Are all new Les Paul's Weight Relieved or Chambered?

[Fifthstone]

I was browsing on MF and all seem to mention that they are either chambered or weight relieved. Are they not making solid mahogany LP's anymore? What is a non-chambered weight relief?

[AaeCee]

Historics, unless specified, are all solid. Non-chambered weight relief signifies 'strategically located' swiss cheese holes drilled in the body.

[Eric Thomas]

I was browsing on MF and all seem to mention that they are either chambered or weight relieved. Are they not making solid mahogany LP's anymore? What is a non-chambered weight relief?

I'm not a Gibson expert, but think the Standards are chambered and the Traditionals are swiss cheese. I don't know about the cheaper models. You have to go with a Historic LP to get a solid body.

[Fifthstone]

I'm not a Gibson expert, but think the Standards are chambered and the Traditionals are swiss cheese. I don't know about the cheaper models. You have to go with a Historic LP to get a solid body.

That sucks.

[BlueHeaven]

If you're a cork sniffer.

[gkoelling]

That sucks.

Oh, I don't know...better to have weight relief than nerve damage to your back or shoulders. Gibson has been doing it for several years.

I have a Vintage Mahogany Studio, the cheapest LP in the catalog, it's weight relieved and sounds just fine.

To me, the Traditional series look like a great value.

[cherrick]

I'm not a Gibson expert, but think the Standards are chambered and the Traditionals are swiss cheese. I don't know about the cheaper models. You have to go with a Historic LP to get a solid body.

Roger that you're not a Gibson expert. Should have left well enough alone. This is entirely bogus.

[Eric Thomas]

Roger that you're not a Gibson expert. Should have left well enough alone. This is entirely bogus.

Care to enlighten us if this is bogus? I think you are wrong.

When the Traditional model was introduced it was confirmed that Gibson uses the same Swiss cheese weight relief method that has been used on the Standards since the 80's.

The current LP Standard is Chambered.

Those are both facts.

I'm just not sure about the cheaper models because every LP Studio I have picked up weighed a ton.

The Historic Line is not chambered or weight relieved. Another fact.

So where am I wrong?

[gkoelling]

Care to enlighten us if this is bogus? I think you are wrong.

+1

That comment contributed nothing, cherrick.

[LowWatt]

Roger that you're not a Gibson expert. Should have left well enough alone. This is entirely bogus.

So what's the truth then?

[Eric Thomas]

So what's the truth then?

Use the search function. The truth is out there.

[Tim Plains]

Guys read this, should explain everything.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/50210-gibson-les-paul-101-a.html

Only changes since I posted that are:
1. LP R5s exist now; and
2. The LP Studio Deluxe supposedly has swiss cheese holes. They aren't offered in Canada; so, I can't confirm.

If you're a cork sniffer.
What does cork sniffing have to do with this?

Oh, I don't know...better to have weight relief than nerve damage to your back or shoulders.
Not quite.
Historic reissues get lighter wood; so, even though they're solid, they often weight the same, or less than one with swiss cheese holes.
I have 3 solid LPs that weight in the 8.2 - 8.5 lb range. Find me one with swiss cheese holes that weighs 8.2 lbs.

[Eric Thomas]

Thanks for the link. That should clear it up.

My favorite LP was a CR8 that I had a couple years ago. Should have kept that one....

[gkoelling]

Guys read this, should explain everything.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/50210-gibson-les-paul-101-a.html

Only changes since I posted that are:
1. LP R5s exist now; and
2. The LP Studio Deluxe supposedly has swiss cheese holes. They aren't offered in Canada; so, I can't confirm.


What does cork sniffing have to do with this?


Not quite.
Historic reissues get lighter wood; so, even though they're solid, they often weight the same, or less than one with swiss cheese holes.
I have 3 solid LPs that weight in the 8.2 - 8.5 lb range. Find me one with swiss cheese holes that weighs 8.2 lbs.

Thanks for the link and clarification. One of these days I'll weigh my VM Studio and probably be disappointed.

