electricchurch89 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 Referring to H150s, to you guys prefer a heavy guitar? Notice any differences in tone or sustain depending on the weight? Does anyone own a very light H150 and heavy one to compare? Whaddya sirs?
brentrocks Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 All of my H 150s are about the same weight...about 10 lbs. All have great sustain. Tone is a lot in the pickups and amp. But i do believe that the heavier the guitar, the richer the tone. My 1981 LPC is just over 12 lbs with original SHAW PAFs....it friggin rocks!!!
dbetts41 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 lot of debate on this subject...My opinion goes in the opposite direction of Brent's. I think the main factor is the wood & 150's or Les Pauls in the 8.75 - 9.0 lbs range sound better to me. Pick-ups & amps play a role of course but not as much as the guitar itself imo... here is a link to a recent interview with Dickey Betts & Leroy Parnell... both guys know a fair bit about tone. ( I know it is from the G -site don't flame me...lol!) listen for the part about pick-ups & guitar tone towards the end. http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/Dickey-Betts0829-2011/
golferwave Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 It's really about the piece of wood. Resonant wood in my opinion can be light or heavy. A couple of my non chambered H-150's are right at 9 pounds and ring like a bell. I once owned a Gbrand LP STD that was over 10 1/2 pounds and was the deadest piece of wood I've ever held in my hands. When you strike up a chord and can feel it against your body and through your fret hand it's pure heaven.
smurph1 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 I've never owned a 150 or a "real" LP..I had a mahogany body "Special" with P-100's that was really close to my heart..Just kicked ASS!! Wasn't heavy though.. but on the other side of the coin, my new G&L ASAT Classic has a thick Swamp ash body.. real heavy!! Sounds Great!! But is it the pickups? I dunno..
Guest HRB853370 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 They say the test is to put your ear on the lower bout (near the jack) and hit the B string (second string) and listen to the tone and how long it sustains. That gives a clue as to how resonant the wood is. I personally dont think heavier guitars sustain any longer or necessarily have better tone. Some folks like the feel of having a heavier guitar strapped on, so its a personal preference.
High Flying Bird Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 Right there is proof of what clean living will do for you.
High Flying Bird Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 My first Heritage, a black H-150, was very heavy. It felt like a piano sitting in your lap. The wood was so alive.
Kuz Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 I ordered mine (four 150s) to have a weight between 9-9.5lbs. For me, that is the sweet spot for sustain, lows. low-mids, and balls. I have played some approx 8lbs Les Pauls that sounded like Telecasters. I have lived by the credo, "If you want the tone, the back might have to groan"!!!! But then again, I don't feel a 9-9.5lb guitar is that heavy.
dbetts41 Posted October 19, 2011 Posted October 19, 2011 Gary Moore (RIP) also gave his two cents on the matter in this vid... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvgE6yzoAM
DetroitBlues Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 Gary Moore (RIP) also gave his two cents on the matter in this vid... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCvgE6yzoAM absolutely incredible... makes me want a 535 more than anything!
squawken Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 All I can say is any heavy guitar I have owned never lacked for tone. Pretty much agree with Brent.
hinesarchtop Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 I think there's good tone in heavy and light wood. It just depends on the piece. I build LP style guitars and have gone back and forth with this for quite a while. Here's my favorite combo.........Mid weight one piece Honduran blank . Eastern hard Maple top. Lightweight, perfectly quartered Honduran neck blank. The chunkier necks sound better. Brazilian or Madagascar board. About 8.5.lbs is good for me. The balance between neck mass and body is important. I made one with a monster of a neck and most of the sound was coming from it and not too much off the body when playing unplugged. As I carved it down you could hear it balance out. It ended up about like a 58 profile. Rendall Wall told me once in about 1990 when ordering an acoustic Super Eagle to order a bigger neck for more tone.
JeffB Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 I keep buying heavier guitars. Not by conscious decision but by selection of guitars that make me feel good when Im trying them out and then buying them. Only later do I realise that they are a little heavier than normal. If I pick up a really heavy weight guitar Im just as likely to put it back down without trying it.
tulk1 Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 '74LPC = 10.5lbs and was an absolute tone monster, small frets, pancake body and all. '95 PRS CE24 = 7.5lbs, absolute tone machine, easy on the back, rocked it for 10 yrs. '02 LPS = 10lbs, was a superb specimen of an LP. That one sustained forever. '05 PRS McCarthy Rosewood = 8.5lbs and just kicked. One of the most balanced guitars I've ever played. Heritage Prospect Custom = about 7+lbs. Any at the PSPs that have played that one can attest to it's lively response and dead on tone monster. '10 Larrivee RS2 = 7lbs, and it's a rockin'/countryin' machine. Can do sparkly to out and out blast you rock with tones of deep tone and response. '09 Larrivee RS4 = 9lbs. Just a fantastic tone machine. No lack for balls, sustain, etc etc. It's got to be the wood ... and construction.
