Lightweight archtop?

[JGinNJ]

I've always loved big archtops, it's the sound I love, and what my jazz "guitar heroes" played. But, because they weren't too common, or affordable, for a long time I didn't own one. Instead, I had a Guild Starfire (semi-hollow like a 335), and then a Joe Pass Emperor.
Eventually I finally got a D'angelico Excel re-issue, and an Epi Broadway. Love the sound, but somehow I found myself practicing on a flatop instead.

I came to the realization that it's not the size, it's the weight of these guitars that makes them kind of uncomfortable. They're about 9# each, vs. an acoustic that's only 4#.

I'm wondering, among production models, what lighter but still full-size models are there? Other alternatives?

[rpguitar]

9 lbs for a fully hollow archtop? I have never come across such a beast, although a modern Super 400CES will be close. My modern era L-5CES, not known for its lightweight construction, tops my collection at about 8 lbs. Everything else is far below that, mostly in the 6-7 lb range.

The more acoustic the archtop, and the older it is, the lighter it should be - all else being equal. My couple of acoustic 17" L-5s are each about 6.25 lbs. I have a 1963 ES-175 that is under 6 lbs.

[Little Jay]

Archtops with 2 humbuckers are considerably heavier than ones with a single P90 or a floating Kent Armstrong (-like) pickup. Mahogany necks are usually lighter than maple ones. So you should look for a single P90-pickups guitar with a mahogany neck. (And of course fully hollow, no center block.)

Something like an Epiphone Century comes to mind:

[Brian B]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all the guitars referenced by the OP all laminated?

Maybe a Loar or Godin Kingpin?

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[JGinNJ]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't all the guitars referenced by the OP all laminated?

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You're not wrong, I realize part of the problem is laminate guitars are inherently heavier.

[John A.]

I've always loved big archtops, it's the sound I love, and what my jazz "guitar heroes" played. But, because they weren't too common, or affordable, for a long time I didn't own one. Instead, I had a Guild Starfire (semi-hollow like a 335), and then a Joe Pass Emperor.
Eventually I finally got a D'angelico Excel re-issue, and an Epi Broadway. Love the sound, but somehow I found myself practicing on a flatop instead.

I came to the realization that it's not the size, it's the weight of these guitars that makes them kind of uncomfortable. They're about 9# each, vs. an acoustic that's only 4#.

I'm wondering, among production models, what lighter but still full-size models are there? Other alternatives?

My Godin 5th Ave Kingpin is probably the lightest guitar I've ever played. It's a 16" lower bout, and just under 3" deep (not sure if that's full-size to you). I haven't weighed it, but I'd guess it's around 5 lbs, maybe a hair less. The other 5th Ave variants are the same body, with and without cutaways, and with different pickup options, but should all be in the same ballpark weight-wise.

John.

[Tal_175]

Eastman's are pretty light. They also have a slightly less deep bodies.

[Gitterbug]

The lightest archtop I've ever come across was a '49 Levin. The carved top was so thin you could see trough it. But of modern ones, the Godin Kingpin and Loar's 16" come close.

[Tal_175]

The lightest archtop I've ever come across was a '49 Levin. The carved top was so thin you could see trough it. But of modern ones, the Godin Kingpin and Loar's 16" come close.

In my experience, really thin tops are usually pressed. Carved tops tend to be a bit thicker. Are you sure it wasn't pressed?

[lawson-stone]

I've always loved big archtops, it's the sound I love, and what my jazz "guitar heroes" played. But, because they weren't too common, or affordable, for a long time I didn't own one. Instead, I had a Guild Starfire (semi-hollow like a 335), and then a Joe Pass Emperor.
Eventually I finally got a D'angelico Excel re-issue, and an Epi Broadway. Love the sound, but somehow I found myself practicing on a flatop instead.

I came to the realization that it's not the size, it's the weight of these guitars that makes them kind of uncomfortable. They're about 9# each, vs. an acoustic that's only 4#.

I'm wondering, among production models, what lighter but still full-size models are there? Other alternatives?

My VOS 1959 ES175 and Epiphone ES175 Premium both weight in at 6 lbs 7 oz. My 2015 ES175's are 7 pounds 12 oz.

I also have a Loar LH650, carved 16" with floater, but I haven't weighed that one. It's quite light, though.

[Greentone]

My 1938 L-50 is 4lbs.

My 1962 ES-125T was 4-1/2lbs.

My 1968 ES-175 was 6lbs.

