How much does your '52 Reissue Tele weigh?

sleepyeye · September 2nd, 2006, 10:04 AM

'52 RI owners. How much does your '52 RI weigh?

Anybody know the range of weight for original '52 Telecasters?
I'm sure they'd have it in the Blackguard Book.

My '52 RI weighs appx 8.5 lbs. A good guitar but a little on the heavy side.

acmesoundlab · September 2nd, 2006, 10:48 AM

I have 2, one is 8.7, and the other, which I think sounds much better, is 6.9.

Dacious · September 2nd, 2006, 12:34 PM

I can only estimate around 6 lbs from bathroom and kitchen scales. Not ideal measurements, but as light than my Thinline which in itself is light compared to most solidbody Teles I've picked up.

Mark Davis · September 2nd, 2006, 12:42 PM

9.2 lbs was what the 1988 52ri I had weighted in at.

Bathroom scales arent accurate enough to use on items that are under 10lbs. I can easily move my feet around and make my weight 2 lbs + or - from my real weight.

Bill · September 2nd, 2006, 01:32 PM

My 1996 '52 reissue weighs 7 pounds, 5.2 ounces. That's on a high-end digital kitchen scale.

I'm always a little suprised when I hear of Teles around 6 pounds. I've had one that was 6 and a half, and I've felt one that was significantly lighter than that. But they are really rare. I think you have to be very careful about bathroom scales. Even with you holding it, a lot of them can be off half a pound.

jed · September 2nd, 2006, 01:54 PM

On a UPS store's scale my '52 (2001) came in at 6.5 lbs

Telemarkman · September 2nd, 2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

9.2 lbs was what the 1988 52ri I had weighted in at.

Bathroom scales arent accurate enough to use on items that are under 10lbs. I can easily move my feet around and make my weight 2 lbs + or - from my real weight.

Man, that was a heavy beast !

And concerning bathroom scales, you're absolutely right.

My jan.2004 52RI weighs 7.78 lbs on my digital fish scale.

Geo · September 2nd, 2006, 02:25 PM

6.4 lbs. (6.38xx) on an Ohaus digital lab scale at the work place.
Regarding weights of vintage, never have weighed any but
4 or so handled in the last 10 years seemed fairly light.
I did hold/play a real '53 when I bought the '52 RI
and it seemed real close weight and other wise.

Far as I have read or heard though original vintage weights
apparently varied as much as reissues.

Mark Davis · September 2nd, 2006, 02:35 PM

6-9 lbs is about the total range I have seen.

If you have anything under 6 or over 9 thats rare.

titus · September 2nd, 2006, 03:20 PM

My '04 is 7 lbs. 4 oz. according to the shop I bought it from.

-T

zeeman · September 2nd, 2006, 05:07 PM

My 2005 comes in right at 8.0.

sleepyeye · September 2nd, 2006, 05:21 PM

I just weighed my 2002 '52 ri on an accurate digital scale.
It weighs 8.8 lbs.

sleepyeye · September 2nd, 2006, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

6-9 lbs is about the total range I have seen.

If you have anything under 6 or over 9 thats rare.

Does this hold true for vintage blackguard Telecasters of the '50-53 era as well?

Mark Davis · September 2nd, 2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepyeye

Does this hold true for vintage blackguard Telecasters of the '50-53 era as well?

Not sure about those have only played 4-5 51-53 Teles in the 70's and back then no one cared about the weight so no one really knew.

I did get to work on Merles 51 Nocaster in 1978 but didnt put it on the scales.

Pete Galati · September 2nd, 2006, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telemarkman

Man, that was a heavy beast !

And concerning bathroom scales, you're absolutely right.

My jan.2004 52RI weighs 7.78 lbs on my digital fish scale.

You weigh digital fish?

I want to get one of those scales Chris Rice was talking about:

http://myweigh.com/mediumscales_3001.html

The 7001DX. Haven't gotten around to it yet though.

