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Les Paul Junior Historic Re-issue - rececntly acquired and wondering about the weight

Groveman

New member
Joined
Sep 16, 2020
Messages
1
Hi all, this is my inaugural post here at the LP forum. I'm a long time forum watcher/reader and LP owner/player having owned MULTIPLE Pauls. My first ever LP was a 1978 reissue of a 1958 Les Paul Special. Since that guitar all those years ago, I've only owned various Standards, 1960 Classics, as well as R0 and R9s (all archtops, of course).

Sorry for the history lesson. So it has been on my mind that I needed to get another flat topped LP and I've had an LP Junior on my mind for some time. I couldn't bring myself to by a "REAL" one though I really wanted one so I decided if I could find an historic re-issue (Custom Shop) for a good price I would try to do that. I was also wanting one to have something a bit lighter than my current Standard (and I did not want another arch topped LP) so figured this would be good.

So, I found a deal on a single cut Junior that someone had done some relic work on (they did a decent job) and decided to give it a go. It looks pretty good, plays well and sounds SPECTACULAR. I haven't owned a P90 equipped guitar for over 25 years (even though I've played them on occasion) and had forgotten how good they were. Really fun and challenging to "do it" with just one pickup!

The issue is that though the guitar feels good and balanced (I guessed that it weighed about 8.5 pounds when I first picked it up) but then I (mistake) decided to weighed it and discovered that it weighs within 1 OUNCE of my current Standard. It weighs 9 lbs. 7 oz.

I know that folks have gone round and round over the years about perceptions of guitars and their sounds from being heavy or light due to mineral content, wood types, age, resonance, lacquer vs poly, and on and on and on.

Having said all that, is there anyone willing to chime in here? Does that seem heavy for a Custom Shop LP Junior (single cut)? I've never been too troubled about weight in the past...if a guitar sounds good that's what normally matters though nowadays on Les Pauls I typically draw a line at 9.5 pounds and 7.5 for Strats.

I'd appreciate any input here and despite the shellacking I'm afraid I'm about to receive, I'm glad I finally registered for the Forum!!
 

axeman565758

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 23, 2007
Messages
1,204
9 lbs 7 oz sounds very heavy to me. A typical uncut LP body is in the 7 lb 2 oz to 7 lb 4 oz range. After routing, you're typically around 7 lbs. Without adding the weight of the maple cap, the neck and hardware can total as much as 1 /34 lbs.
Now, more weight will come off with a double cut Jr/Spcl. My 2002 Historic double cut Jr weighed just under 8 lbs. My 2006 Historic single Cut Special weighed 8 lbs 6 oz.
Perhaps the body blank chosen for your guitar just happened to be unusually heavy.
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
Welcome to the Forum ! I use a Fairbanks trade digital scale , kitchen bathroom scales are repetitive not accurate , I would say 9.7 is on the heavy side . I own several Historic Firebirds the heavyweight one by almost 2 pounds is killer sounding IMO !

The weight kool-Aid is something Ive never bought into weight does not define a guitar !
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
I'd LOVE to try that one!

Sounds very heavy to me, but if it sounds good who gives care?

Play the snot outta it!

58 Special

36333010151_97bb302e88_3k.jpg


59 Junior

36302730952_5d362a6df9_4k.jpg


Collings version Junior/Special Hybrid

36520710335_8b70791520_3k.jpg


62 SG Type Junior

35662972023_8cf6cfa7b6_3k.jpg
 

DANELECTRO

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
6,318
9.7 lbs is very heavy for a Junior. I've never hear of a Junior that heavy. I once had an 8.7 lb 1957 Junior that seemed like a boat anchor compared to what I'm used to Juniors weighing. Here are the weights of various Juniors I've owned over the years:

6.8 lbs 1955 Junior
7.6 lbs 1955 Junior
7.6 lbs 1956 Junior
6.8 lbs 1957 Junior
8.7 lbs 1957 Junior
7.4 lbs 1957 Junior
7.2 lbs 1999 Historic Reissue DC Junior
7.8 lbs 2006 Historic Reissue SC Junior
7.4 lbs 2010 Historic Reissue SC Junior
 

70`s Rocker

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2023
Messages
1
Hi all, this is my inaugural post here at the LP forum. I'm a long time forum watcher/reader and LP owner/player having owned MULTIPLE Pauls. My first ever LP was a 1978 reissue of a 1958 Les Paul Special. Since that guitar all those years ago, I've only owned various Standards, 1960 Classics, as well as R0 and R9s (all archtops, of course).

