I LIKE HEAVY BASSES

[donkelley]

I felt that way when I was 20 and owned an Alembic Series 1.

Now I'm 50 and literally want to saw the wings off every bass I own, to reduce weight LoL.

[drTStingray]

I have two Stingray 5s - one is about 15 yrs old, natural ash, maple board - weighs well over 10 lbs. But the body resonates more than any other bass I have (to the point it's more like a huge vibration) - and that is translated into the sound of the bass when amplified. 

The second is a pretty new Stingray Special which is not much over 8 lbs. It also has a very resonant body, though nowhere near to the level of the other one - it has the neo pick ups and 18 volt preamp with Bongo-esque levels of available EQ boost.

Do I still use the heavyweight one - you bet - the sound is that good, and on a comfortable strap it's fine for two 45 min sets (though I don't have it round my knees - more under my chin - well about mid way between the two!! Probably a bit 80s in look). 

I often wonder if this constant clamour for light basses results from our six string player colleagues taking up the bass and finding it a bit heavy compared to some guitars (not a Les Paul!!) or maybe it's because the average demographic of bass players is creeping ever closer to and beyond the 60 years of age mark.... 

 

 

Edited September 14, 2019 by drTStingray
Ever more crazy auto correct when you're not paying attention

[roonjuice]

i've really enjoyed reading the comments here so far, to clarify, i prefer the weight not for tone, but i move, a lot.

i also use the weight of the bass/neck for string bends/neck bends and slides etc, so a 70's p or j works well.

one of these new fangled hollow basses might pop a nut!!!!

[Lfalex v1.1]

2 hours ago, roonjuice said:

one of these new fangled hollow basses might pop a nut!!!!

I've no issue with hefty instruments , but I'm glad my Infinity SN4 is chambered. If it were solid Zebrano, it'd be a real boat anchor! I reckon 16lb+ ,and it's only a 4...

[paul_5]

Me too; I like a good, solid chunk of ash and maple.

I like my Neoprene straps even more! 😀

[Deedee]

38 minutes ago, Lfalex v1.1 said:

I've no issue with hefty instruments , but I'm glad my Infinity SN4 is chambered. If it were solid Zebrano, it'd be a real boat anchor! I reckon 16lb+ ,and it's only a 4...

I can imagine. It’s the Zebrano facings on my SB-R150 that make it 2lbs heavier than my R80!

[Defo]

I don't mind a bit of weight and I'm 48. Love slinging on my Ibanez Musician. 

[bigsmokebass]

I do like a heavy bass when it comes to recording, I find there's a better sound perhaps due to the mass(?) and there's something about a feel about a heavy bass when it comes to playing one but given I don't stand up and rock out when recording, I do have slightly lighter basses for playing live and my back does feel a lot more relief this way. 

Early memories of playing some heavy Ibanez SR basses and having dead shoulders (even on a wide strap) after a gig is something I don't miss. 

[Woodinblack]

I like the sound of my 5005, but then I like the sound of all my 4 digit SRs, and TBH, there isn't that much difference, but the 5005 I couldn't wear for a whole gig as it is much heavier than the others and I don't have the luxury of these short 1 hour sets that people go on about!

[Guest]

Not that I gig any more, but personally I would take a slightly heavier bass if the weight is in the body rather than a lighter weight overall with a heavy neck and terrible balance. This is where Fender and Musicman, being more traditional in terms of wood, generally get it right, and companies like Ibanez and Warwick don’t. I did once record an album with the classic 70’s ash P-bass boat anchor and I had trouble walking for about a week afterward, due to dead leg syndrome!

[Al Krow]

On 17/09/2019 at 17:49, Woodinblack said:

I like the sound of my 5005, but then I like the sound of all my 4 digit SRs, and TBH, there isn't that much difference, but the 5005 I couldn't wear for a whole gig as it is much heavier than the others and I don't have the luxury of these short 1 hour sets that people go on about!

Don't you get a break after an hour, even if you're doing a 2 hour set? Or do you boys do 3 to 4 hours as standard?!

[Woodinblack]

7 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Don't you get a break after an hour, even if you're doing a 2 hour set? Or do you boys do 3 to 4 hours as standard?!

We do either 2 or 3 hours. If we do a 2 hour we have a break at about an hour, if we do 3 hours, we tend to have a longer first half so we do an hour and a half.

