Can anything else be done for a heavy bass?

[Jackroadkill]

On 08/03/2025 at 15:06, Osiris said:

you're not going to be tempted by something that makes you look like you're wearing a bra...

 

Where can these be had?  Asking for a guitarist....

[Geek99]

4 minutes ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

Where can these be had?  Asking for a guitarist....

You cannot be. Your question had punctuation and case-awareness. Most guitards are at the crayon-stage 

Perhaps you interpreted it from “Johnny go poo-poo”?

[Geek99]

14 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

You cannot be. Your question had punctuation and case-awareness. Most guitards are at the crayon-stage 

Perhaps you interpreted it from “Johnny go poo-poo”?

Seriously. Few have sentience 

[Norris]

15 hours ago, Shambo said:

Allow me to pose a question only for arguments sake.

 

So, you have a wooden guitar body that is heavy. Let’s say a 70’s Fender alder body that wasn't seasoned for long enough before it was wrapped in poly.

If you were to strip the body back to the bare wood and place it in a ‘drying chamber’ then wouldn’t the seasoning process resume as the wood slowly loses moisture content and therefore weight? 

Let’s just ignore shrinkage and glued pieces and anything like that.

 

Could you restart the seasoning process on an old piece of wood?

It’s something I’ve wondered about occasionally.

All instrument wood must be seasoned to make it stable enough to use. Otherwise it would be likely to warp over time. If wood were damp it's unlikely even a poly coating would stay on it for long.

 

Some chunks of wood are simply more dense than others, even from the same species. Different growing conditions will affect the wood quite significantly - for instance swamp ash is quite slow growing, so is likely to be more dense, more stable and more resonant (although I don't really subscribe to the idea of tone woods). Also rock maple - a very stable wood suitable for making necks.

 

I made a guitar body from a big chunk of African khaya - similar to mahogany. It was almost like balsa (which is actually a hardwood btw) in weight. It made a fantastic guitar (according to my guitarist) that was really light but sounded good. However another chunk of khaya is unlikely to have the same weight as the one I used though.

 

In other words (and the tl;dr version), some guitars are just heavier than others 😂

[Geek99]

YMMV

this^^^

[Osiris]

6 hours ago, Jackroadkill said:

 

Where can these be had?  Asking for a guitarist....

 

Here's where I bought mine from. 

[Rosie C]

9 hours ago, Terry M. said:

But did it change it? Whether good or bad?

 

No, I don't think it changed the fundamental sound of the bass. 

[Terry M.]

3 hours ago, Rosie C said:

 

No, I don't think it changed the fundamental sound of the bass. 

Thanks. I only asked because I once had an 11 pound plus bass that had tone for days and I often wondered if it would have sounded like that if it were say 2 pounds lighter.

[Lozz196]

15 hours ago, Rosie C said:

 

I have a jazz bass that I was kinda attached to, and yes I had a massive route done under the scratchplate. Along with changing the tuners for alloy lightweight ones and changing the solid bridge for a 'bent metal plate' type - it knocked a pound or so of weight off and made it very playable. Whether it was the best option is debatable - I love the bass and I'm pleased I kept it, but I'd probably have been better selling it and buying something else. 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Rosie C said:

 

No, I don't think it changed the fundamental sound of the bass. 

That’s good to hear as am looking to get this done on one of mine.

[TrevorR]

On 08/03/2025 at 12:09, Iheartreverb said:

 

thanks for your reply. I’m aware that any massive changes would be a bad idea, I’m just out of option beyond moving it on.

 

The straps is 2.5” Ernie Ball Neoprene comfort strap. As I say, it made a massive difference but maybe not enough. Also trying to stick with a strap that looks pretty normal and not some of the super wide or padded things. 

For my basses which are 10lb+ it’s got to be a 4 inch wide soft leather strap - I got Italia leather ones for all of them many moons back. They weren’t cheap but I view them as an investment rather than a cost!

 

[TrevorR]

Chambering my not help as much as you think… this bass still weighs 10 and a half pounds!

[Terry M.]

https://www.bassdirect.co.uk/product/maruszczyk-pes50/

 

My personal favourite. 4 and 7/8" width of real comfort to a heavy axe. I wouldn't be without it. 

[bremen]

48 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

 

That’s good to hear as am looking to get this done on one of mine.

