Adding weight to a guitar

[ricach]

I've got a Turser T-body that I'd like to turn into a project, but I'm hesitating because its just too light for my tastes. My thought was to bore holes around the guitar and drop in lead fishing weights and then reseal, but from my calculations, I'd be lucky to add a pound. I'm hoping to add 2-3 lbs. Anybody expirement with adding weight to a guitar?

[OpenG Capo4]

I'd think you could plane it past the roundover and laminate on some heavier wood, like maple, mahogany, sapele, purpleheart, or something.

Or you could just put a Bigsby on it.

[robt57]

I am thinking a trade for a heavy body would not be too hard to arrange. If my assumption that light is more popular than heavy generally...

Sounds like you nee a pine CV 50 body like my 5.8 lber.

[Bongocaster]

Years ago a friend of mine handed me his guitar with a big grin on his face. I grabbed it by the neck and dropped it. He did exactly what you have in mind but he did it trying to get more sustain. He was so happy with himself that I didn't have the heart to mention that there was a reason that they make bells out bronze and not lead. Plus he was one bad ass player who had taught me a lot about guitaring.

The guitar was actually an early 50s Esquire, but it already had a Strat whammy, a triple coil bridge pickup, and I can't remember what it had for a neck pickup.

[ricach]

Originally Posted by OpenG Capo4

I'd think you could plane it past the roundover and laminate on some heavier wood, like maple, mahogany, sapele, purpleheart, or something.

Or you could just put a Bigsby on it.

Good ideas. Thanks. But how much weight would 1/4" or so piece actually add?

While looking for lead ingots to possible melt and pour into holes, I found a website that sells lead rods 3/4" diameter by the foot. 2 feet gets me 3lbs of lead for $25 shipped. rotometals.com

Maybe start by inserting four 4" pieces (about 2 pounds) deep in the body around the edge and add more if necessary.

[glen smith]

Go to your local garage and ask them to save up the used wheel weights for you.

[brookdalebill]

Just get a heavier guitar you like.
Doncha' think?

[robt57]

Route a square out of the back down low, fill it with a piece of steel/lead. Or just a bunch of fishing weights and some goo like a glue to keep from rattling and make a cover, or use a Strat Trem cover over. Or if you fill it flush [use plastic wood] after you put in the small fishing weighs [mixed with plastic wood to secure and anti rattle] and trowel flat. Then a big enough pin up Gal decal can cover the patched hole. Just thinking out loud....

That is option Down And Dirty.


Second option, Forstner drill 1-3/8" hole in from the edge on the bottom edge and fill with lead or steel bar stock. Maybe use the bit same size as the bar stock, press in 1/16" deep and fill over with plastic wood, spray edge to match or glue a Dano strip or a piece of an old guitar strap around the entire edge. In that case make the plugs flush. Or use some conchos to cover each hole/plug.

Maybe if you could get depleted uranium plugs, search ebay.


Conchos can be got in western motif easily.





Me... I'd go with my first post/idea....

[Hiker]

^^^ Bill has a point. The wheel weight suggestion might just work!

[Bongocaster]

Originally Posted by ricach

Good ideas. Thanks. But how much weight would 1/4" or so piece actually add?

While looking for lead ingots to possible melt and pour into holes, I found a website that sells lead rods 3/4" diameter by the foot. 2 feet gets me 3lbs of lead for $25 shipped. rotometals.com

Maybe start by inserting four 4" pieces (about 2 pounds) deep in the body around the edge and add more if necessary.

Over $7.00/lb for lead. Try looking for babbit (used for bearings.) I have about 5 lbs of it you can have if you come and get it. I don't plan on putting new bearings in any old tractors so you're welcome to it.

Wot, no Led Zeppelin jokes yet?

[ricach]

Originally Posted by Bongocaster

Over $7.00/lb for lead. Try looking for babbit (used for bearings.) I have about 5 lbs of it you can have if you come and get it. I don't plan on putting new bearings in any old tractors so you're welcome to it.

Wot, no Led Zeppelin jokes yet?

Half that cost is shipping. I'm looking local to see who might carry something like that.

The wheel weights is a great idea but I still would have to buy something to melt those puppies in. Any household item that could handle that? don't really want to use my cast iron skillet for that. lol.

The idea with the rods is just drill a few 3/4" holes in the side, pound in the rods and cover with a dowel rod. I'll have some refinishing to do but that's the case with most ideas. One thing I haven't figured out is, if I don't like this, how am I going to...........................get the led out?

[robt57]

Originally Posted by ricach

The wheel weights is a great idea but I still would have to buy something to melt those puppies in. Any household item that could handle that? don't really want to use my cast iron skillet for that.

Well, plumbers use a cast iron ladle [I have one] to pour the melted lead into the seams of cast iron sewer pipe. I guess yo could melt and pour from that if you had one. What if your wood ignites from the hot lead is my question.

You could use 1" re-bar cut into pieces inserted into the edges a covered filled over etc. Easy to find cheap too. It has raised ridges so the interference fit may be a bit easier to insert... maybe....

[ricach]

Originally Posted by robt57

Well, plumbers use a cast iron ladle [I have one] to pour the melted lead into the seams of cast iron sewer pipe. I guess yo could melt and pour from that if you had one. What if your wood ignites from the hot lead is my question.

You could use 1" re-bar cut into pieces inserted into the edges a covered filled over etc. Easy to find cheap too. It has raised ridges so the interference fit may be a bit easier to insert... maybe....

I ruled out rebar mainly because I have no way to cut it. As for the molten lead and wood? Guess I would test it first maybe on the inside rout. I don't expect it go up in flames right off, but if it starts to smolder, it could pose a problem.

[Maricopa]

Too light? Obviously you haven't been playing any 4 and 6 hr gigs lately.

[glen smith]

Isn't lead soft enough that you can just hammer it into the shape you want without melting it?

[ricach]

Originally Posted by Maricopa

Too light? Obviously you haven't been playing any 4 and 6 hr gigs lately.

Ever play 4 to 6 hours with a neck heavy guitar? lol. Actually I very rarely play a gig where I'm standing so it doesn't really matter. But just like the neck shape can make a difference, so does feeling a nice solid body resting on my lap.

[robt57]

Originally Posted by ricach

I ruled out rebar mainly because I have no way to cut it. As for the molten lead and wood? Guess I would test it first maybe on the inside rout. I don't expect it go up in flames right off, but if it starts to smolder, it could pose a problem.

You could work on it for a few hours and when you get home to go look, see a pile of ashes with lead among the carnage. LOL

[guitarbuilder]

Go to the home center and buy some bolts....hacksaw the head off... drill some holes....epoxy them in....plug with dowels.

[OpenG Capo4]

I would think you could melt lead with a setup for casting muzzloader bullets, not sure how you'd form it, but you could probably make some discs and them drill cavities with a forstner to put the discs into.

If you're gonna be putting metal into the guitar I'd try to make it visible so that some future owner doesn't take a router to it. I mean someone might decide to route a cavity for a pre-amp, battery box, etc and could be seriously injured when the router hit metal.

[ricach]

Originally Posted by guitarbuilder

Go to the home center and buy some bolts....hacksaw the head off... drill some holes....epoxy them in....plug with dowels.

Found a bolt weight calculator (believe it or not). If you load a 1/2" hex bolt with nuts, it will be almost comparable in weight per inch as lead. I find that surprising since weight density of lead to steel is about 11 to 8. Now does anybody know what those zinc-plated bolts at the local hardware store are made from?

I'm guessing that a 1/2" hex loaded with nuts would require a 3/4" or so hole. And no need to saw off the head.