I play short scale exclusively, have a couple of Fender Mustangs. Finally got around to weighing them the other day. Or at least as accurate as my bathroom scales are. Basically climbed on, then just subtracted my body weight. To my surprise, the yellow came in at 8lbs on the nose and the sunburst slightly less at 7 lbs and 10 oz. I think i was somehow expecting low 7s.
I know some full scale behemoths can be 10lbs and more- so im just interested (for fun) to hear what various models are weighing out there so lets hear from ya’ll. Anybody in the 6lbs range or on the other end of heavy?
3 Likes
6!lbs bass is not playable for me at least at full size. My EBMM BFR Feugo is 7 and a half pound and every time I pick it up it feels weird to me every time for a few minutes. 7-8 lbs is a great super light weight range. 8-9 is light weight, 9-10 is about medium weight. 9.5-10.5lbs is the normal weight that most of us bassists are calibrated to I guess, half a pound under or over you really feel it. My Steve Harris with maple body and maple neck weighs in at 11.6 and 12lbs and that’s really heavy.
A modern premium bass like Fender Ultra and EBMM stingray weight around 8.5-9lbs which strikes the sweet spot for me as it feels solid enough to feel premium and substantial.
4 Likes
I have four basses; a CV Pbass and JBass with poplar or basswoood bodies and a G&L Kiloton and M2000 both with ash bodies. They all range in the 8.5lb to 9lb range which is comfortable enough for me. Using Levy’s neoprene straps that have some “give” to them also helps to relieve weight when playing.
2 Likes
My heavy bass is my Fender at just over 9 pound
My light bass in full scale is 6 and a half pounds
I have other basses, they’re all over the place in weight. The Fender is about the top of the range
3 Likes
2 Likes
What’s amusing to me is that what many players feel is too heavy today would qualify as “featherweight” back in the '70s when many believed body weight had a whole lot to do with more sustain. I had a '74 Les Paul that weighed just under 12lbs and a '69 Tele that was over 9lbs.
Few Fender PBasses or JBasses weighed less than 10lbs and a Travis Bean with an aluminum neck I tried out weighed over 12lbs. Some builders began using harder body woods like all maple bodies but that did little to reduce weight either. A Carvin Bass I owned also weighed well over 10lbs. Of course we “Boomers” were younger then so we accepted this.
Now that we understand that weight doesn’t necessarily mean what we once thought it did nor does wood type we’re finding many previous standards being broken. You can buy or order basses and guitars made of lighter weight Empress Wood (Paulownia) or models that have been weight relieved by creating cavities in their bodies then covering them.
It really is a golden age for newer instruments that are far better and more precisely built than most anything we had to choose from in the '60s and '70s and relatively speaking less costly as well. So enjoy what you own and play it like you stole it. 
6 Likes
6 lbs and 8 ounces, or just under 3 kgs, although you’d have to add 300g / 10 ounces because I put tire weights into the electronics compartment to balance the neck better.
I find that quite heavy - the real issue is balance, not weight, imho. 
5 Likes
Yamaha BB734A: 4.3kg (9lbs 8oz)
Yamaha SBV-800MF: 3.7kg (8lbs 2oz)
Over 4kg - say 9lbs or so - is getting pretty heavy IMO. My BB is getting close to my upper limit for what I like. I won’t go over 4.5kg.
agree completely
5 Likes
Funny you should mention this. I have a newish Fender Mustang PJ - it’s listed as weighing 3.3kg (7.275 pounds), but it feels a lot heavier than that. I’m on night-shift now but I’ll weigh it when I’m at home tomorrow and let you know. Your Mustangs are beautiful
4 Likes
Therein lies the problem with some basses. If the body is too light or not a well balanced design then we have to deal with neck dive. I’d much rather my shoulder bear more weight than to have to hold up the neck of my bass all night long. I’ve never owned a bass with neck dive.
2 Likes
Fender Jazz: 9lbs 6oz
Spector NS Dimension: 9lbs 13oz
ESP LTD Fretless: 9lbs 8oz
Sire MM: 9lbs 7oz
The odd thing is, even though all my guitars weigh near the same, the most heavy Spector feels the lightest when I pick it up and the middle of the road ESP feels like it weight a ton and a half.
This isn’t when they’re in the playing position, mind you. I’m talking about when I take the guitar off the wall hanger and hold it by the neck just below the head of the guitar. I grunt a bit when I take the ESP down.
Weird how the distribution of the weight makes such a difference.
2 Likes
Yeah, i ended up have tuners replaced with ultralites, because both Mustangs had a little neck dive that was driving me crazy!
1 Like
Lakland Skyline 44-01: 10.0 lbs feels like a boat anchor
Hofner Ignition: 5.5 lbs
Amahi Ubass-01: 6lbs 
1 Like
I got curious about this one day and…
JMJ Mustang
40th Squier P
Flea Bass
MX Jazz
Talman
To be continued…
3 Likes
Wow yeah that’s like right at my absolute limit of what I would consider 
2 Likes
Love the Tele Bass and came close to pulling the trigger on one but went another similar direction
Sweet bass
1 Like