Pete

Eric K · September 2nd, 2006, 11:48 PM

I don't have a scale at home. But I just can feel my 52ri is much lighter then my Am std. tele.

pauare67 · September 3rd, 2006, 12:36 AM

mine...never weighed it...feels like 8lbs.

cbnutt · September 3rd, 2006, 01:45 AM

loved the one i had for a while expect the weight, it was heavy, my 60th ann. is about 6 lbs. 11oz. i think. seems ive herd most are running on the heavy side.

GTO · September 3rd, 2006, 04:46 AM

For CS Tele's they build them so they fall within an average range for the period, to get the feel and sound right. And the Nocaster hovers around the 7lb to 7.5lb range, and you won't find radically different weights unless custom ordered.

But in relation to the AV '52 they seem from all your comments to encompass not only average weights, but also include the extreme ends of the weight range for vintage instruments. In the Blackguard book which covers 1950 to 1954 the weights range from 9.5lb, down to 6.2lb, both of these for 1950 made Broadcasters. But by far the biggest sample seems to be set in the low to mid 7lb bracket, starting in '51 thru '54. So I guess Leo Fender did have an idea of what weight the Tele 'should be' after a varied start to production.

Telemarkman · September 3rd, 2006, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepyeye

Does this hold true for vintage blackguard Telecasters of the '50-53 era as well?

"The Blackguard" mentions some early examples weighing more than 10 lbs.

Telemarkman · September 3rd, 2006, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete Galati

You weigh digital fish?

Don't you ?

ToneFan · September 3rd, 2006, 10:35 AM

On my digital bathroom scale, my 1989 '52 reissue weighs 9.5 lbs... That's one heavy plank of Ash... It's still a heck of a guitar, but I prefer to play this one sitting down...

JM

mellecaster · September 3rd, 2006, 02:39 PM

I was very surprised after getting Nacho's Book....on how heavy some of the Original Blackguards were....musta been a lot of Northern Ash mixed in w/ the lighter Swamp variety.......and by the way........Oh what a BOOK

kuma52 · September 4th, 2006, 05:03 AM

I got two, my 1992 is 6.2 with a two pieces body and my 2006 is 10.3 with a three pieces body.The first one sounds very good acoustic but average plugged, and the heavy one sounds very bad unplugged but terrific plugged. The rules change with every guitar.

kuma52 · September 4th, 2006, 05:03 AM

..

September 2nd, 2006, 10:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
sleepyeye TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 68	How much does your '52 Reissue Tele weigh? '52 RI owners. How much does your '52 RI weigh? Anybody know the range of weight for original '52 Telecasters? I'm sure they'd have it in the Blackguard Book. My '52 RI weighs appx 8.5 lbs. A good guitar but a little on the heavy side.

September 2nd, 2006, 12:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,623 35 Photos	I can only estimate around 6 lbs from bathroom and kitchen scales. Not ideal measurements, but as light than my Thinline which in itself is light compared to most solidbody Teles I've picked up. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!

September 2nd, 2006, 12:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 13,270	9.2 lbs was what the 1988 52ri I had weighted in at. Bathroom scales arent accurate enough to use on items that are under 10lbs. I can easily move my feet around and make my weight 2 lbs + or - from my real weight. __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

September 2nd, 2006, 01:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bill Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 2,697 59 Photos	My 1996 '52 reissue weighs 7 pounds, 5.2 ounces. That's on a high-end digital kitchen scale. I'm always a little suprised when I hear of Teles around 6 pounds. I've had one that was 6 and a half, and I've felt one that was significantly lighter than that. But they are really rare. I think you have to be very careful about bathroom scales. Even with you holding it, a lot of them can be off half a pound. __________________ B i l l B a e c k A journal of our year in London

September 2nd, 2006, 02:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Geo Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Hendersonville, TN Age: 59 Posts: 2,499 15 Photos	6.4 lbs. (6.38xx) on an Ohaus digital lab scale at the work place. Regarding weights of vintage, never have weighed any but 4 or so handled in the last 10 years seemed fairly light. I did hold/play a real '53 when I bought the '52 RI and it seemed real close weight and other wise. Far as I have read or heard though original vintage weights apparently varied as much as reissues. __________________ "Somewhere between culture and agriculture"

September 2nd, 2006, 10:48 AM	#2 (permalink)
acmesoundlab TDPRI Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Clifton, NJ Posts: 19	I have 2, one is 8.7, and the other, which I think sounds much better, is 6.9.

