Lighter weight bass

[Baxlin]

It’s a while since I’ve posted on here, forgive me!

 

I currently play an Epiphone EB3 (long scale), which I really like, and I have an ‘80s Marlin as a little used backup, but thanks to a bad back and age, (i’m in my late ‘70s) I’m increasingly finding both of these to be uncomfortably heavy.

 

Any recommendations please for a lighter bass?  Thanks

[warwickhunt]

 

Also check out the short scale appreciation thread!  

[pn_day]

The other option is to go for something headless if you want to keep with a full scale. 

 

Strandberg are expensive but seem to get lots of love. (My son has an 8 string guitar which is a thing of beauty, and the strange neck shape just works). 

 

Other (cheaper) options include Ibanez and Cort. Older 80s Steinberger copies tend to be a bit heavier, but are still lighter than your typical Fender Shaped Object.

 

Good luck with the search,

Phil

[crazycloud]

Ibanez EHBs.

[Len_derby]

A hollow-bodied electric bass? Several different shapes to choose from.

A Danelectro?

An acoustic bass guitar?

 

Have fun in your search! 

[three]

Danelectro Longhorn basses are incredibly light (and short-scale with a 24 fret board).  Surprisingly versatile basses in terms of tone too.  There's a reasonably recently released 'Red Hot' version with an F hole - maybe worth a look?

 

[warwickhunt]

13 minutes ago, three said:

Danelectro Longhorn basses are incredibly light (and short-scale with a 24 fret board).  Surprisingly versatile basses in terms of tone too.  There's a reasonably recently released 'Red Hot' version with an F hole - maybe worth a look?

 

NO!  Why did you alert me to that?  I like Dano LHs... I like F holes... I 'might' need one of these! 

[lemmywinks]

As well as overall weight there's neck dive to consider, a lot of lighter basses will pull on your shoulder as most of the weight is reduced at the body end. This is no good if you have back or shoulder issues.

 

As mentioned previously the Ibanez EHB are headless (no dive!) and chambered, mine is 7lb/3.3kg. Get the one with Nordstrands in it, will be paying around £700-£800 used or about £1.3k new, they also do a short scale option.

[JoeEvans]

I love my ACG Border Reiver for many reasons; one reason is that with a small body, medium scale and no head, it's light, but being made of a decent chunk of swamp ash, it feels dense and solid. So best of both worlds. I don't really like the feel of full-size basses that are too light - they feel somehow flimsy.

[Schnozzalee]

Jack Bruce Danelectro Longhorn

[miles'tone]

Höfners are a fun lightweight option. They sound huge.

Edited September 30, 2024 by miles'tone

[ezbass]

There’s the discontinued Yamaha RBX4 A2, which was light weight. Maruszczyk Elwood Ls are very light (I have 2). However, my first thought was the aforementioned Danelectro. And just for @warwickhunt…

 

 

https://www.thomann.co.uk/danelectro_58_longhorn_bass_red_hot.htm?glp=1&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADuDMCVv1qoIZ3fNWkAPJwPEc5lrb&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq_KstK3qiAMV4oRoCR3KsxD2EAQYBiABEgIuz_D_BwE

[Marc S]

I'm going through a similar phase. Thankfully for me, I've not been suffering with back pains. For me, it's an aching left shoulder - and that sometimes lasts through the next day.

 

Also, the fingers on my left hand are "feeling" those stretches a little more.

 

So I've been gigging short scale more. My Danelectro Longhorn is an amazing bass! It's short scale, yet it seems like it isn't, somehow - as it has more frets than say a Mustang. It also sounds brilliant, and is hollow bodied - and light as a feather.

 

I also have a SS Headless Ibanez (EHB 1000), which is also stupidly lightweight.

 

I have also worked on acquiring lightweight amp gear - and that's another story...

 

If you want lightweight 34" scale, then maybe a Fender P Lyte, or Aerodyne Jazz? Good luck with your search, and let us know how you get on 😀

[Rosie C]

2 hours ago, Baxlin said:

I currently play an Epiphone EB3 (long scale), which I really like, and I have an ‘80s Marlin as a little used backup, but thanks to a bad back and age, (i’m in my late ‘70s) I’m increasingly finding both of these to be uncomfortably heavy.

