Is ten pounds too much?

[CrazyCanuck]

Hi all, My '52 RI weighs 10 pounds. I read that the average weight is around 8 lbs. Why do you think mine weighs more? Do you think it was made with a different type of ash? The sustain is great though. Thank you and have a nice day.

[sonny wolf]

10 lbs is on the heavy side but who cares if you love the sound of the guitar and are comfortable with the weight.I personally like lighter guitars(Fenders to be around 7 to 8lbs)but it doesn't mean that I would deny a great guitar that was heavier.Wood varies from piece to piece...Fender these days generally aim for 7 to 8lbs for their guitars but sometimes you'll encounter a super light or extra heavy one.Some players actually prefer a heavier guitar...in the 1970s it was fashionable.The question is,are you happy with your guitar overall?

[KhaykinD]

As many builders here would say, every plank of wood is different. Could or could not have to do with where in a tree it comes from, age of the tree/lumber, region, treatment (e.g. how it was dried), etc...

Bottom line - if You don't feel anything is wrong with it, than it's all good. My BSB Kirn is slightly over 10 - but it sounds just amazing and surely is a properly dried peace of ash, so no concerns here. I bought a thicker strap to distribute the weight evenly on the shoulder - now it almost feels the same as the others in the bunch.

[DonMI6]

My new '52 Reissue is on the hefty side as well, about 8 1/2lb according to my bathroom scales, my two other teles are closer to 7lb. 10lb sounds a bit heavy for comfort, but I'm a fairly puny guy.

In 25+ years of owning guitars, it never occured to me to weigh one until I found TDPRI!

[Sparky472]

Too much for what? Too much for you? That's for you to decide. My partscaster is 10 lbs and the weight doesn't bother me. Some guys wouldn't touch a tele that weighs that much. There is no right or wrong.

[StratBluesRock]

Not really. My Tele is pretty heavy, I'll weigh it later today, and it sounds killer.

I also restrung a friend's '79 hardtail Strat that weighed almost exactly 10 pounds. That was a great guitar.

[telex76]

I like my Teles under 7 lbs. just because I like the way they sound.
If you like it keep it, and don't worry about weight. If you don't like it get rid of it.

[Telepi]

Tele's are all over the board.
It's how you feel about that counts.

The lighter ones get better "press"
and are talked about more favorably.
The eBay sellers point this out as a benefit to charge more too.

I've never heard any one brag, "I found a heavy one". But every one touts the love of a light weight one.

Personally, I like my Les Paul heavy. It's 9 1/2 lbs. And I like my Tele light. It's 7 lbs 6 oz. It's a preference.

[boris bubbanov]

Ash, as lumber, varies a lot more in weight than does alder or poplar.

Partly because the wood's density varies in different parts of the column of the tree trunk, and partly because ash is a motley collection of species, not just one or two.

Ordinarily, FMIC tries not to use heavy bodies on a model like an AV52. Think about it; this body in painted form would be roughly 7 pounds; and that's about twice of what boutique ash bodies can run. That's a startling difference, next to say alder.

I've got lots and lots of ash bodied T types and while I have kinda tried not to get anything too heavy, I think there's only 1 over 9 pounds. I love to heft guitars in the shops; hold them out at arms' length and just estimate the weight compared to other known ones and 10 pounds is an attention getter, when I find one. But, that's no reason not to use one. They're liable to sound different and could be better, honestly.

I don't buy from Reliablefender/Stratosphere but it is a kick to go through their website and keep track of the weights of the different bodies they have for sale. Generally, they're not the real light ones and there's so many between 4.5 pounds and 6 pounds. A few going up to 7 pounds but not that many.

[trev333]

10 lbs..

that's a big baby....

[musicalmartin]

I have two extremes .A lightweight ,almost ultra light, Fender Japan Thinline in ash .A beautiful warm sound precise definition guitar and a nut grinding MIM blacktop Jaguar at 9 lb that is really too heavy for an old fart like me.There is something about a heavy guitar especially with humbuckers .Maybe definition and of course sustain .My latest build is a very light strat body from Paulowonia (GFS).It has an iron trem block so balances out the light weight a bit and gives good string definition. A similar paulowonia tele body of unknown but very cheap origin is acoustically loud and plays well but lacks a bit of bass definition compared .
I may look out for a light pine body for my next tele build assuming it ever comes round.I guess 7.5 is my ideal weight but I forgive my Jaguar as its a great player .Most Jags and Jazzmasters are bit on the heavy side I note

[ScottieHotrod]

That's very cheap!

[valiant]

Got a '52 "Coppercaster" that is a full 9lbs of premium swamp ash.....it's got great sustain and a big warm tone with real depth and strong lower mids....sounds like the "grand piano" of telecasters......sit down and play or get a wide strap......many a Les Paul are 10lbs and 11lbs.

[mexicolafuzz]

Give it a few decades and you'll have a bent left shoulder like Jimmy Page. Rock n Roll!

[ac15]

Originally Posted by CrazyCanuck

Hi all, My '52 RI weighs 10 pounds. I read that the average weight is around 8 lbs. Why do you think mine weighs more? Do you think it was made with a different type of ash? The sustain is great though. Thank you and have a nice day.

If it's not "too much" for you, then it's not too much.

I think what you're really asking is whether it's "acceptable" to have a 10 pound Tele. While 10 lbs is on the heavy side for a Tele, I don't think it's too much as long as it sounds good and it's not giving you back problems.

Personally I think people have become waaaay too obsessed with weighing guitars over the last several years and most people (i.e. those without back issues) should be able to wear 10-12 pound guitars with no problem.

[Scantron08]

Not for a Les Paul.

[Mike Simpson]

The weight of a guitar is not a valid judgement on the tone or playability... only how much it weighs.

I have Tele's ranging from 6.66 lbs to 9.4 lbs, pine, alder and ash... they all sound good. The heavy one is not bright and is farly loud acoustically, the lighter ones do not lack sustain. Any tonal variety attributed to a guitar based on weight is just silly and unfounded. I can record 3 guitars of different weight and I defy anyone to reliably pick the heavy or the light one. I play more lighter guitars but I have a bad back... played an 8 hour gig yesterday.

[Ryan0594]

Guitars are made from organic materials so this variation is completely natural.

[67TeleNut]

Only if you were charged by the pound!

[LGOberean]

Originally Posted by ScottieHotrod

That's very cheap!

Funny, that!

To the OP, yeah, that's heavy for a Tele. A lot of good information has already been given here as to the variables (wood species, age, treatment, etc.) contributing to issues of weight. This info serves to enrich our knowledge of the subject. So this has been a helpful thread.

I have a Tele made of mahogany, and it's on the heavy side as well, 9 lbs. 02 oz. For the most part, weight's not an issue. But I must admit I will choose one of my other (lighter) Teles over the mahogany if my shoulder or back is giving me trouble. I'm keeping that mahogany, though.