Who plays the Heaviest Bass in the business? Why?

[Grangur]

This is inspired by a comment I read in another thread.

Lots of folk on here, when GASing over a bass will ask, nut-width and weight. There's a bass I've been playing that I might have to give up due to its weight, yet the last owner gigged it so regularly that the frets were worn down and there are channels worn into the wood of the fingerboard.

So what's your heaviest bass that gets played?
Do you gig with it?
What about it still makes you want it?

I'll kick it off with 5.37Kg (11.83 lb)
In my case, it only gets played when sitting.
The tone is deep, solid and rounded. It's got a solid Bubinga wood body.

[Oopsdabassist]

I had a teal green Yamaha TRB5 for a while (along with several other bass chatters!) Lovely piece of kit, but at over 11lbs my back didn't thank me.

Not sure who has it now, but I'm sure it stayed within the bass chat collective!

[stingrayPete1977]

A mate once had a 13.5lb 70s Jazz, awful. One of my Stingray fives is over 11lb.

[fretmeister]

Didn't someone on here have a 6 string Warwick that was something mental - like 20 lb?

[Conan]

My heaviest was probably a Fender Marcus Miller jazz. A four string at that! Not ridiculously heavy at around 11lbs, but that, combined with the stupidly complex (for me) East pre-amp encouraged me to move it on rather quickly. I could have happily gigged with it if it played and sounded awesome - but it was a bit one-dimensional.

Edited October 2, 2017 by Conan

[bartelby]

I've got 3 4 Strings that are pretty heavy.
Warwick Corvette
Fender Steve Harris
Aria Pro II SB Elite.

I'll have to weigh them when I get home.

[bassbiscuits]

I had a Tokai TB48 Thunderbird copy that weighed something like 5kg. Way too heavy to play a whole gig, so it didn't last long.

Mine are all under 4kg now thankfully.

[dmccombe7]

My Overwater 6 string fretless and my Warwick Thunb both a bit too heavy to gig with but could never get rid of them.
Overwater i had built for my 50th and my warwick i've had since new in 89.

Dave

[attachment=254830:DSC01642.JPG]

Edited October 2, 2017 by dmccombe7

[yorks5stringer]

I had a HB PJ 5 that seemed to weigh heavily, as did a natural Squier VM 5 Jazz

[ahpook]

My Musicman Sabre weighs about 12 1/2 lbs.

(Just to put that in perspective, I weigh about 140lbs...so what's that ? A leg ?)

Edited October 2, 2017 by ahpook

[dmccombe7]

[quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1506949993' post='3382194']
My Musicman Sabre weighs about 12 1/2 lbs.

(Just to put that in perspective, I weigh about 140lbs...so what's that ? A leg ?)
[/quote]


Brilliant

[EliasMooseblaster]

My 8-string is surprisingly weighty - comes in at around 11lbs. I know this is being comfortably beaten by quite a few other basses on this thread, but then this one's only a 30" scale length!

[fretmeister]

I had a 12 lb Yamaha once.

Sounded great but I couldn't manage it.

[LeftyJ]

My Aria SB-1000 is ridiculously heavy, but never left the house. I did gig my Ibanez MC924 a couple of times, that comes pretty close to the SB (the early model 924 with the mahogany wings with ash top and back). Have never weighed any of my instruments though.

Edited October 2, 2017 by LeftyJ

[Mastodon2]

I've got an Adamovic Jupiter 4 fretless, it's a singlecut and looks like quite a large piece of wood when viewed in a photo, but it's mystifying how light and small it is in person, I suppose limba and redwood isn't that heavy.

On the other hand, I've got a Warwick Thumb 5, all ovangkol, typically tiny Thumb body and just a regular neck, not a broadneck, and it weighs an absolute ton. However, I wear it on a short strap and don't struggle to play it standing, I like the way it sits on a strap and don't think it would be an issue to gig with. I've played some Jazz basses that have weighed ridiculous amount, and I find the weight to be made worse by the flat back on the body and the way they sit on a strap, the design of a bass can go a long way to disguising the weight depending on how the weight is distributed and how it hangs on a strap.

[Raslee]

Briefly owned an early 80's Ibanez Studio, at just over 14lbs it was never destined for live action - sounded great though.

[AndyTravis]

Had a plexiglass precision I sold to TeleBass at about 15lbs

[stu_g]

my 1979 Ibanez roadster is 5.5kg 12lb odd, i like it as it reminds me of my 77 precision i had
not sure if its the weight or the natural finish that reminds me of it though

[kodiakblair]

Plexi Jazz 5'er beat all my T-40's in regards to weight,easy 13lb.

[Owen]

I have just sold my Overwater 6 which was 12lbs 4. I would not want to stand for long with it on. But WHAT a sound. If only my cognitive RAM could process 6 strings I would probably have flogged everything else. I doubt that I will play it's like again.

[ambient]

My Overwater is 6.5kg.

[Owen]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1506983255' post='3382578']
My Overwater is 6.5kg.
[/quote]

Lock the thread.

[Danuman]

I’ve been playing a late 70s J copy for years and, although I’d suspected it for years, I only recently found it is actually - objectively - pretty heavy, at about 11 lbs.

Only (sort of) a problem during really long sets, though. And the action is really nice, so it’s easy on the left hand. The reason I keep playing it is it sounds amazing.

[ambient]

[quote name='owen' timestamp='1506983520' post='3382579']
Lock the thread.
[/quote]

I call it the beast, thought it's real name is Magnus .

[ahpook]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1506983255' post='3382578']
My Overwater is 6.5kg.
[/quote]

Wow, that must be an arm and a leg !