Chambered vs Non...

Greetings all ! My first post here. Apologies if this topic has been covered. I did a search and nothing obvious appeared. Anyways...

I haven't owned a LP for several years. Stupidly sold the last ones I had. Now I'm looking to take the plunge again. Since then, I see that the chambered/weight relieved models are around more. I'm looking at a CS '58 VOS on ebay thats chambered. I'm thinking that the chambered models might be a little warmer/darker sounding then a non-chambered one but this is just an educated guess on my part. I've never played one.

Am I correct or not ? Or maybe I'm splitting hairs ? Appreciate your thoughts on this.

I'd describe chambered as open, airy, woody. I've had CRs, 336, 339, weight relief, modern weight relief, etc... The chambered guitars have their own vibe. Not better or worse to me, just different. That being said I'd choose a CR over a solid body.

I'll hide now... :couch

Welcome!

I've got an '06 CR0. I dig it. Its lighter obviously but still sounds like a Les Paul. I'm not too much of a cork sniffer, which is cool, so others may have more detailed info. Mine is pretty loud acoustically, if that helps.

You're not splitting hairs, and there is a tonal difference between chambered and non-chambered. Weight relieved and non-weight relieved is another discussion, in my opinion.

While I am not fortunate enough to own any Historic, VOS, or Custom Shop instruments, I do own two LP Traditionals (both weight relieved) and one LP Studio (chambered). The most simple way I can explain it is that I personally hear *some* tonal qualities that lean towards a semi-hollow body, like an ES335, with a chambered guitar. Seems logical, right? Well, that's exactly what I hear happening in mine. On the other hand, my LP Traditionals have more of the bite and "thud" that a non-chambered guitar would have.

In all honesty, I like them both. It all depends on what you're after. But I think the fact is that the majority of LP players expect a non-chambered tone because that's the classic construction method we've all come to know. Just my opinion. Yup.

As mentioned above, they definitely have their own vibe. Stating the obvious but I think pickups will also contribute to differences in tone between chambered models. I know the guitar you are looking at is on ebay but I would suggest that you play both chambered/non chambered models if possible. In the end the though, I think it is always best to take it on a guitar by guitar basis.

I had a chambered LP std it had quite a dark tone. At the time it was my only Gibson. Six months later I bought a non chambered R8 and from then on the 08 std hardly ever got played (I didn't like the neck much and the tone on the R8 was more my thing). I eventually sold the '08. I have heard good things about the custom chambered models though.

i have switched to all chambered lp's now , 2- studio 50 tributes & a 04 cr4 the third one made, all w/ p-90pups. i can get whatever tones i want w/ a 7 1/2 lb. guitar on my shoulder for 3 hrs instead of 9 lbs. its just working for me.

srb531 said:

i have switched to all chambered lp's now , 2- studio 50 tributes & a 04 cr4 the third one made, all w/ p-90pups. i can get whatever tones i want w/ a 7 1/2 lb. guitar on my shoulder for 3 hrs instead of 9 lbs. its just working for me.

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I had a CR6 from '04, #16, a one-off in vintage white. If it wasn't for the obscenely large neck I'd still have it. That one measured right close to an inch at the 1st fret and shoulders were massive.

It rang like a bell tho, and was more defined and clearer than my '06 BFG. The USA chambering on the BFG made that git a little more wooly and rough around the edges. The CR was more composed when the volume levels came up.

I like the BFG for what it is but the CR is definitely in a different league. I'd highly recommend a CR to anyone.

Maybe CR Dan will chime in here. Here's a link to Dan's site:

http://www.chambered-reissue.org

Lots of good CR info there and some sound clips to boot. My ex is also listed under the CR6s.
eace2

I think DanD nailed it with his description. They sound more open. But i wouldn`t say that they sound more darker/warmer. My CR8 can nearly sound twangy as a Telecaster. Although my R8 also has the Burstbucker, the CR8 sound a tad more transparent and well balanced. Bass, mids and treble are where they have to be.
For me it seems that a lot of people are too sceptic (or afraid) about chambered Les Pauls. They sound great. And for me my CR8 is a good addition to my R8. But beware: If you go to the Custom Shop Les Paul line, there will be no way back. You will want more!

I won`t give you the advice to buy a CR. You have to make your own experience soundwise with the CR and the regular Reissue series.

Here is a Vid I just recently did on the subject

you may draw your own conclusions, but there is a difference.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ggVxvPPnac&list=UUuD88R3VlzWJhEUB9m7LHkQ

I like the non-chambered because they seem to have more sustain in my opinion

I have a CR8 and a G0. Both with Burstbuckers 1 and 2. The G0 had a pot and cap upgrade (550K CTS, real bees').

The CR8 sings like a Stradivarius. Great sustain and singing qualities. Very good for AC/DC tones.

The G0 is darker and has more punch. Good for metal.

Which do I like the best? Either. Depends on what I feel like playing.

DanD said:

I had a CR6 from '04, #16, a one-off in vintage white. If it wasn't for the obscenely large neck I'd still have it. That one measured right close to an inch at the 1st fret and shoulders were massive.

It rang like a bell tho, and was more defined and clearer than my '06 BFG. The USA chambering on the BFG made that git a little more wooly and rough around the edges. The CR was more composed when the volume levels came up.

I like the BFG for what it is but the CR is definitely in a different league. I'd highly recommend a CR to anyone.

