Heavy guitars - what's your threshold?

impmann

Trust me, it can.. a back injury can happen very easily and often will never cure. I slipped a disc in my neck turning my head whilst reaching to put a DVD in the machine and due to the damage, some of the symptoms can be alleviated but never cured.

martinw

Of course weight of a guitar makes a difference.

People can get repetitive strain injuries doing things where no weight at all is involved! It's not surprising that hanging a weight over one shoulder (which contains nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue etc.) and then performing a demanding small muscle exercise over a period of time can and does cause problems. It gets worse as you get older and acquire a bit of battle damage.

Under 8lbs is my limit. I prefer less.

axisus

I've never weighed any of my instrument ever, maybe I'll have a go tonight!

I had a gorgeous status bass, but it weighed a ton. Sold it as I didn't enjoy standing too long with it, but if I look at an old YouTube video I did with it, it makes me wish I still had it.

My Tele feels pretty heavy, especially as I dropped it on my little toe 2 days ago. Didn't break my toe, but it went black overnight! T'was painful.

jaygtr

I fully understand why someone would want to avoid a 14 lb monster.
It just seems a shame to dismiss what might otherwise be a stunning guitar for the sake of a few ounces, which could happen if you set arbitrary limits (

Dave_Mc

I haven't actually gone to the bother of weighing mine, I just know I like lighter, given the option.

I mean I was aware of how heavy things were before the internet. I assume other people might have been, too. They mightn't have been just so OCD about it (and lord knows the net does facilitate these anxieties), but I'm sure other people were too.

Evilmags

Not to OCD on the subject personally but I did get rid of two Lesters and an SG2000 because after a two hour gig I could feel it was not doing my spine any good. I know some metal players and classic rock players really like heavy Norlin Gibsons for the clarity and attack but for me the trade off is not worth it. The list of old rockers who switched to lighter guitars is very long indeed. Scott Goram of thin lizzy says he had to ditch his LP deluxe because of weight. I think as you age being able to gig pain free and jump about without an injury leads to lighter guitars and shorter straps. I run cycle swim and am fairly active. But I definitely notice spine issues if I play a heavy guitar on a low strap. When I spent a day with Clarky he told be what he thought was a correct position and it improved my playing inabout. 3 minutes. I suspect if Jimmy Page had of done that at the O2 the playing would have had less mistakes. And he is aanother player with back probelms to boot. That said if your built like Zakk Wylde I doubt it matters...

Adam_MD

bertie;12731" said:

Adam_MD said:

 I couldn't care less, if I like the guitar I'll deal with the weight.





after 3 x 45 minute sets you might have a different opinion.

Playing a 9lb+ guitar at home for 30 minutes is one thing(and these days bad enough ),  gigging it is a different kettle of kippers

I gigged that Les Paul for years until I got my prs. It's bloody heavy but with a nice wide strap it never really bothered me. The prs replaced it because it was a better playing, sounding instrument with a trem, not because it was lighter.
I guess I've been lucky because I've never had back problems... yet.

fretfinder

jaygtr said:

I fully understand why someone would want to avoid a 14 lb monster.
It just seems a shame to dismiss what might otherwise be a stunning guitar for the sake of a few ounces, which could happen if you set arbitrary limits

I've set myself 'arbitrary limits' of 9lbs for a Les Paul and 8lbs for a Fender but preferably 7.5, partly because I've had a bad back for nearly 40 years (yes I am mature...) but also they just feel better and sound better to me than heavy guitars. I'm not too rigid about it though as the last two LPs I bought weighed 9lb 1oz and 9lb 3oz. I'm sure there are heavy beasts out there that sound great, but in my experience so do many - possibly even most - of the lighter ones, and I've never had a lightweight guitar that seemed to be compromised in any way by not being weighty! Pickups, amp and pedals must be a factor in sound and tone too, surely? I've bought and sold dozens of guitars over the years and I've had a lot of heavy ones that I have absolutely no regrets about selling, and I've got a few lightweight ones in the family now that are going nowhere unless I get desperate for money. The lightest I've got is a Cunetto Nocaster at just under 7lbs, it doesn't feel anything like a toy and does feel and sound everything like one of the greatest guitars I've ever played, never mind owned. (Apart from the 'leaning' headstock due to the instability of the highly figured neck, but that's a whole other story...)

geepers0677

rpr said:

This?

