Light vs. Heavy Body

[Arch]

I see that the lighter Strat bodies cost more. I know that a lighter body is easier on the shoulder but doesn't a heavier body produce more tone? Opinions on the subject appreciated.
Thanks.

[=CB=]

Its a not very well kept secret that guitar bodies are priced by the same folks who price female "swim-ware", which is predicated on the "less is more (dollars)" rules of business.   For a given volumetric constant, lighter wood is less dense - meaning less wood, more air, per the given size, hence the "less is more" rule applies.

[rockskate4x]

in most cases heavier bodies have better tone, but I think swamp ash is a main exception. This is fitting because it is mostly lightweight swamp ash bodies that get the price bumped

[JaySwear]

normally i actively look for heavier guitars. which is a little backwards since i'm a huge fan of basswood go figure. anyway, i picked my tele body out of the showcase based on really weight alone (it has a solid color, didn't care about grain). i was really worried about my strat body being too light since it has an f-hole and the neck was purpleheart, which is known to be heavy. worked out just fine though.

[Arch]

Thanks for the replies. I have an Ibanez RG550 20th aniversary model that is heavier than a RG550 LTD model that I owned until recently. The 20th has a noticably better tone. Any more insight appreciated.I wonder why lighter bodies are so much more desireable then. I've never really been all that bothered by slightly heavier guitars really. Interesting...

[kboman]

Thanks for the replies. I have an Ibanez RG550 20th aniversary model that is heavier than a RG550 LTD model that I owned until recently. The 20th has a noticably better tone. Any more insight appreciated.I wonder why lighter bodies are so much more desireable then. I've never really been all that bothered by slightly heavier guitars really. Interesting...

I think you'll find there's a lot more than weight that separates an anniversary model and a regular model

And personally, I'm not convinced that more weight = more tone, objectively. A lot of it is in your head. Personally I kind of lose confidence in really light weight guitars and can't take them seriously, especially if they're an unergonomic shape like a str*t. Too flimsy. But there certainly is such a thing as too heavy.

[Arch]

[/quote]I think you'll find there's a lot more than weight that separates an anniversary model and a regular model

And personally, I'm not convinced that more weight = more tone, objectively. A lot of it is in your head. Personally I kind of lose confidence in really light weight guitars and can't take them seriously, especially if they're an unergonomic shape like a str*t. Too flimsy. But there certainly is such a thing as too heavy.
[/quote]

Oh yeah... My RG20th is really a quality piece... Nicest guitar I've ever owned.
Agreed, I think some things about tone are real and some of it is definately myth or just plain silly...

[Superlizard]

No scientific facts to back it up... (disclaimer cough cough), but I'm of the strong opinion that light or heavy doesn't matter.

What matters is what you pair up that light/heavy body with (pickups, bridge, amp, speaker, etc).

"x" bridge might sound great on that light strat body, but sounds like poo on that heavy body, for ex... .

It's all about balancing the bass, mids and highs - and all components of the rig play a part in this.

[kboman]

Oh yeah... My RG20th is really a quality piece... Nicest guitar I've ever owned.
Agreed, I think some things about tone are real and some of it is definately myth or just plain silly...

Well... just because it's all in your head it doesn't have to be less real.

[Arch]

I think it's kind of analogous to a louder exhaust pipe on your motorcycle (I work in the aftermarket exhaust industry). A lot of people think louder means more power but we call that "psychological horsepower". High performance exhausts that work are usually louder but the guys who just chop them off or core them out usually lose horspower and think it feels more powerful because it's louder.
Still... I'm left wondering if heavier or lighter wood has much of an impact on resonance... Maybe it's just the cut of wood itself?

[AutoBat]

I like my guitar bodies like I like my .. I dunno, I couldn't think of anything good.
I like them heavy. Everyone that picks up my guitar always comments how massive it is (just a stock MIM strat body)

[Arch]

This is really interesting... I thought for sure when I started this thread that this subject would bring a slew of definative answers (or maybe a debate). I guess I'll look for one that's not too heavy and not too light...

[kboman]

This is really interesting... I thought for sure when I started this thread that this subject would bring a slew of definative answers (or maybe a debate). I guess I'll look for one that's not too heavy and not too light...

I'd say to look for one that feels and sounds good regardless of weight

[tfarny]

Some people think a lighter body is more likely to be resonant and airy, acoustic-like a little bit, but a heavy body is more likely to sustain better and have a beefier sound. I dunno, I think there may be some truth to that but some bodies regardless of weight are just "dead" and others are "lively" - my 6 lb warmoth LP body is very lively and the guitar sounds wonderful @ 10 lb total. But I usually play my new tele with a 3.5 lb body and 7 lb total weight, it is just as "lively" and a lot more comfy. The couple of bodies I've come across that were a bit "dead" were a strat and a tele in the high 4-lb range, but I doubt that means very much at all.

[fdesalvo]

I had a 6.XXlb walnut-bodied strat that was extremely bright, harsh, and very dead sounding; it had terrible sustain regardless of pickups. It left me with a bad taste in my mouth for sure.  Conversely, my friends 7lb lp sounds great.  Tone is about more than just the body wood- the neck is equally important in the equation.  I think the walnut guitar didn't work becasue the neck was maple/ebony.  Had I gone with a lighter wood, I think the guitar would have been elevated to the mediocre level.