If we are going to do a short gig (ie, 2 hours), I might take the 5005 for a set, but tbh, although I used to cycle around the basses, I almost always take either the Maruszczyk if I trust the place, which is chambered or the 1605 which weighs nothing. I only take the 2605 if we have a proper stage.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

If we are going to do a short gig (ie, 2 hours), I might take the 5005 for a set, but tbh, although I used to cycle around the basses, I almost always take either the Maruszczyk if I trust the place, which is chambered or the 1605 which weighs nothing. I only take the 2605 if we have a proper stage.

I presume these figures are weights in grams? so the 5005 is 11lbs, the 1605 is 3 1/2lbs and the 2605 is 6lbs...

[Woodinblack]

1 hour ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I presume these figures are weights in grams? so the 5005 is 11lbs, the 1605 is 3 1/2lbs and the 2605 is 6lbs...

Sounds about right!

[patrikmarky]

On 10/09/2019 at 22:30, Painy said:

I'm finding the older I get the more I actualy prefer a heavier bass. This is because, as I've gotten older my belly has started to protrude further beyond my belt. I find a good weighty bass to be better at pushing down on my belly and flattening it back out. 😁

In all seriousness though I don't really like the feel of an overly light bass. They just feel kind of flimsy insubstantial to me. Anywhere between 8.5 and 12 lbs and I'm pretty happy. 

You need my usa washburn mate... Comes in at14lbs!!.. I wonder who has the heaviest bass on basschat 😂

[CamdenRob]

6 minutes ago, patrikmarky said:

I wonder who has the heaviest bass on basschat 😂

I seem to recall someone has an acoustic one filled with concrete 😕

[Cat Burrito]

I like a light bass and heavy fingers

[ped]

I think weight has a part to play, just like everything else. I think it's often a by-product created in pursuit of rigidity, which I think is one of the main factors influencing the way a bass vibrates and reacts. Traditionally that can be achieved through lots of laminates (my Alembic had 11!), heavier woods that are stiffer or new materials like carbon necks, which of course are quite light. 

Nowadays I don't think there's a need for a rigid bass to be heavy and although I generally play in the studio sitting down I still prefer a mid weight bass just because from a technical standpoint I don't think unnecessary weight is acceptable. 

For me it's all about a rigid neck and a softer body wood to give that 'weight' to the sound, so it feels like you're slapping a suspension bridge cable rather than a piece of twine affixed to a dowel.

[FinnDave]

8 hours ago, ped said:

 Traditionally that can be achieved through lots of laminates (my Alembic had 11!)

And yet people mock plywood basses! 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, FinnDave said:

And yet people mock plywood basses! 

A very good point; for an electric instrument quality plywood should be better. Not for soundboards though!

[Bleat]

£500- £1000 + = "laminate construction "

£50- £500 = "plywood"

😉

[Lfalex v1.1]

I refer my learned colleagues to the Kubicki not-exactly-plywood necks..

[4000]

12 hours ago, ped said:

I think weight has a part to play, just like everything else. I think it's often a by-product created in pursuit of rigidity, which I think is one of the main factors influencing the way a bass vibrates and reacts. Traditionally that can be achieved through lots of laminates (my Alembic had 11!), heavier woods that are stiffer or new materials like carbon necks, which of course are quite light. 

Nowadays I don't think there's a need for a rigid bass to be heavy and although I generally play in the studio sitting down I still prefer a mid weight bass just because from a technical standpoint I don't think unnecessary weight is acceptable. 

For me it's all about a rigid neck and a softer body wood to give that 'weight' to the sound, so it feels like you're slapping a suspension bridge cable rather than a piece of twine affixed to a dowel.

John Diggins once described the neck on my main bass - which is my all-time favourite sounding bass - as “spongy”. I actually think that is one of the things that contributes to the tone, which is far more complex than any other bass I’ve owned. It has an almost acoustic quality. 

[Hooch]

I don't like heavy basses at all, and so does my back, but i tend to prefer heavier basses. I mean it's very difficult to be sure about what separately contributes to the tone, but i tend to prefer heavier alder or ash body. I got the feeling lighter bodies (under 9lbs for an alder-bodied jazz / under 9.5 lbs for an ash-bodied) generate more scooped tones, heavier ones adding presence. With the noticeable exception of mahogany, and probably other species, which resonates with a bunch of low-mids, whether it's light or heavier.

[NickA]

56, bad back ( prolapsed a disk years back) none of my basses weigh under 4.8kg.  I'm with the OP.  They just feel so good. 

Not that I'm doing two hour sets six times a week in a casino band ... which a fellow Wal owner and (facebook) acquaintance manages.

Solid mahogany, nowt like it😃