Gibson VOS Singlecut Special

[bluesjuke]

I'm Gassing for a SC VOS Special for about 5 months now at least and have a lead on a great price for one.


I know these vary quite a bit in weight range and wonder if there is a favored range for these.

I'm saying that knowing that weight is not a decisive factor in tone and each guitar is to be realized on it's own individual merits.

I ask due to Les Pauls with weights usually falling in between mid 8s to low 9s to be satisfactory to most in their overall response.
Some nice & light ones can be thin.....sometimes & other times full & thick.
Heck I've got light Teles that got it all and a heavier Strat that does too.


Where does the average weight lie in this model?
That's really what I'm looking to find out.

[Luke V]

First off a Special or Jr. is going to be or at least should be a lot lighter than a Paul with a maple top.

[bluesjuke]

They should and usually do but I have read some posts on here the last few day doing searches of some more than a little over 8lbs..

[stevieboy]

That's true on average as far as weights of Standards versus Specials, but there are some pretty heavy ones. Truetone always has several and I've tried many of them and there is a very wide range of weights. Though I couldn't weigh them of course they've had one or two that have to be at least nine pounds. It seems like more but that could just be by comparison. I wound up with a Special from them that actually weighs right around 7 pounds, slightly under according to my Berkley fish scale. I later came across a used 57 Junior Historic RI for a good price that I of course couldn't resist that's about 7 and 3/4. Both are singlecut btw.

Both sound great, but they are different. Even unplugged and coming across also plugged in, the Junior has an edgier sound, more direct if that makes sense. The Special is more mellow and perhaps compressed. My tone description abilities are weak. But I think that could have at least as much to do with the effect of the neck pickup than with the different pieces of wood.

[bluesjuke]

You're probably right about the neck pickup being a part of it Steve.

I am tempted by a Jr. sometimes but on my LPs I spend the bulk of my time on the middle position and neck.

I do the bridge more often on my 335s but still mostly in the middle.

The Special I'm looking at is just over 7lbs..

[jimmyj]

I had a VOS singlecut Special in vintage cherry for a couple years that was slightly heavy for a Special, over 8lbs. It was an excellent guitar, though. Had a chubby neck that played nicely and a crisp, focused attack for an all mahogany guitar. It sounded great in all 3 switch positions but I'm most fond of using the middle position and mixing the volumes with P-90 guitars.

[Shnook]

You're probably right about the neck pickup being a part of it Steve.

I am tempted by a Jr. sometimes but on my LPs I spend the bulk of my time on the middle position and neck.

I do the bridge more often on my 335s but still mostly in the middle.

The Special I'm looking at is just over 7lbs..

I spend A LOT of time in the middle postion on my R4 and R9 and Custom Shop 60's SG Special. That said, I LOVE my Historic '57 Junior. There's more you can do with it tonewise than you'd first think. By using the Vol/Tone knobs and changing up your picking location and attack you can get multible tones from the Jr. It rings like a bell too. btw, my Junior is 8 LBs even.

[bluesjuke]

stevieboy, got a preference?
I have read that many owners of both overall prefer the Jr..

T, I've seen you Jr. in your videos.
Sounds good!

[LarryN]

If it's VOS, the pickup is mounted dogear, which is different than the Special. I think that accounts for some of the difference, along with the added controls and neck pickup rout. You probably know all that if you're into VOS. :) I'm firmly in the 'need a neck pickup' camp, though lot's live without it fine.

[stevieboy]

The difference is subtle enough that if I was looking for versatility I'd have to go with the Special, it sounds pretty darn good. And for playing rhythm it definitely gets the nod. But I've got lots of neck pickups and I really want a Jr/Special for the bridge pickup anyway, so if forced to choose I'd take the Junior. It just has a little more.

[vortexxxx]

I have a double cutaway Special which is fairly heavy... Heavier than my 59RI.