Les Paul - Modification

[Doughboy]

I've been a strat guy forever & want to get a Les Paul. However, the thickness, bulkiness & general Les Paul-ness of a Les Paul (how's that for a bad description) always turns me off.

I've been debating getting a single piece mahogany body from Warmoth & then shaving 1/2" off the back to make it thinner. Then heavily contouring the back like a strat & shaving the heel down for an all access neck thru type feel. I do this to all my Warmoth strats & soloists & they all turn out amazing.

Not having ever owned a LP or done this to a LP body in the past, except for strats, I'm wondering if this is feasible. Would shaving that much wood have an adverse affect on the tone?

I basically want a more comfortable LP. Something a Strat lover could live with.

 

[jay4321]

If you're going to make it thinner, why not just go for a flat top? If weight is an issue, you could also have chambers put in as well. Or use lighter woods... and so on. Lots of options.

And yes, your sound will most definitely be affected by doing anything out of the ordinary such as reducing mass, changing wood types, etc.

 

[erogenousjones17]

A simple flat top isn't going to make it feel more strat-like. Think of the difference in feel between a contoured strat and a slab-bodied tele. That being said, I should think that taking out a whole bunch of wood would have a rather significant effect on sound.

 

[GoDrex]

I know I'm weird, but I find my LP more comfortable than my strat - not that it's uncomfortable, but there's some thing about the LP that I like better. I don't know why. I don't really care about comfort contours. They don't do much of anything, iMO.

 

[Mor Paul]

Going on no actual experience, I would think there will be no noticeable tonal chance by shaping it. As long as you leave the neck pocket the right depth and thickness, and not thin anything out too much, I don't see any problems. Make sure you still can use the control cavity plate, btw.

 

[callaway]

I would strongly disagree, Max. Thinning an LP body would make it sound different. Ever play an LP Jr? Basically a thinned, flat-topped LP. Yeah, they sound quite different, even taking into account that pickups might be different, etc. Just the body of the tone is different.

 

[Mor Paul]

So, here's two options that might be a bit better:
having Ibby JS-style edges, where the edges only are thinned.
LP-based Strat.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I don't really care about comfort contours. They don't do much of anything, iMO.

Being a guy with a gut, the tummy cut is a must.

 

[Unwound G]

A carved top LP will never play like a Strat since the bridge sits on a higher plain than the pickups and neck.  This leaves the strings at an angle to the body which sets it apart from a Fender.  PRS guitars cleverly neutralized this difference by leveling the top of the arch bulge so that the strings are parallel to the body.  If you are handy with a sander and calipers, this can be done with a Warmoth LP body with extreme care.  Whether if it will play like a Strat is arguable.  It will be like posing a question to a PRS player if his guitar plays more like a Les Paul or Strat.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Take a look at the Les Paul Studio models. They are thinner and lighter, but still have the Les Paul mojo.  :icon_thumright:

 

[GoDrex]

I don't really care about comfort contours. They don't do much of anything, iMO.

Being a guy with a gut, the tummy cut is a must.

I have a bit of a gut and it makes no difference for me.

 

[kboman]

I'm with GoDrex, LPs are much more comfy to me. The tummy cuts on my Hagström and Schecter are fine but make no real difference in comfort. And I love the neck angle on a LP type guitar! Strats just feel too flimsy for me.

On topic though, I'm sure it will have some sort of effect on the guitar - how was the tone affected on the guitars you already have done this to? - but I'd guess this can be balanced by pickup choice. Maybe consider leaving it as it is at first? A lot of the charm (or groove/mojo/point) of a LP is that solid, chunky dependable feeling.

Just my €0,012!  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Justinginn]

I sorta doubt that removing the wood will do a lot to the sound. Your body's not really gonna get any more flexible with that much of a shave, I don't think.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I've often wondered if how you hold the body or how much of the body touching you affects the tone.  When playing bass, my strumming arm forearm is constantly touching the body but on the back it's minimal.  I'm sure it would sound different if someone pressed the body hard up against them, the same way a guitar sustains forever on a wall hanger or stand but less when it's strapped on a person.  Your body, or atleast mine, is possibly a big tone sucking sponge. 

 

[erogenousjones17]

I'm sure some of us - myself included - are spongier than others.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I'm sure some of us - myself included - are spongier than others.  :icon_biggrin:

Sometimes I can't believe I'm still ambulatory.

 

[JaySwear]

i have no gut. actually i'm dangerously skinny, but the tummy cut is great for me. being so damn skinny a guitar can really dig itself into my ribs, and thats no fun if you're playing for any longer than 10 minutes. my les paul and my dreadnought acoustic can hurt pretty badly, but my warmoth body is awesome  :icon_biggrin:  i can tell without even having a neck on it yet. so comfortable, in fact, i think my next guitar one day will be another strat body. very VERY nice.

 

[Doughboy]

I'm with GoDrex, LPs are much more comfy to me. The tummy cuts on my Hagström and Schecter are fine but make no real difference in comfort. And I love the neck angle on a LP type guitar! Strats just feel too flimsy for me.

On topic though, I'm sure it will have some sort of effect on the guitar - how was the tone affected on the guitars you already have done this to? - but I'd guess this can be balanced by pickup choice. Maybe consider leaving it as it is at first? A lot of the charm (or groove/mojo/point) of a LP is that solid, chunky dependable feeling.

Just my €0,012!  :icon_biggrin:

I have HEAVILY contoured 4 Warmoths: 2 solid body strats, a soloist & a chambered strat. All of them sound the same as before, but more comfortable & lighter. Infact, my Ash soloist was rather heavy & was causing me neck problems, even after the contouring, so I drilled weight relief holes through the body where the spring & claw are. You can only see it if you remove the back cover. I managed to knock off 1/2 lb off the weight & it sounds exactly the same.

Since I not only want a LP, but I want one that is comfortable enough for me to want to play regularly, I will shave 1/2" off the back & do the usual contouring. It may affect the tone, but I can't see it sounding horrible. The wood, PUs & hardware are too good for it to sound awful.

It will make an interesting experiment, never the less.

Thanks for all the comments guys!!!!

 

[JaySwear]

It will make an interesting experiment, never the less.

definitely! i'd even go so far as to sacrifice a tiny bit of tone for comfort. after all, with some tweaking of your set up you can most likely get that tone back. even if you can't, what fun is playing if it just causes you to be uncomfortable?

 

[NLD09]

send it to me. i'll play it.  :toothy10: