What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

[75lespaul]

My "stratocaster" as I'll call it, weighs in at 8 1/4 pounds. I keep hearing people talk about how light a good strat it, but this guitar feels nearly as heavy as my Les Paul to me. It's a Fender MIM neck that was sanded to the bare wood and reshot with nitro, clay dots done, rosewood board, 1976 Washburn strat body (Washburn responded to an email saying those bodies were basswood), Fender hardware and Mooretone vintage guitars pickups.

The guitar is also kinda buzzy. Any advice to help that? It was set up by a tech and has 10s on it.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Yeah, 8.25 is heavy for a strat. My tele is about 9, and my strat is about 6. Its a really light strat.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

I have a heavy strat that is buzzy too. I'm betting that lighter strats have better unplugged tone because mine is a slug.

 

[J Moose]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Anything under 6.5 - 7 pounds is light; 7-8 feels good... 8.5 + is getting heavy. Generally I like 'em lighter then heavier but I've played a heavy ones with good tone. My '70s hardtail mutt was probably close to 9.5 when it was new, there's been some channeling to get it just under 9... not quite at the 8.5 mark yet! An old friend used to have an early 80s "The Strat" with a walnut body that was probably, I dunno... 10 pounds?! Really sounded great. A 'benchmark' Strat tone IMO.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Sounds like a personal issue to me.

 

[tone?]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

I would like to say that it depends on the wood that is used in it.

J.Suhr put it well in another forum saying that as a general rule of thumb, woods shouldn't really exceed their average weight.

Here is what he actually wrote...

Dont use a weight of wood that is out of the range of normal weights for that body. For instance if the average weight of Alder strat body is 3.75lbs 3.25 will have more mids less bass, 4 will be brighter and have more sustain. 2.75lbs might sound enemic. I remember at Fender making a swamp ash guitar and the body must have been 2lbs, stupid light and one of the worst guitars I heard. Light is not always better, stick with the normal ranges and you are good.

dont know if that kinda helps?

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

I have a heavy strat that is buzzy too. I'm betting that lighter strats have better unplugged tone because mine is a slug.

Yeah, mine is very pingy unplugged. Through an amp it's much better, but you can still hear that it's slightly dead if you're playing blues or cleans. Rock plays out better, but still not "there". Some fretting out here and there when bending the strings too. Is this something that can be fixed or does it sound like that neck is just not a good match for the body?

 

[benji657]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

my strat weighs about half what my gibson les paul std weights..which weighs 9lbs..

i think 8.5 is overkill...

 

[Philcguitars]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

I just weighed my Strats and they come in 8-8.25lbs.

Strangely my Tele's came in at 7.25 [thinline] & 8lbs [Light - Standard] My Tele's aren't Fender's and the standard has a thinner body. I guess to cut weight.

My doubleneck caused an error on my kitchen scales, and read 13.5lbs on my bathroom scales. now I know why my leg goes dead when I play it sitting down.

 

[J Moose]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Some fretting out here and there when bending the strings too. Is this something that can be fixed or does it sound like that neck is just not a good match for the body?

Sounds like it needs fretwork or a setup! Maybe both...

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Sounds like it needs fretwork or a setup! Maybe both...

Bill at Dave's Sound did the setup. He said there's not much that could be done with it. He dressed the frets, aligned the neck etc... Leads me to believe the neck and body are not a good match.

 

[J Moose]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Bill at Dave's Sound did the setup. He said there's not much that could be done with it. He dressed the frets, aligned the neck etc... Leads me to believe the neck and body are not a good match.

Ahh... you know Billy?

Where do you live man? I'm right off Route 10 up towards Denville/Randolph!

Maybe the neck & body aren't a good match... but maybe... heh heh...

PM sending...

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

mine I THINK is between 6 and 7lbs. Can't really tell for sure and don't have a scale. I like it, it's nice to have a comfy guitar that doesn't weigh you down.

 

[75lespaul]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

Ahh... you know Billy?

Where do you live man? I'm right off Route 10 up towards Denville/Randolph!

Maybe the neck & body aren't a good match... but maybe... heh heh...

PM sending...

I'm in Caldwell off of Bloomfield ave, right behind the police station. When I get a moment, I'll definitely give you a call. I was wondering about some of those things you mentioned myself the past year or so.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

8 pounds sounds heavy to me for a Basswood body strat.... but i guess it could be..

i really prefer some weight to my guitars.... so i know it's there hanging around my neck... i have some Basswood strats and they are super light....

when it comes to weight i have found it has little effect on tone... i've had good and bad sounding guitars that were both light and heavy....

but i personally love heavier teles and strats

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

To me, a standard Strat with an ash body (Lite Ash Strat) feels half way between normal and heavy, but my other guitar is a Showmaster so that's probably why

 

[ErikH]

Re: What's considered heavy, just right, and light for a stratocaster?

One of my Strats weighs in at 8 lbs.. The other two are 7.5 lbs..