'75 Gibson Deluxe Advice

[Mustang Martigan]

Everyday since I sold my '76 Gibson LP Standard I've regretted getting rid of it. The sale saved me from being homeless, but it would have been a fair trade off.. it was one of the diamond in the rough LPs.  

I just found a '75 Gibson LP Deluxe for 2k and I'd like to get your opinions. All I have to go on are the pictures I included in this post. 

I'm not familiar with the differences between the Standard and Deluxe models. All I can tell from looking at both is that the Deluxe has mini HBs.  This '75 had the pups swapped for full sized HBs (can't tell which type from the pic), as well as a Piezo pup installed.  

Does anyone know if the Deluxe models from' 75 have the same factory specs for the neck, or do they vary? I say factory specs cuz every LP neck seems to have it's own individual feel, even if Gibson intended for the neck to be the same. 

I'm not sure if I'm romanticizing over the older LPs or if they really are better than the current production models. I've played a ton on LPs and when I find one that I like, which can take going thru quite alot, they're either from the 70's or earlier, or the 90s-early '00s. 

Thanks.

[Cerb]

I can't help you on the differences between models but I can tell you that replacing a lost gem is difficult, even more so when you can't play the replacement first. If the one you got rid of was a diamond in the rough it was probably not because it was a mid 70's model, it was just a good guitar and good guitars can be found from any era. 

Regarding the one you are looking at, the piezo pickup lowers the value, so do the full size humbuckers if it originally had something else. Has it been routed to accomodate the full size HB's? 

[SteveFord]

This one isn't what you want.  Pass.

[Mustang Martigan]

1 hour ago, SteveFord said:

This one isn't what you want.  Pass.

 

Why not? Is it cuz the guy routed it for regular size HBs (or do some Deluxes come w/ reg HBs?) and put that Piezo in?

I'm not that concerned if that brings down the value; I'm more interested in feel and tone. I plan on swapping out the HBs with PAF clones. I'll probably take out the Piezo too, unless I end up liking it.

[Cerb]

1 hour ago, Mustang Martigan said:

 

Why not? Is it cuz the guy routed it for regular size HBs (or do some Deluxes come w/ reg HBs?) and put that Piezo in?

I'm not that concerned if that brings down the value; I'm more interested in feel and tone. I plan on swapping out the HBs with PAF clones. I'll probably take out the Piezo too, unless I end up liking it.

Those things wouldn't concern me either, just make sure the price reflects the condition. If it ends up being a piece of carbon instead of a diamond, you may want to flip it again 😉

[Eracer_Team]

What they're saying is

If it isn't what you're looking for right away, it never will be. Whether you swap the pickups, pull the piezo,  etc

You'll always be going, this isn't my 76.

 

[Mustang Martigan]

1 hour ago, Eracer_Team said:

What they're saying is

If it isn't what you're looking for right away, it never will be. Whether you swap the pickups, pull the piezo,  etc

You'll always be going, this isn't my 76.

 

 

Ahhh. I've actually gone over this in my mind and of the thing wasn't refundable I wouldn't give a second thought on passing.

I'm sure every year has it's share of the gem LPs, but are there specific eras or certain years that I should keep my eyes peeled for? Like I mentioned, I've found the 90s-early 2000s to be pretty consistent; I've played more LPs I've liked from this time period than any other. This excludes the 50s-60s.. I've only played one of these, a '62 SG; it was the coolest sounding and had the sweetest neck I've ever felt. It was really skinny for a Gibson, and I'm a fan of skinny necks. You could just feel the excellent craftsmanship. It was behind that bullet proof glass at Guitar Center. Thing cost 10k! It took a ton of sweet talking to get them to let me touch it, let alone play it!

[pippy]

The only difference (TRC apart) between the Standard and the DeLuxe was the type of pickup installed and of course the body of this one would have had to be routed to accept the larger body of the full-size humbuckers.

The p'ups on the one shown look like they were made by DiMarzio and are most probably his 'Super Distortions'. I'd agree with Steve when he said "These are not the 'droids you are looking for". There's nothing inherently 'wrong' with DiMarzio p'ups - I have  a pair myself as it happens - but the guitar in question has had too many mod's to make it (IMO) even remotely appealing.

