Opinions on a lightweight bass please

[AprioriMark]

So, I'm in the Puyallup, WA area, and I've started playing electric bass live again after a lull of 6 years or so of "getting my life together."  I used to play very actively, and I have a few basses that I held onto.  Two are Warmoth: my fretted (Swamp ash body J-style with ebony on bloodwood neck and MM/jbass pickups) and my fretless (alder body J-bass, ebony on maple neck with jbass pickups).  I'm ok with the weight of the fretless, but while I LOVE how the fretted plays and sounds, my back kills me after a couple hours.  I'm freaking old, I know.

I've also got a 70s Jazz bass and a couple Gibsons (EBO and Ripper), but all of those are stupid heavy too.

So, long story cut short, I'm looking to build a "player" bass that's on the lighter side.  I have no idea which woods would be lighter for body/neck, but I prefer ebony or maple fretboards.  I'd either like to go with a single MM pickup or 2x Jbass.  ANY advice you guys have about keeping the weight down while maintaining clear, even tone would be appreciated.  I promise to post pictures of any resulting instrument.

-Mark

 

[mayfly]

The only things that I can suggest are: get a chambered J bass body from W, a basic maple neck with the W headstock (less wood) and some ultra-lite tuning machines from hipshot.  That should put you in the ballpark. 

 

[jackthehack]

Sort the Showcase bodies by weight...

I'm finishing up a Jazz Bass using a Flame Maple on ultralite Swamp Ash body, it won't weigh much more than your avg. Strat guitar when done.

Here's a good example of a body on the Showcase you could do a similar build, weight-wise with, just add a maple neck with board of your choice:

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/ShowcaseItem.aspx?Bass=1&Body=2&Shape=6&Path=Body,JBass&sort=weight&i=DP46

Sharp looking body to boot!

 

[bpmorton777]

I was going to suggest the same thing. you could also swap out the body you have for one that is lighter.

I had a Ripper back in the 80's....heavyest bass in the universe..traded it for my Guild B301 because of the wheight of it.

Brian