Dealers that list weight? Bonus points for actual neck size...

[Dave_W]

Besides Wildwood and Wilcutt, does anyone know a dealer that lists weight and neck size? There's only one local shop near me with PRS and I stopped in but the selection was pretty light. Anything they order I have to take and wouldn't get a choice in weight, etc... so at that point I might as well use an online dealer.

I've been looking at either a Vela or CE 24 and would love to find a great dealer that lists as much info as possible about the actual guitar, not just model basics.

 

[bodia]

Sweetwater does weight. Not 100% sure on neck size. I think Daves Guitars does both.

 

[veinbuster]

JD @GTRMAV always shows the weight for Guitar Maverick guitars.

 

[merciful-evans]

In the uk Guitar Village do. They sometimes include a picture of the scale readout.

More typically bad is PMT, who list every guitar as weighing 7kg. This of course means every guitar they stock weighs over 15lb.

 

[Black Plaid]

River City Guitars lists weight and neck.

They sell in Reverb and have their own site RiverCityGuitars.com

Also, I can go try out anything you are interested in and report back!

The problem is they don't carry new stock except Riggio and a local luthier who's name is escaping me at the moment.

 

[Mozzi]

I think a lot do list the Neck carve. I think everyone of mine were listed telling me what carve the neck was - whether that's Pattern Vintage, Pattern, Pattern Regular or Pattern Thin. I don't expect any more than that. That maybe different at the lower tiers - SE's, S2's or CE's as I haven't really looked for these but I also wasn't aware they differ - apart from the Signature models.

Weight isn't always given but I feel that depends on the store and again, the tier too. Some may just use a stock image for SE's in the right colour but not a photo of the exact guitar you are purchasing. If they aren't taken photo's, they are hardly going to weigh the guitars. If you are spending thousands, then many stores will take photos of the actual guitar and whilst doing so, may take a picture of the guitars on scales. An example of this is the photo below of my Special 22 taken by the store.

Of course this is a Core guitar so its much more likely to have actual photo's inc those of it sat on scales as this one.

I know not every store does weigh guitars - even at core price points and fewer (if any) list the actual dimensions of the neck as a digital set of calipers would provide but I have never expected that - new or used. I think its less needed today than it was in the 80's or before because of modern methods of construction that can repeatedly make necks within such a small margin of tolerances. They may not be 'exactly' the same to 1000th of a mm due to the fact that they are still sanded by hand to remove any tool marks and prepare for finishes - which again may add very slight differences in thickness of that finish with the sanding and buffing but they are still within fractions of a mm different but not different enough to worry about a few thousandths of a mm here or there...

 

[WEDGE]

Especially helpful for manufacturers, Fender, that change specs a lot based on guitars and model years. Like a 63 neck can vary from 0.79 to like 0.85 which feels really different. Bonus points to PRS for their carves and consistency which makes the online shopping soooo much easier.

 

[Brian G]

My sales manager Graham is probably like 180 with pencil sized neck.

 

[Gigi]

If you are talking about brand new guitars, i think the Vela come with the pattern regular and the CE24 with the pattern thin.
I've always found that is not the depth (i mean the measure) that makes me comfortable with a neck but the shape of it (i've sold a couple of great guitars for that...).
As for the weight, even more rare.
If it was me, I would choose some guitars that interest me and ask the shop the favour to weigh them.

 

[bodia]

My sales manager Graham is probably like 180 with pencil sized neck.

Bwahahahaahahaahaha

 

[alantig]

My sales manager Graham is probably like 180 with pencil sized neck.

 

[CandidPicker]

Besides Wildwood and Wilcutt, does anyone know a dealer that lists weight and neck size? There's only one local shop near me with PRS and I stopped in but the selection was pretty light. Anything they order I have to take and wouldn't get a choice in weight, etc... so at that point I might as well use an online dealer.

I've been looking at either a Vela or CE 24 and would love to find a great dealer that lists as much info as possible about the actual guitar, not just model basics.

Yep, on Reverb, sellers (usually retailers) who list new guitars often include weight, though might skip mentioning neck profile.

 

[matonanjin]

Besides Wildwood and Wilcutt, does anyone know a dealer that lists weight and neck size?

It seems some (many?) dealers don't realize how important weight is to some (many?) customers. It can't take that long to weigh a guitar. And to some of us weight is the most important property of a guitar. That may sound silly. Play-ability, tone, looks are all important. But if a guitar is too heavy I'm not interested in it and thusly those other properties are meaningless.

On a few previous occasions I found a guitar that I was possibly interested it that did not have a weight listed. So I messaged the dealer. I received responses that consistently fell into one of two categories: 1) Guess. ("I don't know. It probably weights around 7 or 8 pounds") or 2) I'll get back to you. ("Give me a day or two. I'll find the scale and I'll weight it".) I never heard back. So I no longer bother if weight isn't listed.

