Which Les Pauls models are solid? I'm pretty sure only custom shop reissue Les Pauls have solid backs. Chambered Les Pauls have nearly completely hollow backs - except for the centre block. Weight relieved Les Pauls have the "swiss-cheese" holes.
It was my understanding that from the mid-eighties, all Les Pauls were chambered or weight relieved except for the custom shop models.
"The bottom line is that there are nine (9) weight relief holes in production LP Standards, and seventeen (17) in the Class 5 Les Paul, and there is a difference between "dynamic sound chambers" and "weight relief holes".
1.The Les Paul Class 5 is the only Custom Shop model Les Paul that has weight relief holes (17 of them).
2: The Historic 58' & 59' Les Paul's DO NOT have weight relief holes (the lightest mahogany available is used for these guitars).
3: None of the Custom Shop Historic Reissue Les Paul Goldtop models have weight relief holes.
4: The Les Paul Elegant has the dynamic sound chambers, not weight relief holes. The Les Paul Class 5 has the weight relief holes, and not dynamic sound chambers.
5: Gibson U.S.A. does drill weight relief holes in their Les Paul models. They drill 9 holes, versus 17 for the Les Paul Class 5.
According to Gibson, they have done extensive testing and as long as the holes are not near the bridge or tailpiece (which would affect sustain), they do not have an adverse impact on tone."
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http://www.lespaulforum.com/faqpage.html#weighti
I've never heard of, and can't find, any mention of non-weight relieved or non-chambered Les Pauls - except for the custom shop historics. I'm not sure about my '83 Deluxe. It's from the tail-end of the Deluxe run and I've never heard of them starting to add weight relief to deluxes - although '83 is within the time frame. Also it's a brick ? I must weigh it.
However, even for that, the Tokai LS90 beats my LP in some ways. My LP, for example, has a three-piece top, and may have a three-piece neck (hard to say since it's black - I'll have to find out through a forum).