I, too, would vote 'Pass'.

Pip.

Edited October 6, 2019 by pippy

[jdgm]

The pickup you refer to as a piezo looks to be a synth pickup, possibly Roland.

Note the maple neck.  Reverb price guide -

https://reverb.com/price-guide/guide/4450-gibson-les-paul-deluxe-1975-goldtop

[Grog]

2 hours ago, jdgm said:

The pickup you refer to as a piezo looks to be a synth pickup, possibly Roland.

Note the maple neck.  Reverb price guide -

https://reverb.com/price-guide/guide/4450-gibson-les-paul-deluxe-1975-goldtop

I was thinking that the extra pickup was a Roland Synth pickup also. Looks like it may have been modified......

[kidblast]

Are you looking for something mid 70s?  if the "build year" isn't the thing, and you're looking used. some of the mid 90s les pauls are great.

then again, I've never met a les paul I didn't like. 

since you were asking for opinions..  Am not sure I'd go for this one tho.  a deluxe routed to fit a humbucker, and the holes drilled to accommodate the peizo, would put me off the scent on the hunt for this one.  There has to be "more" available at any given moment, that have not been permanently changed with mods like this.

 

[deeman]

If you're looking for a replacement for your lost guitar, buying a heavily modified Deluxe doesn't seem to be the answer...now if you like the guitar, that's fine, but I'd recommend looking for a more in tact example.

[pippy]

36 minutes ago, Hector said:

Oh man, someone Frankened another vintage Gibson...

 

Oh, not really Hector.

For a start the modifications were almost certainly carried out in 'period' so whilst one way of looking at it today is that it's a modified/ruined c. 40-y-o guitar back then it was just another bog-standard Les Paul DeLuxe which was modded to the tonal taste(s) of the owner. It's not even as though it was anything terribly special in its day; it was the cheapest in the range - the 'entry-level' Les Paul. Between 1971 and 1979 alone (the only years I have numbers for) Gibson churned out over 35,000 of the things.

This also explains why the Reverb valuation actually puts them below most of the current LP range; they really are nothing to get all precious about. It's not because they are bad guitars; in general thay are not! It's just that they are just too commonly found to command the knowledgeable 'vintage' marketeers. One which has been modified to such an extent? Unless the buyer is after a kitsch '70s kick then it really is best to avoid this example.

IMO once again.

Pip.

Edited October 7, 2019 by pippy

[pippy]

31 minutes ago, Hector said:

Ok, I'll wager I'll buy 10 of them today.

 

Oh, my Sainted Aunt, it's you again. I should have remembered.

No-one here "Frankened another vintage Gibson." Can you not accept that as being the reality? Someone 40 years ago modified a recently made guitar to mirror what they wanted it to sound like. It was not a "vintage" guitar in any sense barring that it was made in one particular year. If we were to compile a list of the very greatest guitarists in the history of rock those who modified their instruments to better suit their individual tastes the list would include most everybody you could mention from Clapton, Hendrix, B.B. King, Gilmour, Page and, of course, the master tinkerer himself, Les Paul who couldn't let anything stay 'stock'.

Do you consider any of these folks to be "..some arsehole..." because they modified their guitar?

Every day here on this forum folks are asking about modifying Gibson guitars. Are they all "arseholes" as well?

"Ok, I'll wager I'll buy 10 of them today."

I'll wager you don't. Snaps of all ten with proof of purchase by midnight tomorrow? $1,000 to me if you don't.

Let me know.

Actually don't bother.

Pip.

Edited October 7, 2019 by pippy

[Mustang Martigan]

On 10/6/2019 at 5:13 PM, jdgm said:

The pickup you refer to as a piezo looks to be a synth pickup, possibly Roland.

Note the maple neck.  Reverb price guide -

https://reverb.com/price-guide/guide/4450-gibson-les-paul-deluxe-1975-goldtop

 

Oh damn, yer totally right. I noticed the lighter colored neck, but didn't put two n two together.

