Weighing In

[Space1999]

So after finding out that the Alex Lifeson LP was a whopping 9.2 pounds I started weighing my Epi’s just to see how much more weight that would really bring.

I have weighed half of mine and I was very shocked.

The IBG Transfade SG weighed in at 7.8 pounds
The Trad II weighed in at 8.0 pounds
The Koa LP Custom weighed in at 8.6 pounds

Whoa, wait a minute!!!!!

I have always considered the Koa LP Custom to be lighter and more comfortable than the Trad II. And I thought blindly that it was in the 7 pound range.

So what gives? How can one guitar weigh more than another by over half a pound but seem lighter to me?

Is it the center mass of the Koa with a lighter neck? The Trad definitely feels heavier to me with the strap on.

I still have the semi-hollows to weigh and now I am really curious.

What makes a guitar seem lighter or heavier than another when it is not?

Any thoughts?

Pat

 

[Paruwi]

What makes a guitar seem lighter or heavier than another when it is not?

Imagination or wishful thinking

 

[grinwer]

Imagination or wishful thinking

View attachment 18346

What to say about the illusory perception of sound? Ha-ha-ha )))
But they say: Come on, don't talk nonsense, I can hear it!!! I have ears!!!
Ah, these beautiful, magical connectors! These are great wires!
... Only sometimes, of course. )

 

[grinwer]

Any thoughts?

Attitude strongly colors perception.
Sound, light, form. Everything is subjective, personal.

 

[Raiyn]

So what gives? How can one guitar weigh more than another by over half a pound but seem lighter to me?

Is it the center mass of the Koa with a lighter neck? The Trad definitely feels heavier to me with the strap on

The mind is a funny thing. Maybe you subconsciously prefer the Koa.

Other than that, it's all wood density variables and weight distribution.

 

[syco]

My 2022 Studio , which is supposed to be weight relieved , feels like my heaviest guitar . The '59 's are supposed to be heavy/bulky , but all 3 feel somewhat lighter to me compared to my Studio .

 

[soulman969]

Imagination or wishful thinking

View attachment 18346

I'm with you. It feels heavy it is heavy. The G&L ASAT Special I have has a solid mahogany body and weighs 9 lbs. It's heavier than my '56 Gold Top which weighs a little under 9 lbs. 8 lbs 10 ozs as I recall.

But to answer the question asked the ASAT does weigh more heavily on my shoulder than the Gold Top. My best guess is that it has more of it's total weight in the body itself and less in the neck, headstock, & tuners.

But that's kind of splitting hairs. Both weigh more than any other guitars I own and in about the same range as my basses which for a bass are all quite light. Two are in the lower 9 lb range and one is under 9 lbs.

 

[pontaeri]

Generally weight is usually the wood selected, I had the experience of a luthier getting reclaimed beams from a building demo, and one beam he'd cut into blanks for bodies. One side the wood had lighter blanks, and the other side had heavier wood, diff was 2 lbs ish . . .

Also hardware can make a diff, like my friend had a neck dive-y bass and replaced the tuner machines with more expensive ones and I could hold the old one and replacements and tell the weight diff.

Straps for me has done the "ligher but in reality heavier" trick. I have access to two resonators, both brass but the heavier one seems lighter because of the straps, heavier (9.8 lbs) one has the button at the bottom and one drilled into the neck heel. The other one (lighter 9 lbs and few oz) only has a button on the neck heel and needs tie head stock strap. The strap with the neck heel button fits better than the sans neck heel button. Also strap width. On my Pbass I used to use a 1.5" wide strap. But the bf got me one of those 4 in wide r leather straps, and that was way more comfy and made bass feel lighter

 

[soulman969]

I concur on selecting a strap that will help make the heavier instruments feel lighter. Both Levy's and Neotech make 3.5" or 4" neoprene straps that flex and act somewhat like a shock absorber as far as making the instrument feel less like dead weight.

I use them on all three of my basses, my Gold Top, my Michael Kelly Patriot, and my G&L ASAT Special. All are 8.5 lbs or more and that type of strap does help.

 

[Space1999]

Generally weight is usually the wood selected, I had the experience of a luthier getting reclaimed beams from a building demo, and one beam he'd cut into blanks for bodies. One side the wood had lighter blanks, and the other side had heavier wood, diff was 2 lbs ish . . .

Also hardware can make a diff, like my friend had a neck dive-y bass and replaced the tuner machines with more expensive ones and I could hold the old one and replacements and tell the weight diff.

