The weight of a guitar can be a very important factor when choosing the right instrument. While it’s not as important as the pickups, fretboards, or tuning pegs, it plays a big role in how comfortable your instrument is, especially if you often play standing up. Therefore, it’s good to give some thought to this question before selecting your weapon of choice.
An electric guitar weighs between 6 and 10 pounds (2.7 and 4.5 kg), compared to 4.7 to 12 lbs (2.13 to 5.44 kg) for bass guitars and only 2 to 6 lbs (0.9 to 2.7 kg) for acoustic guitars. The weight of a guitar depends largely on its size, body shape, and wood type.
This article will examine the average weight of electric, acoustic, and bass guitars so you can know what to expect when buying one. We’ll also provide some concrete examples of popular guitar models to make things a bit more specific.
What Influences the Weight of a Guitar?
The weight of a guitar is largely influenced by the type of wood used. Different wood types have different densities, and the denser they are, the more they will weigh. A guitar’s weight also depends on its size and body type. Solid-body guitars will naturally weigh more than hollow-body guitars.
Let’s examine these influences in greater detail below:
Wood Type
There has always been a lot of discussion when it comes to the wood used for building guitars. There’s a raging debate on whether or not different wood types influence a guitar’s tone with no conclusive answer.
However, one thing that’s certain is that the type of wood heavily influences a guitar’s weight based on how dense it is.
Here are some examples of wood types and their densities:
- Walnut: 650–700 kg/m3 (40.58-43.7 lb/ft3 )
- Mahogany: 450–640 kg/m3 (28.09-39.95 lb/ft3 )
- Basswood: 300–600 kg/m3 (18.73-37.46 lb/ft3 )
- Swamp ash: 450–550 kg/m3 (28.1-34.34 lb/ft3 )
- Alder: 400–700 kg/m3 (24.97-43.7 lb/ft3 )
- Maple 550–700 kg/m3 (34.34-43.7 lb/ft3 )
So, not only does the weight of a guitar depend on the type of wood used, but there are also significant variations within a wood type. This makes it a bit difficult to predict how much a guitar will weigh based only on this factor. However, it’s usually a good indicator of a guitar’s weight, so it’s worth consideration.
Body Type
Guitars come in several body types, namely:
- Solid body
- Chambered
- Semi-hollow body
- Hollowbody
Solid-body guitars will weigh the most because they are made of thick, solid pieces of wood with no cavities inside. Chambered guitars weigh a bit less because parts of their bodies are hollowed out, creating empty pockets. Manufacturers do this both for tone and weight relief.
Semi-hollow body guitars are even lighter because large sections of their bodies are hollowed out, creating a lot of empty space. A hollow body guitar will be the lightest because its body will be completely empty apart from some structural supports.
Of course, the size of a guitar will also impact the weight. A smaller guitar is typically lighter than a bigger guitar.
Examples of Guitar Weights
We can generalize when talking about guitar weights, but it’s also a good idea to take a look at some specific models and see how much they weigh. This will help you see which is right for you if weight is a crucial factor.
It’s also important to note that a guitar model can have varying weights depending on when they were produced. Manufacturers sometimes change specifications such as wood type and electronics that might influence the weight. Therefore, you might have two guitars of the same type with different weights.
Let’s take a look at how much some popular guitars typically weigh:
Guitar Weights Table
| Guitar | Weight in lbs | Weight in kg |
| Fender Stratocaster | 7–8.5 lbs | 3–3.8 kg |
| Fender Telecaster | 7–8 lbs | 3–3.6 kg |
| Gibson Les Paul | 9–12 lbs | 4–5.5 kg |
| Gibson SG | 6 lbs | 2.7 kg |
| Epiphone Dot | 8 lbs | 3.6 kg |
| Ibanez JEM/RG | 7.5–8.5 lbs | 3.4–3.8 kg |
| PRS Custom | 9 lbs | 4 kg |
What’s the Average Weight of a Bass Guitar?
The average weight of a bass guitar is between 4.7 lbs (2.3 kg) and 12 lbs (5.44 kg). Bass guitars are typically heavier than electric guitars because they are usually bigger and made of denser wood. There are exceptions, but a bass guitar will typically be heavier and bigger.
The average weight of bass guitars can vary widely because there are some really extreme examples on both ends of the spectrum. There are tiny basses (such as the Hofner Violin Bass), which weigh only 4.7 lbs (2.3 kg), and there are monstrous basses like the ESP LTD B-206SM, at a whopping 12 lbs (5.4 kg).
However, it’s safe to say that a typical bass is heavier than a typical electric guitar. The same factors that influence the weight of electric guitars influence bass guitars too. And since bass guitars are larger and often made from thicker and denser wood, they will easily weigh more.
Let’s take a look at how much some popular basses weigh to put things in perspective:
Bass Weights Table
| Bass | Weight in lbs | Weight in kg |
| Fender Squier Affinity Series Precision PJ | 11.02 lbs | 5 kg |
| Epiphone Thunderbird Pro IV | 8 lbs | 3.6 kg |
| ESP LTD B-206SM | 12 lbs | 5.4 kg |
| Rickenbacker 4003S | 9 lbs | 4.08 kg |
| Warwick Rockbass Streamer 4 | 9.48 lbs | 4.3 kg |
| Yamaha TRBX204 Active Electric | 11.34 lbs | 5.14 kg |
| Hofner VB100 Violin Bass Guitar Vintage | 4.7 lbs | 2.13 kg |
What’s the Average Weight of an Acoustic Guitar?
The average weight of an acoustic guitar is between 2 and 6 lbs (0.9–2.7 kg). There are jumbo acoustic guitars and mini acoustic guitars, which may weigh more or less than this range, respectively. Typical acoustic guitars weigh between 2.5 and 5 lbs (1.1–2.2 kg).
Acoustic guitars typically don’t weigh much. This is because their bodies are completely hollow, and they usually don’t have pickups or any electronics inside. Those that do will weigh more, but their weight will be significantly lower than the weight of electric and bass guitars.
The type of wood also influences the weight of an acoustic guitar, but not to the extent that it influences the weight of an electric guitar. Again, this is because there is simply less wood in an acoustic guitar.
Therefore, the weight of an acoustic guitar will depend largely on its size. While most acoustic guitars are roughly the same size, there are different types, and their size and weight may vary significantly. For example, a travel guitar will weigh close to nothing, while a jumbo guitar might be pretty heavy, especially if you’re a smaller person.
Additionally, the weight of an acoustic guitar is often not particularly relevant, as you’ll often play it sitting down. This is relatively common during small bar gigs or when you’re just practicing or jamming, so even if you have a relatively large acoustic guitar, there won’t necessarily be much strain on your back and shoulders.
Conclusion
An electric guitar will typically weigh 6 to 10 lbs (2.72-4.55 kg). Regardless of the type, the weight of a guitar depends largely on the kind of wood used and the kind of body a guitar has. Solid-body guitars are the heaviest, while hollow-body guitars weigh the least. Bass guitars typically weigh more than electric guitars, while acoustic guitars are the lightest due to their hollow bodies.
