Is lighter weight Ash better than heavier

[SixShooter]

I'm sure this has been discussed before but would it be true to say that a lighter swamp ash body (say 4 lbs.) is going to make a better guitar than a heavier one (say 5.0 lbs)? Some of the manufacturers seem to put a premium price on the real light ones.

[garymaddox]

A lighter guitar is much more comfortable to play.

[KevinB]

Each piece of wood is different and I just don't believe you can generalize that a lighter body is necessarily "better" (and how would you define "better"?) than a heavier one.

If two bodies sounded identical, I think most people would find the lighter one more comfortable but again it's very subjective and personal.

[68thinline]

I suspect some of it has to do with density and resonance, like low density = higher resonance. I don't know if that necessarily leads to a better sounding instrument; there are so many other factors to consider... and the guitar hasn't really been studied scientifically.

[spannerman]

heavier would likely give more sustain, but as for tone etc it varies between each individual piece of wood.

[tonewoods]

I think you can get too light...

A little over 4 lbs. seems to work for me...

[TELE_BLUES]

Soundwise you'll never know until it's built,but thats the beauty of it. Then add in all the varyables,neck,neck pocket fit,p.u.'s ,bridge,electronic components,strings,the way you play ect and you can see what you're up against trying to guess at the sound.The weight of the body is about as acurate a mesure of the sound it will produce as the color it's painted would be.

[Rob DiStefano]

very subjective and personal stuff.

a 4# body is a heavy anchor, for me. less than 2# is just too dang light. 2.5# to 3# is sweet.

sweeter yet if the wood is resonant and 'sings' - to me, this is the key to a good solid body (not what kinda wood nor how many pieces).

as always, ymmv.

[tonewoods]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

less than 2# is just too dang light. 2.5# to 3# is sweet.

Wow...

I've gone through maybe a dozen-and-a-half bodies (mostly from USACG), and have always ordered the lightest wood available.

And 3.5 lbs. was the lightest of the bunch...

How common is/was a 2.5# body??

Just curious...
Thanks!

[KevinB]

I think you probably have to go to Paulownia to get down to that weight!

[Rob DiStefano]

the lightest solid swamp ash i've had was 3.1# ... for really light and resonant solid wood bodies, paulownia is the only way to go, all mine average 2.5# ... here's a jazzer in the raw that needs to get sanded, stained, sealed and finished ...

[newtwanger]

Originally Posted by tonewoods

Wow...

I've gone through maybe a dozen-and-a-half bodies (mostly from USACG), and have always ordered the lightest wood available.

And 3.5 lbs. was the lightest of the bunch...

How common is/was a 2.5# body??

Just curious...
Thanks!

Me too. I have 2 1-pc ash USACG bodies at 3lb2oz but that's with tummy and forearm cuts. 3lb8oz is my lightest 1-pc "true" tele body.

I have 3 that are 5lb4oz - 5lb8oz and they are just too heavy. I've hollowed behind the pickguard on 1 to get me to 5lb, and the other 2 I'm going to chamber to hit around 4lb.

[Rob DiStefano]

up to about 4 years ago it was fairly common to get a 1pc 3# to 3.5# ash body from all parts ... these dayze, they consider a 2pc 4# ash body as 'ultra light'. solid ash tele bodies at 2.5# were out there, but fairly rare, though. these dayze, ultra light means going with p-wood ... which is all i'm using right now. that jazz tele above weighs 5.2# and just sings.

[tonewoods]

Originally Posted by Rob DiStefano

the lightest solid swamp ash i've had was 3.1# ...

Whew...

Thought I was loosing it...

[Colt W. Knight]

Honestly, the majority of guitar players aren't going to know which guitar weighs what. They are just going to know if one guitar kills their back when the play standing up for an extended period of time. I played a 52RI a few days ago that was so heavy it felt like I was packing around a set of encyclopedias. However, it sounded the same as the lighter 52RI sitting on the shelf beside it.

I honestly never considered the weight of my guitars until I started reading this forum because I started out playing a 13 pound banjo. That guy will absolutely kill your shoulder. After building a light pinecaster, I can't imagine going back to a heavy guitar ever again.