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Gibson les paul Standard 1976 vs CC, R7,8,9......


spender81

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I have a 1976 Les paul standard in Tabacco. Question is, are all these newer guitars as good or any better TONE wise, i don´t care about looks or weight, i want that classic les paul sound!! So apart from the fact that i can´t afford an original Late 50´s or 1960, i´m open to other models/versions of a Les paul. I´ve tried a few CC and i´m not sure what to make of them? I feel my 76 has a ton more sustain and more tone?? A friend told me the best les pauls were built in the early 90´s??? Was wondering if anyone else had tried both a 70´s standard and compaired with other modern les pauls??

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Not sure what you mean by "CC"? Only thing I can think of is "Custom Classic", which are kinda rare.

 

Anyway, most stuff from the 90's on up to today are going to be closer to the late 50's/early 60's "originals" than the mid 70's you are using now.

 

So, it depends on what your definition of "classic" LP sound is, and what you are measuring against. Even though for the most part LP's are closer to the holy grail 50'5/60's than ever, there are still many of us who grew up in the 70's/80's and are familiar with those LP's, and they are more "original" to us.

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Not sure what you mean by "CC"? Only thing I can think of is "Custom Classic", which are kinda rare.

 

Anyway, most stuff from the 90's on up to today are going to be closer to the late 50's/early 60's "originals" than the mid 70's you are using now.

 

So, it depends on what your definition of "classic" LP sound is, and what you are measuring against. Even though for the most part LP's are closer to the holy grail 50'5/60's than ever, there are still many of us who grew up in the 70's/80's and are familiar with those LP's, and they are more "original" to us.

CC is Collectors Choice.. I think theres about 35 of them now.. They are copies of real selected 59 Standards and a few other early models

 

Heres some examples

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/Custom/Collectors-Choice-35-Vic-DaPra-1959-Les-Paul-Gr.aspx

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Custom/CC-22-Tommy-Colletti-1959-Les-Paul-Custom.aspx

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2015/Custom/CC-5-Tom-Wittrock-1959-Les-Paul-Donna.aspx

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I have a 1976 Les paul standard in Tabacco. Question is, are all these newer guitars as good or any better TONE wise, i don´t care about looks or weight, i want that classic les paul sound!! So apart from the fact that i can´t afford an original Late 50´s or 1960, i´m open to other models/versions of a Les paul. I´ve tried a few CC and i´m not sure what to make of them? I feel my 76 has a ton more sustain and more tone?? A friend told me the best les pauls were built in the early 90´s??? Was wondering if anyone else had tried both a 70´s standard and compaired with other modern les pauls??

We have discussed this quite a lot on here...

 

And actually if you are comparing a 70s era (Norlin) guitar with a post Henry one then they are quite different guitars in the way they are made (pancake bodies, volutes etc)...

 

The thing is guitars are all quite unique.. Each one weighs slightly different and because they are hand finished the necks and set up can vary between every guitar..

 

There are good and bad guitars in every era.. The thing you HAVE to do to find the guitar for you is go and play as many as you can.. Its the only real way to find your "one".... Even the term good and bad is not really right because what may feel good to you someone else may hate.. Its all such a personal thing... You gotta do the work but its worth it in the end when you find that one you click with instantly... (and you will if you try enough of them)

 

If money isn't an issue for you, maybe look at the Historic collection, I think they are called True Historic now :) They are pretty sweet... I tried the first few CC guitars and I was actually pretty impressed with them (The Beast and The Babe).. I haven't tried any of the True Historic ones yet but id imagine them to be pretty nice.

 

This will have a slimmer neck

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/Custom/Standard-Historic-1960-Les-Paul-Standard.aspx

 

And a fatter neck

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/Custom/Standard-Historic-1959-Les-Paul-Standard.aspx

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First of all, what guitar is the best is going to be subjective to each person.