 

Any recommendations please for a lighter bass?  Thanks

 

I had similar problems after a back injury a couple of years ago. I played a Hofner violin bass for a while, but it just wasn't the same as my jazz bass. My solution was to take the jazz to my local luthier. She replaced the tuners with lightweight ones, chambered the body underneath the pick guard, and replaced the bridge for a 'bent plate' type. I think we lost about 1.5 pounds, which was enough to make it playable for me.   

[Marc S]

6 minutes ago, ezbass said:

There’s the discontinued Yamaha RBX4 A2, which was light weight. Maruszczyk Elwood Ls are very light (I have 2). However, my first thought was the aforementioned Danelectro. And just for @warwickhunt…

 

 

https://www.thomann.co.uk/danelectro_58_longhorn_bass_red_hot.htm?glp=1&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADuDMCVv1qoIZ3fNWkAPJwPEc5lrb&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq_KstK3qiAMV4oRoCR3KsxD2EAQYBiABEgIuz_D_BwE

Since getting my Dano, I later saw this ad.... and I have wanted one ever since! They look uber cool, with that f-hole. That red is a great colour too.

[Greg Edwards69]

15 minutes ago, ezbass said:

There’s the discontinued Yamaha RBX4 A2, which was light weight. 

I had one of these when they first came out. Really wish I'd kept it.

58 minutes ago, crazycloud said:

Ibanez EHBs.

I recently bought the short/medium scale EHB1005SMS. Very lightweight and incredibly ergonomic. There are also non-fanned fret options in the EHB range if multiscale isn't your thing.

[Happy Jack]

13 minutes ago, Marc S said:

Since getting my Dano, I later saw this ad.... and I have wanted one ever since! They look uber cool, with that f-hole. That red is a great colour too.

 

But there's no getting away from the fact that it's £600 for a cardboard bass. 😱

[warwickhunt]

3 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

 

But there's no getting away from the fact that it's £600 for a cardboard bass. 😱

 

It could be argued it is as hard/harder to make a bass out of paper (masonite) than it is to make it out of a block of wood...

 

[Baxlin]

Phew!  Thanks everyone.  I also have 5-string Toby-by-Tobias which is lighter, but I’m not really comfortable with the 5-er, so that has to go.

[warwickhunt]

In my arsenal (I have occasional shoulder issues) are these light basses.

 

• Dano Longhorn (short scale)
• Hofner Club (SS)
• Sandberg Lionel (SS)
• Nordstrand Acinonyx (SS)
• Maruszczyk Jake (long scale but just over 7lb)
• Sandberg P bass (LS 8.1lb)
• Aria Sinsonadia (LS skeleton bass... weighs nothing)

I'd recommend any of them but the short scale basses can help in more ways than just pure weight/mass.

[Paul S]

Another Danelectro Longhorn aficionado here, my go to bass these days.  If you fancy the idea of one of these hollow bodied/chambered basses but the Longhorn styling isn't to your liking Danelectro do a variety of hollow body retro-styled basses - a single cutaway short scale, double cutaway short scale, double cutaway long scale.  All as light as a feather.  Having owned a selection of these over the years plus a Hofner Ignition Club single cutaway, the Danos are better built, easier to play and sound better when directly compared with the Hofner.  IMO etc. 

[jd56hawk]

Most Reverend basses are around 8 lbs.

Just saw this Thundergun and it's under 8.

They're available in the UK.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2024 by jd56hawk

[Franticsmurf]

+1 for the Ibanez EHB - I have the short scale 4 string and it's comfortable, easy to play and sounds good. I also have a Spirit XZ2 (the headless with a body) and that's very light weight (7.5 lb). 

[lemmywinks]

17 minutes ago, warwickhunt said:

In my arsenal (I have occasional shoulder issues) are these light basses.

 

• Dano Longhorn (short scale)
• Hofner Club (SS)
• Sandberg Lionel (SS)
• Nordstrand Acinonyx (SS)
• Maruszczyk Jake (long scale but just over 7lb)
• Sandberg P bass (LS 8.1lb)
• Aria Sinsonadia (LS skeleton bass... weighs nothing)

I'd recommend any of them but the short scale basses can help in more ways than just pure weight/mass.

 

If you want a regular scale bass in its lightest possible form the Sinsonido is probably the one to go for, still feels like a full size bass but is made of helium.

[Lozz196]

I`ve recently gone short scale and it`s made a real difference, but am still thinking of going further and getting a Sandberg Superlight of some sort - short scale preferred. I figure it`s a worthy investment.