LeftyBassist.com

With a bad shoulder getting worse and worse, I need to find a bass that is as light as possible if I want to be able to play for any meaningful amount of time.
What are, in your experience, the lightEst options available for us lefties?

These days it seems that light basses are a premium... Some high end builders are even chambering bodies as a regular process. Sadowsky and Lull both chamber bodies now.

My lightest bass ever was my Lakland 55-94... It was 8.25 lbs and sounded sooooo good.

I've also heard that the new American Standard basses are usually quite light.

Other than that, all of my basses right now hover around the 9.5 mark... My lightest is my Zon which is right around 9 even.

What are your preferences? A short scale hollow body like a Hofner (or comparable) copy is probably as light as you're gonna get aside from a Kala U Bass, but if you're looking for a standard 32" or up you can try to find a Danelectro DC bass (hollowbody). The lightest solid body I've found so far is the MTZ KZ:

http://www.guitarcenter.com/MTD-Kingsto ... 1424331.gc

I may be selling mine, so if interested PM me and we can discuss.

The Ibanez Soundgear series are relatively light too. At this moment the SR300 and SR600 / 605 are available left-handed, and you may be able to find a 500 / 505 / 506 (identical to the 600 in every spec but the body wood: the 500 is made of mahogany and the 600 is made of ash. They're very comfortable and ergonomic instruments, with Bartolini-licensed, Cort-made electronics.

also you would use the Comfort-Srapps !!! Can't live without them and been using them for the last ten years (or even longer)

I agree that a Hofner would probably be the lightest all-round option. If you don't want to shell out the money for a Vintage reissue, there's always the Contemporary. If you want to get away from the whole 'I look like Paul' thing, there's also the Club, but they're slightly harder to get. I don't even know if they make a LH Contemporary version.

The only possible drawback is that they use flats. So if you're after that P- or J- sound, this won't be it.

in the "budget bass" category, I have to agree with Jeroen. The SGR200 and 300 I had were VERY light.
I also have a Peavy Millennium BXP if your into single coils which is also so light compared to my 10+lb Charvels. It is my go-to bass when I'm also getting twinges of stiffness by the end of the second set.

I saw that Frenchy lefty's American Deluxe Jazz is up for sale. I own one as well that I really like. It is a pretty light bass as well since it is chambered. It is at least a pound less than a standard precision. The smaller body might have something to do with it. I use a comfort strapp with my Squire precision, and a cheap nylon strap for my Deluxe and have not had weight issues. I am also pretty conscious of weight issues as I get older.

If you like Fender, my last 3 Fender P and J basses were under 9lbs. They ranged from years 2007 - 2010. Good light weight. I suppose it has to do with the Alder bodies they use. Well balanced too. A good soft wider strap will also help your shoulder (Moody straps are soft).

Thanks folks for all the great answers.
Right now the two basses I'm mostly using are a headless Hohner and a MIJ J. The J is starting to feel a bit too heavy. I can't really use the Spector or the Rickenbacker for long periods of time anymore.

If a Deluxe J is a bit lighter than my MIJ I will definitely consider going that way, and I'll keep an eye open for SR500 on eBay.

Also, I spoke with Pete Hilton yesterday, he thinks the 5-string he's building for me should come at a weight just below 7lbs, so I'm really looking forward to it, although it's quite still a few months out until I get it.

Any consideration given to Rob Allen basses? My Mouse 30 is light as a feather. Especially when compared to my 70's P-bass

It's a question for Carlos (Lefty007) who is always looking into this weight issue.
Anything like a Hofner is the best.

,

Where can you buy a lefty 605?
Something tells me it is only available in Europe. This is the only place I found it on-line

http://www.keymusic.com/en/product/Ibanez-SR605L-Natural-Flat-Left

Most custom basses can be ordered with lightweight woods. My recent Lull was 7.6 lb, and all the Sadowsky I had were around 8 lb. Warmoth would build you a body using lightweight ash. The Carvin SB series has the chambered option. I had a 4-string that was around 8 lb or less, and my current 5-string in 8.8 lb. Hofner of course are super light, but the neck dive and unbalance actually hurt me more than the weight. Balance is more important when it comes to back pain and comfort. Current MIA P-Basses usually are around 8.5 lb, but current MIA Jazz basses are at 9 lb or slightly more. A Jazz Deluxe usually is under 9 lb, but in my experience, the smaller body and 22-fret fretboard shifts the balance and reach a bit. Although if you wear your basses low, this won't be an issue.

Many budget imports are super light, like Ibanez, Yamaha and MTD mentioned. I have an older RBX350 that is under 8 lb. Stay away from Warwick, Modulus, and EB/MM, for example. I'm lucky that both my vintage Fenders are pretty light. My '82 Jazz is just under 9 lb, and my '73 P is 8.5 lb. Both of these have Hipshot ultralites installed.

Hipshot ultralights would do wonders to your MIJ. A whole set can shave 1/2 lb from a typical Fender.

I like this idea a lot. I imagine they are fairly easy to install?

You are right, they already dropped it!
They were available for a while over here, although I've never seen one in person.
The 4-string SR600L is out of production too, apparently.

My Zon Sonus is less than 8 lbs. And it's for sale.

Say more?

A Dano DC just hit the 'bay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DANELECTRO-DC-4 ... 2a1d840c85

I'm considering this sr500
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEFT-HAND-IBANE ... 0845213532