Les paul maple top thickness

stenio83

How thick is the maple top on a less paul standard 2013? and is it something that a rigid or flexible like a veneer or laminate? And is it something that will just cave in on chambered/weight reliefed les paul if a lot pressure is applied? Just curious really. :-)

bandmaster188

around 3/4" i think so quite sturdy. 

Dalefty

 It's not too thick, nor is it too thin.

DaLefty

ICBM

You could almost certainly stand on a chambered Les Paul without any risk of breaking it, assuming the body was supported so there was no pressure on the neck.

The top on my PRS Hollowbody, now that was frighteningly thin! About 3mm - and quite flexible with no string tension on the guitar, although it stiffened when it was strung.

stenio83

bandmaster188;620091" said:

around 3/4" i think so quite sturdy. 

So not flimsy at all then is maple quite a solid wood then?

stenio83

@ICBM that's sounds good in all honesty I posted this because my 18month old stepped on it while it was in the case and was a little paranoid. Sounds silly but after my kid the les paul is the second on my pride an joy list. So from what you're saying that's very unlikely to do anything.? Thanks for commenting :-)

ICBM

stenio83 said:

bandmaster188 said:

around 3/4" i think so quite sturdy. 

So not flimsy at all then is maple quite a solid wood then?

It's one of the strongest of all woods.

stenio83 said:

@ICBM that's sounds good in all honesty I posted this because my 18month old stepped on it while it was in the case and was a little paranoid. Sounds silly but after my kid the les paul is the second on my pride an joy list. So from what you're saying that's very unlikely to do anything.?

Not at all - it's quite likely to break the headstock off the neck. The neck is *far* more fragile on a Les Paul than the body is - in fact more fragile than any other guitar except other Gibsons with the same steeply-angled headstock and a mahogany neck. (Especially SGs, which have a weak body joint as well.)

If the case is well-designed so that the back of the head can't touch the floor of the case it should be fine, but if it can you're in trouble.

GuitarMonkey

I've seen Les Pauls which have had pressure applied to the controls which has cracked the lacquer in that area but that damage is fairly obvious if it's happened.

stenio83

@ICBM well the headstock in the case does not rest on the ground the case is the Gibson case and when the guitar is in the case the neck is supported and and doest rest on the floor. Here's where you may think I'm a over wording the case was shut and locked and the case isn't damaged I was just worried about the pressure factor really like I say the case is perfectly fine

ICBM

No danger at all then. That's what the case is for! Unless the lid started to bend inward there was no pressure on the guitar at all.

stenio83

@ICBM thanks man! :-) yea the case is cool it made some creaking noises tho but seamed to hold out fine with no damage. I'm guessing that's normal I did notice those gibbo cases make a lot of creaky noises sometimes I wondered if they are actually any good sometimes must but wat they are made off?

ICBM

Plywood - unless its one of the new moulded plastic ones which don't look as strong to me - not because they're plastic but because a flat rectangular case isn't as strong as an arched shaped one. But they're stronger than the guitar, that's the main thing!

Don't ever put pressure on the neck or headstock of a Gibson, and don't let the case fall over with the guitar in it, the impact can sometimes snap the head even if the case isn't damaged. I would be happier with a child standing on the case than that .

stenio83

@ICBM well it's a 2013 so it could be plastic case but it has and vinyl like finish?? its made in Canada tho I think the 2014/15 cases are made in Asia??

Yea I heard about the neck snapping in the case like that. It's one off the main reasons my guitar was in the case laid flat on the floor, although I didn't anticipate the toddler risk tho lol.

Dalefty

Simple, get rid of the toddler and save yourself from any future worries like this from happening in the future, I hear Nike are offering good money for children to work in their sweat shops, so you could potentially make a couple of quid out of it too.


DaLefty

stenio83

@Dalefty lol!

bandmaster188

When my kids used to crawl on my les paul cases, I just used to beat the life out of them and lock em in the shed for a week. The les Paul's are fine and the kids have learnt their lesson!

stenio83

@bandmaster Hahahahah :-)

stenio83

@ICBM I'm curious any ideas what my case would be made of? It's a 2013 model in the website it just says hardshell, doesn't say what material I likes alot like this one.

http://en.m.audiofanzine.com/guitar-case-bag/gibson/les-paul-case-black/medias/pictures/a.play,m.520111.html

ICBM

Plywood. It's only the new hideous gold rectangular ones that are plastic.

Just to be clear, it's not the plastic that's the problem - Hiscox cases are stronger than either of them.

ChrisMusic

stenio83 said:

bandmaster188;620091" said:

around 3/4" i think so quite sturdy. 

So not flimsy at all then is maple quite a solid wood then ?

I reckon it must be pretty strong stuff,

after all, they make Maple trees out of it...   (allegedly)    

Bogwhoppit

stenio83 said:

 my 18month old stepped on it

I hope you put 'it' (boy or girl) in the naughty box: in the basement....the cold dark basement where all the germs live.