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/819/for-sale-rare-k-m-guitar-performer-stand-not-a-guitar-stand-by-the-way

geepers0677

have had two LP standards, and sold both because of the back ache - my G&L ASAT is also killer heavy. I think it won't be long before I seek something a little lighter myself...

CloudNine

geepers0677 said:

have had two LP standards, and sold both because of the back ache - my G&L ASAT is also killer heavy. I think it won't be long before I seek something a little lighter myself...

That is G&L's absolute downfall for me. Some of the best playing and sounding guitars, but the weight variation is often absurd. The USA strats (Legacy & S500) seem to range from 7.5lb to 10lbs. A 10lb strat is unacceptable in my view. 

I know some people maybe aren't as obsessed with the weight as me, but if you were buying a G&L online you would really need to know which end of the scale it was. And 90% of online retailers don't seem to think listing the weight of a guitar as important. They will advise you of infinitesimal differences in nut width, that any player would easily get their head round after 5 mins of playing, yet fail to mention colossal weight differences that might put you in traction!  

mike_l

I've never weighed any of my guitars, but I can honestly say I believe they are all weigh less than the Epi LP I P/X'd against my Charvel, which wasn't noticeably heavier/lighter than any other LP I've tried..

My Charvel is probably the heaviest I currently own, and is possibly marginally heavier than my Strat.

 

I don't particularly worry about weight when I buy a guitar, I'm more worried about playability/tone/looks than weight. 

Dave_Mc

CloudNine said:

That is G&L's absolute downfall for me. Some of the best playing and sounding guitars, but the weight variation is often absurd. The USA strats (Legacy & S500) seem to range from 7.5lb to 10lbs. A 10lb strat is unacceptable in my view. 

I know some people maybe aren't as obsessed with the weight as me, but if you were buying a G&L online you would really need to know which end of the scale it was. And 90% of online retailers don't seem to think listing the weight of a guitar as important. They will advise you of infinitesimal differences in nut width, that any player would easily get their head round after 5 mins of playing, yet fail to mention colossal weight differences that might put you in traction!  

I can notice minute differences in the nut width...

That being said, I care about weight as well. I agree they should list both.

I think the big thing is that everyone is different, some people are stronger than others, bigger, etc., and for some people weight's not a problem. That's fair enough. For some people it is, and it's the person buying the guitar's prerogative.

Lixarto

I don't have anything particularly heavy - I sold the Rosewood Tele as it was undergoing gravitic collapse and threatening to form its own event horizon.

The Sparkly Aria is the heaviest, but it's not in LP territory, despite the same woods (thinner body)

JookyChap

My rosewood Tele is 14lb, though OK on a wide strap for about an hour, other than that I've never really worried about weighing a guitar, must admit.

Saying that I play at home and tend to sit down and after half an hour with it resting on my leg I am in some danger of gangrene setting in.

Lixarto

I didn't use a strap, I used a tractor beam. Two hour gigs were still unpleasant.

fretfinder

JookyChap said:

My rosewood Tele is 14lb, though OK on a wide strap for about an hour, other than that I've never really worried about weighing a guitar, must admit.

Saying that I play at home and tend to sit down and after half an hour with it resting on my leg I am in some danger of gangrene setting in.

I had a Jap rosewood Tele for a while, mine weighed 'only' 10 pounds! I had to sell it to pay a builder's bill and it was bought by 'George Harrison' from a Beatles tribute band, can't remember which one.

JookyChap

fretfinder said:
I had a Jap rosewood Tele for a while, mine weighed 'only' 10 pounds! I had to sell it to pay a builder's bill and it was bought by 'George Harrison' from a Beatles tribute band, can't remember which one.

Probably the one wearing a truss...

UnclePsychosis

I reckon my TRB bass weighs more than most six strings, but ever since I bought a really comfy strap I can play it for hours and not have any issues. One of these bad boys:

http://www.bassgear.co.uk/product/neotech/neotech-mega-bass-weight-reduction-comfort-strap/

johnnyurq

As I am vertically challenged and have an ahem low centre of gravity I have a high tolerance for schlepping heavy guitars for many hours.

This is just as well because my favourite guitar (a 1971/1972 Gibson Les Paul Recording) weighs the same as your average neutron star and has supermassive black hole mass.

Light guitars feel strangely odd but nice at the same time to me.