solo4652 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 I had a Vintage V4 some while ago. It was OK, but nothing special. Sold it on fairly quickly. The Sinsonido is the front runner at the moment. Anybody got one they want to sell, or lend me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luckman67 Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 One bass that I had that was very light was a Peavey Cirrus BXP 4, the only drawback for me was that it was 35" scale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazed Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Basslab. Without a doubt. Completely hollow and made from tuneable composite materials. Basslab.de Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prosebass Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 [quote name='Dandelion' timestamp='1465677383' post='3070193'] Cort curbow. Dead light. Dead cheap, dead good. [/quote] +1 on this. I have both fretted and fretless Luthite bodied Curbows that weigh in around the 7lb mark and can be had for £150.00 secondhand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 Steve, I've got 3 Bass Collection 5 strings. Just over 7lbs so the 4 string would probably come in less. Welcome to come and try if you want. You'd pick one up for around £200 and they are pretty awesome, ( hence me having 3 of them ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted June 13, 2016 Author Share Posted June 13, 2016 Hi Stuart. How kind you are. The Bass Collection basses have been mentioned quite a few times. I'll do some research and then get back to you if a try-out seems in order. What do you do with that extra string? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBunny Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 [quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1465848313' post='3071604'] Hi Stuart. How kind you are. The Bass Collection basses have been mentioned quite a few times. I'll do some research and then get back to you if a try-out seems in order. What do you do with that extra string? Steve [/quote] There is a huge amount of info on here. Search for "Obscure Musical Backwaters". Don't confuse the original SGC Nanyo ones with the current versions marketed by The Bass Centre. They are completely different animals. Extra string? I use them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MoJo Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 [quote name='luckman67' timestamp='1465803515' post='3070994'] What about the Vintage V4 P bass clone, I have heard that they are light weight. [/quote] Not my V4MTB. That's nearly 9lbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 [quote name='BassBunny' timestamp='1465846781' post='3071584'] Steve, I've got 3 Bass Collection 5 strings. Just over 7lbs so the 4 string would probably come in less. Welcome to come and try if you want. You'd pick one up for around £200 and they are pretty awesome, ( hence me having 3 of them ). [/quote] I'm a big fan of the SB320 and I'm happy to recommend these basses to anyone, but sad to say the days of picking them up for £200 are long gone. Expect to see adverts for £350, maybe try to get them down to £300. Even at £350 a bass of this quality is still an unbeatable bargain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 http://basschat.co.uk/topic/697-obscure-musical-backwaters/page__hl__obscure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted June 14, 2016 Author Share Posted June 14, 2016 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1465894070' post='3071839'] [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/697-obscure-musical-backwaters/page__hl__obscure"]http://basschat.co.u...ge__hl__obscure[/url] [/quote] Thanks for the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 14, 2016 Share Posted June 14, 2016 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1465894009' post='3071836'] I'm a big fan of the SB320 and I'm happy to recommend these basses to anyone, but sad to say the days of picking them up for £200 are long gone. [/quote] Speaking of which, this just cropped up on eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/bass-collection-/152127777256?hash=item236b85a9e8:g:A6YAAOSw2GlXDWR6 I do hope it isn't a Basschatter, but the truth is that this bass is in pretty ropey condition, despite the (brief) description. If the vendor genuinely believes he can get north of £250 for a much-buggered-about 325 then a mint 4-string 320 will deffo be more than £300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted June 16, 2016 Author Share Posted June 16, 2016 (edited) Quick update, for anybody interested. This afternoon, I played a nice Bass Collection SB301, hoping its light weight would be the snake oil I've been looking for to enable me to play more than 5 songs. I'm afraid not. The SB 301 is about 1.2 Kgs lighter than my Yamaha BB1024, but I could feel my left arm and hand, and my neck getting tired and painful after only 5 minutes or so of noodling. I was using my own strap, and the SB301 was balancing nicely. I didn't feel I was holding up the neck, and it was pretty easy to play. Nothing wrong with the bass - for the money, I was very impressed with it. Driving home, my left arm was pretty numb and I was losing some strength and coordination at times. My thinking is that if I'm struggling to play a light, nicely balanced little bass like the BC SB301, then there's not much point trying to find something much lighter or easier to play. Just holding a cup of tea up with my left hand causes problems. Time for a re-think about what I'm going to do next in terms of playing bass. Bit fed up now. Edited June 16, 2016 by solo4652 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doonaboon Posted June 16, 2016 Share Posted June 16, 2016 Gutting, sorry to hear that. An option could be to play sitting? I normally go for a tall bar stool for longer gigs (2h+) as my Geddy Jazz starts to pull my shoulder muscle after a while and ends up hurting down to my lower back the next day. Obviously nowhere nears as bad as your condition but still, sitting lets my leg take the weight and I'm much happier afterwards. Can't say I've ever had any complaints from the audience about sitting either - probably the less they see of me the better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 Folks, My medical woes continue, but I've been experimenting with different basses to find a way forward. I've found that: As suggested by many B/Cers, a well-balanced bass is just as important as a light one. Holding up a neck-heavy bass while playing very quickly leads to arm and neck pains. I've cobbled together a waist strap that takes a lot of the weight of a bass off my shoulder. I've discovered that the key thing is to have an extra strap running from the waist to an extra strap pin close to the tip of the lower bout. With my Yamaha BB's, this also really helps with the overall balance. 