Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

contemplating life


Thunderpaws
 Share

Recommended Posts

So, Sunday night i had a huge back problem. I was left stranded half way between the toilet and the living room, hangjng on the lower part of our staircase unable to move. Doc eventually arrived and knocked me out with a shot and i fell asleep for 18 hours. Woke up on Monday evening and it seems i need to rethink what i hang around my neck. I also have some enforced downtime due to said back issue, off work so time to think.

SO, What i am thinking is sell or trade my G&L L2000 trubute and find a lighter bass. But for what? I have P bass which is way lighter so i dont need anything that does the P Bass thing. Would like something that does what my P doesn't. Might even consider an acoustic for home use, writing, etc...

So, just looking for suggestions based on that info...

cheers,

Paws

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1447238538' post='2905951']
Some very light ibanez basses out there if you fancy something modern sounding?

The L2000 is very versatile and will be difficult to replace like for like.
[/quote]

If yoy really like the tone and options of the L2000, your best bet may be to find a bass with a weight and feel you like, and then drop in a set of G&L pickups and pre-amp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shameless plug laced with well meant opinion!... I have a Precision Lyte for sale at the moment - one of two that have been for sale in the classifieds for weeks, Mojobass is selling the other. These are active, P/J, Jazz neck and somewhere between 7 to 7.5lbs in weight. Proper Japanese quality Fenders for Squier money. The P pup is similar to but not exactly like a Precision, the Jazz similarly not exactly like a Jazz. The blend between them is a very nice dark but burpy tone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about travel basses. Depending on budget how about something like this, I've played this very bass and it is nice and light (Alan at ACG is also building some very lightweight basses):[font="Times New Roman"][size="3"][color="#000000"] [/color][/size][/font]

[url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/acg_admin/wordpress/portfolio/4413/"][font="Calibri"][size="3"][color="#0000ff"]http://www.acguitars.co.uk/acg_admin/wordpress/portfolio/4413/[/color][/size][/font][/url]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1447248146' post='2906078']
Shameless plug laced with well meant opinion!... I have a Precision Lyte for sale at the moment - one of two that have been for sale in the classifieds for weeks, Mojobass is selling the other. These are active, P/J, Jazz neck and somewhere between 7 to 7.5lbs in weight. Proper Japanese quality Fenders for Squier money. The P pup is similar to but not exactly like a Precision, the Jazz similarly not exactly like a Jazz. The blend between them is a very nice dark but burpy tone.
[/quote]

The bass player in my metal band has one of these and uses if for everything from hardcore to reggae... sounds great and weighs about as much as a post-it note.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could buy a super lightweight Paulownia P bass body and transplant everything from the G&L onto that. Add some licensed by Hipshot Ultralite tuners and you'll have a sub-8lb L2000 easy.
Cheaper than a new bass too.

http://www.eyguitarmusic.com/P-Bass-body-custom-Paulownia-WoodVery-Soft-WoodUnfinished_p_1417.html

http://www.sporthitech.com/hipshot-ultralite-lic-hb6c-1-2-bass-tuners-5-string-5-inline-3x2-etc-satin-chrome/

I've actually imported both these items for myself in the past. The tuners were £60 delivered to my door, the body was £75 (although it's on sale for half price now!)
Depends how much you love the L2000 sound though, whether It'd be worth it.

Edited by miles'tone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As someone who has been in a similar situation (having to crawl to the toilet and then hardly able to bear the pain to climb on to it) my advice is to consider the balance of the bass as important as the weight.
I've found that if an instrument sits comfortably and well-balanced around my neck discomfort can be avoided, even after a couple of hours standing up.
For me, it's a Warwick Corvette.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the wealth of infirmation folks. It is appreciated and i will look at those options. Itnis my lower back that is my issue, seems that i experienced a prolapsed disc on Sunday and i am still in bed 4 days later. NEED to get out today. Anyway, one option i am considering is to have my Precsion as my one and only bass and to sell my L2000 and use funds to get a low powered valveamp for recording and rehearsal. It would mostly stay in one place so moving it around wouldnt be an issue. Options, options. I will look at all of these bass options you guys habe kindly posted.

Now, how to sell, my GnL...where do i pay my money?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sorry to hear about your back. Mine has done the same to me several times in the last 10 years. On thing that helps when my back "goes" is a second, wide, leather belt around the waist. Like weight lifters, it allows you to use your stomach muscles to support your back. When discs break they can mend in time but they will always be a point of weakness. I'm also doing Pilates to improve my core strength.

I can hold an 8.5lb bass for 3 sets but a 9.5 bass starts to feel uncomfortable after 1 set. That's how fine things are measured these days. I've also gone for very light cabs and a trolley and I sit on a bar stool if I have to. There is some fantastic sounding gear out there at lower weights, but unfortunately they are generally at a higher cost.

I spent the money because I'm not ready to retire.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Chris, yeah it is amazing the difference a pound or so can make. My back issue, i am sure, is related to kayaking, and my next step is to work on my core strength to i can cintinue to enjoy my hobbies and my famly....oh yeah, and get back to work. You are right, most of the lightweight basses seem to be costly, especially for the money i might recoup from selling on my L2000.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1447268614' post='2906322']
Another option is one of the old Japanese Nanyo Bass Collection basses. Small body and nice and light - 7-8 lbs mostly. Bargains too.
[/quote]

Must agree..Recently re-discovered my 301 and went on to buy a 310 and a 320. I also acquired a Chinese middle of the range one for £80. On the other end of the price range you could go for a Ritter Cora which weighs in at about 7-8lbs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Surprised that Len Derby uses a Warwick Corvette as a lightweight bass as I always thought they were fairly heavy? (not as heavy as Warwick Thumbs but requiring a good thick strap nonetheless).

I tried Oldman's fretless Ruach the other year at a bass bash and you could forget that you were wearing it. It was unbelievably light. He has the fretted twin for sale:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/269908-ruach-fretted-for-sale/"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/269908-ruach-fretted-for-sale/[/url]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spector Spectorcore 5 string weighs in at under 8lb (3.6kg) and sits very comfortably. I guess the other choice may be Gibson Midtown bass. I used to own an EB2 which was very light and I guess the midtown would be similar. The ultimate option is an electro-acoustic, there seems to be hundreds on the market, but I'm yet to find one I like. I sold my Washburn 5 string e-a bass as the neck was awful! So wide.
Aging bones and muscles seem to be a real problem for bass players, I suppose no one ever thought R 'n' R would last this long and those playing it might be drawing their pensions!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could consider a Squier short scale Jaguar bass. Granted they won't have the tone of what you currently play, they are light weight and have a decent sound to use for live situations. I suffer from athritis and back problems, and play a lot these days with bass ukuleles from KALA. Most weigh from four pounds to six pounds or so, but I don't think it would fit the sound you need. I wish you well in your search.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...