guitar build body weights

Danielsguitars

Hi just wondered if anyone's got an idea on final weight from guitar build body blanks

I've ordered a tele and strat body and they sent me pics and weights of them ranging from 3.6 up to 3.9 
Ideally I'd like around 2kg for a fully routed body

Thanks

WezV

Should get you there on a strat with more routing and contours... not sure if it’s light enough for a tele at that higher weight.

I have not weighed many fender styles from blank to finished body so I could be way off. @GSPBASSES  will know

poopot

Painted, unloaded but copper screened... strat body...
http://a65.tinypic.com/2cp8ffs.jpg

for sale if you want it!
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/127362/fs-two-piece-swamp-ash-strat-body-50#latest

Danielsguitars

WezV said:

Should get you there on a strat with more routing and contours... not sure if it’s light enough for a tele at that higher weight.

I have not weighed many fender styles from blank to finished body so I could be way off. @GSPBASSES  will know

I know nothing about fender weights and don't make bolt on neck stuff generally so thought i'd ask, I got sent a couple to finish and liked them so ordered a couple and it's not worth me making them from scratch, I'll make the necks which is the important bit imo

I was going to choose the 3 6 kg blanks anyway, I don't want feather light just not heavy

Danielsguitars

poopot said:

Painted, unloaded but copper screened... strat body...
http://a65.tinypic.com/2cp8ffs.jpg

for sale if you want it!
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/127362/fs-two-piece-swamp-ash-strat-body-50#latest

No I'm finishing them myself, ash blond tele and I'm torn between sonic blue and shoreline gold strat

poopot

customkits said:

poopot said:

Painted, unloaded but copper screened... strat body...
http://a65.tinypic.com/2cp8ffs.jpg

for sale if you want it!
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/127362/fs-two-piece-swamp-ash-strat-body-50#latest

No I'm finishing them myself, ash blond tele and I'm torn between sonic blue and shoreline gold strat

If its blue... has to be daphne blue!....
http://a68.tinypic.com/wkp6qw.jpg

The bodies you got, are they to spec?

Danielsguitars

poopot said:

If its blue... has to be daphne blue!....
http://a68.tinypic.com/wkp6qw.jpg

The bodies you got, are they to spec?

50's vintage spec tele and 62 strat, this is not my normal stuff I build but having looked at the originals I've been heavily influenced since

The necks will be vintage spec ones 

I really like an aged sonic blue for a slab board strat but can easily change my mind at any point 

GoldenEraGuitars

My bodies (I’ve seen A LOT of GB bodies) range from 3lb 5oz - 4lb 7oz. Average is about 4lb for both a tele and Strat unloaded 

Danielsguitars

lonestar said:

My bodies (I’ve seen A LOT of GB bodies) range from 3lb 5oz - 4lb 7oz. Average is about 4lb for both a tele and Strat unloaded 

Any idea what weight the blank would be to get a nice weight tele and strat, I've no idea personally as I said I don't normally build these types 

GoldenEraGuitars

customkits said:

lonestar said:

My bodies (I’ve seen A LOT of GB bodies) range from 3lb 5oz - 4lb 7oz. Average is about 4lb for both a tele and Strat unloaded 

Any idea what weight the blank would be to get a nice weight tele and strat, I've no idea personally as I said I don't normally build these types 

Id image the 3.6kg/7lb 9oz will take you close to that. As @WezV a Strat should get you that no problem. 

Having said that.. I’m sitting here with a rather nice 3lb 7oz ash tele body

Danielsguitars

lonestar said:

Id image the 3.6kg/7lb 9oz will take you close to that. As @WezV a Strat should get you that no problem. 

Having said that.. I’m sitting here with a rather nice 3lb 7oz ash tele body

Do you make your own?

I just couldn't be bothered to make them i've got enough to do and the 2 I got sent to finish were nice so ordered them

FelineGuitars

2kg(4.4lbs) for a body is getting heavy in my opinion for a strat or tele 

Hardware will weigh about 2-3lbs, and some paint adds a surprising amount too 

Danielsguitars

FelineGuitars said:

2kg(4.4lbs) for a body is getting heavy in my opinion for a strat or tele 

Hardware will weigh about 2-3lbs, and some paint adds a surprising amount too 

Thanks Jon, until I put one together I'm clueless, I'm doing a really thin nitro paint which will help keep it down as much as possible

I could tell you all about Lp weights with a body and parts etc, my 5.2lb semi chambered goldtop body weighed 7.8 finished, that's wraptail and p90's

FelineGuitars

If you have all the hardware then weigh it . Weigh the neck (or at least a typical similar one)

Reverse engineer the weight to give you a guitar that is comfy 
For me a strat or tele is nice between 7-8lbs

Danielsguitars

FelineGuitars said:

If you have all the hardware then weigh it . Weigh the neck (or at least a typical similar one)

Reverse engineer the weight to give you a guitar that is comfy 
For me a strat or tele is nice between 7-8lbs

No I haven't got anything yet, I'm not in a rush this is just a side project while I do other stuff 

My all limba dc junior is about 7lb, I like that weight

GSPBASSES

If you're buying planks of wood or body blanks it's quite easy to calculate the approximate finish weight of the Strat or a Tele. All you need is a measure, calculator and a pair of digital scales. I know we are meant to be metric now, but most people want the weights in pounds and ounces.

 

About two weeks ago I had to make 2 Strat's and a Tele, I still have the calculations I used to work out the finish weights.

 

The formula for doing this is, length X width X thickness to give you the cubic inches there are in the piece of wood, the weight of the wood is then divided by the cubic inch measurement. This will give you the weight per cubic inch of the wood. The cubic inch is then multiplied by how many cubic inches there are in the body you're going to make.