Let us know how that goes, I have one or two candidates for a bit of liposuction

[bremen]

18 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

OP doesn't like wide straps.  You're wasting your keyboard's MTBF.

 

[Rosie C]

1 hour ago, TrevorR said:

Chambering my not help as much as you think… this bass still weighs 10 and a half pounds!

 

 

Room for improvement though 😉   Though on a serious point, I think the most significant work on my bass was changing the tuners as that weight is right at the end of a 1 meter lever arm. 

 

 

Edited March 10 by Rosie C

[Terry M.]

43 minutes ago, bremen said:

 

I shared the link to my strap because it may be of interest to somebody else. For example I'm intrigued by the Italia strap idea shared by TrevorR.

Edited March 10 by Terry M.

[TrevorR]

On 10/03/2025 at 13:47, Rosie C said:

 

 

Room for improvement though 😉   Though on a serious point, I think the most significant work on my bass was changing the tuners as that weight is right at the end of a 1 meter lever arm. 

 

 

That’s how that bass came - it was bought as a Frankenjazz so Hipshot Ultralites were the first thing I changed!  I considered this but frankly for the likely difference it just wasn’t worth the hassle. A wide strap and it works fine!

[TrevorR]

On 10/03/2025 at 13:49, Terry M. said:

I shared the link to my strap because it may be of interest to somebody else. For example I'm intrigued by the Italia strap idea shared by TrevorR.

This is the Italia site. Think I’ve got 4 of these straps - all 20+ years old and still in perfect nick! Great quality and lots of colour choices!

https://italiastraps.com/collections/4-inch-wide?srsltid=AfmBOoqngioYLIT2BrY7p6jMjTG5ENV5OqT2r8MeD8C1gm0pQ_etOnJ5

 

Your strap also looks very nice quality!

 

Edited March 11 by TrevorR

[martthebass]

How's the balance, is it neck heavy?  I've occasionally had basses that gave me more shoulder problems not just from the total weight but from the 'drag' on my shoulder.  I've had a few Mustangs and the most comfortable on a long gig was my old Mikey Way sig which was a good bit heavier than the Jap Mustang and JMJ I had - however both of these had some neck dive whereas the MW didn't.

[Pea Turgh]

There was a member here who took a saw to the back of his heavy bass, taking off a perfect slice.  Mad skills.

[bremen]

 

"All you need is a router*, a dremel and a bag of weed"

 

*rhymes with "shouter" 😉

Edited March 12 by bremen

[fretmeister]

I'm obsessed with bass weight. I really don't like heavy instruments and after a lot of surgery I can't put up with a lot.

 

For basses and guitars that I love but are too heavy I have tried everything. I even routed out the back of an Epi Zakk Wylde Les Paul to try to get the weight down. I took loads of wood out but ultimately the density of the rest meant that it only saved about 1/2 pound. Just routing under a scratch plate has such a small difference that if that is the only reduction planned then it's not worth doing.

 

There's a bit more scope on basses but usually because a lot of basses still use large plate tuning machines that weigh a stupid amount. Swapping the type of tuners you'd get on a vintage Fender, or a reissue to Hipshot Ultralites can save 1/3lb on a 4 string and 1/2lb on a 5 string. That is a very noticeable difference in both weight and overall balance. Obviously if the starter bass has more modern tuning machines in the first place then the difference won't be as much but due to the lever effect of the weight saving being at the end of the neck the comfort levels can still be increased a lot.

 

Chambering isn't really an option on an already build bass unless you are willing to have it sliced in half, then chambered, and then have the 2 halves stuck back together. With an extreme chambering layout you might save 1lb but the remaining wood will remain as dense and there's nothing you can do about the neck wood.

 

This is why my 3 main basses are Cedar and Paulownia. Very light without needing any chambering. Sandberg also uses Norwegian maple for necks as it is lower density than Canadian and saves quite a bit of weight.

 

The Colin Chapman (Lotus Cars) approach is really the best - acknowledging that weight savings accumulate. So, 1/3lb off the headstock. Maybe only 100g off the bridge by swapping to something lighter. I saved 150g once swapping metal control knobs to plastic ones - that's 1/3 lb!  I saved nearly 50g by swapping a scratchplate to a single ply. Those savings add up really fast.

