PunkKitty Posted October 22, 2021 Posted October 22, 2021 I've been experimenting with making my Heritage H-150 lighter. It started off at 9.0 pounds. I did the following so far:- Removed the PAFs that I had in it and installed a set of Lace Alumitones with CTS pots including 2 push/pull pots to allow coil splitting.- Changed the tuners to Sperzel Sound Lock tuners.The combination brought the guitar down to 8.4 pounds. That's what it weighed after I installed the Alumitones. Surprisingly, installing the Sperzels didn't seem to matter. Each Sperzel is about 1.5 ounces lighter than a Grover. So I expected this to bring the guitar down to about 8 pounds. It didn't. But it's still noticeably lighter than my 9 pound Gibson Les Paul. Maybe my scale was off the other night. Who knows?Things I learned:- I really like the Alumitones. They are really versatile.- Installing Sperzel tuners is a major PITA. They use a strange locking process that relies on a series of bends. Stringing is very simple. You put the string end into the little hole at the base of the tuner and push it out of the back of the tuner. Then just tighten the tuner. We'll see how stable these are. I have to repair one of the Sperzel holes I drilled since it is off center a bit.- The Heritage H-150 comes with what appears to be a Pinnacle zinc locking tailpiece. The bridge is a Pinnacle aluminum bridge. I'm not sure if this is the titanium saddle model or not. Either way, I ordered a locking aluminum tailpiece.Excuse the messy bench, but here are some pics.
golferwave Posted October 22, 2021 Posted October 22, 2021 Great job PK, and a good looking 150! The aluminum tailpiece should give it a bit extra weight relief. Getting it down close to 8 lbs will be easier on the shoulder for sure!
skydog52 Posted October 22, 2021 Posted October 22, 2021 Tuners are interesting. New to me and no base with anchoring screw. Tell me how you like those. I can't think of anything else to do for weight relief. Nice work! Love the guitar and the finish.
PunkKitty Posted October 22, 2021 Author Posted October 22, 2021 I'm still testing the tuners too. I like the way they look. I don't like the scars left behind.
aGuitarSolo Posted October 22, 2021 Posted October 22, 2021 4 hours ago, PunkKitty said: I'm still testing the tuners too. I like the way they look. I don't like the scars left behind. Scars add to CHARACTER! BEFORE-My 150 after falling off its stand. AFTER-My self repair. It's the back of the neck. Nobody really sees it and I did a good enough job so that it can't be felt. Now those are scars! You could make your marks disappear with careful use of a fine grain emery board followed by some polishing compound, colored putty, and a touch of clear coat but your guitar looks great. I wouldn't worry about it.
ElChoad Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 I am interested in hearing the pickups. Too bad lace doesn't have any sound clips on their website. If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about the back of the headstock. It's just showing how you have taken a guitar and made it yours. I have an idea of how you can help it lose more weight. It involves a 1" auger bit and a drill, but the results will be pretty visible...?
PunkKitty Posted October 23, 2021 Author Posted October 23, 2021 I'll post a link to me playing some cowboy, jazz, and power chords at some point. I have to figure out how first though. I've never done it before. Someone on another forum suggested drilling out the wire channels. No. I'm not going that crazy. No auger bits either.
High Flying Bird Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 4 hours ago, ElChoad said: I have an idea of how you can help it lose more weight. It involves a 1" auger bit and a drill, but the results will be pretty visible...? Not if she drills into the cavities where they can't be seen.
HANGAR18 Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 Filet an inch of Mahogany off the back of the body, route some strategically placed chambers into the body and then glue a quarter inch figured Maple back onto the body. Then add matching binding to the back (like an H157).
PunkKitty Posted October 23, 2021 Author Posted October 23, 2021 ^^^ Um... yeah. Not going to happen.
