I’m thinking about getting a Gibson LP Custom. Always liked the vintage white Randy Rhoads one. The last LP CS I had was a R9. I hadn’t played a LP for a while and was used with fender strats and Teles, so I couldn’t get over how heavy the R9 was in comparison. I practise a lot standing up and I couldn’t play it for very long. It was a great looking, sounding and playing guitar though. Before this happened to me I never really understood why folk go on about light guitars - I do now!
So with this in mind I have been considering going to the Gibson CS and speccing up a dream LP, and getting it as light as possible. This would be through a combination of light wood and/or the most modern weight relief methods.
If I go this route, what is a realistic weight I could expect? I have heard of LP around 8lbs, but they seem rare.
There is a 74 CS for sale now that I like but it’s 4.5kg (9lb 15). I think this would be too heavy though. Maybe that’s just what you get with a LP though.
Comments
Ditto the LP Customs from the 70s/early 80s. My first proper LP was an 81 Custom, I had a back problem a couple of days after getting it.
We're all different I suppose. How John Sykes bonded so much with his 70s Custom amazes me, I saw him play that thing in the early 80s, he was er thin in those days.
If you have a medical issue fine, but come on, I'm 55 and jump around like twat for three hours every night and don't even notice the weight of my Les Paul.
The difference between a heavy guitar and a light guitar seems to be about the same weight as a box of teabags. It's not only silly and irrelevant, it even affects resale values.
I'm (almost) sure that internet guitar forums are not made up entirely of octogenarian cancer patients, so why the pointless obsession?
I'm not a Les Paul guy but I can't imagine myself turning down a guitar I was otherwise happy with based on it being a little on the hefty side.
p.s. not suggesting that this shouldn't be a primary determinant for some.
I’m starting to think maybe the 4.5Kg guitar wouldn’t be that bad.
Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
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I think it's a myth that they're all lightweight personally
(formerly customkits)
Les Paul specials are bloody fantastic and one of my favourites
(formerly customkits)
10lb basses are very common, and yet more makers are going the lightweight route and cannot keep up with the demand.
My main bass is 6 3/4 pounds. It sounds massive. So that's 3 bags of sugar less weight than the average Jazz. On a long gig that makes a big difference. That's a fuck load of a bigger difference than a box of teabags.
Don't have to be "seriously ill" to get the benefit. Less wear on backs and shoulders mean less pain as we age. If you are doing 3 hours per night then when it hits you it's going to be a bastard.
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It's not just how they feel on a strap, and what it does to your back and shoulder -although that is a major issue.
I find lighter guitars are normally more responsive, if that's the right word, and they have better playing dynamics. You have to be careful not to over generalize. Some lightweight guitars just sound thin and plinky, but if you find the right lightweight guitar made from good woo, there is a responsiveness to the sound that heavier guitars just don't seem to have.