Guitar weight

musteatbrain · March 2020

My Feline lion, is a smidge over 7 and a half pounds.
my 90s studio LP is over 10
and my Junior is just under 6
i much prefer lighter guitars.
I’ve played a non weight relieved Les Paul replica by an infamous builder that was only 7lbs, possibly a bit less.

I played a CS strat that I think was 7lbs at guitars4you and stupidly didn’t buy it as it was a heavy relic and the wife would notice it wasn’t like my other white stray and would therefore have been a new guitar.

light weight is important to me, but there’s always room for the occasional boat anchor.
bit like my days as a student really

WiresDreamDisasters · March 2020

@FelineGuitars ;
I've said it before and I'll say it again, but your work is fit AF.

Andyjr1515 · March 2020

p90fool said:

MikeS said:

Played an original 1959 Tele recently, and it was a 5 pounder, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Really? Unless it's balsa I can't see how that's possible.

Agree that it's very surprising for a Fender Tele.

But roundabout 5lbs is certainly achievable on full scale electrics, even with heavy woods. This one is maple through neck, amboyna top and that real heavyweight - oak for the back and sides. Playing weight is 5lbs 3oz:

stonevibe · March 2020

Heavier the better for me, I like a guitar that doesn't feel too light and has enough weight to feel substantial.

Andyjr1515 · March 2020

Andyjr1515 said:

p90fool said:

MikeS said:

Played an original 1959 Tele recently, and it was a 5 pounder, and I can't stop thinking about it.

Really? Unless it's balsa I can't see how that's possible.

Agree that it's very surprising for a Fender Tele.

But roundabout 5lbs is certainly achievable on full scale electrics, even with heavy woods. This one is maple through neck, amboyna top and that real heavyweight - oak for the back and sides. Playing weight is 5lbs 3oz:

That'll teach me to try to post from imgur from my tablet. I'll add the photo when I get back to the desktop

DB1 · March 2020

stephen.wood125 said:

It's never bothered me but then I'm relatively tall and stronger than I look. my P90 Goldtop from 1980 is 10.45 lbs and i don't feel that's heavy. I know it's subjective. Just be glad you don't play the accordion like 7 stone, 4'9" Edith Piaf.

She was, of course, previously 6'4".

Twinfan · March 2020

I used to pay quite a lot of attention to weight, then my Private Stock PRS arrived at 9.5lbs. It sounds incredible and I rarely play anything else these days.

So I now ignore weights.

gordiji · March 2020

stephen.wood125 said:

Just be glad you don't play the accordion like 7 stone, 4'9" Edith Piaf.

Yvette Horner (accordion) recently died aged 95. She played all her life sometimes 3 hours or more in evening shows on accordions weighing up to 13kg. Man up whimps, a 9lb er is light !

Blueingreen · March 2020

Weight matters to me. These days anything over 7.5lbs is a deal breaker.

I saw a Feline Les Paul type (Lion?) on Reverb a couple of years ago that was advertised at around 7lbs and had some other specs I liked (6100 frets). I coveted that but unfortunately it had sold by the time I realised it was there. One that got away.

FelineGuitars · March 2020

Blueingreen said:

Weight matters to me. These days anything over 7.5lbs is a deal breaker.

I saw a Feline Les Paul type (Lion?) on Reverb a couple of years ago that was advertised at around 7lbs and had some other specs I liked (6100 frets). I coveted that but unfortunately it had sold by the time I realised it was there. One that got away.

@Blueingreen we have stock of some models and are building some more. Why not speak to us about making one to your specs or see if something we have in would suit you .

impmann · March 2020

I think some people have different hearing to me, as I've not found weight = sustain. I have a friend with a boat anchor Strat Anniversary (horrible horrible horrible guitar) that sounds like banjo. The owner loves it though.
I have another friend with a late 70s Les Paul Custom in Natural - it genuinely weighs far more than 10lb and I wouldn't be surprised if it was closer to 14 but I've never weighed it. Dreadful thing, dead as a dead thing and sounds plinky. He tried selling it five years ago, and each time anyone came to view the guitar (or pick it up from an eBay sale) they'd hand it back and say there's something wrong with it - as its just dead. Its under his bed currently... he won't give it away (or use it for firewood as I've suggested many times) and is waiting until such time as the values are very high... I think he'll be waiting a while. And he still won't be able to sell it.