ElNumero Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 I wonder what kind of scale she uses that is that accurage, to weigh a guitar? Certainly not a bathroom scale. Myself, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a 9 lb guitar and an 8.5 lb guitar when strapped on. Seriously, is that minute a weight loss detectable??
bolero Posted October 23, 2021 Posted October 23, 2021 Attach some helium balloons to it, on stringers
PunkKitty Posted October 24, 2021 Author Posted October 24, 2021 A bathroom scale is all I have. And yes, I notice a difference.
tulk1 Posted October 24, 2021 Posted October 24, 2021 13 hours ago, PunkKitty said: A bathroom scale is all I have. And yes, I notice a difference. There's the problem. My bathroom scales are always waaaaay off. Notoriously weigh on the high side! ?
ElChoad Posted October 24, 2021 Posted October 24, 2021 15 hours ago, PunkKitty said: A bathroom scale is all I have. And yes, I notice a difference. You should invest in a digital kitchen scale. They are pretty inexpensive and will give you accurate weights. The one I have goes up to 11 pounds. I had a '76 Standard that was too heavy for it, but my Gibson Goldtop weighs in at 10 pounds, 1.6 ounces. My H-150 is 9 pounds, 6.2 ounces, and my BFG is 8 pounds, 3 ounces. You can get one right now on Amazon for $15. It goes to 22 pounds.
PunkKitty Posted October 24, 2021 Author Posted October 24, 2021 Mine is digital. I use it for shipping guitars. It's accurate. But the lighting in my 90+ yo house isn't great, so I may have misread it the first time.
rockabilly69 Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 13 hours ago, PunkKitty said: Mine is digital. I use it for shipping guitars. It's accurate. But the lighting in my 90+ yo house isn't great, so I may have misread it the first time. Digital or not, they are notoriously unreliable for weights!
MartyGrass Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 There was a time when I ran the overweight program at our Air Force base. Those who were overweight by the charts were ordered to lose 3 lbs a month or more by their squadron commander until their weight was acceptable. My job was to counsel and weigh them. If they didn't comply they could be fined, lose rank and even imprisoned for disobedience of a lawful order. Every Wednesday the technicians from metrics came to calibrate the scale. They came as a pair to make sure everything was done perfectly and documented. Their cart had known 25, 50, and 100 lb weights to check the scale. I never saw them need to adjust the scale week after week. Despite this, every Wednesday I'd hear angry people tell me how wrong the scale was. I recall one person mad at me because he said he only ate one sandwich a day yet he still gained weight. Others only had a strange diet like pickles, sauerkraut, and glasses of vinegar for the week. The people I listened to the most were the metrics team. Put a known weight on the scale to check it before putting the unknown weight. That removes doubt. If you don't have a known weight, take an object like a cinder block or small brick, weigh it, and record that weight. Then weigh the object you intend on reducing, in this case a guitar. Each weight check in the future would be compared to the brick or block that is your standard. You can be certain of the percent change in weight that way. If your goal is to know absolute weight, you need a precision balance scale and measure at sea level. We almost never need a precise absolute weight.
Steiner Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 Digital bathroom scales are wholefullly inadequate and not made to measure guitars.
Steiner Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 It's akin to measuring the guitar's overall length with a car's odometer.
Yooper Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 Bathroom scales are best for simply indicating weight loss or gain. It's that damn scale in the doctor's office that will matter.
Spectrum13 Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 34 minutes ago, Yooper said: Bathroom scales are best for simply indicating weight loss or gain. It's that damn scale in the doctor's office that will matter. You don't have nurses telling you it doesn't matter if you have on shoes pants or shirts?
SeattleMI Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 44 minutes ago, Spectrum13 said: You don't have nurses telling you it doesn't matter if you have on shoes pants or shirts? Usually the nurses just insist my shirt and shoes stay on. The pants are the first to drop.
Yooper Posted October 25, 2021 Posted October 25, 2021 45 minutes ago, Spectrum13 said: You don't have nurses telling you it doesn't matter if you have on shoes pants or shirts? I think they'd LIKE it if I had heavy boots and layers under a large overcoat. It makes it easier for them to say, "You need to watch your weight".
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