Effect of weight on tone....

[Vic6string]

So, I am about to pull the trigger on a PRS (looking at core Paul's right now, but still not 100% sure... about 95%). I love that PRS makes such consistently incredible instruments while still making each of them basically one-of-a-kind. That said, since they are indeed different from one to the next, especially in weight, what is the general consensus (if there is one) on the effect of weight? I am looking at a couple of PGs that are a full pound apart in weight (a touch less than half a kilo for all you metric dudes). That's a significant difference when you are talking about 7-8 pounds total. These two both look great (if there was a 9.5 top, they'd both get it) so I'd be happy with either one as far as looks. I figured maybe weight could be the deciding factor seeing as everything else is basically identical.

 

[RickP]

All other things being equal, I’d opt for the lighter guitar if I had to buy without playing them. My non-scientific reasoning is it’s less wear and tear on the shoulder and back across a 3-4 set night. I haven’t found weight to be indicative of good or bad tone in and of itself, so it’s not a primary factor on my list. That said, since I’ve been playing PRS hollowbodies, everything else feels heavy!

I’ve never heard a bad review on a Paul’s Guitar.

 

[Russ73]

EVH once said lighter guitars sound better lol...but who really knows, I know my back and shoulders like the lighter ones better... I won't buy a guitar over 7 or so lbs these days...

 

[dogrocketp]

I’m too old to go over 8 pounds any more, or I die by the third set. Had to sell a killer SE Tremonti and a 509 for that reason. I have a core 24 fret Mira that weighs a little over 6 pounds. It absolutely screams rock and roll when you put gain on the amp.

 

[DISTORT6]

I’m too old to go over 8 pounds any more, or I die by the third set. Had to sell a killer SE Tremonti and a 509 for that reason. I have a core 24 fret Mira that weighs a little over 6 pounds. It absolutely screams rock and roll when you put gain on the amp.

Sounds like you should find a HB Spruce.

 

[veinbuster]

I really don’t think weight alone is going to be a deciding factor in the sound of the guitar. As noted above, it is more likely to impact your comfort.

I do have PRS that are fairly similar, different electronics but the basic platform of the Paul’s, weighing 6.04lbs on the low end and 8 something on the high end.

 

[gush]

It pains me to admit that I can't wear a heavy guitar for a full show anymore.

I guess I blinked too many times and POOF.........I'm old.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

I have no idea how weight changes tone but I know every PRS I’ve kept has been right at 7lbs. My 24-08 is perfectly balanced and feels like a glove at that weight.

 

[Ovibos]

The effect weight has on my tone is that if it's too heavy, it has zero tone because I pick up my other guitars instead.

Currently selling my COVID-project Drop-C Affinity Jazzmaster b/c it's too dang heavy. Shame too, I got it playing and sounding really nice - but it was more about the journey of doing mods.

 

[Vic6string]

Luckily, wearing it for gigs is not an issue. I haven't been on stage since the Clinton era, and I'm really more of a singer that plays guitar than a guitarist (closer to Jon Bon Jovi than Ritchie Sambora) so if I ever performed again I'd probably be holding the mic, not the axe. I usually play sitting down in my bedroom/wannabe studio. Thank you all for the comments (of course it doesn't help my decision at all). I guess since I am not getting my hands on any of these (probably buying from Sweetwater online) once I decide 100% on the guitar model, if there is a choice I'll go purely visual. Now to decide between Paul's, McCarty, or S2 McCarty.

 

[RickP]

Luckily, wearing it for gigs is not an issue. I haven't been on stage since the Clinton era, and I'm really more of a singer that plays guitar than a guitarist (closer to Jon Bon Jovi than Ritchie Sambora) so if I ever performed again I'd probably be holding the mic, not the axe. I usually play sitting down in my bedroom/wannabe studio. Thank you all for the comments (of course it doesn't help my decision at all). I guess since I am not getting my hands on any of these (probably buying from Sweetwater online) once I decide 100% on the guitar model, if there is a choice I'll go purely visual. Now to decide between Paul's, McCarty, or S2 McCarty.

You’re all set then, although I’ve hefted a few Les Pauls that I’d swear would cut off circulation in my leg if I sat too long with them… just too heavy! If I were in your place, I’d go with the PG (mostly because I don’t have one) but you don’t have any bad choices there.

