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1978 Les Paul Custom


hi13ts

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Guitar friends,

 

I've just acquired a '78 Les Paul Custom from a good friend while looking around for that flower pot Classic Custom. I was apprehensive to begin with when he offered to let me play his '78, knowing full well the rep that era had. After seeing it, I didn't think too much of it. After playing it a little, didn't think too much of it. Finally, after about 10 minutes of playing through an amp and cycling through sounds, I caught myself thinking "I'm in too deep". Despite the rep the Norlin era guitars had, this bird sang so sweetly. There's a subtle quack to it; it's brighter and much more pronounced than my chambered Studio. It really shone brightly when kicked into overdrive. Oh my...

 

Unfortunately, I can't really find too much information in regards to the specs of the Customs at that time. I assume it's a mahogany back and neck with maple top. Ebony fretboard. Is it pancaked? I read that two piece mahogany bodies were standardized in '78. What pickups is it using (note that everything is stock)? Some Alnico 2s I'm sure, as it's not harsh enough to be Alnico 5s (unless I'm totally mistaken). Any info at all will be appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

 

Photo (through Google Drive)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hViT8emmEtN3VCSEREbEotSU0/view?usp=sharing

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Guitar friends,

 

I've just acquired a '78 Les Paul Custom from a good friend while looking around for that flower pot Classic Custom. I was apprehensive to begin with when he offered to let me play his '78, knowing full well the rep that era had. After seeing it, I didn't think too much of it. After playing it a little, didn't think too much of it. Finally, after about 10 minutes of playing through an amp and cycling through sounds, I caught myself thinking "I'm in too deep". Despite the rep the Norlin era guitars had, this bird sang so sweetly. There's a subtle quack to it; it's brighter and much more pronounced than my chambered Studio. It really shone brightly when kicked into overdrive. Oh my...

 

Unfortunately, I can't really find too much information in regards to the specs of the Customs at that time. I assume it's a mahogany back and neck with maple top. Ebony fretboard. Is it pancaked? I read that two piece mahogany bodies were standardized in '78. What pickups is it using (note that everything is stock)? Some Alnico 2s I'm sure, as it's not harsh enough to be Alnico 5s (unless I'm totally mistaken). Any info at all will be appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

 

Photo (through Google Drive)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hViT8emmEtN3VCSEREbEotSU0/view?usp=sharing

 

Congratulations!!! [thumbup][thumbup]

 

First, don't give a hoot about a so-called "reputation", judge any instrument by its own merits and find out firsthand. Some of the best instruments I've ever played and one I happen to own are Norlin era LP's, and some of the best rock and roll tunes were made with Norlin LP's, too. You can find good and not so good regardless of who made it.

 

A 78 LP Custom should have a solid mahogany body with a three piece maple cap. Pancake bodies ended in 76 with a few still made in early 77. The fret board will be ebony and the neck should be a three piece maple neck. Now to the best part, the pick ups. If the pick ups are original they should be T-top pick ups, and IMHO, they are the best sounding pick ups Gibson EVER made. The have a very tight and articulate tone, and they do not muddy up at higher gain settings. They have such an awesome tone! If the pick ups are removed they should be date stamped on the back.

 

Awesome looking guitar!!! [thumbup]

 

HNGD!!! :)

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Guitar friends,

 

I've just acquired a '78 Les Paul Custom from a good friend while looking around for that flower pot Classic Custom. I was apprehensive to begin with when he offered to let me play his '78, knowing full well the rep that era had. After seeing it, I didn't think too much of it. After playing it a little, didn't think too much of it. Finally, after about 10 minutes of playing through an amp and cycling through sounds, I caught myself thinking "I'm in too deep". Despite the rep the Norlin era guitars had, this bird sang so sweetly. There's a subtle quack to it; it's brighter and much more pronounced than my chambered Studio. It really shone brightly when kicked into overdrive. Oh my...

 

Unfortunately, I can't really find too much information in regards to the specs of the Customs at that time. I assume it's a mahogany back and neck with maple top. Ebony fretboard. Is it pancaked? I read that two piece mahogany bodies were standardized in '78. What pickups is it using (note that everything is stock)? Some Alnico 2s I'm sure, as it's not harsh enough to be Alnico 5s (unless I'm totally mistaken). Any info at all will be appreciated. Thank you all in advance!

 

Photo (through Google Drive)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6hViT8emmEtN3VCSEREbEotSU0/view?usp=sharing

 

Hello.

 

I've had a scouring of the Internet and found that there is surprisingly little information out there.

 

From what I know most '70s LP's had a 3-piece maple neck and many had pancake body construction; 2 thick pieces of mahogany with a thin maple slice in between, with a 3 piece maple top in many cases, as well.

 

Early 70's pickups were called "T-Top" PAF's, but these were gone by '75. Not sure what they had after that; the reissue pickups like the '57 Classic came about early '80s.

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...most '70s LP's had a 3-piece maple neck and many had pancake body construction; 2 thick pieces of mahogany with a thin maple slice in between...

 

Since my '71 has a clear finish on everything but the gold top, the pancake jumps right out at you. I would think, however, that even if it were painted a solid color, after 40 years or so there would be enough shifting of the wood to show some kind of crazing along the seam or a similar sign. So I would think one made around '76 would be fairly easy to determine.

 

Here's another thing to think about: Pancakes originalted in Kalamazoo. Nashville started in 1974. Did Nashville ever pancake? The pancakes made up to '76, were they K'zoo only? Can't tell by the serial number in that era!

 

I echo what's already been said about 'reputation'. There's a lot of bad 'good' guitars out there along with many good 'bad' guitars.

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Congrats on the Custom.

Pick Long and Prosper!

