Possible to build a sub 6lb strat with a good trem?

[tremulant]

I have been trying to do my homework searching these forums and have determined the following details:

A maple neck weighs roughly 2lbs
A Wilkinson Trem weighs 1.2lbs

I couldn't find general weights on pots and pickups, but even if I assume light:

3 Pots 1 switch and wiring = 5oz
2 humbuckers = 8oz

this means, sans body, I am starting out at 4.01lbs
I've been watching the showcase for a long time and it is pretty rare to find strat bodies below 3lbs and even if I pay the $40 up charge for a lightweight body blank, I still have no way of knowing what the body weight will be.

So, I figure there must be other ways to reduce weight right? Here are some targeted questions:

Where can I find a GOOD trem that doesn't weigh 1.2 lbs and that doesn't use that vintage six screw thing?
Are my pot weight estimates right? If not, where can I find actuals?
Are necks really 2lbs?

Can anyone provide this newb some guidance?

 

[B3Guy]

if you're crazy about weight, go chambered.

 

[tremulant]

if you're crazy about weight, go chambered.

Chambered = a harder edge radius. Plus I'd rather pay the extra money to ask them to select a lighter body blank.

 

[Cagey]

Even a lightweight chambered swamp ash is probably not going to get below 3lbs. There's one in the showcase right now that's 3.1lbs.

I'm not certain, but I don't think you're going to get too far below 7lbs all up on a Strat without going to a hardtail, and maybe not even then. But, that's a pretty light guitar.

 

[Disco Scottie]

Maybe you could tie a couple helium balloons to it when you build it, that might make it a littler lighter.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[m4rk0]

if you're crazy about weight, go chambered.

Chambered = a harder edge radius. Plus I'd rather pay the extra money to ask them to select a lighter body blank.

I never noticed this, I will compare then tonight...
having said that, Warmoth's chambered bodies are fantastic!! there is no tone or sustain loss...

 

[Cagey]

I just compared the ones I have here (2 chambered and 2 solid), and he's right - the chambered bodies have a tighter radius on them. But, it's so slight that if you didn't have one of each next to each other to compare, you'd never pick up on it. You'd have to know to look for it. I didn't notice until just now.

 

[tremulant]

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=14438.0

I told you I did my homework  :icon_thumright:

I am starting to think I'll build a hardtail 7/8, put a mahog neck on it (lighter right?), and call it a comfortable SG.

 

[JaySwear]

i always thought mahogany was kind of a heavy wood ??? i could be completely wrong though. maybe a nice exotic wood neck like canary, or even maple with a rub on finish would be light i think

 

[swarfrat]

Right now there's a chambered swamp ash strat body at 2lbs 14oz.  Lightest soloist is 2lbs 9 oz.  Neither of those are basswood (didn't see any basswood in the showcase, and if you're super concerned about weight I'd stick with showcase bodies.)  I don't see weights listed on necks (even though there's a sort option) but I'd consider an explorer/kws/tele headstock.  It took 5 pots to make 2 oz on my kitchen scale.  I'd say switch + 3 pots is probably no more than 2oz.

 

[Kadmium]

I've done a fair amount of research into lightweight guitars - I'm playing a sub-6lb headless Soloist atm.

• If you call up, you can ask for extra-light basswood, which should get you a sub-3lb body, but I'd personally go the Soloist route if I were you
• You can save half your pickup weight if you don't mind going with Lace Alumitone pickups
• Remember to factor in the (surprisingly heavy) weight of tuners if you want a headstock, though you can save quite a lot of weight if you opt for headless
• Not sure what your requirements are for a trem to be "good", but Strandberg Guitarworks make a 140-gram (5 oz) Floyd Rose

A list of common tuners and their weights:

• Schaller Fender style locking, metal buttons 9.6 oz
• Sperzel Trimlok locking w/ plastic button 7.0 oz
• Sperzel Soundlok w/plastic button 4.6 oz
• Gibson Kluson Dlx, 10mm nut, plastic buttons 6.6 oz
• Fender style Kluson Dlx, bushings, by Gotoh 5.0 oz
• Grovers w/ metal tulips (90s ES 165) 9.0 oz

Hope this has been helpful

 

[JaySwear]

somebody makes something called "Ghost Tuners" or something along those lines... that really didn't get any hits on google, so i don't think thats it. something similar though. anyway, they were SUPER lightweight tuners. look great, but the cost makes me think i can deal with a little bit of extra weight at the headstock. but if you're building a lightweight guitar with the main idea being lightweight then they'd be the tuners for you. i'll try to find the thread on them and post a link!

 

[B3Guy]

if you're butt crazy out of your mind, you could I suppose argue that the vindage strat bodies have less wood on them because of the larger tummy cut . . .

 

[back2thefutre]

why you wanna go so light? just dont't get too upset if you end up with a killer strat that weighs 6.1 lbs.



p.s. exta light swamp ash chambered hardtail. vintage tuners and vintage saddles seem to be light. you could also not put strings on it, that would save a bunch of weight :evil4: just kidding dont be mad at me

 

[swarfrat]

You could make a good point that its better to obsess over weight than it is grain or figure. Different things draw us here. I won't make fun of your guitar vices (unless you chose to put skull inlays on it)

 

[B3Guy]

You could make a good point that its better to obsess over weight than it is grain or figure. Different things draw us here. I won't make fun of your guitar vices (unless you chose to put skull inlays on it)

+1

 

[back2thefutre]

here is a tele body under 3 lbs on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-TELECASTER-HOLLOW-BODY-FENDER-WARMOTH-/280586807542?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item415446e8f6

 

[tfarny]

They don't come too much lighter than this one - http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=14114.0 Body weight is right at 3 lb, one  solid piece.
Just under 7 lb, I think. Get a maple vintage modern or total vintage neck, it'll save more weight than a shorter or thinner neck. Less metal = less weight. Also get really light tuners. I don't think you can build a strat with trem under 6 lb though. 7 you can do, and that's pretty light.
I'm into light guitars, but I think 7 lb is about as light as it's reasonable to expect given your demand for a trem. 6 would require a very minimal bridge.

 

[Strat Avenger]

As I mentioned in another thread, my Soloist weighs 7 pounds, and that's with a OFR bridge. The body is alder. My Strat weighs 8-1/2 pounds.

The problem is; you never know how much a piece of wood is gonna weigh, unless you can get Warmoth to send you a body of a specific weight...

 

[AutoBat]

Am I the only person that prefers a heavy body?