Lightweight basses (again)

[tom1946]

Hey guys n gals,
My lower back has really got a lot worse and I'm struggling to stand for more than a few minutes at a time holding my MIM Precision. It weighs about 9 lbs but it's way too much now especially with our church's biggest Sunday coming up and 15 songs to play

My wife is going to fund a new bass until I can sell the 2 that I have so ideally I would love a Fender precision again but it would have to be seriously lighter, could you make some suggestions on which way to go with this please? I would consider others but it must have a maple board.

I do have a Precision Lyte but the pickup to my ears isn't very powerful and as it's mint I don't want to mess with the electrics to upgrade it, plus it's rosewood.

thanks for any advice.

[spyder]

I would check out these...
http://www.public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/elwood/4-string/1266-elwood-l-4a-24-amazaque140333

Adrian makes a few light weight basses around the 7lb mark.

Hope this helps.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='spyder' timestamp='1428129220' post='2738249']
I would check out these...
[url="http://www.public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/elwood/4-string/1266-elwood-l-4a-24-amazaque140333"]http://www.public-pe...-amazaque140333[/url]

Adrian makes a few light weight basses around the 7lb mark.

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

Yup - I've ordered a Jake (the Precision equivalent) with a chambered body and a load of other nice stuff, and it's costing less than a MIM Fender. Mind-boggling.

[Chiliwailer]

I've had two basses that are 7.5lbs, but the slightly lighter one actually felt heavier as the balance was ever so slightly neck heavy, this made it more uncomfortable for me and unusable standing up...but my body is ultra sensitive.

My Mike Lull is a bad back dream, trust me as I have some serious conditions and nerve damage. It's light as a feather, balances like no other bass Ive ever played and sounds lush.

Worth a trip to Bass Direct and not eating for a months to get one of those.

Good luck mate, hope you get a good one.

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='spyder' timestamp='1428129220' post='2738249']
I would check out these...
http://www.public-peace.de/index.php/bass-guitars/maruszczyk/elwood/4-string/1266-elwood-l-4a-24-amazaque140333

Adrian makes a few light weight basses around the 7lb mark.

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

Very cool, good find!

[Telebass]

If budget is tight, do what I did. Get Squier VM Fretless Precision and sell neck. Get Precision neck of choice and fit.
The fretless Ps seem to be made of fresh air, still sound fine.

[spyder]

I have a standard elwood and Jake and both are under 4kg as the bodies are smaller than the fender equivalent. The build quality is amazing for the price and Adrian will custom build to your design. Edited April 4, 2015 by spyder

[miles'tone]

Been here myself too.
1st question is what's your budget? If you can afford a Mike Lull P, go for it. Also, Shuker basses here in the UK do the JJ Burnel P bass in a lightweight option now.
If you don't have dream bass money, how about just selling the one bass and keep your MIM P bass and mod that.. Hear me out!
My lower back is screwed too so I did the following to my Squier VM P5:

Licensed by Hipshot Ultralite tuners - £60
Hipshot A Style aluminium bridge - £60
Aluminium knobs - £15
Body routed out under pickguard + setup - £50.

So, my 9 1/2 pound 5er now weighs a titch under 8 1/2, sounds much more resonant and really does have a premium feel.

If you go this way, you could also go for a premium pickup too because of all that cash you've saved not getting a new bass!

Edited April 4, 2015 by miles'tone

[Truckstop]

The Yamaha RBX-A2 range are chambered and extremely light. I've currently got a 5 string that I've borrowed off a friend for a couple of weeks and it's easily around the 7lbs mark.

Although if you're used to traditional styling it might be difficult to get your head around!

[alembic1989]

There are some amazing basses on that site...and some very good prices.

[Paul S]

I have a mid 80s MIJ Squier 32" scale Precision which weighs around 8lbs. The whole bass is a scaled down version of a long scale Precision, down to the neck being 38mm at the nut. One of the previous owners - tedmanzie of this parish - had changed the electrics to a vintage loom/pots and the pickups to Fender Originals. To my ears you could not get a more vintage precision sounding tone than this bass, it is quite remarkable - and it is lightweight, slim neck and I just love the 32" scale. Tremendous build quality, as you would expect from a MIJ Squier of that vintage. They don't appear very often and have become quite sought after - I think I have 3 people who have asked me to give them the nod if I decide to move it on. But, if it appeals and one pops up somewhere, you might get lucky.

I wonder if changing the P pickup in a Lyte to a Fender Original would make it sound more Precision like? It would tick all your other boxes and not really be very intrusive - just 2 wires cut and reconnected. I keep thinking about doing it to mine, which currently has stock pickups (but not the original preamp).

Fender Japan have medium scale Aerodyne Jazz basses - these would be light but I don't know what they would sound like.

Other than that my 2 lightest basses are a Shergold Marathon (7.5lbs) and a Danelectro Longhorn, which barely registers on the scales. Although neither have a Precision tone, both have their own sound which is voiced firmly in 'old school' rather than 'modern'. The Danelectro in particular is an absolute delight.

Or, perhaps something totally different. I have a Hohner B2A that weighs around 7.5lbs and it is possible to get a woody Precision type tone out of it. Not everybody's cup of t though.

