NBD...ngd / Helium Bladder

Elwood

Blues
So I call up my Sweetwater Sales Engineer to inquire about weight mitigation for my jazz bass, maybe some kind of helium bladder? :whistle: You can guess where that went! :sneaky:

Learning and playing and having fun with you guys on this board has destroyed my self control! ;)

I never thought I'd play much bass any more, sure never thought I would buy another one. I have really been enjoying trying to get some chops up and do some VJR tracks for example (sorry guys :)). My jazz bass is not especially heavy for a JB at 10 lbs, but it is just too heavy for me. I forget I'm playing and when I stop it's a bad day.

So, once again using the "ounce of prevention" mantra I have justified more wood...

Get this...

upload_2020-10-22_16-51-8.png

A Fender Player Mustang PJ Bass (I think I said that right). a 30" scale vs 34" on the JB. 7.2 lbs vs 10.0 lbs. When my wife saw me with it on she said it looks like a kids bass (she's used to the JB)!
Anyway, the little bass with the full size PJ pups has a nice sound and it will be much easier on the player. So far it is just a kick to play! Good a good deal from Sweetwater on this one! Thump thump...:cool:

It would seem I have no trouble resisting temptation. :D
 

Elwood

Blues
balsa wood bass, and even if there were it would be neck heavy
It's all in the pups bro,:whistle: and my 3 1/4" strap deals with the neck dive. That is one of those things I always read about and never suffer from. I didn't even mind my Martin Backpacker...uh...urinal ornament, ;) and they are notorious for neck dive.
I'm not playing to get paid or laid, but it is sure better if it hurts less!!! Actually, I hear the difference too! But, that's just me.
 
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ronico

rainyislandblues
It's all in the pups bro,:whistle: and my 3 1/4" strap deals with the neck dive. That is one of those things I always read about and never suffer from. I didn't even mind my Martin Backpacker...uh...urinal ornament, ;) and they are notorious for neck dive.
I'm not playing to get paid or laid, but it is sure better if it hurts less!!! Actually, I hear the difference too! But, that's just me.
I don't care about getting paid either.
 

aleclee

Tribe of One
My Strandberg bass weighs about six lbs but some might say it's missing some parts :p

4aec6a9ff3e2566bed16f73ab3600e0b.png
 

PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
So I call up my Sweetwater Sales Engineer to inquire about weight mitigation for my jazz bass, maybe some kind of helium bladder? :whistle: You can guess where that went! :sneaky:

Learning and playing and having fun with you guys on this board has destroyed my self control! ;)

I never thought I'd play much bass any more, sure never thought I would buy another one. I have really been enjoying trying to get some chops up and do some VJR tracks for example (sorry guys :)). My jazz bass is not especially heavy for a JB at 10 lbs, but it is just too heavy for me. I forget I'm playing and when I stop it's a bad day.

So, once again using the "ounce of prevention" mantra I have justified more wood...

Get this...

View attachment 12838

A Fender Player Mustang PJ Bass (I think I said that right). a 30" scale vs 34" on the JB. 7.2 lbs vs 10.0 lbs. When my wife saw me with it on she said it looks like a kids bass (she's used to the JB)!
Anyway, the little bass with the full size PJ pups has a nice sound and it will be much easier on the player. So far it is just a kick to play! Good a good deal from Sweetwater on this one! Thump thump...:cool:

It would seem I have no trouble resisting temptation. :D

Cool! That looks like you should have a lot of fun with it.
 

dvs

Green Mountain Blues
Nice! Interested to know what you think of the short scale length after you've played it for a while. I have a 10.25-lb Jazz bass that gets awfully heavy after a while. My new, 7.5-lb P-bass doesn't have that problem, but they're both full sized. A short-scale would be easier to transport.
 

JohnHurley

Rock and Roll
It would seem I have no trouble resisting temptation.

*** Hmmm I don't have a bass guitar. I don't think I really want to play bass much because well I'm busy enough trying to not stink so bad on guitar ...