the jayce Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 All of my H 150s are about the same weight...about 10 lbs. All have great sustain. Tone is a lot in the pickups and amp. But i do believe that the heavier the guitar, the richer the tone. My 1981 LPC is just over 12 lbs with original SHAW PAFs....it friggin rocks!!! Brents right on the pickups and amp. Ive played for 25 years and owned it all...Litterally! And what took me 20 years to realize a good amp and the right mix of effects, whatever they may be will make just about any guitar rock and the pickups are the second most important part of the equation. I know theres gonna be some dissagreement on these comments but ive done the tests and I literally had a 200 dollar squire sounding just like a 3900 12 pound lespaul custom back to back just by tweaking the tube amp and some pedal dials. Thats when i realized the guitar is the tool and the amp and effects and magnets for the pickups generate 98 % of your sound. Please do a comparison for your self with a cheapie and top notch before you tear into me, because i think you will be shocked to find im right. woods only matter mainly in the unplugged world of acoustics! then what the make of wood ect is definetally creats your sound. Electrics on the other hand........I jut dont think that a steel string and a metal magnet and the electricity running through a amp and its circuits really could possibly translate what type of wood or composite your guitar is made of. For those of you who are against this theory i have tried and tested over a long period of time just go to you tube and pull up (the riff guy) He's a guitar prodigy, and watch his video of him playing his 6 year old daughters fender squire child sized guitar (80.00 guitar tops new) through a good sound set up and you will see what I mean . He even done the video just to show people its in the player and his sound system. All that said.. when we buy heritage or gibby ect high dollar guitars where getting top notch craftsmanship and playability.
the jayce Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 Brents right on the pickups and amp. Ive played for 25 years and owned it all...Litterally! And what took me 20 years to realize a good amp and the right mix of effects, whatever they may be will make just about any guitar rock and the pickups are the second most important part of the equation. I know theres gonna be some dissagreement on these comments but ive done the tests and I literally had a 200 dollar squire sounding just like a 3900 12 pound lespaul custom back to back just by tweaking the tube amp and some pedal dials. Thats when i realized the guitar is the tool and the amp and effects and magnets for the pickups generate 98 % of your sound. Please do a comparison for your self with a cheapie and top notch before you tear into me, because i think you will be shocked to find im right. woods only matter mainly in the unplugged world of acoustics! then what the make of wood ect is definetally creats your sound. Electrics on the other hand........I jut dont think that a steel string and a metal magnet and the electricity running through a amp and its circuits really could possibly translate what type of wood or composite your guitar is made of. For those of you who are against this theory i have tried and tested over a long period of time just go to you tube and pull up (the riff guy) He's a guitar prodigy, and watch his video of him playing his 6 year old daughters fender squire child sized guitar (80.00 guitar tops new) through a good sound set up and you will see what I mean . He even done the video just to show people its in the player and his sound system. All that said.. when we buy heritage or gibby ect high dollar guitars where getting top notch craftsmanship and playability. Here's the clip of the mini solo just showing it's mainly in the players hands and his sound set up. Heads up ! he's doing alot of shredding but he does a nice blusy stint in the middle. Anyhow youll get the idea.
JeffB Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 A child prodigy with a 6yr old daughter??? Quite prodigious!!
chico Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 well, after watching that G Moore vid that dbetts41 posted, I see I have some room for growth in my own playing.. lol (headroom is always good!) man, he gets a lot out of that Orange tiny terror setup! whew.. now, back to the original premise: I will argue that my chambered H155 gets as much sustain as my H150 did, at that was a 10lb-er. good reading here..
the jayce Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 A child prodigy with a 6yr old daughter??? Quite prodigious!! Lol! Sorry meant virtouso or somthing to that extent. Anyhow, a pro none the less. My whole point just being a good guitarist and sound equipment is where the tones and sustain's come from primarily when where talking electric's... And brents staement is dead on. Cheers!
koula901 Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 Right there is proof of what clean living will do for you. And how would YOU know what clean living will do for one! : D LOL!!
koula901 Posted October 20, 2011 Posted October 20, 2011 absolutely incredible... makes me want a 535 more than anything! 535's are da bomb!
pietro Posted October 24, 2011 Posted October 24, 2011 The Heritage I just showed you guys today is about 10 pounds including Bigsby (no weight relief). I didn't like my heavy 88 Les Paul (probably swiss cheese) years ago, but I think this guitar is actually heavier (and, I think, better). Fact is... I have a wide padded strap. Problem solved. But when I have to play for a long long time, my Anderson Hollow Cobra gets the job. under 6 pounds. I can play it forever...
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