Recommend me some Les Paul type lightweights......

crunchman

Just checked my 339 and Les Paul and the neck angle seems to be similar.  I put them both flat on the table with the neck sticking out and measured the distance to the floor at the nut and they were both the same to within less than half a centimetre.  The scale length on both is 24.75" so the geometry probably wouldn't be that different between the two.

ICBM

Interesting! I've only played a couple of 339s (actually I think one was a 336) but they seemed flatter - must be an illusion caused by the body shape.

Deijavoo

Went to see a chiropractor yesterday,  they want £81 a week to fix my back. No chance. 

Went to a doc tonight, neurologist, physio and MRI with loads of Tramadol ahead for me. Get out and have a bloody flat tyre with every pissed up old wanker of Brampton there to give hints and tips. 

FML.

Cabicular

Is it possible your strap needs re-measured I.e is the les paul sitting slightly higher or lower than your previous I can't tell you the pain with tennis elbow this caused me when I changed guitar I know am meticulous about measuring straps If it has raised the guitar slightly a change in your right hand strumming position is all it can take I have to say I'm sceptical about Chiropractors .. Urban voodoo . You do get good ones but since it's so unregulated and the requirements for entry aren't all that stringent a bad one can make your life worse and your wallet lighter

Deijavoo

I've cancelled with the chiropractor and now I'm relying on hard drugs and back cracking. To be fair the GP and chiro both recognised that my pelvis is squint meaning that my ribs are adjusting and then my neck adjusting back again. They also both accurately picked out that I could have had a lower back problem 6-12 months ago due to heavy lifting which is totally correct.

Strats and lunch box heads for me from now on. 

:-( 

ICBM

Try a PRS Hollowbody.

The one I had was so light it was unreal - under 5lbs.

OK it did not sound like a Les Paul, but it did sound great in its own way.

DaevidJ

There are some physio exercises you can do that will help strengthen your back and also your glutens which also suffer a lot from working at a desk...

crunchman

A light SG is worth a go as well.

Elwood

Sorry to hear about that mate. Have you considered a Les Paul axess or Less Plus if the Feline is out of reach?

When you've got through the worst of it try some yoga. . . fine a teacher which experience helping people with back/should injuries. It'll help with strength, alignment and posture. You might laugh but it'll do wonders.

Another option could be an ESP eclipse or one of the new Fender limited editions with the Mahogany body. Chuck in a couple of humbucker and it might be the best of both worlds.

crunchman

Some kind of exercise would definitely help long term.  My shoulders and neck are a lot better since I joined a gym.  My wife does Pilates and that has really helped her.  Her posture is a lot better as well.  Bad posture really doesn't help - that would be something to look at as well.

Dave_Mc

You guys recommending he go to a chiropractor realise that they (or at least a sizable minority of them) think all disease is caused by the spine being out of whack, right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiropractic

SimpleSimon

What about the LP Custom Lite? same guitar half the thickness!

RaymondLin

I had pain in my leg about 2 years back and went to the GP, it was a back problem, a nerve thing in the spine that radiated down and was given some tablets to take daily. It worked okay but soon as I stopped, the pain returned. I was on and off those drugs for a year and thought What the hell, paid for private osteopath sessions, £85 consultation and £55 each since then. 5 sessions later the pain stopped. How do I know?

Well, when I sneeze, I used to scream in pain after because the muscles that I flex from sneezing causes shooting pain down my leg. That no longer happens. I don't take any tablets and it was the best £400 I've ever spent. My thinking was that I either take pills for the rest of my life or learn to live with the pain or try something like an osteopath.

Philly_Q

SimpleSimon said:

What about the LP Custom Lite? same guitar half the thickness!

The 2013 ones seem to turn up on eBay quite a lot.  I had one for a while, it was quite nice but I wish it had an ebony (or even Richlite) board.

Cabicular

RaymondLin said:

I had pain in my leg about 2 years back and went to the GP, it was a back problem, a nerve thing in the spine that radiated down and was given some tablets to take daily. It worked okay but soon as I stopped, the pain returned. I was on and off those drugs for a year and thought What the hell, paid for private osteopath sessions, £85 consultation and £55 each since then. 5 sessions later the pain stopped. How do I know?

Well, when I sneeze, I used to scream in pain after because the muscles that I flex from sneezing causes shooting pain down my leg. That no longer happens. I don't take any tablets and it was the best £400 I've ever spent. My thinking was that I either take pills for the rest of my life or learn to live with the pain or try something like an osteopath.

Osteopaths had to go to medical school for 5 years and do a degree, Chiropractors .. not so much. Some of them do but its not a requirements

Deijavoo

Thanks for all the advice guys. My right hand being numb is really starting to worry me along with having absolutely no reflex in my arm.

Evilmags

You've trapped something in your shoulder by the sounds of things. Osteopath as soon as possible.

Trotter

Another vote for an SG here.

Really sorry to hear you're having troubles mate you'll also have pm from me in a min

stonevibe

SG as already mentioned by many or PRS SE Tremonti. 

Both are similar in layout and weight wise a lot lighter than most Les Pauls.

Better upper fret access on SG, although the Tremonti SE isn't bad for that either to be honest. I own both and an R7 and they are all good guitars.

ICBM

I find the big problem with super-light guitars - and most SGs - is that they balance too far to the left, meaning that they actually put *more* strain on your left arm and shoulder. I couldn't get on with my PRS Hollowbody for that reason, it made my arm and hand ache even though it weighed literally almost half what my Rickenbacker 381 does. The Rick is amazingly balanced and almost feels like it's not there at all even though it weighs almost dead on 9lbs.