My aching back.....R0 weight

Steinberger Hack · Jan 6, 2008

Last night, we played a local club. For the first time in several months, we were playing the whole night - no opening act. About 15 minutes into the 3rd set, my lower back was hurting so bad I had to put down the R0 and go to my back-up (Steinberger GL2TA). :dang

Now, my R0 isn't THAT heavy - less than 9 lbs. Even so, it's just a lot of weight to sling around all night. What was really frustrating was the difference in tone - I really wanted to pick the LP back up, but I just couldn't.

Any thoughts on how to manage the weight for long shows? Any specific exercises or stuff that any of you guys have come up with or heard about? I'm already using a very wide strap, so it's not a matter of my shoulder getting beat up.....:hmm

Guitar Whiskey · Jan 6, 2008

I just got out my holesaw and whacked off a pound. It only took about 5 minutes and made a hole lot of difference. The change is very noticeable. I'm thinking you need to check out the chambered historics.

les strat · Jan 6, 2008

Adjust you strap to a different length and see if that helps.

Try this, it's called cat stretches, and it has helped my lower back 1000X:

Get down on all fours (I know, funny!). Slowly arch your back with your head and butt up in the air stretching your abs. Then, do the opposite. Tuck your head down and butt in and crunch the opposite way. Do this in the morning, before you go to bed, and before anything you might do that tends to cause that lower back pain. This really is good for lossening up the back and strengthening your abs, which hepls compensate for a bad back.

Beano Geno · Jan 6, 2008

Two of the best lower back exercises are the reverse hyperextension and straight legged deadlifts. Reverse hypers require a special bench. Straight legged deadlifts will strengthen your lower back, but you must work into them gradually or you'll hurt your back worse. See if you can find an illustrated exercise description for the SL Deadlifts on the net. If you do them start out easy. :salude

Steinberger Hack · Jan 6, 2008

Guitar Whiskey said:
I just got out my holesaw and whacked off a pound. It only took about 5 minutes and made a hole lot of difference.

:hmm

Interesting idea.

On second thought.... :troll :tri

[ROTFLMFAO]

Thanks for the exercise and stretching ideas, guys. That's just what I was looking for.

Guitar Whiskey · Jan 6, 2008

Yeah, I always wanted to find a use for that image and it was a good excuse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tG1y0gYRcw

stock_hippie · Jan 6, 2008

Steinberger Hack said:
Last night, we played a local club. For the first time in several months, we were playing the whole night - no opening act. About 15 minutes into the 3rd set, my lower back was hurting so bad I had to put down the R0 and go to my back-up (Steinberger GL2TA). :dang

Now, my R0 isn't THAT heavy - less than 9 lbs. Even so, it's just a lot of weight to sling around all night. What was really frustrating was the difference in tone - I really wanted to pick the LP back up, but I just couldn't.

Any thoughts on how to manage the weight for long shows? Any specific exercises or stuff that any of you guys have come up with or heard about? I'm already using a very wide strap, so it's not a matter of my shoulder getting beat up.....:hmm

same here...i do long opening acts...solo...i had to go to a Strat Squier Fender to get relief..lol....
good luck

BluesForDan · Jan 6, 2008

as my karate instructor always stressed "a strong core (abs) helps your back".

If you haven't worked out in quite a while, go slow at first. The stretches are good, although the stuff with the special benches might be a little much to begin with.

How would you rate your overall current condition?

songsj · Jan 6, 2008

When playeing out I used a Lester Spotlight Special and an Ibanez Saber, Both guitars were plugged in at all times with the volume turned down on the one I was not playing. I worked it out so I used the Spotlight about 70 percent of the time and the Ibanez 30 percent. I picked specific songs I thought the Ibanez sounded good on and used it for those and alternated the guitars throughout the night. Helped a lot to give my back a breather off and on during the night.

markguitar · Jan 6, 2008

WTF! What, do you have to work out now to play guitar for 3 sets!! Things are getting crazy these days. How many skinny ass drug addicts in the '70's played 10 lb Norlin Les Pauls all night long! The Allman Brothers would play 5-6 hour shows and I know Duane's guitar was over 9 lbs. Nobody even gave any thought into the weights of guitars back then. If it sounded good and they liked it, they played it! Maybe more drugs is the answer!! They certainly weren't health conscious or working out.