 

[theDeepender]

When I toured the PRS plant, Paul’s #2 guy conducted the tour and took us into Paul’s wood room. He never mentioned weight, but he did demonstrate why some of those pieces were there. He picked up a blank for a neck and knocked it with his knuckles and it rang like a bell. Some pieces of wood definitely have some very special characteristics.

 

[JasonE]

You all must be ancient or really abused your bodies. I am in my late 50s and I have no issue with the weight of a guitar. I use a 2.5" leather strap on every guitar I have and have never been bothered by the weight, even on a Les Paul that was around 10 lbs.. I have had more of an issue with my heels after standing all night for 4 hour gigs than I have with my back or shoulders and I have damage in my lower back.

I have noticed a little difference between heavier and lighter guitars though. I find that the heavier guitars seem to be a little brighter in tone and a stappier bloom to the notes. Of course, you can change this with a pickup swap. I have had two guitars that were just too bright for me and needed to make changes in them to alter it. They were both heavy guitars. One was a Les Paul and the other was a Hamer Monaco Elite. I swapped the volume pot in both guitars for the bridge pickup to a different value and that resolved the issue with both of them.

 

[RickP]

You all must be ancient or really abused your bodies.

Or we just don’t like lugging needlessly heavy guitars around all night when lighter ones do the job with equal tone and playability. You needn’t be “ancient” or “abused” to do that, just smart. My HB guitars are literally half the weight of my heaviest solidbody, and whether I’m bothered by the weight or not, doubling the weight of what I am carrying around for 4 hours isn’t wise for long term back health.

I‘m not ancient, nor young anymore, but I have been gigging since the 70s and have gotten a little wiser for the wear.

 

[21Hemispheres12]

You all must be ancient or really abused your bodies. I am in my late 50s and I have no issue with the weight of a guitar. I use a 2.5" leather strap on every guitar I have and have never been bothered by the weight, even on a Les Paul that was around 10 lbs.. I have had more of an issue with my heels after standing all night for 4 hour gigs than I have with my back or shoulders and I have damage in my lower back.

I have noticed a little difference between heavier and lighter guitars though. I find that the heavier guitars seem to be a little brighter in tone and a stappier bloom to the notes. Of course, you can change this with a pickup swap. I have had two guitars that were just too bright for me and needed to make changes in them to alter it. They were both heavy guitars. One was a Les Paul and the other was a Hamer Monaco Elite. I swapped the volume pot in both guitars for the bridge pickup to a different value and that resolved the issue with both of them.

I’m 31 with a disc ruptured so bad the doctor was surprised I could walk. So, I much prefer gigging with the lightest guitar I can.

 

[Mozzi]

So, I am about to pull the trigger on a PRS (looking at core Paul's right now, but still not 100% sure... about 95%). I love that PRS makes such consistently incredible instruments while still making each of them basically one-of-a-kind. That said, since they are indeed different from one to the next, especially in weight, what is the general consensus (if there is one) on the effect of weight? I am looking at a couple of PGs that are a full pound apart in weight (a touch less than half a kilo for all you metric dudes). That's a significant difference when you are talking about 7-8 pounds total. These two both look great (if there was a 9.5 top, they'd both get it) so I'd be happy with either one as far as looks. I figured maybe weight could be the deciding factor seeing as everything else is basically identical.

Without trying any instruments, If I had the choice based purely on weight alone, I'm going for the 'lightest' one. I have no seen/heard anything conclusive about 'weight' affecting tone - I know in the 80's, Heavy guitars were thought to sustain more or the 'denser' the wood, the more it enhanced the sound. A Les Paul is known to be a Heavy guitar and average around 10lb but can be as heavy as 12lb+ but I don't think the 'heaviest' Les Pauls consistently sound better/worse than the lightest in the 'exact same' specs/manufacturing year. I believe Gibson Custom Shop tends to buy 'light' mahogany to keep the weight at the 'low' end for a Les Paul and many would say these are the 'best' LP's made by Gibson today.

That doesn't mean that you can't find a Heavy guitar that sounds epic and better than the light guitars you have tried, but you could also find the Lightest guitar sounds epic and better than all the heavier guitars you tried. So weight doesn't seem to correlate to a consistent and repeatable 'tonal' characteristic so its not worth considering in terms of the tone. I think its biggest impact is more 'Physical' on the player than on the tone so I would opt for the lightest to minimise/reduce the Physical impact on me.