Maybe CR Dan will chime in here. Here's a link to Dan's site:

http://www.chambered-reissue.org

Lots of good CR info there and some sound clips to boot. My ex is also listed under the CR6s.
eace2

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That white CR6 would sing better than almost any guitar I have owned. Like most, why did I sell it. The massive neck was about the biggest they can do. Just like Lee Roy Parnell likes them. I loved the neck on that one, so the 339 I have has a very similar neck profile.

Anyway, a Custom Chambered is very different in sound/tone than the USA models and each one sounds different. They are described as "woody, earthy, open". You will be able to get any stock Les Paul tone from a chambered as a solid body, if all other things are equal. You may have to tweak the amp settings. I find that the notes are more defined or clear. I also find that the CR's are more noticeable to the type and gauge of strings. Pickup height with the humbuckers can be more critical on a CR than a solid body. The early CR's that I had, I changed to 57 Classics instead of Burstbuckers. The newer, in the last couple years, Custombuckers seem great in the CR. The normal P90 has always been great in then. The wood is the key. A straight grained neck with grain going from the body to the head in almost a perfect, unbroken line, seems to sustain or ring cleaner and sustain longer. The chambered back wood seems to more determine the dark/light tone more than anything. Over the years I have found that if the back has lots of figure with light and dark colors, it will have a more pronounced bass clearity and seems to sustain longer. A straight grained back without figure will give a cleaner high end. But this is all just opinion as you cannot have 2 identical guitars. My way of judging one is first how does the neck feel? Then how does it ring acoustically? If the acoustic tone/ring isn't there, no amp will correct that. I have had well over 200 hundred of them (Custom shop CR's, not USA's) in my hands and loved almost all of them. Yes there can be some dogs in anything.

A friend of mine bought a CR8 a few years ago because he loved mine. After about a month later he brought it by my house and said he wanted to sell it cause he wasn't bonding with the tones. the guitar fit and played great for him. It was muddy and dark. I changed strings to rule that out as we had no idea how old they were and it was the same tone. He said he was finished and I could buy it or sell it. He went down the hall to the restroom and while gone, I adjusted the pickup heights and some pole pieces. When he came back I told him to "try this guitar" and he loved it. He said he would trade his for it and it told him it was his......

Bottom line is don't judge a CR by it's amplified tone alone. If it fits your hands, you love the look of it and it sounds good acoustically, it should be a keeper. Just my opinion.

I was hoping you'd chime in Dan. Hope all is well with you and yours. :jim

Next CR you come by with a Goldilocks neck somewhere between a '59 and '60 give me a first dibs head up if you can! I know the necks on the CRs are all different and may not correspond to a specific year. I really would love another Chambered P90! eace2

I have both a R8 and chambered R7...the best way I can explain the difference is the notes stay on the top longer with the chambered body...it's like they hang around and expand on the top longer. The solid body they just simply explode off of.

Yes for more open, woody..as far as darker....not really I have 57 classic and 57 classic plus and they have a lot of brightness.

Although I can get more of a jazz box sound out of it if I turn the tone control down. I can also get feedback a lot easier at a lot lower volumes.

The solid body what is there to say....it's the sound

Both are great...

thinlizzy1 said:

I like the non-chambered because they seem to have more sustain in my opinion

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+1

I got STUCK with one of the first chambered ones. They sound more like a 335 to me, then a Les Paul. I personally don't like the chambered, and actually prefer LPs in the 9.5 to 10 lb range. If I want a 335, I'll buy one of those. I personally don't want my Les Paul to sound like a 335.

They don't sound bad, just very different. My Jacksons sound different then my Les Pauls. I don't want my Les Pauls to sound like my Jacksons. Bottom line is, play them both and see what you like.

Exactly, play before you buy. When I bought my CR8, it was not advertised as such, just hanging with about 20+ other reissues on the wall. I played every one that day; all other guitars I picked up and put back after 14 seconds. The CR8 I played for about 15 minutes (without plugging it into anything), and just got lost it was so much better (for me) than the other reissues in that store. Playability, tone, sustain, it just exploded with all. I did not know that it was chambered until I paid for it and noticed the odd serial number on the receipt.

And the big kicker: that was in 2007, and since then I have had no Les Paul G.A.S. whatsoever.

Here I found a good YT Clip concerning the CR. Maybe you get a better idea, how it sounds. The language is german.
A short translation: The moderator mentions that the resonance frequency is a tad higher compared to a solid reissue. The sound reminds him of some old 58-59 burst he played. There is a more midrange "twang". Not that massive, fat sound in the low frequencies. Acoustically loud.
The CR8 has a more 59 rounded neck profile instead of the fat 58 profile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JV7JMIXfzc

Red Rogue said:

Here I found a good YT Clip concerning the CR. Maybe you get a better idea, how it sounds. The language is german.
A short translation: The moderator mentions that the resonance frequency is a tad higher compared to a solid reissue. The sound reminds him of some old 58-59 burst he played. There is a more midrange "twang". Not that massive, fat sound in the low frequencies. Acoustically loud.
The CR8 has a more 59 rounded neck profile instead of the fat 58 profile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JV7JMIXfzc

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Great video.

DonP said:

I have a CR8 and a G0. Both with Burstbuckers 1 and 2. The G0 had a pot and cap upgrade (550K CTS, real bees').

The CR8 sings like a Stradivarius. Great sustain and singing qualities. Very good for AC/DC tones.

The G0 is darker and has more punch. Good for metal.

Which do I like the best? Either. Depends on what I feel like playing.

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What happened to this famous quote from you?
Crappy wood hollowed out is still crappy wood.