Vintage Les Paul and Burst Weights

[golfnut]

My '53 Goldtop is 8 lbs 10 oz. My '01 R9 is 8 lbs 12 oz, so I guess that's the weigh range I like.

I also suffer a bad back from being an old guy, if it's really bothering me on a gig night I'll take my '57 Special - 7 lbs 3 oz.

My "wuss out" guitar is a Brad Paisley signature tele, Paulownia body, at 5.4 pounds. Although I have a custom shop tele at 6.9 and a custom shop strat at 7.4.

 

[fernieite]

My '53 Goldtop is 8 lbs 10 oz. My '01 R9 is 8 lbs 12 oz, so I guess that's the weigh range I like.

I also suffer a bad back from being an old guy, if it's really bothering me on a gig night I'll take my '57 Special - 7 lbs 3 oz.

Sorry to hear about the back issue Don. Have you thought about an even lighter guitar for some days? Maybe some sort of SG?

My 2007 R8 is 8lbs 12 oz, but my 1963 Les Paul Junior (SG) is 5 lbs 14 oz!
(My Tele is 6 lbs 13 oz)

EDIT: Never mind man. I just read the ES330 thread. You've got that covered!

 

[tom wu]

Mr. Slub, if you ever allowed me into the room where these guitars are being re acquainted with, I would take up permanent residence inside one of the cases. Neither my wife nor friends or customers would ever hear from me again.
You have impeccable taste, and an incredible collection. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rabon]

Impressive collection! Based on the condition, I assume these are all reissues and not actual vintage. When I collected my first and only 1959 reissue (pictured as my avatar), I did some research to find out about weights from BotB. Here is what I found:

'58s average 9lbs-2.34oz with the lightest at 8lbs-10.45oz

'59s average 8lbs-13.25oz with the lightest at 8lbs-1.6oz. The 2nd lightest at 8lbs-3.36oz (and called "extremely light") was once owned by Paul Stanley.

'60s average 8lbs-12.45oz with the lightest at 8lbs-7.49oz

Mine (with the switch plate medallion not swapped out) tipped the scales at 8lb-0.7oz. With the historically correct, plastic switch plate, the weight is 7lbs-15.8oz. "The Precious" feels, looks, plays and sounds very, very sweet.

At the time I bought mine, I had been looking at 2022/23 R9s for months and had not seen any lighter than 8lbs. Average is about 8lbs 10oz.

 

[garywright]

Impressive collection! Based on the condition, I assume these are all reissues and not actual vintage. When I collected my first and only 1959 reissue (pictured as my avatar), I did some research to find out about weights from BotB. Here is what I found:

'58s average 9lbs-2.34oz with the lightest at 8lbs-10.45oz

'59s average 8lbs-13.25oz with the lightest at 8lbs-1.6oz. The 2nd lightest at 8lbs-3.36oz (and called "extremely light") was once owned by Paul Stanley.

'60s average 8lbs-12.45oz with the lightest at 8lbs-7.49oz

Mine (with the switch plate medallion not swapped out) tipped the scales at 8lb-0.7oz. With the historically correct, plastic switch plate, the weight is 7lbs-15.8oz. "The Precious" feels, looks, plays and sounds very, very sweet.

At the time I bought mine, I had been looking at 2022/23 R9s for months and had not seen any lighter than 8lbs. Average is about 8lbs 10oz.

Mike wrote…“Okay, based on an earlier thread with inquiries on weights, I pulled all the vintage Les Pauls out today and weighed them on a very accurate Pelouze digital scale.”

 

[Rabon]

Mike wrote…“Okay, based on an earlier thread with inquiries on weights, I pulled all the vintage Les Pauls out today and weighed them on a very accurate Pelouze digital scale.”

I realize he wrote "vintage". If he has that many actual vintage, not reissue and not a single major ding or shrunken tuner key, then he's got a more impressive collection than Bonamassa. I seriouisly doubt they are all 60+ years old.

 

[ADP]

Well we all know what it means when you "assume".

 

[Wilko]

Mike wrote…“Okay, based on an earlier thread with inquiries on weights, I pulled all the vintage Les Pauls out today and weighed them on a very accurate Pelouze digital scale.”

If mike said he “pulled out all the vintage Les Pauls” I’m sure that what he weighed. Vintage Les Pauls.

 

[Rabon]

If mike said he “pulled out all the vintage Les Pauls” I’m sure that what he weighed. Vintage Les Pauls.

Then I stand corrected. As I said in my original post, impressive.

