vmaster38 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hello all, Can anyone please tell me exactly which year/model LP Customs have the weight relieved holes drilled into the body?? I have a '95, an '07 and an '08 and all three are easily over 10 pounds so I find it extremely difficult to believe they are weight relieved....as my friend insists. Also, does anyone happen to know how much weight this process removes from the final weight of the guitar? Thanks in advance for ANYONE who has knowledge in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 If you look on the Gibson web in the Custom Shop section it says that the Les Paul Custom is weight releaved. I find it odd as well because mine weighs a good 10 pounds too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Mine's 10 lbs. All three of yours are weight-relieved. They started doing it in the early '80s. Only the historic reissue Customs are solid. As for how much weight it removed...one can only guess. I'd say 1, maybe 2 lbs tops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 They started relieving them because the wood they could get was too heavy. They keep the higher quality/lighter wood for custom shop solid bodies. So they should not vary in weight that much. I've heard some people arguing about how a "real gibson" will break your back while one of the new ones is lighter than a feather... well I have played "real" gibsons and they werent that heavy (the dearmond m75-t I used to have wieghted about 14,8 and it was heavy, yes, but not to break my back, still no gibson I have played was as heavy as that guitar); and I happen to own a parker fly deluxe and that thing is as light as a feather... my lesters are a lot heavier than it and one is chambered the other weight relieved (I think as I bought it used from a friend that bought it new 9 years ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Mine's a '91 Custom Shop Custom and I'd be very surprised if it were weight relieved; it's well over 10 pounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmaster38 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Thanks all. Thundergod, I'm sure you mean the Custom Shop RE-ISSUE solid bodies use the lighter/higher quality wood as LP Customs are all made in the Custom Shop as well (since 2004 or so). Just as a reference, my John Sykes VOS LP Custom isn't weight relieved and it is lighter than the other three Customs I mentioned......must've been the lighter, higher quality wood for that. My '95 is the heaviest, which weighs in at 11.5 lbs!! I'd sure like to know what it would weigh NOT weight relieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Maybe if deepblue, or anybody else locally, reads this and goes to Mississauga they can vouch for it... There's a black 2005 or 2006 LP Standard at LA Music that easily weighs 13+ lbs. It's a tank...and it's weight-relieved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 My 1980 Custom is just over 11 pounds unmolested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vmaster38 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 Okay, Are Nine, you have me convinced....I guess 3 of my Customs are in fact "weight relieved". It's just ironic that my weight relieved ones are so much heavier than my NON weight relieved Sykes LP Custom and my LP Standard R0.....I guess this is some SERIOUSLY heavy wood they use for the Customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Thanks all. Thundergod' date=' I'm sure you mean the Custom Shop RE-ISSUE solid bodies [/quote'] Indeed, sorry I didnt specify ;) ...anyway... there was talk in the forum a couple of days ago... and most of us think the term "solid body" should be used by dealers and gibson for real solid bodies only. (note that I dont own a "real" solid body and am very happy with my axes). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gromaj Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Only the historic reissue Customs are solid. It is my understanding that the '68 RI Custom LPs are not weight relieved (except the aged pelham blue LP which is actually chambered). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikko18 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 they started in the 80s, and they removed ALOT of weight!!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1987-GIBSON-LES-PAUL-CUSTOM-LITE_W0QQitemZ130277897767QQihZ003QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I don´t believe that lighter wood is higher quality. It may be rare. But there is no proof that it sounds better or does anything else better than heavier wood. I even don´t think that there´s any difference in sound between weight relief and solid Les Pauls. But that is difficult to tell because they all sound different. Even two solids sound different. I´m against weight relief and I don´t believe that it is necessary but my Les Paul Custom has the swiss cheese pattern too and I don´t think it sounds different compared to a solid V.O.S. for example. At least I didn´t hear it. B.t.w. weight relief started in 1982. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 gromaj...you're right, the '68RI is solid and it is technically a historic reissue; just not a '50s reissue. Kurt, having owned several myself and played many more in the store I can definitely say there is a tonal difference between a solid and non-solid LP. It's more evident when you play the guitar unplugged and play one right after the other. I'm not saying one's better than the other, or anything like that but there is a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I don´t believe that lighter wood is higher quality. It may be rare. But there is no proof that it sounds better or does anything else better than heavier wood. I agree 100% but as of now, most sonbs say that so it has become kind of the truth (say a lie enough times and it will become true) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 That sounds like a shot at