LP Custom and weight relief

[Riff Rafster]

Hi there! I'm new to this forum, so I hope I'm posting in the right catagory. I have a 2016 Custom Shop LP Custom Black Beauty and a 1996 LP Custom Black Beauty. The 1996 LP is boat anchor heavy, but the 2016 is much lighter. Is this normal? I would have assumed LP Custom weight specs would be the same or comparable across the board, but IDK, I'm still learning a lot about the history of the Les Paul. Appreciate any info on this. Thanks!

 

[1allspub]

Hi, and welcome. Every guitar is different. And the same model, even within the same year, can have examples that vary wildly in weight… let alone those built 2 decades apart.

Your 2016 LPC should be 9-hole weight relieved (unless it’s a 57 Black Beauty Reissue). Your 1996 should be as well.

 

[Riff Rafster]

Thanks so much for the reply and for the explanation! These are two of my favorite LP's that I own, but the vast difference in their weights always confused me. Thanks again!!

 

[renderit]

If it is a Historic Reissue it will not be weight relieved.

 

[Tim Plains]

If it is a Historic Reissue it will not be weight relieved.

A guy on the other forum had access to an X-ray machine and posted many pictures of Les Pauls. Even 57 reissue Customs before 96 or 98 had swiss cheese holes, if what he posted was true.

 

[iTaylor]

I tried 2 standards 50s a month ago and one (the one I bought) weights 4.0 kg, and the other 4,5 kg.
Same year of manufacturing (2022), same model, same everything….. and half a kilo between both, so I guess there are many factors involved.

Enjoy them!

 

[axeman565758]

I tried 2 standards 50s a month ago and one (the one I bought) weights 4.0 kg, and the other 4,5 kg.
Same year of manufacturing (2022), same model, same everything….. and half a kilo between both, so I guess there are many factors involved.

Enjoy them!

I think it just depends on which tree it came from. Here's a pic of four body blanks in the Custom Shop before any cutting or routing. Three at 7 lbs, one at 6 lbs 8 ounces. That 8 oz difference is a big swing. Obviously I grabbed the 6.8 blank. The end result was an 8 lbs even R0. Yeah I was happy...!
As for (Historic) Customs, I'm not aware that they ever used weight relieved bodies. They did for the regular Custom Shop Customs. The only weight relieved "R" Customs I'm aware of are the chambered reissue models (CR XXXX)
Otherwise, you got a 9-10 lb (ughhh, or more) '57 Black Beauty.

 

[renderit]

A guy on the other forum had access to an X-ray machine and posted many pictures of Les Pauls. Even 57 reissue Customs before 96 or 98 had swiss cheese holes, if what he posted was true.

Those would be pre-historic.

 

[axeman565758]

Those would be pre-historic.

No, '93 and forward are Historics. However, any swiss cheese Customs in that period would be non-Historic. In fact up until a few years ago the Custom Shop non-Historic Customs were weight relieved and had short neck tenons.

 

[Tim Plains]

No, '93 and forward are Historics. However, any swiss cheese Customs in that period would be non-Historic.

The guy posted X-rays of regular Customs, too. I'm referring specifically to mid-90s historic 57 Customs and the images he showed had swiss cheese.

 

[Tim Plains]

Old thread. He deleted the images but claimed it was a 96 historic Custom, swiss cheese, short tenon. https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/1996-gibson-lp-custom-historic-reissue-1957-b7.370670/

 

[axeman565758]

Old thread. He deleted the images but claimed it was a 96 historic Custom, swiss cheese, short tenon. https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/1996-gibson-lp-custom-historic-reissue-1957-b7.370670/

I have never heard of ANY Historic, other than the CR's (chambered reissues that started in '04) that were weight relieved. Also, no Historics ever had short tenons. Many question even calling the CR's "historics" as they arent a reissue of an existing guitar.
I think this guy is confused between a Custom Shop Custom and a Custom Shop Historic Custom.

 

[Tim Plains]

I think this guy is confused between a Custom Shop Custom and a Custom Shop Historic Custom.

No, he wasn't confused. It was a historic R7 and he posted several other threads of Les Paul X-rays as well. Maybe someone who owns a 1996/older R7 Custom should lift the neck pickup to see.

I believe it. Gibson wasn't exactly forthcoming with swiss cheese holes on USA guitars until someone ran their Les Paul through an X-ray. Go back 10+ years in the forums, you will see countless threads if people claiming their USA Standard is solid, and outright denying it has swiss cheese.

 

[delawaregold]

Tim, was this the X-Ray? I have it in my files, but I don't have the guitar that it was taken from.

 

[Tim Plains]

Tim, was this the X-Ray?

Artie, I've seen your picture many times and it is not one from that Oleynio rmember posted. Yours has a Nashville.

 

[delawaregold]

Roger that...I tried! ?‍

 

[Daking1959]

I bought my LPC BB 3 pu new in 93 from Elderley,s.
it has a 5 digit serial number 2-71** stamped in yellow ink.
Body is Mohagany no maple cap. Ive never been able to tell if it is weight relived.
Any other way to tell if it is weight relived?
many thanks
david