 

[Jethro Rocker]

Based on the condition, I assume these are all reissues and not actual vintage

There is a reason why Mike is an Administrator of this forum.
He indeed has an impressive collection., not sure why you initially would question it. Yes they are in very good condition.

 

[1allspub]

Then I stand corrected. As I said in my original post, impressive.

Not sure why the initial doubt, this is the Vintage section and the thread started by MikeSlub is entitled “Vintage Les Paul and Burst Weights”… but regardless, yes MikeSlub is a well known Vintage Les Paul collector with several guitars appearing in various books on vintage Les Pauls (e.g., Vic DaPra’s Burst Believer series of books ). And yes, he does have a most impressive collection.

 

[Johnnysomersett]

'56 Custom: 9lbs 12oz exactly

 

[Subliminal lanimilbuS]

Okay, based on an earlier thread with inquiries on weights, I pulled all the vintage Les Pauls out today and weighed them on a very accurate Pelouze digital scale. None have Bigsbys.
Here they are:

52 Goldtop 9 lbs 6 oz
53 Goldtop 8 lbs (lightest!)
54 Goldtop 9 lbs
55 Goldtop 8 lbs 11 oz
56 Goldtop 8 lbs 13 oz
57 Goldtop P90s 9 lbs 3 oz
57 Goldtop all Mahogany Humbuckers 10 lbs 3 oz (heavyweight!)
57 Custom Alnico 9 lbs
58 Custom 3 Humbuckers 9 lbs 10 oz
58 Burst 9 lbs 8 oz
59 Burst 9 lbs
59 Burst 8 lbs 15 oz
60 Burst 8 lbs 10 oz

I would say that all the necks are a comfortable medium chunky size - not much variation.

So - many in the high 8's and 9+ pound range.

Hope this helps.

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Is there a weight missing or is the last guitar in the first picture and the first guitar in the second picture the same guitar?

 

[lifebreath]

Then I stand corrected. As I said in my original post, impressive.

That’s not the half of it. Google “mike slubowski guitar collection” then you’ll understand.

 

[lifebreath]

So, from our sample of 21 vintage (50’s - 1960) Les Pauls, we have the following distribution with very little skewness:

Mean weight = 8.95
SD = 0.67
1 SD range = 8.28 - 9.62
2 SD range = 7.62 - 10.29
3 SD range = 6.94 - 10.96

So there you have it! THE definitive study to date on vintage Les Paul weight!

 

[MikeSlub]

I realize he wrote "vintage". If he has that many actual vintage, not reissue and not a single major ding or shrunken tuner key, then he's got a more impressive collection than Bonamassa. I seriouisly doubt they are all 60+ years old.

They are all 1950's and early 1960 vintage Les Pauls. No reissues listed in my post. And my collection is not even close to the same planet as Joe Bonamassa's. I'm not worthy!

 

[fernieite]

They are all 1950's and early 1960 vintage Les Pauls. No reissues listed in my post. And my collection is not even close to the same planet as Joe Bonamassa's. I'm not worthy!

Yeah, but you're way better looking!

 

[Mark]

Okay, based on an earlier thread with inquiries on weights, I pulled all the vintage Les Pauls out today and weighed them on a very accurate Pelouze digital scale. None have Bigsbys.
Here they are:

52 Goldtop 9 lbs 6 oz
53 Goldtop 8 lbs (lightest!)
54 Goldtop 9 lbs
55 Goldtop 8 lbs 11 oz
56 Goldtop 8 lbs 13 oz
57 Goldtop P90s 9 lbs 3 oz
57 Goldtop all Mahogany Humbuckers 10 lbs 3 oz (heavyweight!)
57 Custom Alnico 9 lbs
58 Custom 3 Humbuckers 9 lbs 10 oz
58 Burst 9 lbs 8 oz
59 Burst 9 lbs
59 Burst 8 lbs 15 oz
60 Burst 8 lbs 10 oz

I would say that all the necks are a comfortable medium chunky size - not much variation.

So - many in the high 8's and 9+ pound range.

Hope this helps.

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Rule of 8: 8lbs 8 k resistance both pickups

 

[aladdinsane]

I'm no @MikeSlub, but here are mine:

1952 Goldtop 8 lbs 4 oz
1956 Alnico Custom 9 lbs
1956 Special 7 lbs 1 oz (I don't think we're counting Specials)
1968 Goldtop 8 lbs 7 oz
1968 Custom #1 9 lbs 7 oz
1968 Custom #2 9 lbs 14 oz