When is a raw guitar body just too light?

[Jacew]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

That looks to be Paulownia.....fits for the weight as well as the look.
Buying based on common name is hard. You can have misunderstandings, plain wrong associations of name, and misleading common names as well as just associating a local wholly unrelated wood to another simply due to useage in a similar way

Professor in university I went used to use Douglas fir as an example of this. It reminds of fir, in finnish it's Douglas spruce. In timber it's sold as Oregon pine. Really it's none of those, but has it's own genus pseudotsuga, which means false-hemlock.

[Adieu]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Yep. No hardware at all except the fret wires. All the hardware was ordered from the Fender corporation or Fender distributors. I'm just guessing but I think this project will weigh around 6.5 pounds when done. It definitely will be a lightweight unless I find a heavier body at a decent price.

Hardware weighing 3.5 lbs? Heaviest locking tuners, big brass block, and dual invaders or something?

5 lbs and change final weight seems more likely with typical choices

[ErikH]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

I never weighed my first Frankenstrat when it was slapped together 25 years ago but the entire guitar assembled is 6.5lbs. It's my best sounding guitar. Granted, the wood of that body is not maple. Looks like polar or paulownia. Check a spot in the trem cavity to see how soft it is. If it is really really soft, paulownia. Poplar is harder than that and more like alder in that area.

[Mincer]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

I have a poplar Music Man and it is dense and heavy...and all mids. I don't think that is poplar and certainly not maple. I'd send it back as it certainly isn't what you paid for.

[mistermikev]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

I vote paulo(ok I can't spell this). I love a light guitar... but 1.3lbs??? you may have neck dive issues unless you choose some ultra light tuners and heavy bridge! I was just weighing out a number of things last night and can tell you a gotoh vs100 will add 1lb 4oz, 3 singles will add 6oz. my neck is sorta heavy birdseye but it's about 1lb 6oz. tuners were around 6oz.
all that said - it might be surprisingly nice to have it be that light. probably sound good too. here's wishing that's the case!

[AlexR]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Professor in university I went used to use Douglas fir as an example of this. It reminds of fir, in finnish it's Douglas spruce. In timber it's sold as Oregon pine. Really it's none of those, but has it's own genus pseudotsuga, which means false-hemlock.

Another gem is Spanish Cedar.......which is not a cedar at all and comes from South America

[AlexR]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Yep. No hardware at all except the fret wires. All the hardware was ordered from the Fender corporation or Fender distributors. I'm just guessing but I think this project will weigh around 6.5 pounds when done. It definitely will be a lightweight unless I find a heavier body at a decent price.

I have a Paulownia Strat......hardtail. The neck is bulky so maybe some more weight than yours, but the whole guitar is under 6lbs.
For a wood so light, tonally it is not scooped but full.....go figure.

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

In case anyone is wondering how it turned out.... the completed project ready to play weighs 5 pounds, 13 ounces

[AlexR]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Looks great......how does it sound??

[devastone]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

It's not maple or poplar, it's that paulo_wth stuff. I don't have any experience with it so I can't speak to it's tone or strength, but poplar is generally about the same weight as alder, usually just a bit more. At 1lb 13oz I'd almost vote balsa wood.

Missed page 2, looks like it turned out pretty nice, probably have to tie it down so it doesn't float away.

[GuitarStv]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

It's not maple or poplar, it's that paulo_wth stuff. I don't have any experience with it so I can't speak to it's tone or strength, but poplar is generally about the same weight as alder, usually just a bit more. At 1lb 13oz I'd almost vote balsa wood.

Missed page 2, looks like it turned out pretty nice, probably have to tie it down so it doesn't float away.

At that weight if he has neck dive issues, a couple well placed helium balloons could probably solve it.

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

At that weight if he has neck dive issues, a couple well placed helium balloons could probably solve it.

Cute... I like that one.

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

[QUOTE=devastone;4342349]It's not maple or poplar, it's that paulo_wth stuff. I don't have any experience with it so I can't speak to it's tone or strength, but poplar is generally about the same weight as alder, usually just a bit more. At 1lb 13oz I'd almost vote balsa wood.

I had to reinforce every hole with a hardwood dowel. I found out early on that it was like balsa wood when I tried some screws.

[TimBo266]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Looks great......how does it sound??

After a while of calibrating and recalibrating the thing finally settled down. I tuned it and lo and behold it was in perfect intonation with the tremolo just as it was when it arrived from Fender. I"m impressed with the sound. So smooth and not a dead spot or buzz anywhere when playing around with it. Strike a note or chord and it plays on and on and on...... So I'm impressed with the first guitar I ever built.

[Mincer]

Re: When is a raw guitar body just too light?

Is it really neck-heavy?