Put Your Guitar on a Diet!

Gouch · April 2022

Great to have these weights. First time I’ve seen a stack of nice instruments weighed and documented. More data please!

I don’t disagree one bit about “lighter is better overall, generally” (assuming there’s responsibly planned-out structural integrity). Bob Bennedetto has some good thoughts on this in his archtop book, including the potential weight-reduction benefits of a Mahogany neck on an archtop guitar, which not many builders build.

As a player and small builder, for this particular instrument (assuming: Selmer-style walnut neck, laminated sides), my findings have lead me to focus primarily on top weight and top freedom-of-movement. If you want to drill way in on top-deflection mind blowers, the master has thought it through https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ervin_Somogyi

With solid back/side steel strings, and archtops, there’s more sonic-coupling of the plates that (it turns out, brilliantly) Macca and Selmer minimized with their use of laminates (it might have been a production cost decision primarily, initially).

BillDaCostaWilliams · April 2022

I hadn't come across Somogyi before. His ideas on visual harmony in lutherie are very striking:

https://esomogyi.com/visual-echoes-tasteful-accents/

This is a bit of a side-track from the topic of lightness though (unless we include lightness of the wallet).

pdg · April 2022

Weight is a complicated issue. There's nothing louder, or heavier, than a very heavy resonator banjo, with a massive metal tone ring. However, the drumhead is extremely light and as stiff as you want to tighten it.

Bones · April 2022

Especially in a Selmac, I would guess like 70-80% of it is how you build the top and neck angle (assuming the rest of it is properly built). Considering that the back is laminated and relatively heavily braced.

slowlearner · April 2022

Just curious, what sort of scale is used to get the weights? I'd like to check a couple of my guitars but what with? Neither the kitchen scale nor the bathroom scale seem like they would yield accurate results.

Buco · April 2022

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/110722#Comment_110722

Digital luggage scale for me.

mac63000 · April 2022

I used a good quality food scale that measures in grams and stuck my Mateos on there for fun. I was able to stand it on its end thanks to the end pin jack, keeping the weight on the scale with nothing hanging awkwardly. It came in around 3.8lbs, I was pretty surprised.