10.3 LB Murphy Lab R9!?

[Ed A]

Don’t get here much anymore, hi all!… Been quite a few years since I bought a historic R9, but I suddenly have a hankering for a Murphy Lab… found a new one today that I really dug, great flame and great color and was ready to pull the trigger until I found out it was 10.3 pounds!… I thought there was a weight mandate for R9s? I’ve seen them in the low nines but come on over 10 pounds? For an $8000 guitar and one that’s coming out of the Murphy lab? Tell me this is a rarity. Really disappointed but no way I was getting something that heavy.

 

[jb_abides]

Sorry, I haven't tracked recent Reissues but... Surprising. Did the dealer have any comment?

Glad to see you weigh in here.

Be well.

 

[MarcB]

Some people like a heavy guitar (me included) so I guess there would be a few custom models that would accommodate.. and would be somewhat of a rarity as the obsession with sub 9lb guitars is definitely a thing these days..

“Good tone is heavy”

 

[garywright]

Hi Ed…you didn’t by any chance misread it ?…I found this Murphy having an 8lb 10.3oz listed

 

[MattD1960]

For 10.3 LBS it better come with two bigsbys, I haven't seen one that heavy in a long while, at the custom shop level that is

 

[charliechitlins]

Complain to your bass player.

 

[J.D.]

10.3lbs would be quite the anomaly on a current R9. Unless this was some sort of special order, I'd say it's a listing error. I'd probably need to weigh it myself to believe it.

 

[Ed A]

Hi Ed…you didn’t by any chance misread it ?…I found this Murphy having an 8lb 10.3oz listedView attachment 25546

Hi! Nope. I had the dealer double check the scale and he showed me pix of the scale. One R9 was 8.6 and the one I wanted showed 10.3!… crazy

 

[Ed A]

10.3lbs would be quite the anomaly on a current R9. Unless this was some sort of special order, I'd say it's a listing error. I'd probably need to weigh it myself to believe it.

See comment above

 

[garywright]

Hey Ed..beings you aren't gonna buy it plus I know you have excellent taste ..I would like to see the top on this one

 

[goldtop0]

9.1 lbs is enough for me....... with a 3-4" wide strap.
10.3 is OT.

 

[TM1]

10 lbs is a bit excessive…. My 2022 R-9 Murphy is 9 lbs 1 oz. I’m betting the top must exceptional…

 

[charliechitlins]

We used to like them heavy.
You hear a guitar with your amp and your ears, not a scale.

 

[Wilko]

Some people like a heavy guitar (me included) so I guess there would be a few custom models that would accommodate.. and would be somewhat of a rarity as the obsession with sub 9lb guitars is definitely a thing these days..

“Good tone is heavy”

The average golden era Burst is 8.85 lbs. &0s tone is heavy. 10 lbs is not even in the realm of any decent Les Paul Standard R9.

That is some bullshit. I'd send it back.

 

[Wizard1183]

Don’t buy it.

 

[charliechitlins]

The "magic number" is around 8.5, and this is in style.
It might be hard to resell a heavy one, but, really...the idea that a heavy guitar is just bad is flat-out absurd.
An 8.5# guitar can be a dog, just like a 10# guitar can be great.
Anybody who dismisses a guitar solely based on weight is more of a stamp collector than a guitar player.

 

[Wilko]

The "magic number" is around 8.5, and this is in style.
It might be hard to resell a heavy one, but, really...the idea that a heavy guitar is just bad is flat-out absurd.
An 8.5# guitar can be a dog, just like a 10# guitar can be great.
Anybody who dismisses a guitar solely based on weight is more of a stamp collector than a guitar player.

I disagree completely. The physics are pretty clear and for me, I almost always find that too heavy a guitar will most likely not deliver the sound/feel I prefer in a guitar. has to with force it takes to set a "body in motion" to use a physics term.

 

[charliechitlins]

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion.
This being the internet, you're also entitled to MY opinion
I've just played too many guitars that broke the "rules" to make snap judgements.
Almost every guitar Ive plugged it that made my eyes snap open has gad a fat neck.
Almost.
I've also played many skinny neck guitars that sound great and fat neck ines that don't.
I've changed tuners and transformed a guitar for better or worse.
The guitar with more sustain than any guitar I've ever played, so much so that I have to really adjust my style because the notes don't decay at anywhere near the rate I'd expect, has a trapeze tailpiece and rosewood saddle.
Why don't people who search out light resonant Les Pauls just play archtops?
Because they're different...that's why.
For me,there are way too many factors contributing to what comes out the amp to be dogmatic about any of them.

 

[Wilko]

I totally understand what you are saying. Mass being what it is, that is just science. Notice I never said heavy guitars suck.

I am very clear to post that "most likely" "in most cases" they are lass likely to do what "I want them to do". And over 10 pounds is just not ok. At that point, I don't really care whether the guitar sounds good. It needs to be fucking magical for a Les Paul to get away with more than that. ANd I've never played a Les Paul t hat heavy that was worth a damn. Have you?

There are some heavier rock type players that may prefer the no-overtone focused tone (yes, predicted by weight). I'm not one of them. In well over 40 years of playing, this boomer is certain that too much weight in almost every case means a Les Paul with no rich harmonic character for my uses.

 

[J.D.]

In general I agree, that heavier guitars typically have different tonal characteristics than lighter guitars, on the extremes. However, in my experience, there are no absolutes.

I played a 10lb ltd ed les paul of some sort with a korina back that was unquestionably one of the best sounding reissues I ever heard.

I had an exceptionally heavy '80s LPC (must have been over 11lbs) that I thought sounded dead, but sustained forever. Metal guy picked it up, put in some distortion type pickups and thought it sounded incredible.