 

IMHO, you've already got one of the better guitars around. I LOVE Norlin LP's, and the T-top pick ups are the best to be had. The other guitars you've tried are good guitars, but I think your Standard is the better guitar. Hold on to it!!!! [thumbup]

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I'm not rough on 70s Gibsons, different but still some were very good like any decade. Some would argue all day long the early 70s SGs are the best made. You know its very subjective but they may be right.

 

what guitar is the best is going to be subjective to each person.

 

[thumbup]

 

What do you think? .............

 

https://reverb.com/item/38993-gibson-les-paul-custom-54-reissue-1973-black

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Afew years late,, but my old man has a 82 les Paul custom with ebony fretboard,,, I have a 2012 and 2014 les paul customs with rosewood an richlite fretboard, if I close my eyes an play any of them you couldn't guess which is which!!!! They both have so much sustain an tone!!!! I don't think the quality is any better on a new les Paul an far as how long it'll last,, they have em made to last when you don't drop em an have to do a headstock repair,, look at yours it's 40 yrs old already... but I think they are just made far more accurate nowadays they can make 1000 exactly the same where 35 years ago Gibson you probably couldn't find 2 exactly the same if you were to go over them with a fine tooth comb!!! If you buy a new one an take care of it you'll have another that'll last you 40 years yet again!!! Just my C. 0.02

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Personally, I wouldn't be selling a guitar I've loved for 40 years. I just wouldn't. [-X

I have several guitars that are that old, and older. Oh sure, I go look at new, or newer

guitars, every time I go to my music instrument dealer's shop. What very often happens,

is that I come home, without spending a cent, and loving my "old stuff" even more. Not

because the new is bad, or not as good, etc. Not at all. Just that they aren't familiar,

or feel, or sound any (or enough) "better," to warrant the expense. But, I have bought quite

a few guitars, from my dealer, that were models I didn't own (Les Paul's, or othewise) or,

at least hadn't owned, for a long time, and wanted to replace them, because I regretted

selling the one's I had ](*,) , when I quit playing (for 30 years). Nostalgia? Probably, somewhat.

But, the guitars I kept (in storage) all those years, will be the last one's I'd sell, now.

They're part of me, and my history. But, I'm probably an old "sentimental fool," compared

to some folks here. [biggrin]

 

So, IF you're not a "sentimental old fool," go out and play as many of the model(s) you're interested

in, and find "the one." Maybe, buy it outright (without trading or selling your favorite), and have the

best of both!

 

Your '76 will have some obvious differences. Maple neck, pancake body, no "weight relief,"

and (possibly) a thinner neck profile. (I have a '76 "Deluxe" LP, with all those spec's.)

And, it sounds great, has wild sustain, and feels great, too. But, it IS "Heavy!" So, that

may or may not be a consideration, for you, at this point?

 

Good Luck!

 

CB

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  • 3 years later...

Hi there guys. I also own a '76 LP Standard Tobacco burst bought from US in late summer 1976 - first and only owner. I just would like to understand the meaning of the digits on the serial #00235039. '00' for 1976 and what about the rest? Is it the day of the year? Was it buit in Kalamazoo or Nashville?

Can someone help me to understand? Thanks in advance :)

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If you've already tried a few modern ones and thought  your '76 had better tone and sustain, then just stick with the one you have.  You have been playing it so long - that is what a LP feels and sounds like to you and it would be almost impossible to find something "better".  

The new offerings are certainly beautiful and offer a lot of variety, but most of us that have had a LP for a long time like our vintage one the best.

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Why on earth would you want to sell a guitar that you've had so long? You must have made the guitar "yours" after 44 years and you must have been happy with it for you to keep it that long! It would be like selling a member of your family, still your guitar, your choice, good luck but I think you will regret it. 

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I don't buy the whole "Best les pauls were made in 19xx."

and anyone who insists on this, honestly doesn't know what they are talking about.  The Norlin Era and all,  t's a bunch-a  hype.

