Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

+1! I played 30+ different LPs when shopping for mine, and knew that mine was the right one within a few seconds of playing it. I don't give a flip what the inside of it looks like...

Here is a short but true story...

When I got ready to buy my LP I had spent far too long on the net reading the good and bad reviews...I had heard hundreds of horror stories and had started to really believe all new Gibsons were crap.

However I really wanted an LP so I set out to get one. I called a local dealer buddy of mine and asked him when I'd be able to play the most high end LP's at one time in his store...he told me he was getting in 2 dozen+ Historic LP's Friday. I set up with him to go shopping on Saturday morning. I got there and he'd already pulled ALL the Historic LP's out in the middle of the floor and I sat for hours playing 54, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 LP's...I knew going in that I wanted a bucker LP so the P-90 GT's and 54 Custom were out, that still left nearly 3 dozen guitars...I quickly decidedf aginst 57 Customs so that left me with a buch of 57 and 58 reissues about 5 59 reissues and a pair of 60's...one burst and one custom ordered in a black top/light back.

The 60's had a smaller neck than I wanted and the 59's weren't a lot bigger plus they had higher frets than I wanted so I was down to 57 and 58 reissues. Total I played close to a dozen 57 and 58 and the truth is this...ALL OF THEM WERE FINE GUITARS!!! I could have easily been happy with ANY of them, hell, I could have let my wife choose, which she would have done simply based on colour and I'd have still gotten a fine guitar!

People doo far too much thinking about this stuff...just fine one, buy it and play it!

 

[Aceman]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

The difference is one of those will SOUND and FEEL better than the other. It doesn't matter which one.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

Here is a short but true story...

When I got ready to buy my LP I had spent far too long on the net reading the good and bad reviews...I had heard hundreds of horror stories and had started to really believe all new Gibsons were crap.

However I really wanted an LP so I set out to get one. I called a local dealer buddy of mine and asked him when I'd be able to play the most high end LP's at one time in his store...he told me he was getting in 2 dozen+ Historic LP's Friday. I set up with him to go shopping on Saturday morning. I got there and he'd already pulled ALL the Historic LP's out in the middle of the floor and I sat for hours playing 54, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60 LP's...I knew going in that I wanted a bucker LP so the P-90 GT's and 54 Custom were out, that still left nearly 3 dozen guitars...I quickly decidedf aginst 57 Customs so that left me with a buch of 57 and 58 reissues about 5 59 reissues and a pair of 60's...one burst and one custom ordered in a black top/light back.

The 60's had a smaller neck than I wanted and the 59's weren't a lot bigger plus they had higher frets than I wanted so I was down to 57 and 58 reissues. Total I played close to a dozen 57 and 58 and the truth is this...ALL OF THEM WERE FINE GUITARS!!! I could have easily been happy with ANY of them, hell, I could have let my wife choose, which she would have done simply based on colour and I'd have still gotten a fine guitar!

People do far too much thinking about this stuff...just fine one, buy it and play it!

Well that's good to hear. I'm glad they are putting out good products. I am too cheap to pay for their products, but I'm glad they are making good stuff nonetheless.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

Well that's good to hear. I'm glad they are putting out good products. I am too cheap to pay for their products, but I'm glad they are making good stuff nonetheless.

I think Gibson takes a beating on the web more than any other 2 companies put together.

Now, don't get me wrong I have played soem crap Gibson guitars but most of it was due to set up issues...they had a really bad run of factory cut nuts that were terrible but for the most part I think they do far better than the WWW would have you believe.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

Gibson started chambering due to complaints of LPs being to heavy. With the chambering came a change in tone as well IMO. I've heard of numerous people on guitar forums go from a weight relieved Les Paul to a chambered LP to ease up on their back.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

The Guy Who Invented Fire (quote): Also worth mentioning there is a LP now that is not a Historic and that is not chambered/weight relived...the LP Traditional Standard, Tradition Pro and Tradition Plus are all non chambered/weight relived guitars.

Incorrect on all accounts here. EVERYTHING from Gibson USA is either weight relieved or chambered. The solidbody LPs come exclusively from the Gibson Custom Shop.

LP Studio>>> Chambered
LP Traditional Plus>>> Weight Relieved
LP Traditional Pro>>> Weight Relieved
LP 50's Tribute>>> Chambered

Even the Gibson USA Slash Sigs are weight relieved....

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

The Guy Who Invented Fire (quote): Also worth mentioning there is a LP now that is not a Historic and that is not chambered/weight relived...the LP Traditional Standard, Tradition Pro and Tradition Plus are all non chambered/weight relived guitars.

Incorrect on all accounts here. EVERYTHING from Gibson USA is either weight relieved or chambered. The solidbody LPs come exclusively from the Gibson Custom Shop.

LP Studio>>> Chambered
LP Traditional Plus>>> Weight Relieved
LP Traditional Pro>>> Weight Relieved
LP 50's Tribute>>> Chambered

Even the Gibson USA Slash Sigs are weight rellieved....

I stand correct...I was in fact wrong about this, there are several places on line that say that the Trad, Trad Pro and Trad Plus are solid but a quick call to gibson customer service (on a Sunday no less!) proived otherwise!