me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreeeZe_ Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 My non weight relieved R7 weighs about 4.1KG (about 9 pounds), guess I got lucky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Sorry Are Nine. You are absolutely right. There is a difference. I meant to say that non of them is better or worse. But still it is hard to tell because even two solids or two chambereds sound different. And still heavy wood doesn´t have to be worse than lighter wood, generally spoken. It´s just my english that sometimes makes me say or write things that may not be too clear to native speakers. Sorry for that. Personally I don´t understand why they are doing weight relief. I could have taken a pound more with my Les Paul. At least they should offer both options. It doesn´t save them any money and as far as you can see in this or other forums most people don´t understand why a solid guitar has got to have holes in it. But who knows, maybe I would have chosen a swiss cheese pattern or chambered for it´s sound? They´re sure not worth less. I wouldn´t swap mine for a V.O.S.. It´s with me for 20 years by now and it´ll stay - together with all of them holes. Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80LPC Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 If I remember right, when Yamaha were collaborating with Carlos Santana to develop the SG series, he kept insisting that the guitars should be heavier. The extra weight didn't seem to hurt his tone at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats A Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 I don't believe anyone can hear if a Les Paul has the 9 holes or is so called solid. Wonder how solid any Les Paul is really! You got the toggle switch cavity, the neck fit cavity, the cable cavity, the pickup cavities and the control cavity. Maybe some believe they can. If i sit down in a store and play a bunch of Les Pauls they all differ even if made the same. If a guitar sounds good does it matter how it's made?! A guitar builder made two guitars out of the same piece of wood and they sounded very different. It's the sum of all parts not just little things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mats A Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 I don't believe anyone can hear if a Les Paul has the 9 holes or is so called solid. The Chambered/Modern Weight Relieved may sound a bit more hollow when played acoustically. Wonder how solid any Les Paul is really! You got the toggle switch cavity, the neck fit cavity, the cable cavity, the pickup cavities and the control cavity. Maybe some believe they can. If i sit down in a store and play a bunch of Les Pauls they all differ even if made the same. If a guitar sounds good does it matter how it's made?! A guitar builder made two guitars out of the same piece of wood and they sounded very different. It's the sum of all parts not just little things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted July 13, 2017 Share Posted July 13, 2017 they started in the 80s, and they removed ALOT of weight!!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-1987-GIBSON-LES-PAUL-CUSTOM-LITE_W0QQitemZ130277897767QQihZ003QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Wow that is such a cool link to a Custom Lite from 1987. That is not a weight relieved guitar in the traditional sense as there are no holes routed out in the body. It is just made with a thinner slab of mahogany. I have one from 2013 and the mahogany is only 1" thick as opposed to a normal LP where the mahogany is 1 5/8" thick. But I never knew they made any as far back as '87. Unique color as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golden Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 The 68 Custom RIs also have a chambered model, I seen a Tri Burst last week at 7-1/2 lbs. http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guitars/gibson-custom-1968-les-paul-custom-chambered-electric-guitar I dont really hear much difference. I never used the EXACT same electronics in the three different body offerings of chamber/solid/weight relief hole. At quick listen the chambered sounded different. But after I changed the pick-ups it was very similar yet still had a resemblance of a semi hollow acoustically. In fact the double cut LPs without a back cavity cover basically unplugs the sound chamber which is different on a single cut. But what you have is very similar to what BB King was doing by baffling the F-Holes or whoever back in the day. To me there is no discernible difference in swiss cheese weight relief or the solid body. Im not hearing that and I do use the same pick-ups in both though not the exact same set. The body alone though should make a difference but it just may be I dont hear it with my swiss or solid. Think of it this way, if you used P-90s in a slab body SG, LP Jr single cut or double cut all will sound different imho. They are pretty close with the swiss relief holes imho. Because I can hear a difference with the slab body P-90s. But I also agree I have seen some very heavy Customs almost like theres a green light to make them heavy, its noticed at 10+ and I know that 13+ is way to heavy imho counterproductive not to the music but the player carrying it for hours. It would have to have Stradivarius one of kind tone for me to do that twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsongs Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 My '90's LP Std Plus weighs 9lbs. & I thought it was a Tank? Is mine wright relieved? Hard to believe! Lars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 My '90's LP Std Plus weighs 9lbs. & I thought it was a Tank? Is mine wright relieved? Hard to believe!... "....Weight-relief started around 1982/1983. Every Gibson USA Les Paul between 1982 - 2007 is weight-relieved. They do not have solid-body construction..." Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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