 

Is it pancaked?...

Not according to Tony Bacon in his tome on the Les Paul.

The pancake process was abandoned sometime mid '73 so by the time yours was crafted all the remaining stocks of bodies were ancient history..

 

P.

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I have a 76 (purchased new). It does have a pancake body.

 

 

 

Congrats on the Custom.

Pick Long and Prosper!

 

 

Not according to Tony Bacon in his tome on the Les Paul.

The pancake process was abandoned sometime mid '73 so by the time yours was crafted all the remaining stocks of bodies were ancient history..

 

P.

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I have a 76 (purchased new). It does have a pancake body.

I must admit I thought Tony Bacon's date ('73) sounded far too early.

I've double-checked and that's definitely what he says but other sources state '76 and '77 as the latest dates for cross-banding and these sound much more believable to me.

As you have a '76 then that seems to confirm Mr. Bacon is citing the wrong year.

Odd; he usually knows what he's talking about.

 

As far as the OP goes, though, it's still unlikely that his is 'pancaked' but, as always, this is Gibson during the Norlin Years so 'anything can happen'.........

 

P.

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It is a different kettle of fish but my 1978 25 / 50 certainly doesn't have a pancake body. The pickups are known as "series 7" and were the original tar-backed "dirty fingers" pickups. I'm not that keen on them to be honest and one day I'll have them hooked out and something else put in.

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Congrats to the custom!

 

Pancake body started ´69 and ended ´77.

 

Maple necks were somewhere late half ´75 to ´83

 

I am not sure about the pups in yours, but T-Tops will be my guess if they´re stock.

 

"Tarbacks/series VII" (The Bill Lawrence/Super Humbucker) usually came in artisans, 25/50 and 335´s.

 

Tarbacks sounds a bit darker than T-Tops.

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Thank you for the responses! There's a break-in period for sure, but it's slowly getting there. It seems to a have a very focused and bright sound. Pretty powerful pickups. I'd like to know, what type of pots are used for the volume knobs? Are they indeed 500k? What are the electronic specs (Bumblebee caps? etc.). I found that when I opened the control cavity, there's an ashtray bolted over the wires. Caught me by surprise.

 

I'm not digging the tuning keys. I've been researching around and it looks like a Gotoh model might be able to drop right in. Have you replaced your keys? Thanks again for all the information.

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I thought Beauties were sans body maple? My '99 B7 is all mahogany body....

The '54-'60 re-issues are solid mahogany but ever since the model was re-introduced in '68 the Custom has almost always had a maple cap (the '68 R-I, of course, has a maple cap).

 

There have been all-mahogany 'exceptions' over the years but they are in a tiny minority compared with the regular offerings.

 

P.

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The '54-'60 re-issues are solid mahogany but ever since the model was re-introduced in '68 the Custom has almost always had a maple cap (the '68 R-I, of course, has a maple cap).

 

There have been all-mahogany 'exceptions' over the years but they are in a tiny minority compared with the regular offerings.

 

P.

 

Interesting. I had it in mind that Beauties were different in body composition. How and where it got there I have no clue! :)

 

Thanks pippy

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Thank you for the responses! There's a break-in period for sure, but it's slowly getting there. It seems to a have a very focused and bright sound. Pretty powerful pickups. I'd like to know, what type of pots are used for the volume knobs? Are they indeed 500k? What are the electronic specs (Bumblebee caps? etc.). I found that when I opened the control cavity, there's an ashtray bolted over the wires. Caught me by surprise.

 

I'm not digging the tuning keys. I've been researching around and it looks like a Gotoh model might be able to drop right in. Have you replaced your keys? Thanks again for all the information.

 

 

What's wrong with the tuners? I would leave it as stock as possible.

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Interesting. I had it in mind that Beauties were different in body composition. How and where it got there I have no clue! :)

 

Thanks pippy

Likely, because the ORIGINAL LP Custom was a carved mahogany top, while the Gold top was Maple. (And obviously, the 'Burst).

 

When they were reissued in 1968, then they were maple-top just like the rest.

 

"Original", meaning 1952-1960 or so, when it was discontinued.

 

Therefore, in making reproductions, sometimes they will make them true by using the hog top in place of the maple.

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...Therefore, in making reproductions, sometimes they will make them true by using the hog top in place of the maple.

I could be wrong, stein, but I believe that normally the B-B Custom Re-Issue bodies are carved from one single, solid lump of mahogany - there is no 'cap' at all.

The only doubt is in the case of the 'usual' '57 Custom where Gibson doesn't specifically state that a one-piece body is used but their terminology ("No detail is overlooked") suggests that this certainly should be the case and as the regular '54 is described as having a one-piece body it would seem slightly odd if the '57 was any different.

 

Compare the various detail descriptions;

 

Regular '54 Custom R-I;

"...the Custom Shop 1954 Les Paul Custom. With its lightweight, non-weight relieved one-piece mahogany body, carved mahogany top..."

 

Regular '57 Custom R-I;

"...the body of the Les Paul Custom was made entirely from a solid piece of mahogany, with no added maple top....Today’s 1957 Les Paul Custom from Gibson Custom is presented with all the historically accurate appointments and legendary tone of the original. No detail is overlooked, including a solid, non-weight relieved mahogany body with carved mahogany top..."

 

20th anniversary '57 Custom R-I;

"In keeping with the original ’57 Les Paul Custom, the 20th Anniversary 1957 Les Paul Black Beauty 3-Pickup has a one-piece body of solid mahogany with a carved top..."

50th anniversary 1960 Custom R-I;

"Each Custom Shop 50th Anniversary 1960 Les Paul Custom is made from a single piece of solid, choice mahogany..."

 

P.

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