According to Gibson Customer service ALL non CS Les Pauls as well as CS Les Paul Custom models are either weight relived or chambered.

That said, I did ask when the weight reliving started...1983, before most of the guys posting in this thread were even born so there you go, it's been that way for a LONG time.

Again, I say...GO PLAY GUITAR.

 

[John_L]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

I think Gibson takes a beating on the web more than any other 2 companies put together.

Now, don't get me wrong I have played soem crap Gibson guitars but most of it was due to set up issues...they had a really bad run of factory cut nuts that were terrible but for the most part I think they do far better than the WWW would have you believe.

It's the price as well a Les Paul Standard now costs more than a PRS, and has more than doubled in price over the last few years. While the head break issue has never been addressed and they take away so much of the tone by chambering the thing so that it light as a feather. The sharp fret ends and plastic inlays don't help either. In 2001 A Les Paul Standard was priced opposite a American Standard Strat or Tele now the Gibson is over £1000 more. (and well over double the equivalent Heritage model.
Also the law suits are a bit much, oh yes we're all going to rush out and buy PRS' because in a smoky club it looks like a Les Paul. I mean WTF if anything in a smoky club you are going to mistake a PRS SC for a Gibson not the other way around. Then the law suit against Warwick for producing the Entwhistle bass that looks at a glance like an Explorer. Gibson okayed John using that shape but are arguing that agreement lapsed when he died. Now here is the rub Warwick are not making a profit on this bass all profit from the sale goes to the John Entwhistle Foundation. There is something very rotten at the core of Gibson.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

^ and while you're ranting and raving i will be happily playing my Les Paul Custom :smokin:

 

[Aceman]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

I
That said, I did ask when the weight reliving started...1983, before most of the guys posting in this thread were even born so there you go, it's been that way for a LONG time.

Again, I say...GO PLAY GUITAR.

Same with multiple piece tops, short tennons and a host of other issues...

Gibson did these things long before anyone knew. And nobody cared. stop reading and start playing/listening.

That said - Gibson does eff up an unnatural amount for making a product that high end...

 

[uOpt]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

FWIW I've been told in my last rant about this **** that PRS also drills some holes along the lines of this swiss-cheesing under the top of at least the single-cut PRS models.

I have no incentive to investigate but it might be relevant here.

I only have solid LPs. Burny, Greco and the others made plenty sold guitars in the appropriate timeframe.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

FWIW I've been told in my last rant about this **** that PRS also drills some holes along the lines of this swiss-cheesing under the top of at least the single-cut PRS models.

I have no incentive to investigate but it might be relevant here.

I only have solid LPs. Burny, Greco and the others made plenty sold guitars in the appropriate timeframe.

I've heard that as well but have no proof.

That said Burny, Greco, Tokai, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc made many an LP with a chambered body in the 70's and 80's...heavy mahogany wasn't limited to just the US.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

That said Burny, Greco, Tokai, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc made many an LP with a chambered body in the 70's and 80's...heavy mahogany wasn't limited to just the US.

Yeah, even some medium models like Greco's EG500 have chambers.

The point is, though, that both 1980ties MIJ models and the modern counterparts offer a solid LP where Gibson would not, and at a very reasonable price compared to Gibson. There is generally no need to buy a EG500 as EG600 and up are cheap enough.

The question can go on and on, e.g. is Gibson's chambering worse than Fender's poly, where Gibson uses nitro everywhere. Well, assuming you get a Gibson with properly cured nitro

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

this thread is still going?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

I don't really like the Chambered guitar , but hopefully mine is "weight relieved" with some functional holes drilled neatly into the body..but have you seen the Xrays of the "Swiss Cheesed" guitars?
Trust me, its a very sloppy random and ugly thing to witness, and you don't want it.

You mean the photos earlier in this post that make the rounds at every guitar forum once every 6 months or so when it's a really slow news day for about 5 years now? Yeah, I've seen them, over and over and over and over again.

Would you actually feel better if the holes had perfect symmetrical spacing?

And why wouldn't I want it if I grabbed it off the rack, tried it and discovered it had killer tone and playability?

Not that a guitar couldnt sound good with ti like that, but puh..leassse!..I'll pass.

Then you'll be passing on some killer guitars on account of your nose being in the air and blocking your view.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

My argument is that Gibson should own up to it.

They have, years ago, although admittedly they were forced to when these x-ray photos surfaced. Yes, they should have done it right away, but they have.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

i think i prefer the chambered ones, to be honest
last LP i played was a custom (didn't know how to read serials at the time, but would guess late 70s or early 80s) and it sounded like it had a cold.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

i think i prefer the chambered ones, to be honest
last LP i played was a custom (didn't know how to read serials at the time, but would guess late 70s or early 80s) and it sounded like it had a cold.

Those could be anything else from the pancake (three layer + extra top) body, a maple neck, a 3-part neck - or all of the above.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

I've heard clips of the cloud nine guitars and they do sound very nice. I'd go for one of those if it wasn't cost prohibitive.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Chambered LPs vs. Weight Relieved...

The few chambered ones I've played it seemed like it sucked the mids and lows right out of it. But these were the LP Elegants from the early/mid 90's and the chambering was different.