Emotional load or an actual burden? Making music with the guys yesterday, I asked Mark if I could try one of his solid body electrics (he has a good selection). I had my Taylor T5, which weighs about 5 and a half pounds. I tried out his new Paul Reed Smith Fiore HH guitar - it weighs about 7 1/2 pounds. You notice the difference.
Then, I tried one of his Fender Stratocasters. I think it weighed about 160 pounds... I may have missed that by an ounce or two one way or the other. Yeah, I am kidding. That guitar was just over 8 pounds. When you have that strapped across a shoulder, every pound counts.
My heaviest guitar is the Gibson ES-335, which is also around 8 pounds. The Emerald Virtuo is my lightest electric at just barely over 5 pounds. All my acoustics are lighter than that.
Does weight make a difference? Thanks for asking. Guitars are made from different woods, which means different weights. That PRS Fiore has a body made of swamp ash. That's a dense wood. There will be variations in each individual piece of wood, so the weight of any guitar of a particular model may vary within a half pound or so. Different woods will have different resonance; so even on a solid body guitar, the type of wood will make a difference in the sound.
Acoustic players seem to be more particular about what kind of wood a guitar is made from. Rosewood, maple, spruce, koa - it makes a difference in tone.
This is a generalization: carbon fiber guitars are can be lighter than wood, but the production process (type of epoxy used, how many layers of carbon fiber, whether sheets of fiber are laid up or sprayed in with a chopper gun) makes a difference. Since RainSong closed up, Emerald seems to be the leader in keeping their guitars light.
I have been considering another solid body electric. Not sure my shoulder would be happy about that. There is no "rule" about heavy guitars being better, or lighter guitars being better. But, you wouldn't know that if you visit internet guitar forums. ;-)
Anything you can do about the weight of a guitar? If you play standing, the strap you use can make a significant difference... a wider, padded strap will spread the weight out, making a real difference in comfort. Or, you could switch from a Gibson Les Paul (generally around 9 pounds) to a Gibson SG (usually between 6 and 7 pounds). But players are drawn to a style or model of guitar visually... and that's a whole 'nuther debate.
* If you really want to delve into guitar weights, here's a link: https://guitargearfinder.com/faq/electric-guitar-weight/
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