 

Then, if you really need to, there's the finish. A poly finish on a bass body can easily weigh 1lb (454g) or more. If the weight is more important than the look then the pain can be stripped and then replaced with an oil finish.

 

If you've got a bass that can deal with all these little changes then that's 2lb (904g) reduction.

 

For me the headstock weight saving is most important as it affects the balance the most too. You can get a feel of the difference by calculating the difference in weight of the existing tuners and the new ones and then (before you spend money on the new ones) get a little bag of sugar and hang it on the headstock. If a tuner swap would save 1/3 lb then put 1/3lb in the bag and see how much of a bad effect it has on the end of the neck. 

 

Or just take 2 stock tuners off and stand with the bass for a while and see the difference. 

 

 

[fretmeister]

Just an idea...

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

Just an idea...

 

Meanwhile, in a parallel thread, people are adding lead to their pickup cavities to cure neck dive.

 

 

 

TBH, whatever the OP's preference was, strap choice, wearing and setting the strap comfortably and a good stance cure 90% of balance and weight issues.

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, fretmeister said:

I'm obsessed with bass weight. I really don't like heavy instruments and after a lot of surgery I can't put up with a lot.

 

For basses and guitars that I love but are too heavy I have tried everything. I even routed out the back of an Epi Zakk Wylde Les Paul to try to get the weight down. I took loads of wood out but ultimately the density of the rest meant that it only saved about 1/2 pound. Just routing under a scratch plate has such a small difference that if that is the only reduction planned then it's not worth doing.

 

There's a bit more scope on basses but usually because a lot of basses still use large plate tuning machines that weigh a stupid amount. Swapping the type of tuners you'd get on a vintage Fender, or a reissue to Hipshot Ultralites can save 1/3lb on a 4 string and 1/2lb on a 5 string. That is a very noticeable difference in both weight and overall balance. Obviously if the starter bass has more modern tuning machines in the first place then the difference won't be as much but due to the lever effect of the weight saving being at the end of the neck the comfort levels can still be increased a lot.

 

Chambering isn't really an option on an already build bass unless you are willing to have it sliced in half, then chambered, and then have the 2 halves stuck back together. With an extreme chambering layout you might save 1lb but the remaining wood will remain as dense and there's nothing you can do about the neck wood.

 

This is why my 3 main basses are Cedar and Paulownia. Very light without needing any chambering. Sandberg also uses Norwegian maple for necks as it is lower density than Canadian and saves quite a bit of weight.

 

The Colin Chapman (Lotus Cars) approach is really the best - acknowledging that weight savings accumulate. So, 1/3lb off the headstock. Maybe only 100g off the bridge by swapping to something lighter. I saved 150g once swapping metal control knobs to plastic ones - that's 1/3 lb!  I saved nearly 50g by swapping a scratchplate to a single ply. Those savings add up really fast.

 

Then, if you really need to, there's the finish. A poly finish on a bass body can easily weigh 1lb (454g) or more. If the weight is more important than the look then the pain can be stripped and then replaced with an oil finish.

 

If you've got a bass that can deal with all these little changes then that's 2lb (904g) reduction.

 

For me the headstock weight saving is most important as it affects the balance the most too. You can get a feel of the difference by calculating the difference in weight of the existing tuners and the new ones and then (before you spend money on the new ones) get a little bag of sugar and hang it on the headstock. If a tuner swap would save 1/3 lb then put 1/3lb in the bag and see how much of a bad effect it has on the end of the neck. 

 

Or just take 2 stock tuners off and stand with the bass for a while and see the difference. 

 

 

 

These are all good things that can be done, but there are really only two sensible routes to take if you have a bass that is too heavy to be comfortable; work out until you can deal with the weight, or sell it and buy the right bass for the job.

 

Most of us were OK with 10lb basses in our youth so why can't we deal with that weight now we are older? Because we've become sedentary and lost a lot of our muscle mass. Work out and put that muscle back. You won't be limited by weight and, according to statistics, you'll live longer and happier lives.

 

You can do a lot of DIY on a bass, most of which won't enhance it's value, instead will reduce it's resale value. There are plenty of 6, 7 and 8lb basses around at all levels, from Asian production lines to boutique. Straps don't make a bass lighter, so if weight is the problem buy the right bass for the job.