Gibson CS Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 I saw on the thread that talks about the firebrand studio, that gibson was a divison of norlin industry, but when i google info about norlin, i cant seem to find any info about them my question is what other companys did norlin own? if gibson was a division of the norlin company, then he must have owned other companys right? what other companys did he own? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Boy now your making me think back ... Norlin was a conglomeration of 2 companies, neither of who's names I can remember but one is the NOR and the other is the LIN in the name. And one of the companies was in the energy business in South America. I'm just a wealth of useless information eh? I'm sure someone here will be able to fill in the blanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karmakarmakarma Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 Didn't Norlin own Moog, Pearl Drums, and Lab Amps? I think...Maybe? Hard to recall.... <<<< besides, I'm just a dog with a martini Karma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted June 12, 2008 Share Posted June 12, 2008 There's no such thing as a Norlin, it's just a myth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted June 12, 2008 Author Share Posted June 12, 2008 bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 bump In 1969 Gibson became the property of Norlin' date=' a company formed by the merger of CMI and ECI, an Ecuadorian brewery. It was the beginning of a dark era that many collectors feel had negative repercussions equivalent to those associated with the CBS takeover of Fender. A few products of note came out during the '70s, including the L-5S and the Kalamazoo Award. However, most of the models were dismal commercial failures, such as the ill-fated Mark-series acoustics and the Marauder, S-1, and RD electrics. Nonetheless, demand for Gibson guitars was brisk, and the company opened an additional production plant in Nashville in 1974. Gibson's follies continued into the early '80s. Sales declined, and the company was forced to close its Kalamazoo factory in '84. Several poorly received new models were introduced and discontinued in a flash, including the Victory, Sonex, Futura, Corvus, Challenger, Invader, and Spirit solidbodies. There were a few bright spots, namely the Chet Atkins Standard classical electric and the Chet Atkins SST steel-string electric/acoustic, both still in production. Norlin eventually woke up, smelled the polyurethane, and decided to bail out of the guitar business. SEE FOLLOWING; Gibson History Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 THANKS ALOT !!! =D> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 More; In December of 1969, E.C.L. Industries, Inc. took control of CMI. Gibson, Inc. stayed under control of CMI until 1974, when it became a subsidiary of NORLIN Industries (Norlin is named after H. Norton Stevens, President of E.C.L. and Maurice H. Berlin, President of CMI). A new factory was opened in Nashville, Tennessee the same year. In 1980, Norlin decided to sell Gibson. Norlin also relocated some of the sales, marketing, administration, and finance personnel from Chicago to the Nashville plant. Main Gibson production was then handled in Nashville, and Kalamazoo became a specialist factory for custom orders. In 1983, then-Gibson president Marty Locke informed plant manager Jim Deurloo that the Kalamazoo plant would close. Final production was June 1984, and the plant closed three months later. [On a side note: Rather than give up on the 65 year old facilities, Jim Deurloo, Marv Lamb, and J.P. Moats started the Heritage Guitar Company in April of 1985. The company is located in the original 1917 building.] SEE FOLLOWING; MORE GIBSON HISTORY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 THANKS ALOT !!! No Problem - This subject is kinda on my mind anyways. I got a delivery waiting at home for me of a early 70's Norlin era Lester that i purchased of the 'bay. I am stuck at work for a few more hours, and I am just waiting to go home, open the box, and get acquainted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 No Problem - This subject is kinda on my mind anyways. I got a delivery waiting at home for me of a early 70's Norlin era Lester that i purchased of the 'bay. I am stuck at work for a few more hours' date=' and I am just waiting to go home, open the box, and get acquainted![/quote'] yea, i was wondering about them, for such a , ummmmmm infamous time in gibson guitars, i could fin NOTHHING about the norlin era and congrats on the lester, is it a pancaked, 3 peice chunk of poo? or is it a badd-*** nice and heavy tone monster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 yea' date=' i was wondering about them, for such a , ummmmmm infamous time in gibson guitars, i could fin NOTHHING about the norlin era and congrats on the lester, is it a pancaked, 3 peice chunk of poo? or is it a badd-*** nice and heavy tone monster?[/quote'] Thanks for the Gratz - I am pretty sure all the early 70's were pancaked, although I am no expert on the subject. I do not think it is a chunk of poo. When I was young I had a friend with an early 70's Norlin and that Lester was Very nice sounding. I have not played the one that is waiting at home for me yet, because I purchased it on Ebay. I will post some pics tomorrow and let you know my assessment as to the sound and playability. I just could not pass up the guitar, it was meant for me to own it, and I could not easily find a replacement for the price I paid for it, I got a decent deal on it. Best regards - David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeRom Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 Yeah, I meant to say that ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted June 13, 2008 Share Posted June 13, 2008 There was a previous thread about Norlin era Gibsons that you might find interesting: http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1766 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted June 13, 2008 Author Share Posted June 13, 2008 my friend has a cherryburst 69 deluxe, its probly close to 12 pounds, but sounds like heaven its a one peice body,1 peice mahogany neck, blah blah blah.................. its really a 59 but with mini humbuckers and a bigger headstock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 There was a previous thread about Norlin era Gibsons that you might find interesting: http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1766 Thanks - Yes' date=' very interesting. A few pics of the 70 - Lester I acquired - and btw - it weighs in at 10 & 1/2 ponds and sounds Really good! [img']http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/Avidn/71lp/100_1251.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlekenny Posted June 14, 2008 Share Posted June 14, 2008 cool, are the mini switches for coil-tap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson CS Posted June 14, 2008 Author Share Posted June 14, 2008 looks great but what happened to the pickgaurd? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 cool' date=' are the mini switches for coil-tap?[/quote'] Yes the dual 3dpt mini toggles are for splitting/tapping the HB coils. Personally I wish it did not have those - Curse the one who drilled holes in the maple cap to put those switches in! _ It does create a wider variety of available sound though. Judging from the condition the guitar is in it was probably a working man's gig instrument, and most likely a favorite. There is some hefty buckle rash in the back worn through the finish, a small chip in the headstock just behind the binding, hardly noticeable, but overall the guitar is in as good or better shape than mostI have seen from player guitars of this era. Unless they were stored and not played that is. This one is not in the best shape, but definitely not in the worst. I hope I am gonna be able to keep it. Finances are teetering recently. A pic of the pots/wiring follows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avidn Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 looks great but what happened to the pickgaurd? The pick guard is a brass guard that once had gold plating' date=' which has worn through and patina'd. Along the line a prior owner had changed the hardware throughout. The tailpiece is a gibson (fine tuning) and the tune-o-matic bridge is from an unknown German manufacturer. And I will include a side pic for you to see the pancake [img']http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/Avidn/70LP/100_1155.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumar Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 so if you owne a labseries amp can it be considerd a gibson product Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 so if you owne a labseries amp can it be considerd a gibson product Wow. Talk about archives.... Yes, the Lab Series amps are very well respected, and I would call them a Gibson product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thundergod Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 At the time they owned gibson, Norlin was owned by Cervezas Nacionales del Ecuador, today "Cerveceria Nacional" which is one of the biggest beer making companies in the world after merging with others through its history. I have visited their main beer brewing plant a couple of times as I'm about to get a contract there to install a comunications system... no one in there seems to know they "were in the guitar building business" some decades ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumar Posted February 11, 2010 Share Posted February 11, 2010 Wow. Talk about archives.... Yes' date=' the Lab Series amps are very well respected, and I would call them a Gibson product.[/quote'] yeah i own a real clean l9 and i love im just curious as to its history and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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