Ideal weight for a Strat?

robgilmo

Just wondering, some people seem to take issue with the weight, I suppose its because too heavy will be noticed if using a strap? So what is ideal and what weight are they normally?

Bucket

I've played some really light ones (under 7lb) and some absolute 10lb boat anchors (late 70s, obviously).

I tend to prefer the lightest guitar possible in many situations, but I think the ideal weight for a Strat is probably between 7 and 8lb. Mine is towards or possibly just over 8, as far as I recall.

robgilmo

Ive just weighed mine, 3.25 kg, 7.1Lbs, I thought it felt fairly light. My Tele is 3.6kg or 7.9lbs and the Epi is 3.9kg or 8.6lbs, the difference is quite noticeable when I pick each one up.

ICBM

8lb exactly.

fretfinder

ICBM said:

8lb exactly.

No, 7lb exactly. 

guitarfishbay

fretfinder said:

ICBM said:

8lb exactly.

No, 7lb exactly. 

I’m with ICBM.

I don’t like super lightweight strats. But heavier ones seem to lose a little bit of the airiness and sound more direct and ballsy, which is cool but a bit less ‘Stratty’

richardhomer

In my experience once Strats get below a certain weight (probably around 7lbs) they start to sound thinner and generally lack balls.

Most pre-CBS guitars seem to range from the mid-7lbs - slightly over 8lbs range.

ICBM

fretfinder said:

ICBM said:

8lb exactly.

No, 7lb exactly. 

If you'd said 7.5lb I could have agreed with you .

Although I like around 8lb best, anything between the two is fine really, it's under about 7.5 where I find they tend to feel and sound insubstantial.

At the risk of a thread diversion, for me the ideal weight for a Les Paul is 9lb too, not the 8lb ones that just seem to completely lack solidity in the tone, to me.

The only one of the common guitar designs which doesn't seem to have a 'too light' weight is the SG.

thegummy

How do you guys weigh guitars?

Would using a 6" x 6" flat digital kitchen scale work?

WezV

thegummy said:

How do you guys weigh guitars?

Would using a 6" x 6" flat digital kitchen scale work?

Some have an upper weight limit which rules out weighing the 10lb+ guitars, but yeah, many kitchen scales will do it.

octatonic

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

octatonic

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

octatonic

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

Or 0.05909090909091 Jennifer Anistons.

octatonic

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

Or 0.05909090909091 Jennifer Anistons.

Or 16372.79596977 cubic inches of air (at sea level).

octatonic

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

Or 0.05909090909091 Jennifer Anistons.

Or 16372.79596977 cubic inches of air (at sea level).

Or 0.005896700868439 of a whale testicle.

octatonic

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

Or 0.05909090909091 Jennifer Anistons.

Or 16372.79596977 cubic inches of air (at sea level).

Or 0.005896700868439 of a whale testicle.

Or 14.74257201179 average bowel movements.

octatonic

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

octatonic said:

0.00290179 Imperial tons.

Or 17.33333 Hockey pucks.

Or 0.05909090909091 Jennifer Anistons.

Or 16372.79596977 cubic inches of air (at sea level).

Or 0.005896700868439 of a whale testicle.

Or 14.74257201179 average bowel movements.

Or 104 human eyeballs (average).

guitarfishbay

Point well made

guitarfishbay

guitarfishbay said:

Point well made

Strongly put 

guitarfishbay

guitarfishbay said:

guitarfishbay said:

Point well made

Strongly put 

Much convinced, many logics

octatonic

I was surprised to find that a whale testicle is 500kg.

Or 10.02 Jennifer Anistons.