It seems some dealers have the mentality, "It doesn't matter if I don't list the weight. I'll still sell it." But I have to believe there are other potential buyers out there to whom weight is as important as it is to me. Perhaps if dealers knew that not listing weight is, in fact, negatively effecting revenues they would take the effort to do so.

Any PRS dealers reading this?

 

[Mozzi]

It seems some (many?) dealers don't realize how important weight is to some (many?) customers.

How much does it matter? If you have 2 guitars and one weighs 7lb6oz and the other weighs 7lb7oz will you buy the lightest one just because its an ounce lighter? Does it really matter that much?

I can understand weight mattering when you get to 8 or 9lb and above if you are looking for a guitar that you can play for hours on a stage. You may not want a 10lb+ Les Paul hanging off of you when you could find one around 8lb but worrying about an ounce different here and there with a guitar that's between 7 and 8lb and I think it matters less when you drop below 7lb.

Maybe I am wrong but weight isn't that important until you get to the heavy weight guitars. Under 8lb and especially below 7lb, I think it matters less. I wouldn't buy the guitar that was necessarily the lightest just because it's the lightest and,a good example of that was with my PRS Special which at 7lb8oz has to be one of the heaviest I have seen (of those that have a weight listed anyway) but as its still under 8lb, its not exactly 'heavy' either. I have heavier guitars (PRS 509 for example) and lighter (Hollowbody ii) but compared to some Les Pauls, my Special is light - very light as some can be over 11lbs.

If you know a model is between say 7-8lb, would you go out of your way to try and find a 7lb version as the most important statistic or look to find the one that you prefer aesthetically, the one you prefer the tone and sustain of etc. As I said, I can totally understand why weight may matter when you go over a certain weight and the guitars can vary quite considerably between 9 and 12lbs but under 8lbs, I think it matters less.

That's my opinion but maybe your threshold is say under 7lb where the differences in weight are not important because the guitar, regardless of its actual weight, is light enough that an ounce or 3 either way makes little/no difference - its still a light guitar.

 

[CandidPicker]

Weight is a considerable concern if perhaps you have 2 of the same builds, and one is a gloss finish, the other satin.

Case in point, I don't know how much my S2 SC Antique White weighs, but it's considerably more than my S2 SC Satin, which weighs 7 lbs 4 oz.

If perhaps you can feel the difference, then yes, it's a concern, but if it's a slight difference you can't tell apart, it shouldn't be an issue. Such is the case with my Antique White. I usually prefer my S2 SC Satin because the weight relief produces less fatigue, not because of any cosmetic or tone differences.

 

[Dave_W]

How much does it matter? If you have 2 guitars and one weighs 7lb6oz and the other weighs 7lb7oz will you buy the lightest one just because its an ounce lighter? Does it really matter that much?

I can understand weight mattering when you get to 8 or 9lb and above if you are looking for a guitar that you can play for hours on a stage. You may not want a 10lb+ Les Paul hanging off of you when you could find one around 8lb but worrying about an ounce different here and there with a guitar that's between 7 and 8lb and I think it matters less when you drop below 7lb.

Maybe I am wrong but weight isn't that important until you get to the heavy weight guitars. Under 8lb and especially below 7lb, I think it matters less. I wouldn't buy the guitar that was necessarily the lightest just because it's the lightest and,a good example of that was with my PRS Special which at 7lb8oz has to be one of the heaviest I have seen (of those that have a weight listed anyway) but as its still under 8lb, its not exactly 'heavy' either. I have heavier guitars (PRS 509 for example) and lighter (Hollowbody ii) but compared to some Les Pauls, my Special is light - very light as some can be over 11lbs.

If you know a model is between say 7-8lb, would you go out of your way to try and find a 7lb version as the most important statistic or look to find the one that you prefer aesthetically, the one you prefer the tone and sustain of etc. As I said, I can totally understand why weight may matter when you go over a certain weight and the guitars can vary quite considerably between 9 and 12lbs but under 8lbs, I think it matters less.

That's my opinion but maybe your threshold is say under 7lb where the differences in weight are not important because the guitar, regardless of its actual weight, is light enough that an ounce or 3 either way makes little/no difference - its still a light guitar.

I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but weight is unbelievably important to me. At 41, I have arthritis in both shoulders and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and just can't tolerate the weight of a heavy guitar. I have way more physical issues than most, but I can't be alone in the importance of weight. If a dealer doesn't list the weight, I move on. The closest dealer to me with more than a 5-6 guitar inventory is 90 minutes away. I emailed them asking about weight and explained the circumstance and that I didn't want to drive out there (that drive will leave me sore for a week) without knowing the hollowbody Mira's he had in stock were sub 6.5 lbs and the dealer told me they "didn't know".

Now I am looking online, but have never purchased a guitar without playing it first, so I am a bit freaked out. Neck shape plays a big role in comfort and not trying first is iffy to me.

