Going Ultra light

[magicaxeman]

I've ben getting tempted to get a bass again after many years away just playing guitar, the thing is in the interim I've become severely disabled so the idea of pulling a P-Bass across myself to play it almost gives me another heart attack!

I figured go short scale and go as light as possible which means a Hofner ignition Club bass, a short scale hollow body Les Paul shape with twin mini hum buckers, it weighs in at an outrageously light 5lb 1oz!, its either that or a full scale Epiphone Toby deluxe which is about 6.5lbs.

Amp wise I was looking at a Laney Richter RB-2 30 watts is more than enough for home use in fact I could even drop to the 15 watt RB-1 but prefer a 10" speaker as opposed to an 8", also handy is the onboard compressor & the balanced DI out.

Your thoughts /Ideas?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Danelectro Longhorn is going to be a winner:

those single-coil lipstick pickups have some high-end bite that you won't get from a Hofner
even the Hofner wiring scheme is set up to squelch the high-end

 

[StratoCraig]

If you're open to considering something even shorter than most short-scales, an Ibanez Mikro might be just the thing. Sounds great, typically about 6 lbs, and the 28.6" scale, together with the strap hook mounted Fender-style on the end of the upper horn, requires less arm stretching than even a typical short scale.

 

[derekd]

Lotsa great options out there for light instruments and gear these days. IIRC the Fender Lyte P/J comes in under 7lbs. and can be had in good shape for $500-$600 on Reverb.

It is a great time to be a player with all the different choices we have.

Happy hunting.

 

[G Man]

I've got a Hofner Club Contemporary, which is different from the Ignition in that is has German pickups and electronics, nicer hardware and an internal block, sort of ES335 style, which helps with feedback. Still plenty light at just under 7lbs. Plenty of tonal options and a great deep thump. I have not played the Ignition, but as cheap as they are, I can't see how it would hurt to give one a go.

 

[walterw]

just remember that these super-light basses with the little bodies tend to be very neck-heavy, so you're holding up the neck the whole time you're playing it; in some ways that makes them less comfortable, not more

 

[Killed_by_Death]

neck-dive definitely is an issue when you go crazy-light
The Mikros are about 6lbs. & have zero neck-drive. Only PITA about them is the super-short-scale (28-1/2"), which makes it tougher to find strings for them, unless you like flats:

https://www.ibanez.com/usa/products/detail/gsrm20b_02.html

My GSR100EX is only 7 lbs., long-scale, zero neck-dive:

 

[Trandy]

Lotsa great options out there for light instruments and gear these days. IIRC the Fender Lyte P/J comes in under 7lbs. and can be had in good shape for $500-$600 on Reverb.

It is a great time to be a player with all the different choices we have.

Happy hunting.

I have two of the Fender P-Bass Lyte's....both play and sound fine and they live up to their name....both under 7 lbs....I'm a happy customer.

 

[9fingers]

I have been the route of trying to find real light. I have concluded that , FOR ME, I am much more comfortable with a 7 or so pound Ibanez or P-Bass Lyte, that balances well, than I am with an under 6lb pound semi hollow bass that neck dives. There is more to it than just sheer weight.
The Ibanez Micro IS small & light (& cheap) & does balance perfectly.
We have two CIJ P-Bass Lytes and both are closer to 8 pounds than to 7, so evidently they vary (nice basses).