[Mustang Martigan]

10 hours ago, kidblast said:

Are you looking for something mid 70s?  if the "build year" isn't the thing, and you're looking used. some of the mid 90s les pauls are great.

then again, I've never met a les paul I didn't like. 

since you were asking for opinions..  Am not sure I'd go for this one tho.  a deluxe routed to fit a humbucker, and the holes drilled to accommodate the peizo, would put me off the scent on the hunt for this one.  There has to be "more" available at any given moment, that have not been permanently changed with mods like this.

 

 

I couldn't agree more about the mid-90 to very early 00 models. I've loved every one I played. I think I might have found a stock 97 gold top. Prob gonna jump on that one.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone! You saved me alot of potential heartache with that Deluxe.

[Big Bill]

1 minute ago, Mustang Martigan said:

 

I couldn't agree more about the mid-90 to very early 00 models. I've loved every one I played. I think I might have found a stock 97 gold top. Prob gonna jump on that one.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone! You saved me alot of potential heartache with that Deluxe.

Smart man!! Look forward to the NGD post! 👍

[Mustang Martigan]

57 minutes ago, Big Bill said:

Smart man!! Look forward to the NGD post! 👍

 

NGD post.. What's that?

[Big Bill]

21 minutes ago, Mustang Martigan said:

 

NGD post.. What's that?

"New Guitar Day". We love to post pics of our new guitars on the day they come home. We would love to see yours when you get it in your handss!😁

[Mustang Martigan]

Oh ya, what's the difference between a Standard n those 1960 models?

Something in my gut tells me to steer clear of the current production 1960s.. they've been making them since the 90s, ya?

My dream LP is an Ebony fretboard Custom, but I'd need another grand to get one of those...,

[Mustang Martigan]

7 minutes ago, Big Bill said:

"New Guitar Day". We love to post pics of our new guitars on the day they come home. We would love to see yours when you get it in your handss!😁

 

Totally. I've been talking seemingly forever about getting one of these damn things, so hopefully that day comes sooner than never!

[Big Bill]

3 minutes ago, Mustang Martigan said:

 

Totally. I've been talking seemingly forever about getting one of these damn things, so hopefully that day comes sooner than never!

So the 97 Goldtop is a no go right now? Depending on price and condition... something to consider

Edited October 7, 2019 by Big Bill

[Mustang Martigan]

6 hours ago, Big Bill said:

So the 97 Goldtop is a no go right now? Depending on price and condition... something to consider

 

I just checked, and I I either looked at it wrong, or it sold in the past few days.

What I ment by my post is that as much as I want the LP, I always seem to find something else for sale that I like just as much.

[kidblast]

3 hours ago, Hector said:

 

Yes, it is me, again.

With a differing opinion than yours, again.

Apparently that's not allowed in your book, again.

So you have to blather on and on about how I am somehow "wrong", again.

Why don't you save yourself (and everyone else  here) the aggravation, and not bother replying to my posts, no matter how "wrong" you "think" my opinion is.

Or, even easier, just add me to your ignored users list. You're now on mine.

 

in all fairness, you're both kind of right.

I had a 74 Deluxe, I almost changed out the mini's for full size.  Had someone just about to go forward with doing the work.  What stopped me was the cash to purchase the pickups, and pay for the work (I was a senior in high school.)   I had purchased the pickups, but returned them when I realized how much it would be to install.

But the point is; Back in those days, we didn't really think about what the value of these instruments would be 40 years down the road,  the thought of "Vintage" never occurred to us.

I had a 73 strat that I used as a wood shop term project, stripped the finish off and redid it, hoping to make it natural.  the finish work was good, but the underlying wood was not appropriate for a natural finish. 

These are things I would not even think about doing today.  Back then, it was an every day occurrence.

[kidblast]

13 hours ago, Mustang Martigan said:

 

I couldn't agree more about the mid-90 to very early 00 models. I've loved every one I played. I think I might have found a stock 97 gold top. Prob gonna jump on that one.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone! You saved me alot of potential heartache with that Deluxe.

that's true b/c I also have a 2002 Standard with a 60s neck  What I wasn't totally into were the 1st gen Burst Buckers, so I swapped those out and I am not sorry I did that, the rest of that axe is money.