Weights & Measurements

[richardlpalmer]

Oh sage PRS gurus, I humbly bring thee a question...

Why are there variations in the weight of these guitars? I was looking at 4 of the same model guitars today and they had quite a range of weight.

8.4
7.75
7.2
7.95I'm assuming PRS runs a similar shop to other manufacturers. I've read about how Gibson & Fender bring in wood, cure/dry it, cut, plane, blah, blah, blah so everything is standardized for the most part.

I understand there could be a minor variation in wood but we're talking quite a difference in weight between these 4. How's that possible?

[richardlpalmer]

Okay, I looked a bit more closely and see there's some differences in these. Two are listed as just mahogany bodies, the other two are mahogany with maple tops. Maple must weigh more (or maybe they're thicker bodies)?

Just mahogany:

7.75
7.2
Mahogany with maple:

8.4
7.95

[strumbringer]

Yes, maple is typically denser than mahogany. Even so, I'd expect quite a bit of variation depending on the specific piece of wood. No two are really alike.

[JMintzer]

They vary because it's wood. It grows in nature. Mother Nature is a crafty lil' *****, who does whatever she wants. Hence, some wood is denser (read: heavier) than other wood...

A +/- 1 lb variance between multiple guitars of the same model is not uncommon...


Jamie

[Chris T]

Ever weighed any vintage Telecasters, Strat or Les Pauls?

You find the same thing.

[Supasso]

It's the nature of the wood. Mahogany is typically lighter than maple, but there are a few exception. Mahogany can vary in weight, but maple can varies even more. For PRS, the maple top can contribute to the overall weight of the guitars more than many would expect. Case in point, there are customs 24's that weight lower than 7 pounds (very rare, but I've seen an example), and some that weight almost 9 pounds. Having said that, most of them are between 7.5 - 8.5 pounds range - still a one-pound swing, though.

Also, the trem will add considerable weight. Everything else being equal, a trem-equipped PRS will weight more. Phase II tuners (in most PRS) weights more than Kluson tuners (in the McCarty).

Yeah, I'm a weight nut. :)

[wilerty]

Have you ever stacked a few cords of wood. Noticed how some pieces weigh twice as much as others?

I once looked around at several websites that gave the weights of guitars for sale and looked at SC245s. I found them as light as 7.2 pounds and as heavy as 9.2 pounds. It's a bell curve, but there are the extremes out there.

[richardlpalmer]

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Have you ever stacked a few cords of wood. Noticed how some pieces weigh twice as much as others?

I once looked around at several websites that gave the weights of guitars for sale and looked at SC245s. I found them as light as 7.2 pounds and as heavy as 9.2 pounds. It's a bell curve, but there are the extremes out there.
Yes. Yes I have (a lot of cords actually).

If I didn't know to what extent manufacturers go to dry the wood for guitars I wouldn't even have asked. But knowing the amount of time they put into making sure the wood is dry I honestly wouldn't expect such a variance. With the amount of wood being about 6-7 pounds having a 1 pound difference is pretty significant.

It's fine with me though. Not something I'm worried about. Just seemed like quite a big swing to me, percentage wise. I could have expected a 2-3% variation in weight, but we're talking closer to 20% here. That's quite a bit!