Why Does the Weight of an Electric Guitar Matter?

What are the heaviest production electric guitars? Have you ever wondered about that? Nope! let’s be honest, nobody ever wonders about how light or heavy an electric guitar is until we decide to learn how to play it, and then slowly start to feel the weight of the instrument straining our necks and shoulders from a few minutes of holding it and realize that we should have gone for the lighter guitar. 

But, why are some guitars heavier than others and how does the weight matter? Let’s first understand what makes some guitars heavier than others. 

Factors That Affect the Weight of Light and Heavy Guitars

There are three types of electric guitars: hollow body, semi-hollow body, and solid body. Solid body electric guitars are the heaviest, and hollow body electric guitars are the lightest. This is because, as the name suggests, hollow body guitars have bodies that are made of less wood and are hollow.¹

Semi-hollow body guitars have a block of wood in the center, which adds a bit more weight to the guitar. Solid body guitars are the heaviest as their bodies are made of thick slabs of wood and there are no hollow spaces in the body of the guitar. Some guitars that have cutaways are also lighter compared to guitars that have rounded bouts.

Guitars that weigh less are made of woods such as basswood, alder, or ash. Whereas mahogany and maple are usually utilized in making heavier guitars. 

Guitars that have chambered bodies are also lighter. Chambered body guitars have holes carved out in the shape of a honeycomb pattern to make them lighter while retaining the sound qualities similar to those of solid body electric guitars.² 

Does the Weight of an Electric Guitar Matter?

Yes, it does. Most beginners don’t realize the importance of factoring in the playability of the instrument until they’ve bought an instrument that’s too heavy and begins to affect their duration of practice and their performances. 

When a guitar is too heavy for you, it can result in taking breaks more frequently between practice, not being able to play music standing up for a long time, not being able to play music pieces that are lengthy, or not being able to execute the techniques correctly due to the guitar weighing down your neck and shoulders. The weight of the guitar can become a distraction and hinder your abilities and practice.

The Average Weight of an Electric Guitar

Most electric guitars today are still made of wood, and the average weight of these guitars is around 8 pounds. The weight varies depending on the type of wood, body size, material, construction, manufacturer, hardware, etc.³ The weight of an electric guitar can start from anywhere around 6 pounds and go as heavy as 12 pounds. However, there are guitars made out of carbon fiber that weigh barely over 4 pounds. 

Here is a list of some guitars manufactured by various brands from the lightest to the heaviest:

The production of electric guitars has a great deal to do with how much they weigh. Most brands manufacture both light and heavy guitars to cater to all kinds of music needs and tastes. Meeting these needs impacts the type of materials and hardware used on the instruments, and these factors eventually increase or decrease the weight of an electric guitar. 

It is best to opt for a guitar that is easy to handle and hold. A good way to determine what guitar you should buy is to try and feel different guitars while standing and sitting. Taking note of this is important because the weight of the guitar can hinder your progress if it stresses your body and becomes a distraction during your music lessons and practice.  

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References

1. How Much Electric Guitars Weigh (With 10+ Examples) – Pro Sound HQ. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://prosoundhq.com/how-much-electric-guitars-weight-with-examples/
   2. How Much Does An Electric Guitar Weigh? (12 Examples) – Rock Guitar Universe. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://rockguitaruniverse.com/electric-guitar-weight/
   3. What Electric Guitars Weigh And Why It Matters – Guitar River. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2022, from https://www.guitarriver.com/what-electric-guitars-weigh-and-why-it-matters/