Lighter Guitar

Yamaha RGX A2 is a very light electric guitar
http://www.yamahamusic.com.au/products/musicalinstruments/guitars/electric/solid/rgx-a2.asp
It also has Humbucker micks as the LP.

Kalle

Check out a Fender Telecaster FMT HH. Two humbuckers and a really full humbucking sound. Not identical to an LP sound, but it doesn't weigh 10 lbs! Also, you can pick one up on Ebay for around $400. It also has split coils, so you can get a single coil sound too.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Custom-Telecaster-FMT-Electric-Guitar?sku=511262

Thanks guys. How about an SG?

I would definitely suggest the SG. MUCH lighter, but similar fretboard and playability to a Les Paul. You can get a Gibson faded SG for $570 NEW right now.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Faded-SG-Special-Electric-Guitar?sku=517222

i'm not sure how much but these are lighter weight, check out the sound files
http://www.michaelkellyguitars.com/electrics.html

i like the string thru body tone pros on several models and coil tapped controls,
these sell for $400-$500 at MF
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/home/navigation/michael-kelly-guitars-mandolins-cases-6-string-electric-guitar-solid-body?N=100001+202716+306241&page=1

I vote for the SG too. I picked up a Faded about 4 months ago and love it . It is super-light and thin too. It gets great clean tones, although you have to adjust the pickup height, stock the neck has far more output than the bridge. I lowered the neck pickup, raised the bridge and also raised the bridge poles to get even output.

It has a very similar tone to my LP Studio, maybe just a touch brighter. I like the neck pickup much better on the SG, really beautiful clean with chime. My LP was a little muddy in the neck position. The bridge pickup is slightly brighter which I also prefer. But it has that great Gibson warm tone I think you are after. This guitar won't break the bank either.

You do need to check the fret job carefully. I thought I looked it over real good, but a few days later (after I had scratched it all up playing it) I noticed two frets, the 15th and 17th weren't seated properly. You can see a very small gap beneath the tang. But no playing issues at.

But it is really light, maybe the lightest electric I've ever played. Great guitar for the price.

Gibson Faded SG Special

Wow Wes. Thanks so much for all of the detail. I suspected that an SG might be a good start. I will definitely check one out.

One question. What makes an SG sound heavier than the strat. Is it just the humbukers or is is something with the body too?

Bgdaddy316

Boy, I'm no expert on these things, but I would say the pickups. Gibson makes great pickups that have a distinctive tone. There's also the shorter scale, the strings aren't as taut. Some people say the shorter scale feels rubbery or bouncy, and I think I would agree with that, my LP and Gibson have a spongier feel than my Strat and Tele. I prefer the softer, bouncy feel, but some do not.

This Faded SG Special has 490R and 490T pickups. That is the same pickup but the poles are set further apart at the bridge as the strings taper toward the nut. I think these pickups are fantastic. They are not super hot if you are into Metal, but they have plenty of bite. What I love is the clean tone, best of any electric I've ever owned. I love my Strat and Tele, but they are twangy. That is great for Country or Blues, but I like a warmer tone. The SG has a great tone that can be used for Blues. The neck can sound much like BB King. The bridge has real bite and can be piercing if you like that sort of thing. This guitar really Rocks with distortion or overdrive. It is not overly distorted like Grunge or Heavy Metal tones. Think AC/DC. If you like that sort of overdrive you will love this guitar.

The Standard SG has a 490 at the neck and a 498 at the bridge. The 498 is the same as my LP Studio. It has a little thicker tone, not quite as bright as the 490. I like the 490 better, but that is me. I love my LP, but it is hard to get a bright tone out of it, it is always a little dark sounding. But the 490 can be bright, much like a P90 pickup but without the hum. I've read where people swapped the pickups out on this guitar but I will never do that, that is how much I like them.

Here is a sound clip I found on You Tube. This is pretty good, this is what this guitar sounds like with a little overdrive. Notice it is just slightly brighter than the LP. This player is not so great, but his tone is. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs1lGrjHDCA

I will look and see if I can find an example of the clean tone, it is great on this guitar.

Wes

Edit- Here is the Faded SG with a Metal distortion pedal. Not my thing, but you can hear how tight this guitar sounds in the bridge position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSRd4M0I0mk&mode=related&search=

Edit- Yet another video, this one made me laugh. But you can hear the brighter tone with just barely overdriven tone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ZgpitWvzo

Thanks Wes. I'm not into metal either. More Guns N Roses, AC/DC, Bon Jovi. Stuff like that. I also am playing in a band right now that plays some lighter stuff. We have four guitarists. Three Les Pauls and a Strat. I sounds like an SG might fit in nicely. I'm definitely going to check one out. Thanks for all the help.

Hey all :D

Wes is correct - the longer scale length of the Fenders give it that bright, twangy, bell like sound. The single coils (if so equiped)
give it a brighter sound than HB's or even P90's. (The difference in Fender sc's and P90's has to do with the windings)
(And also that the pole pieces on Fender sc's ARE part of the magnet, Gibbo pups have screws that touch the magnet)

The wood that they are made of is also a major contributing factor.

SG's are traditionally made of mahogany with mahogany necks.
Mahogany characteristics as a tone wood are warm, mellow, even dark.

Fenders are traditionally alder or ash.
Much brighter.
And the necks are usually maple - also brighter as a tone wood goes.

I don't know of the newer SG's....
I had a 63 SG with P90's and found it very dark myself.
I am admitedly conditioned to the Fender sound though.
You'd do well to adjust the pups like Wes suggested.

I will say it is a very light guitar.

I didn't like the way it 'sat' with the strap on.
A bit too small for me (I'm 6'4") and I was used to the longer scale length of a Fender.
If you're already used to a Gibbo though, I think you'll like the SG.

Ken

Thanks Ken. A lot of things that I've read about the SG mention the strap issue. I'll definitely pay attention to that.

When it comes to back problems, it may not be limeted to the weight of the guitar. I sit down on a drafting chair.

Hi,

This sounds kind of rude - but maybe it's worth checking your own weight and fitness too? I had a lot of back problems over the years but I found that they were greatly reduced by losing weight and getting fitter. I was usually a pretty good weight for my height, but in the last ten years it had crept up. So I took off some pounds and got back under the recommended size for my height, plus I did some exercises that helped build up the muscles that support the back. Hardly any trouble since. Just a thought - it might be irreleveant, but it made a big difference to my general well being as well as making it easier to play for longer and so on. :)

Cheers,

Chris

I'm with ya on that point Chris.

I've never been overweight,
although being 6'4" in a 5'7" world takes its toll on my back.

I've had tons of back pain & problems when I was younger.
Everyone told me to build up my abs.
So I started doin' 100's of situps a day and was rewarded with quite the impressive looking 6 pack.
Still had back problems.

The problem with doing just situps and those types of exercises are that they are isolation exercises and are good
for shaping and sculpting.... not much else.
When I started doing combination exercises (usually in a standing position), and worked my abs with other muscles
in my back - No more back problems. :D

Now when I lift things that I would've felt straining my back, I feel in my abs which are almost impossible to exhaust muscles.

I would also recommend healthy eating habits and regular exercise over an SG any day :wink:

Ken