But I don't have a bass ... hmmmm[/QUOTE]
 

Elwood

Blues
Seems like I've heard @artyman say, once or twice, something about a sound file. So, here ya go.

https://dl.dropbox.com/s/qq13vm1rtah08im/mustang j-p-jp - copy.mp3?dl=0

Forgive the playing, you have heard me do worse. The first attempt is on the jazz bass pickup, (a line off an old tune "skifflin") the second is the P-bass p-up, (thumpin around something like spoonful), and the third is both pickups (you know).
All eq on the amp (Fender Rumble 200) is set to 12:00, flat. No "vintage" button or any of that. No tweaking in the daw except to manage levels for recording, not peaks, no effects. The bass is 10 on volume and 10 on tone for the Jazz and pj runs, the P run (spoonful stuff) is with the bass tone at 0. I play with my fingers.
The strings are the Fender 7250M that it comes with. They are stainless roundwound. I have always been a RW fan but I decided to try another new thing, so I have a set of LaBella Deep Talkin flats (in the proper short scale length) coming on backorder. I wanted a sound sample for comparison. I know I am not the only recovering bass player here, some of you also have the curse and may be interested. I might post back the same thing with the fancy flats later.

My guess is that if I woodshed enough to knock off some barnacles so I can play steady, and, use all the effect stuff in the daw, this may turn out OK. My big bass can watch. (I have still been hopping around like a frog on a hot plate trying to get this done)

@dvs I will sure let you know how this works out...I hope I don't have to tell you with words. (y)

Thanks for all the congrats guys!!!

Oh yeah....I think I like it OK. :thumbup:
 
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Elio

Student Of The Blues
So I call up my Sweetwater Sales Engineer to inquire about weight mitigation for my jazz bass, maybe some kind of helium bladder? :whistle: You can guess where that went! :sneaky:

Learning and playing and having fun with you guys on this board has destroyed my self control! ;)

I never thought I'd play much bass any more, sure never thought I would buy another one. I have really been enjoying trying to get some chops up and do some VJR tracks for example (sorry guys :)). My jazz bass is not especially heavy for a JB at 10 lbs, but it is just too heavy for me. I forget I'm playing and when I stop it's a bad day.

So, once again using the "ounce of prevention" mantra I have justified more wood...

Get this...

View attachment 12838

A Fender Player Mustang PJ Bass (I think I said that right). a 30" scale vs 34" on the JB. 7.2 lbs vs 10.0 lbs. When my wife saw me with it on she said it looks like a kids bass (she's used to the JB)!
Anyway, the little bass with the full size PJ pups has a nice sound and it will be much easier on the player. So far it is just a kick to play! Good a good deal from Sweetwater on this one! Thump thump...:cool:

It would seem I have no trouble resisting temptation. :D

That looks intriguing. I've been toying with idea of a lighter shorter-scale bass for a while. I have to admit I never considered a helium bladder though. I've just always used the traditional method of tying a bunch of balloons to mine, which not only allows me to help adjust for neck dive by moving them around, but also has the added advantage of looking festive on stage.
 
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PapaRaptor

Father Vyvian O'Blivion
Staff member
That looks intriguing. I've been toying with idea of a lighter shorter-scale bass for a while. I have to admit I never considered a helium bladder though. I've just always used the traditional method of tying a bunch of balloons to it, which not only allows me to help adjust for neck dive by moving them around, but also has the added advantage of looking festive on stage.
I've heard they can seriously affect the sustain...
 

Elwood

Blues
This may be the ticket. My focus is trying to learn something about a guitar, but it might be nice to play a little bass too. o_O:rolleyes:

@Elio, I can just see those notes now, floating in mid air.....tangled in the balloons.:whistle: Sustain? They just hang there! So, moving those balloons around...is that what you call an attitude adjustment?:whistle:

@PapaRaptor, Life support? :confused: I thought that beeping was the microwave....:unsure:

@Many Moons, Gotta blame someone, breaking mirrors being bad luck and all. :D
 
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