There are plenty of low weight archtops out there.

[Jim Soloway]

You're not wrong, I realize part of the problem is laminate guitars are inherently heavier.

Not necessarily. The Kingpin hii P90 version is about 5.5lbs (the HB version is noticeably more).

[rabbit]

i love a lighter guitar. From my experience, and these numbers are pretty accurate:

Godin 5th Avenue (no pickup) : 4lbs, 8oz.
1935 L-50 : 4lbs, 6oz (no pickup.)
Eastman AR341 : 5lbs, 8 oz.
Korean Guild Savoy 150 : 6lbs.

[sgosnell]

My Wu (16", ~2.5" deep, carved top) is about 5 pounds. My Eastman T145 is about the same.

[jads57]

Eastman Archtops are probably your best bet,followed by Loar Guitars. For a lower cost carved top that's light in weight.
The guitars which are heavier are usually laminate construction or have 2 p/upand electronics.

[coolvinny]

Not necessarily. The Kingpin hii P90 version is about 5.5lbs (the HB version is noticeably more).

Yeah it really depends on the laminate. I've got a 16" x 2 7/8" laminate with HB that's under 5 lbs. But I think in general the mass-produced ones tend to be heavier. I think the Eastman AR371 is fairly light...under 6 lbs. or so?

[Hep To The Jive]

I love light guitars, my tele is 6.11 lbs, and its good enough, but over 7 it wouldnt be.

However, with archtops of any kind the weight wasnt an issue. Maybe a Gretsch with a bigsby, but it was around 7 lbs too I think. The OP says 9#, what does it even mean? 9lbs? For archtop, what??

[Esport]

+1 for the Godin Kingpin. Featherweight compared to my ES-345 and Epi 175.

[Gitterbug]

In my experience, really thin tops are usually pressed. Carved tops tend to be a bit thicker. Are you sure it wasn't pressed?

I don't think Levin made pressed tops. This one had an unrepaired crack near the lower bout. Examining the situation from the inside with an endoscope in a fairly dark room, I could see the light from the outside. The thickness was about 1/16" but in this area only. Much more around the F-holes. So the top (of spruce from Romania I believe) was apparently over-graduated. BTW, the guitar was a Model 22, actually from 1945, with a strangely retrofitted DeArmond PU. Levin must have had great difficulties obtaining good tonewoods during and right after the war.

[JGinNJ]

I love light guitars, my tele is 6.11 lbs, and its good enough, but over 7 it wouldnt be.

However, with archtops of any kind the weight wasnt an issue. Maybe a Gretsch with a bigsby, but it was around 7 lbs too I think. The OP says 9#, what does it even mean? 9lbs? For archtop, what??

Yes, 9 pounds. My Excel is a little heavier than the Broadway. I checked them on a cheap spring scale, the number is questionable but makes sense given my Martin's measure about 4 lbs. I'm going to check again with a better scale.

Interestingly, I just got a cheap Yamaha dread, which seems to have a laminate top, and it only weighs 4 lbs. It came with some kind of monel strings on it, and kind of has an archtop "chunk" sound.

[Grez]

Laminated can be rather light, it depends on the design. I just grabbed a 17" archtop, 2.75" body depth with two humbuckers and it weighed in at 6 lbs 4 oz. I know my 16" guitars can be are less.

[Hep To The Jive]

Yes, 9 pounds. My Excel is a little heavier than the Broadway. I checked them on a cheap spring scale, the number is questionable but makes sense given my Martin's measure about 4 lbs. I'm going to check again with a better scale.

Interestingly, I just got a cheap Yamaha dread, which seems to have a laminate top, and it only weighs 4 lbs. It came with some kind of monel strings on it, and kind of has an archtop "chunk" sound.

Doode, my resonator, which is full metal, is 8.5! Hollowbody at 9lbs, there gotta be something inside that's not supposed to be haha

Get rid of them fast, get a Guild or something. Im sure just about any normal archtop wont be heavier than 7.5, but Guild is what I had and have and can say with certainty.

[carlones]

I can confirm, the levin of 47 in the center is the lightest guitar I've ever had.
It has no truss rod, at least it is not adjustable, a single diagonal brace, glory!

[ThatRhythmMan]

For more Levin lightweight glory, even with the Kjell pickup on, my big Deluxe only weighs 6 lb 1 oz.

[dmorash]

Hofner Jazzica? Not sure of the weight, but feels light and a comfortable body design - and extremely affordable used for what they are.