 

[Mozzi]

I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but weight is unbelievably important to me. At 41, I have arthritis in both shoulders and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and just can't tolerate the weight of a heavy guitar. I have way more physical issues than most, but I can't be alone in the importance of weight. If a dealer doesn't list the weight, I move on. The closest dealer to me with more than a 5-6 guitar inventory is 90 minutes away. I emailed them asking about weight and explained the circumstance and that I didn't want to drive out there (that drive will leave me sore for a week) without knowing the hollowbody Mira's he had in stock were sub 6.5 lbs and the dealer told me they "didn't know".

Now I am looking online, but have never purchased a guitar without playing it first, so I am a bit freaked out. Neck shape plays a big role in comfort and not trying first is iffy to me.

I know that weight can be an issue but at some point, the weight becomes less and less an issue. Your limit for example maybe 7lb and as long as a guitar is less than that, it doesn't really matter. If a model varies between 6.5lb to 7.5lb, the it become important to know which ones are under that 7lb limit and any model that comes in 8lb or over doesn't matter what weight they are because its too heavy for your limit. If your limit is 7lb, it doesn't matter how heavy each Hollowbody ii is if they are all under 6lb because they are all under your limit that you can cope with. If 7lb is the maximum limit for you, would you use the weight of the Hollowbody guitars you can find if they are all under 6lb? Would you go for the lightest or the one that you think looks and/or sounds the best?

That's what I meant by my comment. There has to be a point where the weight doesn't really matter because they are all under or all over the limit that you can cope with. I can totally understand if a particular model you want can be above your limit but also under as well - then it matters so you can find a guitar that is under your limit, one that will be comfortable for you to play. If your limit is 7lb for example, then it doesn't matter how heavy a 509 is if they are all over 8.5lb - you aren't going to buy one regardless. A guitar like a Les Paul could vary from say 7.5lb up to over 12lb - especially with weight relieved models so I can understand if your limit is 8-8.5lbs at the most wanting to find a guitar under that weight limit.

If my weight limit was 9lb for example - I don't tend to stand when I play and I have health issues too so I am aware of how things like this can have an impact - I even buy padded thick straps for a reason - but my health is not something I will go into and its also not the topic here - I wouldn't care less if a guitar varies from 7-8lb, I wouldn't go out of my way to find the one closest to 7lb and dismiss every guitar that is over 7.5lb, all guitars are under my limit. If I can play my heaviest guitar comfortably and say its 8.5lb, I certainly won't care if I find the guitar I like the most, sounds the best but is much closer to 8lb than all the others - its still lighter than my limit, lighter than the heaviest guitar I can comfortably play etc.

My most recent purchase, my Special 22 semi-hollow is perhaps the heaviest Special 22 Semi-hollow I saw whilst looking for one for months.

However, its still one of my lightest guitars. Obviously my Hollowbody ii is the lightest but I do have a 509 and a solid, albeit Double cut (so generally on the lighter side compared to the SC versions) 594 which has a thicker body than my Custom 24. I think my 509 is the heaviest (I don't have the weight or some way to accurately weigh but if I can play my 509 for as long as I need without the weight being an issue, then anything that is lighter is not going to be a problem. If my 509 is 9lb, then it really doesn't matter that my Special is one of the heaviest, it happened to be the one that I loved the look and colour of the most and could order it. All that mattered was that it was lighter than my 509 - and my limit is perhaps higher than some because I don't play standing up, don't gig etc so the weight is predominantly on my lap.

I don't know the weight of the guitar that you can comfortably play but, if that guitar is 8lb for example, then all that matters in terms of weight is the guitar is less than or equal to 8lb - and preferably under that limit. If you ask the retailer and they say a guitar is around 7lb for example, it doesn't matter ifs 2 or 3 ounces over 7lb because its still lighter than your limit.

I still think though that weight only matters if you have a limit and that particular model can be above as well as below your limit. If every guitar in a specific model is under that limit, it doesn't matter if the retailer provides an accurate weight. If every guitar is above your limit, then it doesn't matter if a retailer provides a weight because you won't be buying it regardless.

 

[matonanjin]

I realize I'm probably in the minority here, but weight is unbelievably important to me.

Dave, we are probably in the minority. What you said is the point I was trying to make. Clearly you did so better than I. I was not talking a difference between 7 lbs 6 oz and 7 lbs 7 oz! Having had three spinal fusion surgeries over the last same number of years I can't stand more than 30 or 40 minutes, without a guitar! With my HB I can stand approaching 20 minutes. If they don't list the weight, as you said, "I move on".

The obvious, simple answer is to go with a hollow body. And that is why I bought the one I have. It looks like my next is going to be a Special Semi-hollow body. But I am also lusting for a McCarty 594. The weight is going to be hugely important in the decision process.

When I bought my Paul's I had no idea what made it different from a Custom 24 or 22 or McCarty or any of the other guitars I tried that day. I just know the owner handed it to me and it immediately went to the top of the list! I loved the looks, the tone and it was light!