Buying guitars based on their weight...?

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miroslav

miroslav

Cosmic Cowboy
So like, what's this odd obsession with the Gibson LP crowd? :D

Many of the eBay ads for LPs make a point of stating the weight. Yeah, I know, there are the chambered ones VS non-chambered...which is one thing to consider, but seems like LP buyers all want the heaviest LP they could find. I don’t think weight alone will clearly show if a guitar is chambered or not…and besides, I notice that lighter-body guitars have sweeter resonance and more 3-D tone than the real heavy/dense solid-bodies….plus, I don't think that weight alone dictates sustain properties. Wouldn’t that be more about the overall composition, not just pure weight?

Anyway...I just find the whole thing somewhat peculiar that some buyers are so focused on the weight...meaning that the heavier the better when it comes to Gibson LPs. :)
 
Sustain has to do with the rate at which the energy is lost from the string. It is dependant on the attack/decay rate of the energy as it leaves the string. The more energy that is reflected back down the string from the saddle and nut or fret the longer the sustain would theoretically be. It has something to do with the density of the materials but not entirely. It is also dependant on many other factors. The predilection for a dense heavy body is largely fashion and hype as one of the other major factors in all this is the elasticity of the materials which a relationship between mass and stiffness. You can not judge that from mass alone.
 
I hate heavy guitars - I want lightweight and resonant and don't think I have to have a heavy guitar to get good sustain.....Wait, make that I am SURE that I don't need a heavy guitar to achieve it.

Give me a lightweight guitar any day......like my Mad-O-Caster......about 6 lbs and screams like a banshee:

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Madguitrst said:
I hate heavy guitars - I want lightweight and resonant and don't think I have to have a heavy guitar to get good sustain.....Wait, make that I am SURE that I don't need a heavy guitar to achieve it.

Give me a lightweight guitar any day......like my Mad-O-Caster......about 6 lbs and screams like a banshee:

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Great looking axe! :cool:
 
What kind of wood is that on the body/neck?
Spalted maple?

Is it store bought or your own project build guitar?
Looks cool.
 
People forget a lot of things, something as simple as the neck pocket can make a huge difference. If the pocket is loose you're lose a lot of sustain there, no matter how heavy the guit is. Neck wood plays a role. Warwick use ovangkol for their necks and it's part of their signature tone. It has no significant effect on the weight of the bass though. I will say a Buzzard weighs a friggin' ton though. It is, however, a total tone monster.
 
The heavier the better is an attitude held by LP noobs actually. It was certainly the old school measuring stick. The real experts and buyers/collectors prefer lighter. Go to the LP Forum and you will find plenty of discussion on the subject. One of the reasons Norlin era Lesters are denigrated - when they are - is because of their excessive weight. 10-12 lbs is a lot to sling on yer shoulder for a three hour gig. 8.5-9 is much preferable and they are priced accordingly. Lighter (naturally - not because of chambering) equals more dollars.


lou
 
That should make Peavy the best amps around...
Had a Bandit in the 80's and lugging it around to jam's,(I was an unlicensed teen at the time and walked it to all my jam spots), was a b*tch !

As for guitars, I used to own a les Paul (unchambered), and found I was getting shoulder and neck pain after playing it for 30mins. Had to sit down to play it with any comfort, and I can tell you that it had no more sustain than the Ibanez I owned at the time.

Mind you, I'm a wimp and would probably get shoulder strain with an acoustic straped on within the hour...
 
BTW, the guitar and neck are Black Limba cut from the same blank, the board is mcassar ebony. The guitar was made by Franklin Cash guitars to my specs - woods, 24.75" scale, Scahller Hannes bridge, TruOil finish.

Thanks for the nice comments. :)
 
Tadpui said:
OK now that that's settled, how about the weight of an amplifier? :D
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If it's the housing it don't mean shit. All else being equal, buy an amp by the pound. Everything that makes a good amp, power supply, transformers, heat sinks etc, are heavy if they're good. Crown power amps start at 35 pounds. End of statement.
 
Weight is a measurable property. It does speak to the density or mass of the instrument. After you find out the model, maker, date of manufacture, and other such items about a prospective online purchase, weight is one of the few variables you can use to differentiate between similar guitars. The sellers opinion of the tone is useless.

Muttley is right. heavy doesn't always mean sustain and light certainly doesn't always mean resonant, but it isn't stupid to use weight as part of your decision making process.

Some peope go for lighter guitars just because it's easier on the back and shoulders.
 
Milnoque said:
Weight is a measurable property. It does speak to the density or mass of the instrument. .
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I wonder how much of the weight is actual density of wood fibers and how much is moisture content still trapped in with the fibers/resins?

I don't much care about weight...I mean, AFA my shoulder/back...though yeah, lighter sure feels better... :)
...but all the times I tired out 4-5 of the same model guitar, I always liked the lighter ones more for their overall tone. They just seemed to ring out more with more complex harmonics, and you could feel the strings vibrate throughout the guitar body. They real heavy ones seemed to always go 'THUNK'.
I'm talking about trying them without an amp. With an amp, the pickups pretty much do most of the work, so even a 'THUNK' can sound pretty good. ;)
 
The heavier LP's sound better to me. I'm not a wuss though. A heavier than average guitar doesn't bother me.
 
I was a wispy youth, and at age 17, I played a monstrously heavy Les Paul Custom - after a 3 set gig, I would have back pain for a couple of days. I actually traded it for a lighter guitar - if only I had had the resources to hold on to both (we've all heard that sob story). It was a beautiful guitar, but honestly, I didn't miss it - I played and performed better with the lighter one.
 
miroslav said:
I wonder how much of the weight is actual density of wood fibers and how much is moisture content still trapped in with the fibers/resins?

I don't much care about weight...I mean, AFA my shoulder/back...though yeah, lighter sure feels better... :)
...but all the times I tired out 4-5 of the same model guitar, I always liked the lighter ones more for their overall tone. They just seemed to ring out more with more complex harmonics, and you could feel the strings vibrate throughout the guitar body. They real heavy ones seemed to always go 'THUNK'.
I'm talking about trying them without an amp. With an amp, the pickups pretty much do most of the work, so even a 'THUNK' can sound pretty good. ;)
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Modern Guitars are generally built in humidity controlled environments and there should not be great differences in the water weight of similar guitars.
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
The heavier the better is an attitude held by LP noobs actually. It was certainly the old school measuring stick. The real experts and buyers/collectors prefer lighter. Go to the LP Forum and you will find plenty of discussion on the subject. One of the reasons Norlin era Lesters are denigrated - when they are - is because of their excessive weight. 10-12 lbs is a lot to sling on yer shoulder for a three hour gig. 8.5-9 is much preferable and they are priced accordingly. Lighter (naturally - not because of chambering) equals more dollars.


lou
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that's it ...... I think the weight listings are more for those that want a lighter LP.
 
I buy based on volume, not weight. You just have to remember that some settling of contents may occur :D


That said, my LP is nearly 13lbs. :eek:
And Warren Haynes plays a chambered LP.

It's in the fingers boys!
 
Milnoque said:
Modern Guitars are generally built in humidity controlled environments and there should not be great differences in the water weight of similar guitars.
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I don't mean outside humidity. I was wondering if one piece of wood could have greater weight due to its internal retention of water VS a different but same type of wood?

Like...could one piece of mahogany retain a greater amount of water within its fibers and resins than another...even though they are dried in the same manner for the same amount of time?
 
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