Nowadays, the 'weight' of a guitar never factors in my consideration to the tonal qualities of a Guitar. I think its much more important to ensure the woods are cured and prepared correctly for guitars - ensuring the resin is crystalised and dried to ensure its as resonant and stable as possible. Therefore, I'm going for the 'Lightest' if my decision is based on weight. Carrying an extra pound or two on your shoulder over an hour or more does get more tiring and then you still have to pack up and carry everything to vehicles, I would want the 'lightest' gear I can...

My heaviest guitar now is my 509 at just over 9lbs and that is my 'least' played guitar and its weight contributes to that stat. Its a guitar I am less inclined to just pick-up and play for 'fun/practice etc' just because its heavy. My lightest is my HBii at about 5lbs and between that, my 594 HBii and Special Semi-Hollow, my lightest guitars, these are the guitars I tend to gravitate more towards as the weight is less 'tiring' and therefore 'more' comfortable to play over a longer period of time.

 

[JasonE]

Or we just don’t like lugging needlessly heavy guitars around all night when lighter ones do the job with equal tone and playability. You needn’t be “ancient” or “abused” to do that, just smart. My HB guitars are literally half the weight of my heaviest solidbody, and whether I’m bothered by the weight or not, doubling the weight of what I am carrying around for 4 hours isn’t wise for long term back health.

I‘m not ancient, nor young anymore, but I have been gigging since the 70s and have gotten a little wiser for the wear.

I am also the guy that owns and lugs around all of the PA gear. I have to set it up and tear it down as well as run it for the gigs. A 1 to 3 lb difference in guitar weight isn't really going to affect my body for the night. I have hollowbody guitars as well as solid body. I would guess that most weigh around 7lbs. I really don't know because I have only weight a couple of the heaviest ones just out of curiosity.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek, which seems to have not been picked up on.

I’m 31 with a disc ruptured so bad the doctor was surprised I could walk. So, I much prefer gigging with the lightest guitar I can.

I have had L4 and L5 damage, pretty serious damage actually, for a good 30 years. I have learned how to work with it. I know two specific things that caused the bulk of my damage, work accidents. I don't let myself get into those types of situations anymore.

 

[Texas_minor_blues]

My DGT is 8.6 lbs and it is honestly one of my favorite guitars. I previously had a DGT that was 8lbs and to me this one does sound better but I cannot base that just off the weight. Regarding the Paul's Guitar, it is just a beast of an instrument I have had my eye on a SE Paul's guitar for quite some time. While part of me is more than willing to pull the trigger the other part of my brain continues to tell me to save up and just go for a Core Paul's Guitar. Anyway that is my 2 cents

 

[show_a_little_faith]

You all must be ancient or really abused your bodies. I am in my late 50s and I have no issue with the weight of a guitar. I use a 2.5" leather strap on every guitar I have and have never been bothered by the weight, even on a Les Paul that was around 10 lbs.. I have had more of an issue with my heels after standing all night for 4 hour gigs than I have with my back or shoulders and I have damage in my lower back.

 

[theDeepender]

You all must be ancient or really abused your bodies. I am in my late 50s and I have no issue with the weight of a guitar. I use a 2.5" leather strap on every guitar I have and have never been bothered by the weight, even on a Les Paul that was around 10 lbs.. I have had more of an issue with my heels after standing all night for 4 hour gigs than I have with my back or shoulders and I have damage in my lower back.

I have noticed a little difference between heavier and lighter guitars though. I find that the heavier guitars seem to be a little brighter in tone and a stappier bloom to the notes. Of course, you can change this with a pickup swap. I have had two guitars that were just too bright for me and needed to make changes in them to alter it. They were both heavy guitars. One was a Les Paul and the other was a Hamer Monaco Elite. I swapped the volume pot in both guitars for the bridge pickup to a different value and that resolved the issue with both of them.

I’m 68 and have both shoulders replaced. I honestly don’t struggle with bass weight issues. My own weight? Yes. The worst that happens for me is that I might need to adjust the strap position after an hour or so at rehearsal. No biggie.