What is the lightest electric guitar? (surprising)

The lightest electric guitar we know of is the Traveler Guitar Ultra-Light, of which there are several variations. However, it's not exactly shaped like a traditional electric guitar, so if you want something that feels more familiar, you could try the Steinberger Spirit series or the Ibanez Mikro series.

You should also consider whether you want a light electric guitar that's intentionally made smaller, or whether you want a normal sized electric guitar that just happens to be lighter than others.

For a normal sized electric guitar, we'd probably recommend the Ibanez Prestige series or the PRS SE Custom 24.

A lot of the Ibanez guitars are fairly lightweight since they typically use a thinner body design.

Read more: Best Electric Guitars Overall and Electric Guitar Weight

Compare the Top 4 Lightest Electric Guitars

We've listed the PRS SE Custom 24 in the comparison table, but you can compare more electric guitars, perhaps some Ibanez models, with the search option below. Note that our comparisons use product pages to see live pricing and basic specs, though we don't typically include the weight. Check the Sweetwater product pages for more information on each guitar.

Price Guide

This section has live pricing for the four guitars listed, including a price alert and history graph. Note that the alert and graph system follow the lowest price among all the guitars listed.

Prices updated Mon, September 25th, 2023.

Amazon Pricing

Pricing from Multiple Vendors

Price Alert (lowest price among listed vendors)

Price History

What do electric guitars typically weigh?

The typical weight range of an electric guitar is between six and nine pounds, with most settling around 7.5 lbs. In general, Gibson electrics tend to be the heaviest, though modern weight relief mitigates most of their bulk.

When I've played them, they just feel more weighed down on the body side. Most other electrics feel more balanced between the body and headstock. 

Fender Strats and Teles, and Ibanez electrics (like a mentioned) are usually a bit lighter.

Do lighter guitars produce a lighter tone?

Generally, lighter guitars will have a somewhat lighter tone response.

Mahogany is the darker and heavier sounding tonewood, which we see in a lot of PRS and Gibson guitars. So regardless of weight, guitars with a solid Mahogany body will sound heavier.

A lot of smaller guitars use Alder and Maple, which produce a naturally lighter tone.

Are the Steinberger guitars hard to find?

Strangely, I noticed the Steinberger basses more often than the electrics when I was writing this piece. In most cases, I ran across a version of the Spirit GT-PRO electric, so that's what I would keep an eye out for if you want to go that direction.

There are usually a few on Reverb, depending on when you look.

Of course, availability is hard to pin down.

But you can check Reverb for used inventory here.

Do light electric guitars break more easily?

The Steinberger and Traveler Guitars are definitely a little more injury prone. But if you just focus on the basics like cases/gig bags, careful transportation, and keeping it in a stand when it's not cased up, you shouldn't have any problems.

Would you recommend a light electric guitar?

For me, the Traveler electric guitars, and travel guitars in general, are a bit too small, though I do like their 3/4 size acoustic guitars.

My preference is to have a normal sized electric guitar, since they're smaller than most acoustics and easy to maneuver in the first place. Though for kids or people with a smaller frame, you might benefit from one of the physically smaller (not just lighter) electric guitars.

It's really just a matter of preference and comfort.

One is not necessarily better than the other.

Conclusion

Remember, electric guitars are generally easier to hold, even with a solid body.

So you might not even need to worry too much about how light the guitar is. The typical weight range, six to nine pounds, isn't that wide to begin with.

But if you want a truly light electric guitar, the four we've listed here give you a good starting point. If you want a normal sized guitar that's just naturally lighter, go with the Ibanez Prestige or Iron Label series, or the PRS SE series.

If you want an electric guitar that's specifically designed to be lighter, try the Steinberger Spirit or Traveler electrics.

Hit me up with questions in the comments section below if you have 'em.

Thanks for reading.

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