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Light (in weight) telecasters

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NeillNeill Frets: 941
edited January 2018 in Guitar
I have a Hohner tele which I've had for some years, nothing wrong with it except it is really heavy.  I never used to notice this but as I am getting on a bit and I only ever play standing up I find I hardly touch the tele these days.  

I know some of the cheap strats are pretty light but I also know cheap doesn't necessarily mean light.

Also, the fretboard radius on the Hohner is 12" I think and I fancy something a bit smaller.

Any suggestions?

(Before someone suggests why don't I just visit my LGS it's a 100 mile round trip.)  
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Comments

  • steersteer Frets: 1161
    Squire Affinity
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  • Ask the seller to weigh before you buy. Pretty much any Tele is potentially light but it’ll depend on the pieces of wood it is made from 
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  • I ask for weight from the seller. If they won’t weigh it, I look elsewhere. I also post the weight in any ads I put up. For guitars and parts anyway. Not for pedals.
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  • I ask for the weight. 

    My main guitar is a tele that is featherweight, love it to bits.  My mate has one that would make an excellent boat anchor.  Does my shoulder in playing it for any length of time.  He loves it.

    I've walked away from a nice playing guitar before because I knew I couldn't get through a full 3 hr gig playing it.

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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11415

    They can vary even within the same model depending on the wood they are made from.  Custom Shop ones are consistently light in my experience if you can afford one.

    In the lower ranges you could easily find a significant difference in weight between two supposedly "identical" guitars. 

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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    If it is any help at all my US Pro Tele weighs in at 3.5kg or 7.7lbs
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    rico said:
    If it is any help at all my US Pro Tele weighs in at 3.5kg or 7.7lbs
    I've just weighed my Hohner - it's just over 10lbs or 4.5 kg if you like so we are in boat anchor territory..  Until I put it on the scales I didn't realise it was that heavy.   It is made out of Maple, (most teles are Alder bodies are they?) but even so I'm surprised the weight difference should be so great.  Anyway I suspect anything else is going to be lighter.  
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  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7953
    edited January 2018
    Neill said:
    rico said:
    If it is any help at all my US Pro Tele weighs in at 3.5kg or 7.7lbs
    I've just weighed my Hohner - it's just over 10lbs or 4.5 kg if you like so we are in boat anchor territory..  Until I put it on the scales I didn't realise it was that heavy.   It is made out of Maple, (most teles are Alder bodies are they?) but even so I'm surprised the weight difference should be so great.  Anyway I suspect anything else is going to be lighter.  
    It’s all relative.

    My Les Paul is 11.5lbs.

    My Singlecut is 9.5lbs. 

    Theyre broadly sinilar in spec

    Some people think my SC is heavy, to me it feels like a feather compared to my Gibson.
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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2331
    edited January 2018
    I've a sub 7lb old school masterbuilt 90's '54 Tele from the Custom Shop....if you've a spare £4k?

    or this is in the Classifieds from another member...

    http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/121322/fender-road-worn-tele#latest
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929
    American Vintage 52, typically a nice light Tele


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  • ClashmanClashman Frets: 175
    Try tying helium balloons to the guitar more balloons =lighter guitar.
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  • 100 mile round trip to the find the right guitar is sod all. 
    The Bigsby was the first successful design of what is now called a whammy bar or tremolo arm, although vibrato is the technically correct term for the musical effect it produces. In standard usage, tremolo is a rapid fluctuation of the volume of a note, while vibrato is a fluctuation in pitch. The origin of this nonstandard usage of the term by electric guitarists is attributed to Leo Fender, who also used the term “vibrato” to refer to what is really a tremolo effect.
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  • thermionicthermionic Frets: 9502
    Thinline.

    Or if it’s still too heavy, Thinline, but with helium in the f-holes.

    (This is a joke - He He He!)
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  • simonksimonk Frets: 1467
    What about a Thinline of some description? My current number 1 is a Suhr Alt T Pro (their Thinline offering), its joyously light and probably my favourite ever gigging guitar.
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  • IamnobodyIamnobody Frets: 6887
    edited January 2018
    +1 for a thinline it should be around 6 - 6.5lbs. 
    Previously known as stevebrum
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    Clashman said:
    Try tying helium balloons to the guitar more balloons =lighter guitar.
    Thinline.

    Or if it’s still too heavy, Thinline, but with helium in the f-holes.

    (This is a joke - He He He!)
    You won't believe this, I used to work in a Helium factory but I quit.  I won't be spoken to in that tone of voice.


    (It's my thread and I'll tell any crappy joke I like.)
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    If you can find one, the Telebration series “Empress” Teles were ridiculously light. Most were south of 6lbs. 

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=29VAe0w7RBI
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  • Strat54Strat54 Frets: 2331
    Whitecat said:
    If you can find one, the Telebration series “Empress” Teles were ridiculously light. Most were south of 6lbs. 

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=29VAe0w7RBI
    Is that guy skulking around outside in the black hoodie about to rob the place? Nice out of tune demo there Reidys.....
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  • WhitecatWhitecat Frets: 5378
    Yeah, sorry, first video that came up in a quick search on mobile at the moment. Hopefully it’ll open a rabbit hole either way. 
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  • impmannimpmann Frets: 12649
    Any Tele that weighs more than 8lb is too heavy.
    No need or reason for it to be any heavier other than poor wood choice.
    Never Ever Bloody Anything Ever.

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