short scale bass?

[bonzodog]

[quote name='naxos10' timestamp='1459268660' post='3014952']
Have you thought of trying a short scale bass?
[/quote]

It's not that I need a light bass as such. I choose a bass on other factors but I would find a lighter bass a bonus.

[Chienmortbb]

It is that difference in weight/density that makes a mockery of the whole "tone wood" debate. It is the density of the wood that adds a tiny amount to the sound not the actual species.