Question Steve Morse model's weight

[Fontanz]

I've got a question about the weight of the Steve Morse model. I own two of them:

Blueburst built 2003 -> 3.6 kg
Sunburst built 2007 -> 3,3 kg

Now I'm testing another one that was produced in 1998 and I'm a little amazed about it's weight: 3,8 kg.

I'm wondering if I'm right thinking that 3.8 kg is a lot for a guitar with a poplar body. Another point is that if you compare the model from 1998 with my 2007 built guitar you get a large difference of 0,5 kg.

I'd like to know if there's kind of a development over the years that Music Man was targeting for lower weight. I'd also want to ask if a particular guitar like the 1998 model I'm checking out can vary it's weight over the years due to influences like humidity or something like that.

 

[tommyindelaware]

poplar is and always has been the choice of woods for the body. weight of the body is what it is. there has never been a specified weight requirement. the weights vary. don't know how heavy 3.6 killergrams is.....
i've seen hard tails as light as 5 lbs. and as heavy as 8 lbs. typically they average 7 lbs or so.

 

[Fontanz]

Thanks for your fast reply Tommy!

Just have asked a converter:
3.3 kg is ca. 7.3 lbs
3.6 kg is ca. 7.9 lbs
3.8 kg is ca. 8.4 lbs

So the 1998 model in my hands might be one of the heaviest ever built...

 

[fbecir]

So the 1998 model in my hands might be one of the heaviest ever built...

My Morse weights 4.1 kg !!!

This thread gives you some weights :
http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-guitars/44805-steve-morse-guitars-weight.html

 

[Fontanz]

My Morse weights 4.1 kg !!!

This thread gives you some weights :
http://forums.ernieball.com/music-man-guitars/44805-steve-morse-guitars-weight.html

Wow, that's real heavy! But it shows that weight obviously varies more than I would have thought (and that Tommy's right!).

BUT: now I'm a bit confused because EBMM company says in their product specification that the Steve Morse model has a weight of 3.37 kg that "varies slightly" and that a whammy guitar will weigh another 0.2 kg.

Thanks for your reply and for the link, fbecir!

 

[Fontanz]

There's a youtube video that shows the production process. Sterling Ball tells about two kilns that draw water out of what is supposed to be dry wood. So maybe they didn't do this from the beginning and since these kilns are in the process the weight is much more stable...?
(Start watching at 12:08): How To Build Ernie Ball Music Man Guitars & Basses - YouTube

 

[DrKev]

From what little I understand of wood and trees, wood density can very a lot across the same species, irrespective of water content. How fast a tree grows makes all the difference to how dense the wood is and that can change dramatically from tress cut form even different parts of the same forest.

 

[Fontanz]

From what little I understand of wood and trees, wood density can very a lot across the same species, irrespective of water content. How fast a tree grows makes all the difference to how dense the wood is and that can change dramatically from tress cut form even different parts of the same forest.

That's something I wouldn't factor in 'til now. From that point of view it sounds logical what Tommy said ("there has never been a specified weight requirement"). Thanks for opening my eyes!

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

The weight is what has always put me off the Morse models. I really need my guitars to be 7lbs thanks to my dodgy back.

 

[Fluxx]

I'm curious, though, about "no specific weight requirements", because in all of the factory tour videos they mention weighing the blanks, and having extremely small tolerances. Maybe in this case, because of the variety seen in poplar, it's a little different than say mahogany or alder?

Also, has the drying process changed in that time? In the video where Sterling talks about the oven that dries the wood beyond how they receive it, I can imagine it takes different amounts of water out depending on the original water content of the wood such that blanks that weigh the same would actually weigh different after the drying process in the oven? Just food for thought...

 

[ksandvik]

I was somewhat weary of possible long gigs ad a Y2D but I did a 3+ hour marathon set, non-stop, no back issues. I don't know exactly how much my Y2D weights but it's more heavy than my Luke, that's for sure. Then again I justified getting it as my 'LP' to get more rock crunch if needed.

 

[soupcon]

the "varies" slightly has never been true, i'm sorry to say.
i have had 3 regular morses, all 6 bolt. the lightest, the one i kept is low 7lb (i started a thread on this subject a while ago and some folks posted their weights) and the others were 7.75ish and >8. i just bought 2 PDNs that are 7lb 4oz and 7lb 1oz, largely because they are exceptionally light for the model. I have a darklord that is 7.7lbs, which i think is light for a dark lord! I have a PDN y2D coming that's supposed to be 7lb 5oz. i can't take much more than that and don't personally like how heavy guitars resonate. some of the dealers, including sweetwater, post the individual guitars' weights.





you guys can do the conversion