Swapping knobs is the easiest and cheapest way to trim weight. Typical 5-string humbuckers weigh about 200 grams, while the Lace Aluma pickups go as low as 70 grams-a reduction of 50 to 70 percent. A standard bass tuner weighs in at approximately 60 grams, while the lightest aluminum versions are 36 grams, which means a reduction of 40 percent.Īnd in the case of the aforementioned bridges, you can easily drop from 250 grams to a mere 90 grams. Saving weight here makes a lot of sense because it fights neck heaviness and benefits the instrument’s overall balance. When we’re onstage we all want to present ourselves in the best light, but that doesn’t mean we have to be playing Nonetheless, the weight differences can be impressive. Unfortunately, aluminum lacks hardness, so all screws and many load-bearing parts still need to be made from brass or steel.
The fact that aluminum’s density is more than three times lower than brass implies that any hardware made from aluminum is just a third the weight of its brass counterpart. Here’s a first impression of what to expect by looking at the densities or specific weights of two common hardware metals expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm 3):Īnd just for comparison: Most woods range within 0.4 to 0.8 g/cm 3, which hints at why we don’t see many metal bass bodies-or at least no solid metal ones. Brass and steel are the materials that most often get replaced by aluminum. The market not only offers all these in many functional variations, but also made from different materials, which of course translates into different weights. The heaviest components that come to mind are those composed mostly of metal-the tuners, bridge, pickups, and even knobs. But here’s a good question to start with: How much weight could I actually save? Do you like the tone or look of the new parts? Can you afford them? As the saying goes, your mileage may vary. Of course, there are other considerations than simply weight.
So once a player gets a chance to make a direct comparison between uninstalled solid brass and aluminum bridges, it prompts a question: “What if I replace all my standard hardware with the lightest available equivalents?” After hefting brass and aluminum bridges, one’s initial expectations are usually high. Most of us only know the overall weight of our bass-too heavy, right?-but rarely do we know the weight of its various components. Photos and sound samples can guide your decisions in the first two categories, but many ergonomic decisions require personal, hands-on engagement. The whole point of modding a bass is to improve it aesthetically, sonically, or ergonomically. You might also get a chance to physically inspect some uninstalled hardware, and this tactile experience can be quite instructive. When you bring your axe to a local shop for some minor repairs or a hardware upgrade, it gives you an opportunity to chat about the advantages or drawbacks of certain mods.
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