Also, if the guitar with the heavier wood didn't have the holes in it, it would fall into the nerve damage category, for me anyway.

[dspellman]

That sucks.

There are those who agree with you. If you need a solid-body Les Paul type guitar, you can find them, but you may have to check with smaller companies, private luthiers or Japanese companies who make some great traditionally solid Les Pauls: http://www.espguitars.co.jp/navigator/ etc.

[BlueHeaven]

Are Nine,
Re:cork sniffing...maybe I'm wrong but Fifthstone's "that sucks" comment just sounded like a listening with a preconceived notion rather than your ears kinda thing. Like, "well old LPs weren't weight relieved so only the Historics must sound like real LPs because they're not weight relieved". Maybe I read more into it but regardless, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I should have let it go. My apologies to Fifthstone!

[mullytron]

I have only ever owned a 75 LP Custom, so I am most familiar with the "sandwich" style body sound, as opposed to the Standard. I feel like the main difference I noticed about it compared to Standards is the ebony board, which I now miss on any Standard I play, it just adds a zing I think it needs. Even so, I have played dog Customs and awesome Standards, so I'm willing to believe that the x factor can swamp out design- or wood-specific sonic traits.

Can anyone make any real sonic observations about the chambers or the swiss cheese holes? I agree it strikes me as sort of BS from a "you're doin' it wrong" standpoint, but I remember the numb shoulder after the 2nd set, it's no fun.

[EADGBE]

If you're a cork sniffer.
Not really. I want a solid body guitar not a semi-hollow body guitar.

[BlueHeaven]

Point taken. :tapedshut

[jeffwith1f]

I was all wary of the chambering until I got a LP with it. It was disarmingly light, again, it felt wrong.

as it turns out, it's actually an excellent sounding instrument. the chambers impart just a hint of semi hollow resonance, without making it semi-hollow like. or at least that's what it seems like to me with my instrument when I compare it against my LP standard (swiss cheesed, but a very solid and heavy instrument) and my 335 or 339

all things being equal, currently my preference is with the chambered les Paul.

that being said, before I had it I was all like: ìf I wanted a duo jet...I`d buy a duo jet...

[Last]

The only "current" LP production run USA Gibson that is not weight relieved in some fashion (aside from the Historics) are the Junior Models.

[XKnight]

Guys read this, should explain everything.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/50210-gibson-les-paul-101-a.html

Only changes since I posted that are:
1. LP R5s exist now; and
2. The LP Studio Deluxe supposedly has swiss cheese holes. They aren't offered in Canada; so, I can't confirm.




Great info! Thanks for sharing.

Do you know if the LP Class 5 guitars are chambered or weight relieved? I've seen them advertised both ways.

[Gretsch6136]

Well I've pulled the trigger on a swiss cheese Traditional Gold Top. I played close to 20 Lps including Historics and this one was the sonic winner hands down.

IMO Les Pauls are very inconsistent in sound from one guitar to the next. So trying to draw conclusions about one one construction style over another is folly. Personally I think the neck has more bearing on tone than the body construction with LPs.

[BlueHeaven]

:tapedshut

[Tim Plains]

Do you know if the LP Class 5 guitars are chambered or weight relieved? I've seen them advertised both ways.
Class 5s are different. 17 smaller holes instead of 9.

[Fifthstone]

Are Nine,
Re:cork sniffing...maybe I'm wrong but Fifthstone's "that sucks" comment just sounded like a listening with a preconceived notion rather than your ears kinda thing. Like, "well old LPs weren't weight relieved so only the Historics must sound like real LPs because they're not weight relieved". Maybe I read more into it but regardless, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I should have let it go. My apologies to Fifthstone!

What I meant was that if a guitar is advertised as solid body, I would expect a solid body, which to me means no holes / gaps except for pickup and control routing. Not questioning the tone per se.

[BlueHeaven]

I agree.

[joolzriff]

i played a weight relief and chambered Leslie at the weekend and i'm used to SOLID pauls.......HATED the non solid trip,makes the guitar sound like a banjo acoustically and plugged in was awfull......thumbs down for the holes in the body