Georgie_39 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Hi everybody: Some pics of my Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. I Bought new in 1981. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I like the Deluxe, but the '80s (the "Norlin" era) were a bad time for LPs, mostly cosmetically (ever heard of the Heritage tandard 80 LP? Perfect example). One thing that always bothered me was the lack of attention to cosmetic detail (i.e. Headstock shape, cutaway (too sharp), and the bridge/tailpiece were positioned too low, not to mention the unnecessary HS volute. I also didn't like the fact that MANY of them had/have 1-piece tops (like yours), but that's just me. Yours looks nice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 I'll politely disagree.. I think the Norlin LP's are some of the best LP's Gibson put out. IMO they have the more bitey tone, and if you had Tim Shaw pups in your Norlin, I would dare to say they are the best sounding pups ever installed on a LP.... I also like the Norlin headstocks in comparison to the LP headstocks from 1990 to now. I'll take a 72 to 82 Les Paul over any other era. I plan on hunting down a 70's deluxe at some point next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveinspain Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Wow.... You can see that is a well played Les Paul... You must be proud knowing all the wear and battle scares were done by you. Great pics!! I never saw those tuners before either.... Very nice axe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I'll politely disagree.. I think the Norlin LP's are some of the best LP's Gibson put out. IMO they have the more bitey tone' date=' and if you had Tim Shaw pups in your Norlin, I would dare to say they are the best sounding pups ever installed on a LP.... I also like the Norlin headstocks in comparison to the LP headstocks from 1990 to now. I'll take a 72 to 82 Les Paul over any other era. I plan on hunting down a 70's deluxe at some point next year.[/quote']Like I said, my main hang-up about the LPs of this era (specifically Deluxes) are mostly cosmetic, as the first LP I ever played was my uncles '75 Deluxe, but the overall look of the guitar compared to LPs of the '50s-'60s and even now, shows that there wasn't as much attention paid to the overall cosmetic detail. They DO sound/feel great, but I'm a perfectionist/traditionalist and little things/details like that just really stand out to me. Like the fact that the binding ISN'T over the fret ends#-o . I think the main problem is, Gibson ALWAYS says that these guitars are made with a "high level of craftsmanship", but yet (IMHO) they're not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Like I said' date=' my main hang-up about the LPs of this era (specifically Deluxes) are mostly cosmetic, as the first LP I ever played was my uncles '75 Deluxe, but the overall look of the guitar compared to LPs of the '50s-'60s and even now, shows that there wasn't as much attention paid to the overall cosmetic detail. They DO sound/feel great, but I'm a perfectionist/traditionalist and little things/details like that just really stand out to me. Like the fact that the binding ISN'T over the fret ends#-o . I think the main problem is, Gibson ALWAYS says that these guitars are made with a "high level of craftsmanship", but yet (IMHO) they're not. [/quote'] I've got a '70 Deluxe and it's never even crossed my mind that it was somehow inferior because it wasn't the "right" shape. Mine's a hell of a player, and I bought it to play (obviously, from the wear patterns, the various previous owners agreed with me). The Les Paul shape shifted a bit over the years, along with the depth of the top carve, the way the binding covered or did not cover the join inside the cutaway, and so on. None of it means squat to me: I prefer to be anal about the music I play, not about the tools I play it on. As to the question of quality, that's totally up to you. I can see places on my Deluxe that are not top shelf, but, again, I won't discard a player for that. It'd be like divorcing your wife because she didn't dress the way you thought she should. The fact is, "right" Les Pauls have very little attraction for me. If I didn't have the Deluxe, I doubt that I would own a Les Paul: those muddy full-size humbuckers just don't say anything to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 ..the space between the mini humbs is asking for a Super Distortion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I've got a '70 Deluxe and it's never even crossed my mind that it was somehow inferior because it wasn't the "right" shape. Mine's a hell of a player' date=' and I bought it to play (obviously, from the wear patterns, the various previous owners agreed with me). The Les Paul shape shifted a bit over the years, along with the depth of the top carve, the way the binding covered or did not cover the join inside the cutaway, and so on. None of it means squat to me: I prefer to be anal about the music I play, not about the tools I play it on. As to the question of quality, that's totally up to you. I can see places on my Deluxe that are not top shelf, but, again, I won't discard a player for that. It'd be like divorcing your wife because she didn't dress the way you thought she should. The fact is, "right" Les Pauls have very little attraction for me. If I didn't have the Deluxe, I doubt that I would own a Les Paul: those muddy full-size humbuckers just don't say anything to me.[/quote']Don't get me wrong, if I owned one I wouldn't get rid of it, but as I said before, I'm a perfectionist and VERY minor details/"imperfections" stick out like a sore thumb to me. I am in NO WAY trying to say that the Deluxe is inferior to any other LP (unless you count mini-HBs as inferior to regular HBs), but they're just (IMHO) not...consistent enough for me, cosmetically. As far as I'm concerned, if LPs are considered "works of art" the standard LP would be a Michelangelo, and the Deluxe would be a Picasso (from the abstract years), lol. J/K:d/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbonesullivan Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 sweet! glad to see a deluxe that hasn't been ruined by making it into a wannabe standard. also, doesn't the volute really help with the strength of the headstock angle area? there's a lot of wood missing there due to the truss rod adjustment cutout. and... not liking a 1 piece plain maple top? Why wouldn't you like a one piece maple top? