Weight of ERGs

[Demeyes]

Since a lot of the ERGs we see are literally massive, have any you guys had any problems with the weight of your instruments? I've always really disliked having very heavy guitars because they end up tiring out my shoulder even with a wide strap. Needless to say my 8 string is a fairly hefty instrument and I find that even a short enough band practice is enough to put a bit of a strain on me. Anyone else find this? Some of those basses I've seen have to be nearly too heavy to stand with due to the size of the necks and bodies.

[TomAwesome]

Try a wider strap. A 3" nylon strap should be pretty comfortable. If it's still too heavy for you, maybe one of those harness type straps would work better for you.

[Setnakt]

I don't find my Intrepid to be too heavy. I've played heavier 6 strings. In general I don't think adding a little bit of neck width will make or break it, although I admit my 7 string bass is not a lot of fun to stand with for long periods. However I attribute that as much to neck dive due to dense woods for the neck and a swamp ash body, which is more a balance issue a longer upper horn and farther strap placement would mostly correct.

When I get a custom 8 string guitar I just know I'll have to be specific about the upper horn. It's the balance that gets me on some instruments more than the weight.

[troyguitar]

Originally Posted by Setnakt

It's the balance that gets me on some instruments more than the weight.

I agree with this. My 9-string also weighs less than me LP did though, so it's a bit of both.

[MaxOfMetal]

I think a heavier weight kinda comes with the territory, as small and light weight as you can make the body, you can't quite use the same methodology when sliming down the neck, unless materials such as Carbon Fiber is used.

My RG2228 was not significantly heavier than some of my UVs, so as far as comparing 8s to 7s, the jump in weight was never too significant.

[Harry]

Yeah, definitely one of those straps that goes across both shoulders would be hugely beneficial.
Yes, it doesn't look very rock and roll, but that's a small price to pay considering the potential for long term injury.
Personally I'm thinking of picking one up myself for my bass guitar, a 5 string Ibanez BTB, which compared to my RG 7421 which is quite comfortable with a normal strap, it's heavy as fuck and kills my shoulder in about 20 minutes with a normal strap.

[MF_Kitten]

i've played heavier "normal" instruments than my intrepid. it depends more on how the guitar is made, than how many strings it's made for.

i had a 7 string bass, and it was heavy like... well, a heavy bass. i've felt heavier guitars, i think.

my intrepid isn't much heavier than any other heavy guitar.

and +1 on wider strap. no doubt there! distributing the weight over a greater area makes for less strain on your shoulder, and you carry it with a larger portion of your body instead of that one fleshy spot.

[drmosh]

Mine is fucking heavy, but I think it's also just the particular piece of wood used for the body (one piece swamp ash). Now I know swamp ash is usually pretty light, but this piece is insane.

[hairychris]

My Intrepid Pro isn't too bad - balance is pretty good which makes a massive difference - and IIRC my fixed bridge Schecter C7 Hellraiser (now at a mates so can't direct compare) was actually heavier. That guitar was a tank and I hated rehearsal sessions with it!

[Apophis]

if you have nice wide strap everything will be just fine, of course neck heavy shapes like Xiphos, Iceman or Explorer are harder to keep balanced

[thesimo]

i think as people have said, its more about the balance than the weight. My 7 is about 4KG and ive not had any issues at all since its not neck heavy

[phaeded0ut]

My Roter 8-string is actually about the same weight (a few ounces heavier) than my Brooklyn Gear and yet it is much more comfortable with the strap. I'd liken it more to a fairly light bass guitar than a 6-string guitar.

[Tom Drinkwater]

Size makes a difference when comparing the same materials but if you made a 10 string guitar with woods like poplar and bamboo or even maple with carbon fiber you'd end up with a much lighter guitar. I don't know what the body on my wifes Geddy Lee jazz bass is made of but it weighs a freakin' ton. Some of those ERB's that look like fretted surf boards can't be fun to play.

[yevetz]

My 2228 body size is the SAME as size of 6 string RG's

and it's not heavier that any LP

[Demeyes]

My intrepid is heavier than my C7 and my Ibby 7 stringers, as well as my bass, Les Paul or any of my other 6 string guitars. I'm thinking I might try and get one of those double strap things for using for longer practices and band writing sessions. I'll try a few of my other straps first and see if they improve anything. I must actually see if I can find the weight of my 8 string and see what it is like compared to other axes.

[Erik Hauri]

One word - physical conditioning.
wait....that's two words....

Its funny - guitar players, when they pick up a light instrument, think "Yeah man - I can jump around all night with this".

When bass players pick up a light instrument, they think "Cheap crap".

Also - solid carbon fiber rods are more dense than any wood, even ebony - so they don't actually save you anything on weight.

What they do have is a much higher stiffness/weight ratio than any wood.

[Tom Drinkwater]

Carbon in fact does save you some weight. By using carbon fiber reinforcement your neck doesn't need to be as thick to provide the needed rigidity for the string tension. Less wood=less weight. You can also use carbon fiber with a lighter wood for a neck rather than using a multilaminate exotic hardwood neck. Much less weight.

I have also played a carbon fiber electric guitar and I swear it weighed less than nothing.