Straps for me has done the "ligher but in reality heavier" trick. I have access to two resonators, both brass but the heavier one seems lighter because of the straps, heavier (9.8 lbs) one has the button at the bottom and one drilled into the neck heel. The other one (lighter 9 lbs and few oz) only has a button on the neck heel and needs tie head stock strap. The strap with the neck heel button fits better than the sans neck heel button. Also strap width. On my Pbass I used to use a 1.5" wide strap. But the bf got me one of those 4 in wide r leather straps, and that was way more comfy and made bass feel lighter

I think you hit the nail on the head. My Koa has a center strap button where the Trad II has the strap button on the top bought.

My Sheraton’s all have center strap buttons was well and they feel like nothing.

I am using 2” - 2 1/2” Levy straps so they also make things very managable.

So my next question is can I take the bought strap button off the Trad II and make it a center strap button?

Something tells me no because there is a huge weight difference between the Koa neck which is the thinnest neck I have and the Trad II which has a baseball bat neck of carved mahogany.

I imagine the neck would dip if I tried it. They put those strap buttons where they do for a reason.

Pat

 

[Space1999]

So here are the final weights on the other three Epi’s I have…..

2016 Sheraton II. 8,4 pounds
2015 Sheraton II w/Gibby hrdwr 8.4 pounds
2018 Riviera P-93 w/Bigsby. 8,4 pounds

Weird right? I checked the digital scales and they were good. All 3 weighed exactly 8.4 pounds??!!

All 3 are also center strap button and I wasn’t shocked but mildly amused. They don’t feel heavy to me except the P-93 with that Bigsby on the back. It must be psychological because all 3 have a fast neck.

Huh….go figure.

Pat

 

[Noodling Guitars]

Mine are all in the range of 8.x pounds - Gibsons/Epiphones - even for those that are "weight relieved". Don't think I have any full-sized LP that weights less than 8. This of course excludes Tributes/Studios which are slightly thinner and LP variants that have a much thinner body. I think it's just one of those things that when I pick it up, it just feels right.

 

[Raiyn]

I imagine the neck would dip if I tried it. They put those strap buttons where they do for a reason.

Three actually:

• Aesthetics
• Tradition
• They have a jig

Notice that balance isn't on the list. Can't have that back button anywhere but dead center.

This is a topic that gets bandied about fairly often amongst SG enthusiasts, though I will say, there's only one kind of neck dive the King was interested in, and it wasn't from his guitar.

Fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches... What? It's a "family-friendly" site.

 

[syco]

Chumbawamba ! His guitar isn't plugged in !

 

[Raiyn]

Chumbawamba ! His guitar isn't plugged in !

Movie

Easy Come Easy Go (1967)


Hard to choreograph that many people on a tiny stage when you're throwing cables in too.

Psst: He's probably not singing either.

 

[syco]

Psst: He's probably not singing either.

He's The King ...... Not Milli Vanilli

 

[Raiyn]

He's The King ...... Not Milli Vanilli

Again, movie. Lip syncing to his pre-recorded track. My mother'd be spinning in her grave fast enough to generate electricity if I actually meant anything else.

 

[syco]

Again, movie. Lip syncing to his pre-recorded track. My mother'd be spinning in her grave fast enough to generate electricity if I actually meant anything else.

I suppose next you will tell me it wasn't actually Buddy Holly in the " Buddy Holly Story " !

 

[soulman969]

I suppose next you will tell me it wasn't actually Buddy Holly in the " Buddy Holly Story " !

Never could get over the casting of Gary Busey as Buddy Holly or his playing a Tele instead of a Strat.

Lou Diamond Phillips as Richie Valens worked but Gary Busey as Buddy Holly......no way.

 

[mgenet]

It appears that wood density has more to do with the weight
than a model or manufacturer.

I have a '98 MIK Dot that weighs just shy of 8 pounds.
As does the Epi 2020 ES-335 'inspired by' semi-hollow.
2020 LP Modern 'inspired by...' is almost 8.5 pounds.
Hmm. 2 semi-hollows and a "solid body" w. Ultra-Modern Weight Relief.

Now go figure this. An Epi LP Special II (Basswood body slab) is 7.75 lbs.
A 2019 Gibson LP Junior 'Tribute' DC (All mahogany) is 7 lbs.

I think too it is where the guitar is fitting you and how it feels altogether
and the all-over comfort level.

One of my favs is one of the heaviest; but it seems so balanced that
the heavier weight doesn't bother me.

Basically I stay away from anything over 9 lbs. Too much weight to be slinging
about at my frail age.