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pancake or chambered body?

big-ace

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Mar 16, 2007
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163
whats preferable? a chambered ( basically a bullshit term for weight relieved) body, or a pancake (ala 70's Norlin era) body. the reasons for Gibson trying both designs are pretty much the same. the apparent lack of decent mahogany available at the time. (which basically means that Gibson hasnt had much decent mahogany since the late 60's, or didnt want to part with the money to acquire the 'better' mahogany. note to all anal forum members. im not saying Gibson had NO decent mahogany during this time). alot of people are against both, but what is the most preferable of the two. i would probably go for the 10-11 lb pancake body over a 7 lb 'chambered'. i prefer my LP to feel like a real solid guitar with a big fat tone.
 

Lardvader

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Feb 23, 2005
Messages
545
I don't know if you can say which is preferable due to the nature of the beast. You can probably only comment on your own preference which can be based on a whole list of different things. I'm sure some pancakes sound great as do some chambered guitars. There'll be dogs in there as well. It's a positive move to use the weight relief to contibute to the sound and not just the weight. Pity that it is necessary.

Personally I don't like the idea of a traditionally solid bodied guitar being full of air, but I'd like to play one. End of the day it's all about the sound, how you get there isn't important.
 

Leña_Costoso

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Jul 24, 2005
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2,234
lots depends on what and how your gonna play, what the neck is like (tonally) and pickups.... there's more to the comparison than just one or the other
 

curt1lp

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Nov 17, 2005
Messages
3,266
I'd prefer chambered, iMO pancake looks cheap unless you use an opaque colour. Also chambered will have a unique tone which may be desirable I guess a bluesy tone.


From what others have said in the forum I believe a pancake body would be good for certain hard rock sounding tones.
(Also at what point does a pancake body become a plywood body? That would be in my mind if I had a pancaked Norlin. Not dissing Norlin owners, thats just how I would feel.)

I have nothing against plywood bodies per se. My favourite Squire has plywood body, the pickups seem to define the sound more than the body wood, its just I wouldn't accept that in an expensive guitar (except maybe gibson ES class guitars :))
 

Progrocker111

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Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
I would prefer pancake body. I dont like the feel of light Les Pauls and i like the sound of early 70s LP Customs, they suit my playing style very well. Perhaps i had good luck, but all early 70s Les Pauls i played yet sounded very good.
 

Randy64

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Nov 27, 2006
Messages
96
personally, leave it up to your ears, i happen to have 2 new chambered ones and a old norlin as well as a few late 90 s and a 2002 standard, and i love the tone from everyone of them, thats why i bought them, i think your question might be a bit to General so to speak, as there are great sounding and playing LP s from both tho,
 

dege

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Jan 23, 2007
Messages
524
Well I didn't double post. I don't know how these two extra posts got here. Sorry!
 
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dege

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Jan 23, 2007
Messages
524
personally, leave it up to your ears, i happen to have 2 new chambered ones and a old norlin as well as a few late 90 s and a 2002 standard, and i love the tone from everyone of them, thats why i bought them, i think your question might be a bit to General so to speak, as there are great sounding and playing LP s from both tho,

Got a 2000 elegant and a 76 custom. Both very different guitars. The elegant is great for blues rock, jazz, country and even some metal but if I want to scream and rock out with my c*ck out the custom kills the elegant. Think Randy Rhoads and that is what the mid 70's Norlin vibe is like.
 

big-ace

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Mar 16, 2007
Messages
163
but if I want to scream and rock out with my c*ck out the custom kills the elegant.

thats what im talkin about.....
if you want a soft cock tone, play a fender,,they are toys for boys after all.
 

LesterP

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May 13, 2003
Messages
1,249
I would prefer pancake body. I dont like the feel of light Les Pauls and i like the sound of early 70s LP Customs, they suit my playing style very well. Perhaps i had good luck, but all early 70s Les Pauls i played yet sounded very good.

Couldn't of said it better myself. :)
 
A

acstorfer

Guest
I love my 73 LP (pancake and all), it blew the shit out of my 96 Studio. My LP deluxe is a rock God!
 

AtomEve

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
4,666
Try both. I've had good experience with both. Find one that strikes you as the tone you've been looking for!



Bryan
 

Simonski

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Feb 20, 2005
Messages
181
Wow! I wonder if Hendrix and Stevie Ray knew that?:wank


They didn't need to he learned over time

lpc47.jpg

:hee
 

Bluedawg

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2002
Messages
894
I own both, a 74 Custom and three Cloud 9s.

The pancakes are great for 70s tones. Plenty of good Norlins out there despite their reputation.

The Cloud 9s were meant as more than just a fancy name for saving weight. The toneful benefits are excellent IMHO, although not for everyone. And the older you get the more you will appreciate lighter guitars.

:jim
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
Messages
20,854
Weight relieved and chambered are very different animals.

Chambered guitars are hardly "bullshit". Get a life.

There are many makers of "chambered" guitars and hollow guitars with no f-holes. Thinline teles, 335s. There are some great tones to be had from such a setup.

Based on my limited experience with vintage Les Pauls I'd have to say that a chambered heavy wooded Les Paul has a better chance of getting vintage Les Paul tones than a Pancake guitar weighing in that 10 lbs and up range.

For the record, I own a few late 60's Pauls with 1-piece bodies (none over 9 lbs.) and I still have a pancake custom. It's a great guitar for what it does, but can't do what my 68s can do.

Chambered Les Pauls easily get in that zone.
 
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