Guitar weights

[MartyGrass]

I have this digital scale that is pretty precise in the range of guitar weights, so I started using it.  Here are some results.  I add a Gibby for comparison.

The first and lightest is a 1996 x-braced Golden Eagle.  These are designed as acoustic instruments.  This one has a thinner top and x-bracing.

There are three semi-hollows.  The H-555 with the Bigsby is the heaviest.  It's heavier than the ES-355 despite the 355 being a deeper body.  The Heritage center block is a chunk of maple.  The 355 center block is lighter in modern times.  The old ones were also a chunk of solid maple, a bigger chunk that the 555 has.  The lightest is the H-555 blonde with no Bigsby.

I chose the heaviest and lightest solid bodies.  The heavy one, from 1994, does not have routing for the upper bout toggle switch, so some of the heaviness can be blamed on that.  It has the Ren Wall D-VIP wiring in it, which has been redone.  The weight of the electrical components is insignificant compared to the other H-157.  The lighter H-157, from 2005, has lighter mahogany.  It also has a smaller neck heel, which maybe shaved a small amount of weight off.

I know there are guys out there with true stats on the weights of models.  When you open the topic up to LPs, 335s and Fenders, there are enough to do stats on a given year.

I have noticed that Heritage has remained true to form on its semi-hollows for 30 years in the basic design.  Gibby has lightened the center blocks, which I believe to be a good thing and necessary to compete with Heritage.  Maybe guitarists are getting old and feeble.  I don't know their reasons.

I hope this is interesting stuff for you guys.

 

 

 

[pressure]

All the custom guitars Heritage made for me have spruce blocks, not maple, so the guitars would be as light as possible. I like your food scale, it was rated the best on America's Test Kitchen. 

[MartyGrass]

17 hours ago, pressure said:

All the custom guitars Heritage made for me have spruce blocks, not maple, so the guitars would be as light as possible. I like your food scale, it was rated the best on America's Test Kitchen. 

It is a great scale.  My friend, who is a best selling author on weight loss, tested quite a few scales.  She found and published that this one is the best, also.  I got it on her recommendation.  I've had a 9 volt battery in mine that has lasted three years of frequent use.  When I weight then reweigh something in the 10 lb or less range, it is very consistent, to an 1/8th oz.

Two thumbs up.

[TalismanRich]

Years ago,  I took all my guitars into work to weigh on our lab scales.   8KG scales +/-0.1g.    Of course, if I wrap a string a few extra times,  I can add an extra .1 grams!

My weights:

H157  - 4308g   9.49 lbs

H535  - 3681g   8.11 lbs

Mille LE - 3437g  7.57 lbs

H140  -  3660 g   8.06 lbs

Unfortunately, I never weighed the 525.

[bolero]

pretty interesting, thx for posting Martygrass!

ps what is the scale? I don't think I have weighed any of my gtrs, might pick one up

[MartyGrass]

Here is the one I got.  It's as good as any.  What makes it special is that you can pull the display panel out about five inches if you have an object on the scale that would obscure the display.  A guitar is an example.  It the kitchen, it could be a larger bowl or platter.  This one is a little more expensive but is really great.

 

https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Stainless-Display-22-Pound/dp/B007WTI8J2/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=digital+kitchen+scale+oxo&qid=1613953488&sr=8-3

[Gitfiddler]

Here's my digital scale.  It's a great value for only $20 bucks.  I weigh everything now.  

https://www.amazon.com/ACCUTECK-W-8250-50bs-Digital-Adapter-Silver/dp/B00SMHWZ42/ref=sr_1_25?dchild=1&keywords=digital+scale&qid=1613954299&sr=8-25

[MartyGrass]

19 minutes ago, Gitfiddler said:

Here's my digital scale.  It's a great value for only $20 bucks.  I weigh everything now.  

https://www.amazon.com/ACCUTECK-W-8250-50bs-Digital-Adapter-Silver/dp/B00SMHWZ42/ref=sr_1_25?dchild=1&keywords=digital+scale&qid=1613954299&sr=8-25

For most purposes that scale should do the job as well as mine for 1/3 the price.  There are few instances, these are mostly with cooking, that you may want the more expensive one for a little convenience.  I haven't needed that option outside of the kitchen.  Even then you just have to squat down a little to read the display on the $20 model.  If I had to do it over again, I'd get Gitfiddler's.  That one and others like it were not nearly as affordable when I had to get a scale.

