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Your ideal weight LP?

Patek

Active member
Joined
Dec 4, 2015
Messages
415
Been looking for a light LP and there is a custom historic 2017 available online with a top I like and I asked for the weight and they said it was 7.2lb... every other LP I have seen for sale is between 8 and 9+ lb most in the mid 8s on the customshop. I asked them to triple check if that weight was correct and if it was chambered or not (shouldn’t be) but that is crazy low

what are your thoughts? I’d absolutely love one of this weight if it is indeed correct. My current is 9.2lb and is a killer on my back after 2hrs
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
7.2lbs is impossibly lightweight for a non-weight relieved Historic Les Paul Std.
 

Red Rogue

Active member
Joined
Mar 9, 2009
Messages
166
I wouldn`t believe the weight. If it`s true, it could be a Chambered Reissue?!
 

Tim Plains

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Aug 1, 2013
Messages
795
There is supposedly a Brazilian R0 that weighs under 7 lbs and aren't some Wildwood Feartherweights in the low 7s?
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
There is supposedly a Brazilian R0 that weighs under 7 lbs and aren't some Wildwood Feartherweights in the low 7s?

Not that I have seen. Just under 8 on them on occasion. I got a 'regular' (as in not a Featherweight) R4 from them in 14 that is 7 lbs. - 11.9 oz and was much lighter than any Featherweight they had.

36311007455_7b6cf4dedf_k.jpg

35916137480_07a629b453_k.jpg
 

Patek

Active member
Joined
Dec 4, 2015
Messages
415
Thanks guys

i've asked them to clarify again. they have already made a mistake in the guitar i was asking about and sent me pics of a different guitar so i'm not surprised if this is a mistake, the staff are not well informed as its a big chain - so lets see what they say if they come back to me today.
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
And you needs ask the question: "Are you getting 7.2 pounds or 7 pounds 2 oz?" A lot of people don't know the difference. A pound is 16 oz. so each "ounce" is actually .0625 pounds in decimal notation. Quite a difference. So if they are reading it wrong and it is 7 lbs. 2 oz. it is actually 7.125 pounds, lighter than you think. Conversely (which are BAD for your feet and stink really bad) if they are right it is actually 7 lbs. 3.2 oz. (which is still way light IMO unless there be termites in da equation).

I am available as a math tudor as long as you stay on the first floor. I ain't workin' in no pointy gable.
 

J.D.

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May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
A sub-8lbs Historic Std is indeed possible but quite rare.
 

AA00475Bassman

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Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
I would say the guitar with the voice you like is the ideal weight , a scale indicates weight not tone !
 

J.D.

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Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,030
For whatever reason, the Les Pauls that have really grabbed me tone-wise seem to always come in around 8-3/4lbs-ish (+/-), however, there are no absolutes.
 

renderit

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Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
For whatever reason, the Les Pauls that have really grabbed me tone-wise seem to always come in around 8-3/4lbs-ish (+/-), however, there are no absolutes.

Mine are all over the map but apparently I get them just under 8.5 on the average. I don't go by weight, I go by texture...

'14 R4 7# - 11.9oz
THBB4 8# - 15.9oz
HS R4 8# - 4.8oz

HS R5 8# - 1.3oz
HS R6 8# - 6.6oz
TH R6 8# - 6.2oz
'14 R7 8# - 8.1oz
'14 R8 8# - 8.0oz
'13 R9 8# - 12.7oz
'14 R0 8# - 9.7oz


 

El Gringo

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Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
My 2014 R9 is 8.8 and it's all good , my Custom is heavier .I will have to put her on the scale .
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
These weights totally confuse me...a 1.3oz Les Paul??? 4.8oz???


Yes. I understand. To help you maybe...

# = pounds = lbs.

oz = ounces

8# - 8oz = eight pounds eight ounces = 8.5 pounds
(because there are 16 ounces in a pound 8 is half a pound)
 

Redfish

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2007
Messages
121
I've owned 7 Historic LP's since 2001. My 2001 was a beautiful lemon burst that weighed only 8.2 pounds. I wanted to love that guitar, it had a really big neck (which I loved) and a killer top. My previous long time number one was a 1978/79 25/50 Anniversary Custom that weighed 10+ pounds. I played and gigged that guitar for 20 years until I just finally couldn't take the weight and the skinny neck anymore. I purposely looked for a really light LP to replace it. Obviously a Norlin era Custom with a 3 piece maple neck boat anchor is an entirely different animal but that light R8 just lacked something. I have since bought and sold 6 Historic R8's of various weights. Am I the only one who thinks the really light Les Pauls just don't quite make it (for my taste) tone wise? Not trying to start a fight and trust me, my 56 year old back loves the 8 pounders but for me the ones that I liked best sound wise were between 8.75 and 9.25 pounds. My current 2016 R8 is 9 pounds even and it sounds fantastic clean or with a lot of gain. I do 90% of my playing on the couch these days so weight is really not a big issue anymore. I'm no expert and again I'm not trying to start an argument. Maybe it was just the four specific examples of lighter R8's I owned but for want of a better word they just didn't have that low end chunk/compression when using gain. They all sounded nice clean and the lighter ones were woody and airy so maybe if I played clean all the time I would prefer them. When it came time to really rock there was just something missing (for my ears). I'm sure lots of you will say your 8 pounder rocks with the best of them and I'm sure for you that's true , just describing my experience and preference. Has anyone else had a similar experience?
 
Last edited:

Thundermtn

Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
548
For whatever reason, the Les Pauls that have really grabbed me tone-wise seem to always come in around 8-3/4lbs-ish (+/-), however, there are no absolutes.

This, not that there aren't outliers but I think it's a sweet spot for current lumber and my ears as well.
 
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