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After finishing up #210 and having numerous musicians exclaim how light weight it was (and how loud) I decided to make a guitar that was as light as I could build. I've seen at least one author claiming there are some Spanish guitars weighing 400 - 500 grams (453.6g = 1 lb). I have very strong doubts as to the accuracy of these claims. My lightest weight classical tuners weight 140 grams alone. A fretboard weights ~ 90 grams before frets and even a light weight Western red cedar top at 2.2mm thick weighs in at ~110 grams (before cutting the soundhole). A very thin set of indian rosewood sides (1.5mm) bent and cut to size is 140 grams. This is already over 500 grams and the back, bracing, neck, bridge, lining, frets, finish, nut, saddle and strings have not been accounted for. Most classical or flamenco guitars weigh in around 1400 grams (roughly 3 pounds) or more.
This shows the completed instrument, which weighs in at 820 grams without tuners, strings, nut or saddle. The top, back, bracing and neck are all Western Red Cedar. The fretboard is Wenge and the bridge is Tzalam. Balsa was used for the lining and tail block. The sides are 3 layers of Indian Rosewood veneer. The tuners add 140 grams and the finish a bit more. The completed weight is about 2 lbs. 3 oz (992 grams). The top is left at 3.0mm thick for stability. In spite the light weight, there does not appear to be any structural weakness. The decoration is minimal and the tuners used were chosen for weight. The sound is very bright and carries well. Several professional Classical guitarists have evaluated this guitar and found it to be worthy of playing in concert.