32" scale helps. So, my revised shopping list for a bass is: 32" scale Lightweight. Doesn't have to be as mad/creative/different as I was originally thinking. Just light, that's all. 3 Kgs would be good It[i] has[/i] to be nicely balanced on a conventional strap with no neck dive. P/J, or maybe P/MM pickup configuration. I've never really been a J-bass fan but, you never know... Budget is £500 max I thought about starting a new thread, but decided that slightly re-orienting this existing one would be a better option. Mods - please do advise if you think otherwise. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chiliwailer Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 The Aria Pro IGB series had a medium scale years back, PJ configuration. These were often very lightweight and you'd have money left over for better pickups. A friend of mine who is a tech and obsessed with lightweight guitars and basses suggests headless conversions too, so if you find a bass you like and fancy getting the band saw out.... Good luck mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benebass Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Hi Steve - I've had loads of aches & pains with my left shoulder over the years, but I found a shorter scale along with sitting down makes a massive difference. I know it sounds like a shameless plug & a it's a bit over your budget, but I've just put my 3kg 32" Maruszcyk bass up for sale - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/289364-maruszczyk-medium-scale-jake-4-lightest-precision-ever/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/289364-maruszczyk-medium-scale-jake-4-lightest-precision-ever/[/url] Hope you're on the mend soon... Cheers, B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 (edited) There's a maruzyczk popped up in the classifieds today. It's 3kg 33" scale. It's £600 but worth a look maybe. Edited August 2, 2016 by mrtcat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtcat Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Spooky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benebass Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 [quote name='mrtcat' timestamp='1470173498' post='3103910'] Spooky [/quote] Indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solo4652 Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 Oooh, now then. Looks very interesting. Close look in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naxos10 Posted August 3, 2016 Share Posted August 3, 2016 If you can get on with a 30.75" short scale then look at the SWB-1 from Scott Whitley [url="http://www.shortscalebass.co.uk"](www.shortscalebass.co.uk[/url]) which may suit your requirements. He also has a range of secondhand basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusco Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 I recently had a conversation with a guy gigging an Ibanez SR600 who said he had similar needs (and very painful neck/shoulder problems) and chose that particular model after testing a huge number of others across many price points. Sounded fine and seemed feather light. I know it’s not ticking all the boxes you’ve stated though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Not quite what you were asking but if you can get on with a short scale bass then a Danelectro Longhorn bass ticks a lot of boxes. Despite looking like something out of the Pink Panther cartoon they are actually proper basses with a wide range of tones and huge sound. All my basses are sub-9lbs to prevent my back aching next day. But if my back is actually bad and i have to play, this is the one I use - I think it is around 6lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 (edited) [quote name='solo4652' timestamp='1470161217' post='3103754'] Folks, My medical woes continue, but I've been experimenting with different basses to find a way forward. I've found that: As suggested by many B/Cers, a well-balanced bass is just as important as a light one. Holding up a neck-heavy bass while playing very quickly leads to arm and neck pains. I've cobbled together a waist strap that takes a lot of the weight of a bass off my shoulder. I've discovered that the key thing is to have an extra strap running from the waist to an extra strap pin close to the tip of the lower bout. With my Yamaha BB's, this also really helps with the overall balance. 32" scale helps. So, my revised shopping list for a bass is: 32" scale Lightweight. Doesn't have to be as mad/creative/different as I was originally thinking. Just light, that's all. 3 Kgs would be good It[i] has[/i] to be nicely balanced on a conventional strap with no neck dive. P/J, or maybe P/MM pickup configuration. I've never really been a J-bass fan but, you never know... Budget is £500 max I thought about starting a new thread, but decided that slightly re-orienting this existing one would be a better option. Mods - please do advise if you think otherwise. Steve [/quote] I empathise with your pain Steve, I get bouts of spondylitis/spondylosis...always forget which - the one related to joint wear rather than being Rheumatoid. It manifests as neck, shoulder pain and arm weakness/numbness. I had to sell a particularly nice Limelight 63 Jazz which I'd bought new as a YOB bass because it was exacerbating the problem which was a real downer. In terms of basses that I can comfortably play when I'm 'having a bout', I've only found one that ticks all the boxes and that's a Status Streamline. I think it's because it's light weight and you can move the neck to whichever position you want and it just stays there. Hopefully that would make your scale length requirements obsolete, however you can get it in 32'' scale if you find one with the bendwell option. The major drawback is that it's well above your budget, second hand I think a standard one comes in around the £1k mark. If you can find one to try though I'd recommend you try as it could put you back on the road so to speak...you're welcome to try mine but I notice you're a good 90 minutes away. All the best, Mart Edited August 4, 2016 by martthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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