RamiLP · Jan 6, 2008

you need one of these.

http://www.inversion-table-direct.com/catalog/buy/Inversion_Table/

Emmett · Jan 6, 2008

A friend of mine stands on one of those thick rubber mats that grocery checkers use. He says it works for him.

J.D. · Jan 6, 2008

Sit down on a stool or the drum riser for your ballads

MCHolley · Jan 6, 2008

I had to edit my post, as in - if you can't say something nice...but,

There's no crying in guitar playing.....

Mark

PixelBurst · Jan 6, 2008

lpnv59 · Jan 6, 2008

markguitar said:
WTF! What, do you have to work out now to play guitar for 3 sets!! Things are getting crazy these days. How many skinny ass drug addicts in the '70's played 10 lb Norlin Les Pauls all night long! The Allman Brothers would play 5-6 hour shows and I know Duane's guitar was over 9 lbs. Nobody even gave any thought into the weights of guitars back then. If it sounded good and they liked it, they played it! Maybe more drugs is the answer!! They certainly weren't health conscious or working out.

The fact that everyone was 30+ years younger in the 70's might be why. But weights always mattered, and why many thought the Les Paul was too heavy to bother with. Going back to the 50's, one reason why they were not popular and replaced with the LP/SG. But they did get popular by players in their early 20's, with concievably few medical problems other than those self inflicted issues. Which brings both of our points full circle. Maybe drugs is the answer on this.:jim

Steinberger Hack · Jan 6, 2008

BluesForDan said:
as my karate instructor always stressed "a strong core (abs) helps your back".

If you haven't worked out in quite a while, go slow at first. The stretches are good, although the stuff with the special benches might be a little much to begin with.

How would you rate your overall current condition?

7 or 8 on a scale of 10. I do work out, but I don't do much heavy lifting - High reps, low weight. I tend to avoid isolating my lower back; I had L4/L5 surgery a few years ago, and I don't want to risk re-injury.

MCHolley said:
I had to edit my post, as in - if you can't say something nice...but,

There's no crying in guitar playing.....

Thanks - that was helpful. :bigal

ununtrium · Jan 6, 2008

as Pixelburst said, yoga is one of the best ways to tackle back pain. It actually helped me, when slinging a Les Paul for an entire evening (which is not that often at the moment, but what can you do...).

Besides, it helps getting into George Harrison's music better, so there you go. Here comes the.....:jim

Even if it sounds not very exciting, why not use a bar stool or something similar? For the time being you'd still have that Les Paul tone without straining your back.

RamiLP · Jan 6, 2008

Steinberger Hack - you really need to look into an inversion table, i got mine for 250.

i injured my back last year, and i have a hurniated disk and a pinched nerve in L5, when im in pain i use the inversion table, about 5-10min a day, it really helps.

and doing work outs for your back muscles and abs dose help alot, and as others suggested yoga, and a great sport is swimming. and worst case sinario is a vicadin to go through the last hour of the gig if pain is really bad.

markguitar · Jan 6, 2008

lpnv59 said:
The fact that everyone was 30+ years younger in the 70's might be why. But weights always mattered, and why many thought the Les Paul was too heavy to bother with. Going back to the 50's, one reason why they were not popular and replaced with the LP/SG. But they did get popular by players in their early 20's, with concievably few medical problems other than those self inflicted issues. Which brings both of our points full circle. Maybe drugs is the answer on this.:jim

Billy, I know you may have always cared about the weight of your guitars but I wouldn't say that was the norm. Up until about the last 10 years I don't recall many people bitching about it. Hell we went thru the years of people thinking heavier guitar were better and added lots of brass parts for weight and sustain! I know you remember those days.

My aching back.....R0 weight

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