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weight question


mkj

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Posted

Just picked up a 2016 LP Tradiional which weighs in at a whopping 10.2 Lbs. Love the guitar but made me wonder about the weight differences you see among the same model of Gibson. I've noticed on the Traditional there is quite a variance. Density?? Anybody know ??

Posted

The density of various pieces of wood will cause some to weigh more than others. I've seen the weight of solid Trads vary from 8 3/4 pounds to 10+ on the same model year. My 2013 Trad is 9 1/2 and my 2014 Trad is 9 pounds.

Posted

9 1/2 lbs is my solid 2013 Traditional, too. However, my two modern weight-relieved Standards made in 2011 and 2012 are of virtually the same weight.

 

10.2 lbs is already on the heavy side, but not extreme for LPs.

Posted

Are the 2016 Traditionals not weight relived?

 

 

Ian

Yes, they are, nine-hole Swiss cheese aka "traditional" weight relief. Pun probably intended by Gibson, and indeed it applies to either Traditional Series Traditional and High Performance Series Traditional. A triple pun for the first one. [biggrin]

Posted

Congrats on your new 2016 Trad! They're great guitars! Love mine!

 

The weight on any Les Paul, whether 60 years old or 60 days old, just varies according to the individual pieces of wood used. "Old growth" mahogany trees that were harvested for LPs back in the 50s tended to grow less dense than modern "farmed" mahogany, so as a general rule those early LPs tended to be light-ish. But even then, there are plenty of them over 9lbs. Nowadays the use of various forms of weight-relieving helps to minimize the affect of the denser "farmed" mahogany, but still, depending on the individual tree, it's very possible to get a very dense piece. I guess it's part of what makes each guitar unique and individual. [tongue]

 

My 2014 Trad is non-weight relieved and weighs in a 9.76lbs. My 2016 Trad with 9-hole traditional weight relief was 9.02lbs from the factory, but after I replaced the Nashville bridge and tailpiece with a Creamtone nickel ABR-1 bridge and aluminum tailpiece AND swapped out the stock pickups for some double cream DiMarzio 36th Anniversary PAFs without covers it dropped it down to 8.70lbs and I do have to say... this is really a nice weight for an LP to be at. It's much easier on my neck & shoulders than my 2014. And easier to balance on my thigh when playing sitting down.

 

Anwyay, the ABR-1 bridge and aluminum tailpiece were significantly lighter than the chrome factory units... so if you're looking to save a few ounces of weight you might want to consider a similar swap. Plus the ABR-1 just looks cool! And being nickel they'll age better too (the tailpiece is aluminum, but nickel coated). [thumbup]

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