Sorry for the history lesson. So it has been on my mind that I needed to get another flat topped LP and I've had an LP Junior on my mind for some time. I couldn't bring myself to by a "REAL" one though I really wanted one so I decided if I could find an historic re-issue (Custom Shop) for a good price I would try to do that. I was also wanting one to have something a bit lighter than my current Standard (and I did not want another arch topped LP) so figured this would be good.

So, I found a deal on a single cut Junior that someone had done some relic work on (they did a decent job) and decided to give it a go. It looks pretty good, plays well and sounds SPECTACULAR. I haven't owned a P90 equipped guitar for over 25 years (even though I've played them on occasion) and had forgotten how good they were. Really fun and challenging to "do it" with just one pickup!

The issue is that though the guitar feels good and balanced (I guessed that it weighed about 8.5 pounds when I first picked it up) but then I (mistake) decided to weighed it and discovered that it weighs within 1 OUNCE of my current Standard. It weighs 9 lbs. 7 oz.

I know that folks have gone round and round over the years about perceptions of guitars and their sounds from being heavy or light due to mineral content, wood types, age, resonance, lacquer vs poly, and on and on and on.

Having said all that, is there anyone willing to chime in here? Does that seem heavy for a Custom Shop LP Junior (single cut)? I've never been too troubled about weight in the past...if a guitar sounds good that's what normally matters though nowadays on Les Pauls I typically draw a line at 9.5 pounds and 7.5 for Strats.

I'd appreciate any input here and despite the shellacking I'm afraid I'm about to receive, I'm glad I finally registered for the Forum!!
My new 2023 LP JR weighs a whopping 9.5 lbs. It's ridiculous. ha I also have an Eastman SB55v and that only weighs 6 lbs.
 

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
4,876
My SC TV was just over #8 IIRC. I miss that fiddle...
 

AA00475Bassman

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2016
Messages
3,769
My only concern would be how it played & sounded - my 2018 SC was a turd to the point I sold the thing on Ebay .
 

eric102673

Member
Joined
May 19, 2002
Messages
34
Man, that number is pretty surprising to me. I just picked up a used but bog standard LP Junior from 2020. Not from the Custom Shop, just USA, and it's a whopping 6lbs, 6oz. Rings like a tuning fork.
I had been looking at the production Jrs, since the changeover to more traditional specs on Gibby stuff in 2019, and most of the standard production Juniors I ran across prior, were in the 8.5lb range. I think I saw one or two just shy of 9. So I knew the 6 pounder was a freak and I had to grab it. But to get a 9lb + Jr from CS, as a custom order, I wouldn't have ever expected that.

Let us know what you end up deciding on with it. Very curious to hear what Gibson says, as Gibby and their dealers all seem to make a big deal about the CS getting the lighter wood in promo videos and such.
I'd think they'd have SOME kind of tolerances, and that one would have been kicked back to the main production area. But what do I know?
 

bursty

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Messages
544
I believe the OP's LP Jr. is way over the typical weight for a comparable instrument; sorry about that.

Below are some listed weights for examples I have that may be similar. None of these are weight relieved; they are all solid.
The Explorer Jr. is even under 7.75 lb. and it has a full size footprint & full thickness body and it's all Honduran hog with a huge neck.
6 lb. - 12 oz. = LP Jr. double cut
6 lb. - 8.4 oz. = LP Jr. double cut
7 lb. - 11.4 oz. = Explorer Jr.
7 lb. - 4 oz. = LP Spc.
7 lb. - 0 oz. = LP Spc.

EX Jr.jpg
 
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