Light vs. Heavy Body

[dbw]

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.

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" ---Albus Dumbledore

</geek>

Claiming it's "simple physics really" doesn't make it so.  In fact it's highly subjective and pretty much completely nonscientific.  I agree with SL that it's more about the whole than the parts.  Lighter bodies seem to have a more acoustic sound to me, which decays faster.  If that's your bag, or if you have a bad back, go for the ultralights.  If you want sustain of doom and other assorted awesomeness, go with "the Log".

 

[lidesnowi]

Its all in the woods hardness to weight ratio
It's really simple physics really,that is why i prefer the paulownia wood as body wood, it's has the best hardness to weight ratio IMO!

Made me think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzcLQRXW6B0

Yeah now when i think about it i realize that all of my logical thinking is based on those Monty python sketches :icon_scratch: :laughing11: :laughing11:

 

[The Norwegian Guy]

I'm a LP guy, so i like heavy guitars. But I find it comfortable to play on lighter bodies aswell!

 

[Big V]

I've allways been wondering: How in the world can the wood affect the sound of the guitar? :icon_scratch:
I mean, pickups (as far as I know), are magnetic. Doesn't that mean that they pick up the vibrations of the string as they (the strings) vibrate? I don't know, but would the wood be able to alter the way the strings vibrate, fast enough? Or is it just so that the weight of the guitar decides how you play, depending on how comfortable you find it, and such?

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

"Best Tone" is always a preference.  I would think heavier is better, but Poplar and Basswood are having a tone revival on this forum lately.  Basswood could hardly be called heavy.

 

[NovasScootYa]

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.

IMO: Generally an unfinished 3 lb. 15 oz. body should be the lightest for building a tremolo Stratocaster and an unfinished body around 4 lb. 6 oz. should be the lightest used for building a hardtail. Finishing with nitrocellulose lacquer adds around 2 oz. to the body.  
Due to porous end grain Ash is harder to prep for finishing, Alder is the easiest to prep. Woods that are too light are generally soft and tend to have sunk neck plates, etc. Wood for a Strat body should be a simple choice between Alder and Ash routed SSS with no laminating/chambering. Paying extra for a light body and frills is as ridiculous as it sounds because chances are good it'll have the tone of a tin can.
On the other hand is tone for thick vs thin necks. For necks such as Pro Construction with beefy truss rods, the thicker the profile the better, the more wood the better (CBS). And furthermore, to avoid discovering dimples in your frets after a few months of playing take the stainless route. Selecting body wood and a good neck are equally important as is selecting every component. And most crucial is proper assembly and setup.

 

[tfarny]

I love how you are able to specify tone by the oz. You must have built hundreds of guitars! Very useful info. Cheers.  ccasion14:

 

[mr_rbg]

Hello!
I am new to this forum. I really want to know will I notice any tone difference between 3,5lb and 4,5ls warmoth swamp ash strat body(tremolo). I really heard a lot of contradictive statements! I sent an e-mail to warmoth sales and was told that you can not hear noticeable difference if you are in 3,5-4,5lbs range. If it is true or they just wont to sell a lighter and a bit more expensive body?

 

[AutoBat]

Wood for a Strat body should be a simple choice between Alder and Ash routed SSS with no laminating/chambering.

lol wut?

 

[JaySwear]

Hello!
I am new to this forum. I really want to know will I notice any tone difference between 3,5lb and 4,5ls warmoth swamp ash strat body(tremolo). I really heard a lot of contradictive statements! I sent an e-mail to warmoth sales and was told that you can not hear noticeable difference if you are in 3,5-4,5lbs range. If it is true or they just wont to sell a lighter and a bit more expensive body?

my guess is that the lighter bodies are less just because they're lighter, not because of a tone difference. i think it's more to do with how many pieces, the density of that particular piece (not weight) and maybe a couple other variables. i just kind of always assumed that the lighter bodies cost more just because some people really stress over getting their guitars and basses as light as they possibly can :dontknow: just what i always thought anyway!