Some great guitars were made during those years.  Sure Gibson made some changes to boost profit and cut expenses,  but that don't mean every guitar they produced were dogs.

I know enough people who would drop down serious cash for your 76 in a heartbeat.  if it plays good and sounds good, it is good.  Just Play it..

 

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16 hours ago, Jorge Gibson said:

Hi there guys. I also own a '76 LP Standard Tobacco burst bought from US in late summer 1976 - first and only owner. I just would like to understand the meaning of the digits on the serial #00235039. '00' for 1976 and what about the rest? Is it the day of the year? Was it buit in Kalamazoo or Nashville?

Can someone help me to understand? Thanks in advance 🙂

check this..  should help: https://www.gibson.com/Support/Serial-Number-Search

 

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As far as the OP and his '76 v's a newer one goes; this thread dates from just over 3 years ago so I doubt the OP is still needing advice.

As far as the post from Jorge which resurrected this thread goes; It's not very clear how the digits after the 00 prefix should be interpreted. If Gibson followed up the '75-'77 idea for their newer system introduced subsequently then the next three digits are the date on the calendar (starting with 001 for the first of January) and the rest is the individual number for the instrument(s) stamped that day in numerical order. I have never, however, since 1978 when I first started to read about this stuff heard a definitive answer to how Gibson coded their guitars in this time-frame.

There is a similar problem with the rest of your question - as I'm sure you already know. We can only guess. The Nashville plant was operational by June 1975. According to Tony Bacon in his reference work 'The Les Paul Guitar Book';

"...(in 1975) management decided to transfer to Nashville the bulk of the production of the Les Paul line - by far the most successful Gibson solidbody guitars at the time..."

...and later goes on to add...

"...Kalamazoo had the potential to specialise in small runs. Nashville was therefore the obvious choice to produce the highest-volume models in Gibson's solidbody line at the time..."

My guess - and it is purely a guess - is that Kalamazoo would have been reserved as the place where the more specialised Les Paul models - such as the Spotlight Special, the KM, the LP Artist and so on  - were crafted with the likes of the DeLuxe, Standard and Custom models produced in Nashville.

Not much help, I know, but if no guitar historian has yet given out this sort of information at any point during the last 40 years I can't see it surfacing anytime soon.

Pip.

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5 hours ago, pippy said:

As far as the OP and his '76 v's a newer one goes; this thread dates from just over 3 years ago so I doubt the OP is still needing advice.

As far as the post from Jorge which resurrected this thread goes; It's not very clear how the digits after the 00 prefix should be interpreted. If Gibson followed up the '75-'77 idea for their newer system introduced subsequently then the next three digits are the date on the calendar (starting with 001 for the first of January) and the rest is the individual number for the instrument(s) stamped that day in numerical order. I have never, however, since 1978 when I first started to read about this stuff heard a definitive answer to how Gibson coded their guitars in this time-frame.

There is a similar problem with the rest of your question - as I'm sure you already know. We can only guess. The Nashville plant was operational by June 1975. According to Tony Bacon in his reference work 'The Les Paul Guitar Book';

"...(in 1975) management decided to transfer to Nashville the bulk of the production of the Les Paul line - by far the most successful Gibson solidbody guitars at the time..."

...and later goes on to add...

"...Kalamazoo had the potential to specialise in small runs. Nashville was therefore the obvious choice to produce the highest-volume models in Gibson's solidbody line at the time..."

My guess - and it is purely a guess - is that Kalamazoo would have been reserved as the place where the more specialised Les Paul models - such as the Spotlight Special, the KM, the LP Artist and so on  - were crafted with the likes of the DeLuxe, Standard and Custom models produced in Nashville.

Not much help, I know, but if no guitar historian has yet given out this sort of information at any point during the last 40 years I can't see it surfacing anytime soon.

Pip.

Thanks Pip. I also followed that thought before but being completly in the dark about it I was looking for a holly wisdom of somebody who really could bring me the key answer to the thread.  Thx.

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