These are some of the calculations I done a few weeks ago.

 

Tele

 14.75 X 18.5 X 1.75 =  447.5 cubic inches.

  The weight of the wood 138 oz

 138 / 447.5  = .3 oz

  .3 oz X 265*  =  79.5 oz  ( just under 5lb)   

  The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz , 2.21 Kg

 Strat

33.5 X 7.25 X 1.9 = 489 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 133 oz

133 / 489 = .27 oz

.27 oz X 280** = 75.6 oz   (4lb 15oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz  2.21 Kg

 

Start

33.5 X 8.5 X 1.75 = 498 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 128 oz

128 / 498 = .26

.26oz X 280** = 72 oz  (4lb 12oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 10oz  2.09 Kg

* 265  is the approximate number of cubic inches in aTele body, this is fully routed 

**280 is the approximate number of cubic inches in a Strat body, this is fully routed and shaped.

This formula is obviously only approximate, but it does give you a ballpark figure of what a piece of wood is going weigh when it's turned into a body. If you're buying rough-cut wood the formula can be way out, the closer the measurements are to the final size of the guitar, the more accurate the formula will be. 

Danielsguitars

GSPBASSES said:

If you're buying planks of wood or body blanks it's quite easy to calculate the approximate finish weight of the Strat or a Tele. All you need is a measure, calculator and a pair of digital scales. I know we are meant to be metric now, but most people want the weights in pounds and ounces.

 

About two weeks ago I had to make 2 Strat's and a Tele, I still have the calculations I used to work out the finish weights.

 

The formula for doing this is, length X width X thickness to give you the cubic inches there are in the piece of wood, the weight of the wood is then divided by the cubic inch measurement. This will give you the weight per cubic inch of the wood. The cubic inch is then multiplied by how many cubic inches there are in the body you're going to make.

These are some of the calculations I done a few weeks ago.

 

Tele

 14.75 X 18.5 X 1.75 =  447.5 cubic inches.

  The weight of the wood 138 oz

 138 / 447.5  = .3 oz

  .3 oz X 265*  =  79.5 oz  ( just under 5lb)   

  The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz , 2.21 Kg

 Strat

33.5 X 7.25 X 1.9 = 489 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 133 oz

133 / 489 = .27 oz

.27 oz X 280** = 75.6 oz   (4lb 15oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz  2.21 Kg

 

Start

33.5 X 8.5 X 1.75 = 498 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 128 oz

128 / 498 = .26

.26oz X 280** = 72 oz  (4lb 12oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 10oz  2.09 Kg

* 265  is the approximate number of cubic inches in aTele body, this is fully routed 

**280 is the approximate number of cubic inches in a Strat body, this is fully routed and shaped.

This formula is obviously only approximate, but it does give you a ballpark figure of what a piece of wood is going weigh when it's turned into a body. If you're buying rough-cut wood the formula can be way out, the closer the measurements are to the final size of the guitar, the more accurate the formula will be. 

Thanks Graham this is really useful to know for future reference 

Andyjr1515

GSPBASSES said:

If you're buying planks of wood or body blanks it's quite easy to calculate the approximate finish weight of the Strat or a Tele. All you need is a measure, calculator and a pair of digital scales. I know we are meant to be metric now, but most people want the weights in pounds and ounces.

 

About two weeks ago I had to make 2 Strat's and a Tele, I still have the calculations I used to work out the finish weights.

 

The formula for doing this is, length X width X thickness to give you the cubic inches there are in the piece of wood, the weight of the wood is then divided by the cubic inch measurement. This will give you the weight per cubic inch of the wood. The cubic inch is then multiplied by how many cubic inches there are in the body you're going to make.

These are some of the calculations I done a few weeks ago.

 

Tele

 14.75 X 18.5 X 1.75 =  447.5 cubic inches.

  The weight of the wood 138 oz

 138 / 447.5  = .3 oz

  .3 oz X 265*  =  79.5 oz  ( just under 5lb)   

  The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz , 2.21 Kg

 Strat

33.5 X 7.25 X 1.9 = 489 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 133 oz

133 / 489 = .27 oz

.27 oz X 280** = 75.6 oz   (4lb 15oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 14oz  2.21 Kg

 

Start

33.5 X 8.5 X 1.75 = 498 cubic inches

The weight of the wood 128 oz

128 / 498 = .26

.26oz X 280** = 72 oz  (4lb 12oz)

The finished body weighed 4lb 10oz  2.09 Kg

* 265  is the approximate number of cubic inches in aTele body, this is fully routed 

**280 is the approximate number of cubic inches in a Strat body, this is fully routed and shaped.

This formula is obviously only approximate, but it does give you a ballpark figure of what a piece of wood is going weigh when it's turned into a body. If you're buying rough-cut wood the formula can be way out, the closer the measurements are to the final size of the guitar, the more accurate the formula will be. 

This is great information indeed, Graham!

One thing that fascinates me is that a Strat has a greater cubic capacity than a Tele!!!!  And I always regarded a Tele as 'just a great big slab of wood' lol

What makes it so suprising is that you would have thought that the trem cavity, arm relief and back scoop of a Strat would make a tangible reduction against the more basic shape of the Tele.  Presumably, the Strat is longer and wider?

thermionic

Yes, I found that surprising as well. A strat has an extra pickup route and effectively another cutaway (which may be cancelled out by the upper horn).

WezV

Not to mention the trem route and large contours

sweepy

Can I also throw into the mix the resonant characteristics of the body and neck, it’s not just a matter of weight