 

[elfro89]

this is where i think people will have many opinions, when it comes to heavy or light bodies, i dont care. I don't beleive that should be your question, hollow bodies tend to have a bit more of a higher bite and a bit more resonance. if thats what you like then great, if you want something thats phatter and with more presence then a solid body tends to acheive this better. Although im sure there will be someone on here who would disagree with this approach.

You could take a more practical approach and if someone argues in favour of the light... "because the guitar is too heavy if your playing a 4 hours set it might hurt" all i have to say is have a WIDE strap and the heaviest guitar will be comfortable, ussually its the stap digging into your shoulder thats the problem. Leather with padding is the way forward. But i assume since your talking about strats then weight isnt the issue since they arent that heavy in the first place. For me if my guitar was too light it would feel cheap, thats just my personal preference. however I do like the tonal texture of a chambered strat, it feels a bit more resonancy which i like, Plus if you add a soundhole it could look extra bitchin!

anyways, i kind of always take the practical approach in regards to "what im gonna do with this tool, and what will i use it for?" It could be a specific sound im after, like a strat sound, or it might be a guitar that i want to sound like a humbucking rock machine. you might what your guitar to do both. I always think its best to have a use for it as apposed to just having one because its unique and special to you, however its definitely a reasons why i would buy a warmoth instead of a regular strat, but there would be more underlaying reason as to why i would have a custom made strat like having a wilkinson bridge instead of a flyod and locking nut, having an earvana nut and stuff, to me all this is more then just cosmetics, as im sure it is for most people.

anyways i feel my point is getting clouded by my rambling, im sure you'll be happy with whatever you choose :laughing7:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Wood for a Strat body should be a simple choice between Alder and Ash routed SSS with no laminating/chambering.

lol wut?

I thought it strange too.  I guess necks should only be Maple or Maple with Rosewood Fretboards too. 

 

[tfarny]

I might as well wade in again - I like lighter bodies, I like how they feel, they make me want to pick up the guitar more for whatever reason. I feel like they contribute a bit to a woody or more resonant sound, I guess. I have had a few guitars that were less resonant / lively, and they were all a bit on the heavy side. On the other hand, my LP body is heavy and super resonant, and it sounds great.

I believe the original teles and strats were made of ash because Leo had a very light and cheap source of ash, then when the lighter stuff got expensive he turned to lighter alder. So there is a bit of a historical justification for lighter bodies, too, I think. I could also be totally wrong, but I'm sure my errrors will be corrected straightaway here.

 

[elfro89]

Wood for a Strat body should be a simple choice between Alder and Ash routed SSS with no laminating/chambering.

lol wut?

I thought it strange too.  I guess necks should only be Maple or Maple with Rosewood Fretboards too. 

and be streight from the 50's or at least made to look like it was.

 

[lafromla1]

I believe the original teles and strats were made of ash because Leo had a very light and cheap source of ash, then when the lighter stuff got expensive he turned to lighter alder. So there is a bit of a historical justification for lighter bodies, too, I think. I could also be totally wrong, but I'm sure my errors will be corrected straightaway here.

You have to figure that most changes in builds of successful products for nearly everything ever made are typically financial decisions, so that doesn't sound too far-fetched.

And besides, how may people can really tell the tonal difference between a black painted alder strat and a black painted ash strat, given all the parts are the exact same? Less then 1% of all guitar players?

 

[Kaoskadosk]

I believe the original teles and strats were made of ash because Leo had a very light and cheap source of ash, then when the lighter stuff got expensive he turned to lighter alder. So there is a bit of a historical justification for lighter bodies, too, I think. I could also be totally wrong, but I'm sure my errors will be corrected straightaway here.

You have to figure that most changes in builds of successful products for nearly everything ever made are typically financial decisions, so that doesn't sound too far-fetched.

And besides, how may people can really tell the tonal difference between a black painted alder strat and a black painted ash strat, given all the parts are the exact same? Less then 1% of all guitar players?

While sitting with the guitar unplugged? I'd guess you'd be able to hear a slight difference. With the guitar plugged into an amp and a ton of effects? No, not really.

 

[willievega]

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.

I always go HEAVY. I have a ton (pardon the pun) of youtube videos where I demo pedals and stuff. All my guitars are heavy. Look up Willie Vega on youtube if you wanna hear heavy guitars.