Is weight a deal breaker?

[11top]

Do you have a weight threshold you won’t cross even though the rest of the guitar is perfect for you?

Even though I’d prefer mid-8s or less, my threshold is 9 lbs and up. Anybody else have a threshold?


Also, do you think heavier electrics sound better? More resonant/better sustain?

 

[sergiodeblanc]

As I get older, I definitely prefer them to be a little bit lighter, but anything under 10 lbs is fine.

IDK if heavier guitars sound better (plugged in) but my last (ever!) LP was a porker that hurt my (young) shoulder and back when I had it, and it sounded amazing for a stupid guitar.

 

[markd21]

Not a deal breaker, at all. I prefer instruments that feel "alive" in my hands. Sometimes weight seems to affect that.

 

[bodia]

Not a dealer breaker for me, either. As a matter of fact, the 594 I have now I snagged specifically because it was the heaviest one they had. Double cut at 8 lbs 9 oz. Not sure if it sounds better, but I thought I'd travel that path. I play sitting down most of the time anyway.

 

[WEDGE]

I am the other side of the equation, can’t play if it is too light. Moved a PRS Hollowbody once because it was light as a feather. Prefer around 8-9 lbs but heavier is ok if balanced well.

 

[toothace]

Not sure I'd stand for the weight of a resin guitar but as has been stated...if it sounds good...

 

[Davey]

I am likely backwards on this, but when I was younger and played standing up or live, I preferred a lighter guitar, but now that I am older, I play sitting down so weight is not that much of a factor anymore. Of course there are limits and I would agree that 9lbs and up would be a bit much even while seated.

As far as resonance, does more weight = more sustain. I guess, maybe yes. Personally I think it comes down to a variety of reasons. Weight, wood type/species, bridge type and material, strings and gauge, tuners, nut, even the player, etc. I also think if there are knots and other natural imperfections (or perfections depending on how you look at it) in the wood of the guitar and where are they located will affect sustain/resonance.

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Do you have a weight threshold you won’t cross even though the rest of the guitar is perfect for you?

Even though I’d prefer mid-8s or less, my threshold is 9 lbs and up. Anybody else have a threshold?


Also, do you think heavier electrics sound better? More resonant/better sustain?

Threshold- Mine is around 9lbs unless something is close to that and exceptional. I have a friend with two Les Pauls. One has to be close to 10lbs and it sounds GREAT and plays very well. The other one, I swear must be around 12 or more. It sounds good, but I'd never play it standing up for long, and I'm not entirely out of shape yet.

As for sound and resonance, the old school thought was "the heavier, the better" for resonance. The it went full circle to guys preferring the lightest guitar of the group, and saying it was because lighter is more resonant. I don't have enough information to believe that either is correct, and believe that it is the wood itself, and all the other components in synergy, that make a guitar more resonant and alive. Given the shifts in preferences, clearly light and heavy can be "the best" at it, again, depending on the specific wood of that guitar and the other components. IMHO

Edit: I read an article a while back, where the guy was explaining how specific grain patterns seemed more indicative of resonance/sustain, than weight of the wood.

 

[veinbuster]

I’ve never weighed a guitar before buying, so I guess it isn’t a deal breaker.

That said, my old Les Paul is just a hair under 10 pounds and is uncomfortable to play for very long. I think it would be less of an issue if the edges weren’t so squared off. I don’t expect to every buy a 10 pounder.

 

[jak3af3r]

I don't actively seek out guitars within a certain weight threshold but I think I gravitate to guitars under 10 pounds.

The sustain argument I've found to be more about construction with already resonant woods than solely based on weight.

 

[strat63]

I'll be different here and say weight is definitely a very important factor that can easily be a deal breaker. Neck and shoulder surgeries have made anything much over 8 lbs almost unplayable for any length of time. It limits my choices but has probably saved me some money along the way.

 

[alantig]

I'm a member of the Jeff Baxter School Of Playing Sitting Down most of the time now, but I don't know that I've ever really cared much about the weight of the guitar. I only remember asking one, when I tried the Artist V I ended up with. I asked if it was weight-relieved because it was so light.

In general, though, as long as the guitar weighs less than me, I'm good.

 

[Jason Penn]

it is a deal breaker for me. i prefer guitars under 8 lbs

 

[László]

The weighting is the hardest part.


I'm really sorry, I couldn't resist!

 

[Lister]

I must've been living under a rock because I'd never heard of people concerned about guitar weights until the interwebs and guitar forums appeared. I get why you'd want to know, especially those with shoulder/medical issues, but weight has never stopped me from buying a guitar if it sounds and plays good. At the moment, my McCarty is the heaviest guitar I own, but I couldn't tell you exactly what it weighs!

 

[watelessness]

definitely a deal breaker. 9 is just too much for my back. i've had some great playing and great sounding guitars that i had to dump because of their mass.

my heavier ones tend to be the ones with the most sustain, resonance, etc.

 

[Rhythmisking]

9-ish pounds is the limit for me. I almost always play standing up, even when practicing.

Several years ago I sold what had always been a dream guitar for me; a tobacco sunburst Yamaha SG2000 with a gorgeous flame maple top (most pf them were plain). Almost 11 pounds. Tried and tried, but I just couldn't do it, even with a super foam-padded strap.

 

[RickP]

Several years ago I sold what had always been a dream guitar for me; a tobacco sunburst Yamaha SG2000 with a gorgeous flame maple top (most pf them were plain). Almost 11 pounds. Tried and tried, but I just couldn't do it, even with a super foam-padded strap.

I've got a 78 Yamaha SA2000, and it weighs 9 pounds even as a semi-hollow! I can only imagine what the solid body SG series was like. I'm beginning to wonder when I will see another "long night" sort of gig, but the light guitars like my Hollowbody Spruce have found favor in recent months! I'll be getting another one of those when I can. Recently, I've been doing a sit-down thing with a few other players... a first in my decades of gigging. I have to admit I don't really like anything about it but the lack of back strain. I still have to use a strap, and let the guitar hang a bit to feel right.

I can play on anything, but am beginning to "walk toward the light" side of the equation as the years stack up. Some guitars, though, like some of those boat anchor Les Pauls, were just too heavy even in my younger days.

 

[Hasbeen]

I like a "heavy" guitar. Big mass means big tone and an immediacy that I like...IMHO.

 

[garrett]

I generally go for under 8 pounds. 7 to 7.5 feels pretty ideal.

A wide, comfortable strap makes the lower-mid 8's more bearable, though. I'd go for a Singlecut in that weight range.

I make no association between weight and tone. My preference is based solely on feel and comfort. In my experience, over 8 pounds definitely wears on me more over the course of a long rehearsal or gig.