[geoffbyrne]

I sold a Yamaha BB350 (P bass) on here a few months ago that was A notably light bass. Maybe keep your eyes open?

G.

[yorks5stringer]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/258473-nbd-harley-benton-shorty-p-bass/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/258473-nbd-harley-benton-shorty-p-bass/[/url] A cheap option?

[karlfer]

Tom, perhaps a body made for you like Billy Apple's La Cabronita build? That bass weighs nowt.
Or any other build with light swamp ash.
A surprisingly light bass is the Fender Japan Blue Flower RI. Big neck, but great basses. Gareth has one up for £600 I believe.
Good luck mate, thinking of you.
Oh, forgot, my new Dee Dee Ramone is a quite light 8lb 5ozs.

Edited April 4, 2015 by karlfer

[M@23]

Depends on budget I suppose, Fender Roadworns are pretty light, add some hipshot tuners and it could be an option.

[White Cloud]

Sorry to read about your lower back problem. 9lbs is not by any means a heavy bass - lots of good advice already on this thread. P basses can be heavy old lumps of wood...but there are a few out there that are light.

I owned a Lakland that had a lightweight cut of swamp ash for the body, it weighed in at around the 7.5 lb mark.

Good luck.

[3below]

On a different offbeat road. Warwick Corvette with ash bodies are pretty damn light. DiMarzio model j humbucking pickups get into p bass territory with my bass. Streamers with P pickup might be an alternative. As mentioned before, another plan could be getting custom smaller thinner body made - Gibson SG bass thickness combined with G&L SB 1/2 size and chambered ( P bass on diet). Something will be out there. Plan C, what about sitting rather than standing?

Edited April 4, 2015 by 3below

[White Cloud]

[quote name='3below' timestamp='1428176051' post='2738900']
On a different offbeat road. Warwick Corvette with ash bodies are pretty damn light. Streamers with P pickup in might be an alternative. Another plan could be getting custom smaller thinner body made - Gibson SG bass thickness combined with G&L SB 1/2 size ( P bass on diet).
[/quote]
Great advice my current Corvette is as light as a feather...but sounds like a Tyrannosaurus Rex!

[chris_b]

The Status Streamline weighs about 7 - 7.5lbs. Short scale and headless so it balances very well.

It has great pickups and electrics, so you can make it sound like any bass.

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1428176570' post='2738904']
so it balances very well.

[/quote]

Hits the nail on the head Chris.

Just popping up once again to shout that if you have back issues then it's most likely that...

LIGHT WEIGHT IS ONLY HALF WAY THERE WITHOUT PERFECT BALANCE!!!!

I don't use cheap nylon straps, but they are a great way to test a bass. If you can put the bass on with one of those and the neck doesn't drop a single centimeter then there's less pressure on you. I've played countless 7.5 - 8.5lbs basses that don't balance well and have a little neck dive so therefore feel heavier as they put a further strain on you.

[casapete]

I would investigate the set up on your Precision Lyte first. I've had a few over the years and none of them
have been lacking in the p-bass sound or output. You won't find a better lightweight bass for the money IMHO.

[Paul S]

Is that with stock pickups, Pete? How do you have yours set? Mine never seems quite 'there' for some reason - never the old school woody tone I have in my head. The preamp is a U Retro, so should bring out a good range of tones.

Slight aside, I gigged with my Danelectro Longhorn again last night and feel moved to say again how huge it is in the mix. Lovely, lovely bass.

Re. balance, I think this does help to an extent but, for my particular needs, a neck diving 8.5lb bass is better to wear for lengthy periods than a 9.5lb balanced bass. Possibly it makes a difference where the problem in the back is?

Edited April 5, 2015 by Paul S

[casapete]

I have my Lytes set so that the jazz pickup can be dialled in using the blend control, but the precision pick up is high enough
to dominate when the blend is in the middle (notch) setting. If anything have found the jazz pickup the weakest, and replaced a couple with
Fender Noiseless units, mainly to eliminate hum / interference in some venues. Having suffered a shoulder injury some years ago, if it was n't for the P.Lytes I would be struggling to find an instrument I could get on with. Got 3 of them at the moment, all great basses.
Interestingly I also use a Danelectro Longhorn, which I love. Feather light, great sound and looks ace! Use mine in a country / rock band and it suits the job really well. Just don't tell everyone......

[Paul S]

You have 3 - are they all pretty much the same or have you found differences in each one? just curious, really.

And, yes, the Dano secret is safe with me...

[casapete]

I have 3 from the same era, that is mid to late 90's, right at the end of their production run. Main reason I prefer these is that the hardware on them is chrome - can't stand gold hardware, and on the earlier Lytes it was quite prone to wear and tarnishing.
Also some of the late models had 'Made in USA' neckplates for some reason, probably just using up oddments from the parts bin!
I have models in tobacco sunburst (again late ones only, earlier were caramel burst), white and red. The finish on most Lytes is not the most durable, with the pearl finishes particularly being prone to marks and chips. Doesn't prevent me from liking them though.
All 3 sound fairly similar, and feel pretty much identical with only slight variation in weight which occurred throughout their run.

Edited April 5, 2015 by casapete