Point is, there's far more at play than just weight. I don't buy into the less resonance = better tone bullshit (or some of the cod science spouted by some on the subject), as all of my fave guitars *ever* have been lively in the hands and most have been relatively lightweight too.

FWIW - I physically can't play anything heavy due to accident damage to my back that won't ever heal (no matter how much I "man up") and so weight is a big issue for me. There are some not so nice sounding lightweight guitars but equally some not so nice heavy ones too. But too heavy means no can play for me so I guess I'd chose comfort (and lack of hospital treatment) over tone/sustain... but tbh, I don't think such things are lacking from the guitars I own.

LastMantra · March 2020

stonevibe said:

Heavier the better for me, I like a guitar that doesn't feel too light and has enough weight to feel substantial.

I like a guitar to feel substantial, don't like really light ones at all. Don't actually know how much mine are right enough.

My strat is a hefty lump but it doesn't make it sound bad. Bags of sustain but also a rich woody tone.

jeztone2 · March 2020

I think all my guitars are heavy. I actually prefer it. I’m quite a burly guy & to be honest I’ve never gotten on with light guitars. I have heard acoustically dead guitars that are really heavy. But also light. It’s just another variable. I’m not sure if the magic formula. I just bond with what I bond with and we are all different I guess.

gordiji · March 2020

impmann said:

FWIW - I physically can't play anything heavy due to accident damage to my back that won't ever heal (no matter how much I "man up")

JamieWakeham · March 2020

My nearly-11lb strat is a bit much for me these days...

axisus · March 2020

I wouldn't have a clue what weight anything was that I considered heavy. I've never weighed a guitar. I had a fabulous 5 string Status bass many years ago. Loved it but it was so damn heavy, even with a wide strap. Had to go in the end.

johnhe · March 2020

This thread has happened about a month too late to impact my buying choice. I’ve been look for an R8 style guitar for a while. But after breaking my shoulder a year or two ago, I’ve found that anything over 8lbs is a complete no go.

After searching for quite a while, I ended up buying an Eastman SB59v Pearly Gates. Music Street were good enough to weigh all 3 of their stock solidbodied Eastmans and give me their informal view of the lightest of the three.

So at the end, I’m totally delighted. The Eastman is exactly what I was looking for, minus the name on the headstock.

The Felines pictured would also have been a great choice but the looks of things.

https://imgur.com/gallery/y5MMI1U

Next to my Eastman, you can see my previous attempt to buy a lightweight Les Paul type guitar. It’s a Smartwood Les Paul. Really wonderful instrument, which sounds just great. But with the thin body, it doesn’t sound, feel or look like a Les Paul. It’s really an SG with a LP type control layout.

Philly_Q · March 2020

johnhe said:

It’s a Smartwood Les Paul. Really wonderful instrument, which sounds just great. But with the thin body, it doesn’t sound, feel or look like a Les Paul. It’s really an SG with a LP type control layout.

Not necessarily a bad thing, of course. And you could say it's an SG with a sturdier neck joint.

Hydra19 · March 2020

i decided to ignore the weight factor altogether, but after rehearing with the Les Paul which was only around 4kg for 6 straight i did feel a sore shoulder the next day and figured it must have been the guitar. I've since bought a few heavy Les Paul, 4.5kg and 5kg and it was too much. One of them also has loose strap screws and I don't dare put it in a strap as it also has a bigsby around the screw. Even playing sitting down it wants to just fall to the floor from my leg from the body weight....but it sounds absolutely amazing and after playing it I knew I could never sell it so there is that. Since then I have tried to get guitars only weighting up to 3.5kg. My fenders are up to that weight and I also have a SG that is very light. Along with it sounding similar to a Les Paul it really has replaced my Les Pauls for some quick playing while watching TV,

I think weight does matter overall. Sound is a different subject, you have to decide what is your priority and I cannot say any of my very heavy guitars didn't sound great. Bottom line is I'm keeping my heavy guitars due to the great sound but my future purchases will factor in the weight and anything over 4kg will have the weight as a negative point against it

bgmartinsbridge · March 2020

Personally think the weight thing has gone too far. Used to be light, mid or heavy guitar.

Now people are concerned about 2oz.
Oh it's 7.6oz and not 7.4oz - it's not for me, as I have a bad back, but I'll add it to my spreadsheet :-)

But having owned an 11lb tele, I understand what too heavy is.

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