September 2nd, 2006, 01:54 PM	#6 (permalink)
jed Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 196	On a UPS store's scale my '52 (2001) came in at 6.5 lbs

September 2nd, 2006, 02:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 13,270	6-9 lbs is about the total range I have seen. If you have anything under 6 or over 9 thats rare. __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

September 2nd, 2006, 03:20 PM	#10 (permalink)
titus Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 146	My '04 is 7 lbs. 4 oz. according to the shop I bought it from. -T __________________ 52ri>57Deluxe-mmm!

September 2nd, 2006, 05:07 PM	#11 (permalink)
zeeman Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 332 5 Photos	My 2005 comes in right at 8.0.

September 2nd, 2006, 05:21 PM	#12 (permalink)
sleepyeye TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 68	I just weighed my 2002 '52 ri on an accurate digital scale. It weighs 8.8 lbs.

September 2nd, 2006, 11:48 PM	#16 (permalink)
Eric K Tele-Meister Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: HK Posts: 164	I don't have a scale at home. But I just can feel my 52ri is much lighter then my Am std. tele.

September 3rd, 2006, 12:36 AM	#17 (permalink)
pauare67 TDPRI Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: VA, USA, Queens, NY Posts: 39 3 Photos	mine...never weighed it...feels like 8lbs. __________________ Around the world in two years.

September 3rd, 2006, 01:45 AM	#18 (permalink)
cbnutt Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: lebanon missouri Posts: 483	loved the one i had for a while expect the weight, it was heavy, my 60th ann. is about 6 lbs. 11oz. i think. seems ive herd most are running on the heavy side. __________________ shoot low sheriff, hes ridin a shetland..........

September 3rd, 2006, 04:46 AM	#19 (permalink)
GTO Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Peak District Posts: 775	For CS Tele's they build them so they fall within an average range for the period, to get the feel and sound right. And the Nocaster hovers around the 7lb to 7.5lb range, and you won't find radically different weights unless custom ordered. But in relation to the AV '52 they seem from all your comments to encompass not only average weights, but also include the extreme ends of the weight range for vintage instruments. In the Blackguard book which covers 1950 to 1954 the weights range from 9.5lb, down to 6.2lb, both of these for 1950 made Broadcasters. But by far the biggest sample seems to be set in the low to mid 7lb bracket, starting in '51 thru '54. So I guess Leo Fender did have an idea of what weight the Tele 'should be' after a varied start to production.

September 3rd, 2006, 10:35 AM	#22 (permalink)
ToneFan Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: New York, NY Age: 44 Posts: 296 11 Photos	On my digital bathroom scale, my 1989 '52 reissue weighs 9.5 lbs... That's one heavy plank of Ash... It's still a heck of a guitar, but I prefer to play this one sitting down... JM __________________ Visit my Web Page @ http://myspace.com/joemartin

September 3rd, 2006, 02:39 PM	#23 (permalink)
mellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,982 17 Photos	I was very surprised after getting Nacho's Book....on how heavy some of the Original Blackguards were....musta been a lot of Northern Ash mixed in w/ the lighter Swamp variety.......and by the way........Oh what a BOOK __________________ I have never owned an Ipod or Blackberry..and doubt that I ever will......

September 4th, 2006, 05:03 AM	#24 (permalink)
kuma52 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South France Posts: 150	I got two, my 1992 is 6.2 with a two pieces body and my 2006 is 10.3 with a three pieces body.The first one sounds very good acoustic but average plugged, and the heavy one sounds very bad unplugged but terrific plugged. The rules change with every guitar.

September 4th, 2006, 05:03 AM	#25 (permalink)
kuma52 Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: South France Posts: 150	.. Last edited by kuma52; September 4th, 2006 at 05:05 AM. Reason: double post, sorry.