[Norlin SGs...What Are They?]

 

Only a moron would say all Norlins are CRAP.......

 

I think that outside of forums (or even within it seems) the vocal majority who offer opinions on Norlin era guitars lump them all together. I'm just not certain how qualified their opinions are.

[Norlin SGs...What Are They?]

Funny you changed the pickups, may I ask you why ?

I changed the "tarback" ones on my first Custom SG, replaced them with "classic humbuckers" as they called them in 1976, out of pure "ignorance" and ended up using one of them to improve the sound of my 1989 Les Paul Standard ... so maybe these pickups weren't that bad, were they ?

 

I admit one flaw, the middle PU is out of phase with the neck PU and since they're sealed there's no way one can reverse the phase ...

 

And did the new bridge really improved the sound ?

In which way ?

 

The Tarbacks, to me, sounded less defined than a standard PAF-voiced pickup. By that I mean the clarity between strings. Power chords sounded awesome - big punch, but more refined chords, even 7th's, were muddy. Bite and attack was not as prevalent with the Tarbacks on leads. The Pat. No. Sticker'd pickups are a vast improvement to the style of music I play - 60s/70s rock, blues.

 

The new bridge really enhanced the strings' energy. This is most evident acoustically (I can feel it now when playing) - and it probably adds to the clarity of the notes.

 

I'm not saying the Tarbacks are bad pickups. I'm saying for the style of music I play, truer to spec PAF style pickups work best to suit the need.

 

I am saying the electronic's were less than desirable, for me.

 

I am saying the strings' engery seemed to die on the old bridge - not allowing it to pass to the body of the guitar.

[Norlin SGs...What Are They?]

I picked out my '76 SG Standard when it was brand new in 1977. I loved the look and the tone I heard from earlier players of the model. It was my first real guitar, and I knew nothing about Norlin or anything else for that matter... the look, the tone.

 

I also loved the way it felt right out of the box. It felt like quality, and played like a dream. I didn't have an amp for the longest time, but played through a friend's Marshall that must've been a plexi considering it was a beat up looking head setting on top of a 4x12. I thought it sounded great, but my friend - who was a gigging musician - wasn't so impressed. I thought it was because he was jealous that mine was new, and his old Les Paul was tired and worn out (it was a '58!). Again, I knew nothing about guitars then.

 

Anyway, I still have this guitar, and over time I was 'educated' that my guitar was inferior because it was made during the Norlin era. The only thing I found inferior was the electronics and hardware - probably some Norlin cost-cutting thing. The fit and finish have held up nicely - but I decided that since I will always own this guitar to make some changes. Although my friend's '58 Les Paul was never a fair comparison, I'll put my SG up against any slim 60s neck'd SG.

 

Swaps (all original stuff is in the case):

 

Tarback humbuckers to Gibson Pat. No. Sticker'd humbuckers

Stock elex to RS Guitarworks Superpots 500K & 500K tones; vintage .022uF Bumble Bees

Stock Schaller (harmonica "weird large bridge") to Callaham ABR-1 & studs

Stock stopbar to Gotoh aluminum & TonePros locking studs

Speed knobs to 1971 Gibson knobs (came with my ES-175)

 

Granted, the upgrades cost more than what I paid for my '76 SG w/ case in 1977, but it's 4 times the guitar it was.