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Vintage SG vs Modern SG weight differences, it is a big one!!


bigtim

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I have had a couple of modern SG standards. A friend brought over his SG standard and it is like a 1974 model. It was heavy like a les paul. I have also played other SG's from the 1960's and they were heavier as well compared to the modern SG we have today. Why is there such a difference in weight if they are made out of the same type of wood? The bodies are pretty much similar as well. How is that?

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Gibson did not use Black Walnut(Juglans nigra) wood on any SG until the Firebrand and The SG series in the very late 70's to early 80's.The term walnut was strictly used for the stain color during the early 70's.

 

The usual factor for the wide ranging weight of mahogany besides density is the amount of mineral content in the tree at the time of cutting depending on the soil in the region of the harvest. I'm a former botanist and remember this being discussed at a symposium many years ago.

 

The weight varies during all eras. I've played very,very light modern ones as well as a couple 8 pounder's from the same modern era. Mineral content is to blame.

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Never heard SG's were weight relieved. Charlie Brown weight in.

 

 

Well, the 3 SG's I owned in the '60's were ALL different weights. Not a Lot different, but the Custom was

the heaviest, probably because of the 3 pickups vs 2, and the lyre vibrato. My '68 (Batwing) Standard, with

Maestro Vibrato, was the lightest, of the 3. The '62 SG Junior was the comfortable "middle" weight, of the bunch.

 

The SG's I own now (4) are somewhat different in weight, also. All but 1, have Maestro Vibrato, as well.

The "Satin '61" has a stop tailpiece, and baked Maple fingerboard. All the other's have Rosewood fingerboards.

 

So...??? And, they all have the '61's beveling and horn tapering=a bit less wood, than those with less bevels

and no horn tapers. But, I suspect, they too will vary.

 

 

I have played, in various stores, some that were quite heavy, and other's that were (almost) too light! I played

some of the "moon" marker SG "Special's" in around 2000-2002, and they seemed to be pretty heavy, as well as having

a "fat" '50's style neck that suffered serious "neck dive," as a result. Non of my current, or '60's SG have/had

any "neck dive" whatsoever. So, I guess it just depends on the wood density, the adornment, and thickness of

the neck. All this, is just my own experience, of course.

 

Cheers,

 

CB

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  • 4 weeks later...

I happened to prefer heavy guitars. I just think they feel more solid, a little weight to them.

Sure a light guitar feels great, easy to move around with. Each guitar seems to have its own tones.

 

This is what I got from an internet forum:

 

Lighter = more bass, less sustain.

Heavier = more sustain, more mids/highs.

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Here are some of my SG with weights

 

Angus Young SG 7 lbs 0.75 oz

 

Robot SG LTD 8 lbs 8.50 oz

 

61 Reissue 6 lbs 7.13 oz

 

50th Anv PT 6 lbs 14.25 oz

 

AMS SG 24 7 lbs 11.35 oz

 

SG Classic 6 lbs 11.25 oz

 

Melody Maker 7 lbs 3.63 oz

 

Diablo Premium+ 7 lbs 10 oz

 

MF SG Standard 7 lbs 5 oz

 

61 Reissue 6 lbs 5 oz

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Here are some of my SG with weights

 

Angus Young SG 7 lbs 0.75 oz

 

Robot SG LTD 8 lbs 8.50 oz

 

61 Reissue 6 lbs 7.13 oz

 

50th Anv PT 6 lbs 14.25 oz

 

AMS SG 24 7 lbs 11.35 oz

 

SG Classic 6 lbs 11.25 oz

 

Melody Maker 7 lbs 3.63 oz

 

Diablo Premium+ 7 lbs 10 oz

 

MF SG Standard 7 lbs 5 oz

 

61 Reissue 6 lbs 5 oz

 

Well you have your SG collection it looks like!! Yours are all in the same ball park it seems too. Your robot one is a bit heavier. My friends SG was way heavier than the ones I had. It was more like the LP Custom I used to own. I was really shocked. On the comment about the walnut, I too think they are just the finish used. Walnut generally is a lighter wood.

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Gibson SGs usually average about 7 pounds (3.2 Kilos)...which means that SGs are so much lighter than most other electrics

the variations are not very important. Strats and Teles average around 8 pounds, and Les Pauls between 9 and 10 pounds.

 

In the '70s it seems that both Fender and Gibson were making guitars out of heavier wood. So that probably has to do with the

wood that was available to their buyers on the markets of the time period. Fender used ash and alder, probably obtained in the

Pacific Northwest of the USA. For Gibson, the wood they use is what they can buy depending on the dicey

political climate(s) in the raggedy third world nations where they obtain Mahogany, Rosewood and Ebony.

 

I've played both Gibson and Fender guitars from the '70s that seemed to weigh a ton...

 

But I don't think that any guitar's tone is affected much by the density of the wood in the body. Wood is like, not magnetic...

Electric guitar tone comes from steel strings vibrating in a magnetic field. The wood's just a mounting for the parts that

make your tone, IMHO. Les Paul made his Klunkers out of a 4x4...

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