Ash - how heavy is too heavy?

Ravelleman · 27-11-2011 5:33pm #1

Looking around at G&L ASATs and one that catches my eye apparently weighs in a 8lb 10oz, which strikes me as being very heavy, closer to Les Paul territory than T-style. What would you normally expect for a Fender-style instrument with an ash body? 8lb give or take seems more reasonable to me.

il gatto · 30-11-2011 2:00am

Ravelleman wrote: »

Looking around at G&L ASATs and one that catches my eye apparently weighs in a 8lb 10oz, which strikes me as being very heavy, closer to Les Paul territory than T-style. What would you normally expect for a Fender-style instrument with an ash body? 8lb give or take seems more reasonable to me.

I like a guitar that errs on the weighty side. I really don't like too light. Heavy for a Strat alright, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. I play a Les Paul, so maybe I'm biased.

Ravelleman · 30-11-2011 1:02pm

I´m not one of those people that believes that a guitar´s tone improves if it´s heavy. I hear that quite a lot but as far as I´m concerned higher quality - or at least more expensive - wood is lighter. It´s no coincidence that some Historic Gibsons can come in at under 8lbs, while the cheaper ones can weigh a lot more if they´re not weight relieved.

Anyway, I´d expect an ash Tele to weigh in at just under 8lbs. Sometimes I get the impression that G&Ls tend to be heavier than equivalent Fenders.

Malice · 30-11-2011 1:15pm

I've never weighed any of my guitars so I'd be hard-pressed to say x lbs is too heavy. The bass I'm playing most at the moment, Ibanez K5, feels quite light.

What is key though I'd say is decent posture and a correctly adjusted strap. If you're hunched over playing a heavy guitar then that's a recipe for back-ache.

Ash - how heavy is too heavy?

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