Lightweight vs. Heavier Guitars?

[Mark Hatcher]

This is a question for custom guitars buyers. Which do you prefer, a lightweight guitar or a heavier guitar? Do you feel that a lightweight guitar may be more responsive? Or maybe a heavier guitar feels more substantial and might have better sustain? Looking for your opinion and perspective.

[StillStephen]

I don't look at weight as a factor, as it is influenced by wood choice and desired tone -- I would concentrate on those two characteristics more than just the weight of the guitar.

[Kent Chasson]

Mark, I'll be curious to see people's responses to this. My experience is that a fairly high percentage of people have an immediate negative response to a heavier guitar. For some, it's assumptions about sound that may or may not be realistic. For others, it's about comfort/ergonomics.

There was this poll that John Oshthoff did that may be helpful too.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ghlight=weight

[Diamondave]

I have a Matsuda guitar that is VERY heavy, along with a Bozo guitar that is even HEAVIER. and they are some of my favorites.... Then I have guitars soo light, they feel like their about to explode on my lap! And I love em as well.... I guess a lot has to do with who's the builder.... In "general" I prefer more lighter builds I've played over the years vs heavy guitars.

Though, If a heavy guitar sounds amazing, I like it better, im more nervous about too light of a guitar and it's stability over time... Neck resets after a few years, warped tops etc, which I've experienced both....

[drive-south]

I like light weight if I have to stand and hold the guitar for extended periods. If I'm sitting down I don't care how heavy it is, as long as it sounds great.

Bear in mind, I play many instruments including resonator guitars, electric bass, and banjo, so I'm accustomed to really heavy instruments. I also own several Guild guitars which are pretty hefty (best guitar if you're ever in a bar fight).
Despite the weight, my Guild guitars have great tone. The heaviest is my JF30-12 and it sounds like a grand piano.

[wcap]

As others have said, it really all just comes down to how a guitar sounds and plays.

My Burguet classical guitar is so light weight, and the top is so thin, that it almost scares me. It is a very strong-voiced guitar that is very responsive and has lovely tone.

My Goodall is a much heavier guitar. Whether or not a Goodall's tone suits a particular person's style of playing, few would argue that they have amazingly rich, full, tone, and lots of volume. And they are amazingly responsive.

So, one is very light weight, the other is noticeably heavier (admittedly, one is nylon stringed, one is steel stringed), yet both are amazingly responsive, both have lots of volume, both have lovely tone.

My Martin 000-15 is more light-weight than the Goodall. It is a very nice guitar, but not as amazingly responsive as the Goodall.

[lampshade1024]

My first thoughts would be that the wood on a lighter guitar is likely to vibrate more. I would imagine a heavier guitar being stiffer. I don't prefer one way or the other though, if I pickup a guitar it's heavy I just notice it a little, but it won't bother me.

[drive-south]

I'll add that a lighter guitar may work best with a light touch, and a heavier guitar may work best with a heavy hand. My Guild guitars respond to strumming with authority.

[John Osthoff]

I asked a simular question a while back.

Check out this poll

[Joel Stehr]

When people ask me this question I tell them that heavy and heavily built are two separate things. A guitar can be very lightly built but still be very heavy.

Though, I guess that was not the question.

Personally I don't have a preference.

[Scholar]

I've had customs from several luthiers over the years, and in each case I had neither preference nor expectation with respect to weight. I did spend considerable time discussing the tonal qualities and volume I was looking for, the optimal wood choices and design features, etc. I also knew enough to know how little I actually know about the intricacies of luthiery. So, in each case, I made it clear that I was trusting to the builder's judgment and experience in the creation of an instrument that would be as close to my expressed requirements as possible.

If I got the tone and playability I was looking for, I didn't care much about weight. If I didn't get the tone and playability, the weight was even less relevant for me. Obviously, YMMV....

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Joel Stehr

When people ask me this question I tell them that heavy and heavily built are two separate things. A guitar can be very lightly built but still be very heavy.

Though, I guess that was not the question.

Personally I don't have a preference.

can you elaborate? would there be any truth in thinking that a heavier (or perhaps heavier-built) guitar would be less likely to crack under adverse conditions?

[Huckleberry]

Originally Posted by John Osthoff

I asked a simular question a while back.

Check out this poll

I agree with the poll - I really couldn't care less how heavy it is, as long as it sounds and feels superb.

[Randy Muth]

It's a matter of player preference. I do know some excellent fingerstylists that like the feedback they get from a lighter guitar. Leo Kottke is one of them. I think it enhances their connection to the guitar, but again it's a matter of personal preference.

[wencyjr]

Originally Posted by John Osthoff

I asked a simular question a while back.

Check out this poll

Put another way, looks like that poll is saying...if you're a builder, you will cater to 62% of the players if you build heavy vs 90% of the players if you build light.