[Steiner]

Careful gents.  All measurement instruments have a useful range.  When you go outside that range, things become random.  I remember a laboratory scale that had sliding doors to kill air movement across the scale so air currents didn't influence the results - you could sign your name in pencil and get the lead weight.  Pretty cool.  The same factory had a scale to measure the weight of rolled steel.  Both are very expensive, neither is worth a cow pie when weighing a guitar.  When you leave the useful range, calibration flies out the window.

Surprisingly, a decent bathroom scale will give good results.  Weigh yourself 3 times and find the average value.  then, weigh yourself with the guitar in your hands 3 times and find the average.  Subtract your average weight from the average of you and the guitar - presto!  No extra scale required.

[MartyGrass]

Some bathroom scales are fairly accurate.

When I was in the Air Force one of my undesirable jobs was to run the overweight program.  People outside the weight standards were ordered to lose three pounds a month.  If they failed, they were disobeying a direct order.  That could mean demotion, fines and even jail time.  None of those punishments were issued.  But guys would swear they only ate one sandwich a day yet our scales showed weight gain.  But our scales was calibrated twice a day by a metrics team who brought over a group of weight standards.  It was checked at 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 lbs.  The scale, which was a balance scale, never needed adjustment once in well over a year.

My hobby scales are calibrated.  I used them for reloading ammunition.  The scales had to be accurate at well less than a gram, like 4 to 15 grains.  The bulk lead scale was calibrated at a higher level.  It was routine to recalibrate.

Once again, Steiner is right.  You need to get an instrument that's accurate in the range you want.

[Steiner]

I was considering how to effectively calibrate a scale in the 5 to 20lb range.  The only thing I could think of were coins.  As (realitively) inexpensive as they are, you can probably order new ones from the bank.  I haven't the foggiest how many quarters it would take to measure 20lbs.  Bottom line is coins are extremely consistent and you'll never loose your investment...

[MartyGrass]

Hmm.  I see on TV that it would be best to invest in gold or silver, say 10 lbs of each.

[Steiner]

1 hour ago, MartyGrass said:

Hmm.  I see on TV that it would be best to invest in gold or silver, say 10 lbs of each.

I didn't go there because Uncle Sam charges a premium for precious metal.  They are precise when it comes to gold and silver...

[Yooper]

3 hours ago, Steiner said:

I haven't the foggiest how many quarters it would take to measure 20lbs. 

5 quarters = 1 oz.

80 quarters = 1 lb. 

Math gets foggy in triple digits. 

[SouthernCanuck]

I find it odd that you are all talking about scales instead of the top on that lighter H157...!

Wow!!!

Let's see the whole thing!

S_C

[MartyGrass]

[bolero]

killer top!!

and thanks Steiner: I never thought of using a bathroom scale, holding the gtr, then doing the math!! hilarious

I will just do that, as I have a bathroom scale here somewhere :D

[Steiner]

50 minutes ago, bolero said:

killer top!!

and thanks Steiner: I never thought of using a bathroom scale, holding the gtr, then doing the math!! hilarious

I will just do that, as I have a bathroom scale here somewhere

My scale is calibrated WAY off!  It says I gained 20 lbs last year; doesn't matter, the person + guitar trick is still accurate.  Isn't mathematics fun when it works?

[MartyGrass]

It can be more than arithmetic.  In some scales the zero point assumes the inherent tension of springs.  Spring compression is not linear as weight is added.  Nonetheless weights with and without a guitar is close enough for government work.  It's not for pediatrics, even in two year olds.

 

[Steiner]

 

Spring force is linear; it's modeled as F=kX;  with k= spring force.  Zero is well outside the linear range of bathroom scales for many reasons.  That's why they aren't accurate for guitars or infants.  They work better with heavy loads meaning they're adequate for adult masses.  As you mentioned before, the balance scales (think doctor's office scale) are far more reliable across a much larger range.  The problem with them is that the balance point is a function of X squared.  The accuracy of the weights and location of notches on the scale get expensive as the accuracy improves.

[skydog52]

2 hours ago, Steiner said:

My scale is calibrated WAY off!  It says I gained 20 lbs last year; doesn't matter, the person + guitar trick is still accurate.  Isn't mathematics fun when it works?

Mine must be too. s