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Georgie_39 Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Many Thanks!. She aged well and I improve enough with the time. His natural relic from the years does it a lot more comfortable to the touch. He is an excellent guitar without being the best LP than I have had. Of all ways I conserve it because was my first serious guitar (when i was 12 years old). Always i they liked the minihumbuckings, i din’t change as many did in those years. Greetings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 and... not liking a 1 piece plain maple top? Why wouldn't you like a one piece maple top? I agree. I prefer a plain top to the flame, at least for a Les Paul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 I have a '76 Deluxe, and it's "The Bomb!" Love it! I did get the stock pickups "wax potted" about a year ago, only because they had gone "micophonic," and were useless, that way. Thought then, about changing them, but decided to try having them rewound and wax potted. My guitar tech said the pickups didn't need rewinding, that they were very strong, so he just wax potted them, and now they sound fantastic!!! Some "Norlin" era guitars leave a bit to be desired....SG's (with little to NO scarfing or very narrow beveling, come to mind)..but, that is an aesthetic consideration, more than anything. I've heard some of those SG's, and they Sound just fine, in the hands of a decent player. Most "experts" agree, that the "Norlin" era was not Gibson's finest era...but, that doesn't mean there weren't some great guitars made, then. My LP Deluxe (Right), and 1980 LP Custom (Center). CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Nice. That thing is worn to perfection. Those mini buckers are begging to get swapped out for some P-90s, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba_leon Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Like I said' date=' my main hang-up about the LPs of this era (specifically Deluxes) are mostly cosmetic, as the first LP I ever played was my uncles '75 Deluxe, but the overall look of the guitar compared to LPs of the '50s-'60s and even now, shows that there wasn't as much attention paid to the overall cosmetic detail. They DO sound/feel great, but I'm a perfectionist/traditionalist and little things/details like that just really stand out to me. Like the fact that the binding ISN'T over the fret ends#-o . I think the main problem is, Gibson ALWAYS says that these guitars are made with a "high level of craftsmanship", but yet (IMHO) they're not. [/quote'] Have you ever played or owned a 50's era Les Paul? My first LP was a 76 Custom and it was the best LP I've owned or played. Re-issues are awesome guitars, but honestly I don't like the feel of some of them. I've found a lot of them too light. For those of us in our mid 30's/early forties, these LP's represent our golden age. I think this dudes LP is gorgeous and it is hard to find a plain top with such a dramatic grain nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Have you ever played or owned a 50's era Les Paul? My first LP was a 76 Custom and it was the best LP I've owned or played. Re-issues are awesome guitars' date=' but honestly I don't like the feel of some of them. I've found a lot of them too light. For those of us in our mid 30's/early forties, these LP's represent our golden age. I think this dudes LP is gorgeous and it is hard to find a plain top with such a dramatic grain nowadays. [/quote']Actually? Yes! Just because I'm young doesn't mean I haven't "been around the block" . I didn't say that ALL '70s (Norlin era) LPs were "bad", but there are a few that REALLY stand out. I was simply stating how most of these guitars (the Deluxe specifically) suffered from a lack of attention to [cosmetic] detail. Mostly due to the changeover from Kalamazoo to Nashville, as most of the people who had YEARS of experience with Gibson were shipped down to Nashville, replaced with people, most of whom, had little experiance with Gibson guitars in general, that basically had to pick up where the other guys left off. In doing so, the the quality of the LPs [of that specific period] suffered dramatically! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duane v Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Actually the quality differences between Kalamazoo and Nashville was really no different. Granted during the late 70's and early 80's the Kalamazoo plant was doing some neat one-off guitars, and handling the bulk of the custom guitar orders. But the standard production Les Paul guitars coming out of Nashville at the time were every bit as good as the Kalamazoo built instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Actually the quality differences between Kalamazoo and Nashville was really no different. Granted during the late 70's and early 80's the Kalamazoo plant was doing some neat one-off guitars' date=' and handling the bulk of the custom guitar orders. But the standard production Les Paul guitars coming out of Nashville at the time were every bit as good as the Kalamazoo built instruments.[/quote']I was mainly talking about the ones made at the exact time of the changeover, when Gibson hired new workers to fill the spots of the guys who went to Nashville. If you look at the difference in quality/craftsmanship between the late '60s-early '70s Deluxe and the mid '70s Deluxe [like the one pictured above] you can clearly see that during that time, there is a VERY clear difference. Here's what I mean: Here is a 1970 Deluxe Compared to a 1975 Deluxe Now, see what I mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAS44 Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Beautiful guitar man..... dont worry bout the whole norlin era ting I've heard that some of them are great guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted September 30, 2009 Share Posted September 30, 2009 Looks like it's got some serious mojo! I've played them before and I like 'em. Norlin era guitars get a bad wrap but honestly I can't see why.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loco Posted October 1, 2009 Share Posted October 1, 2009 Just wanted to say, these are some very nice pics of someone's pride 'n' joy: I enjoyed looking at 'em. And this fan has a real soft spot for the old LP Deluxe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
submaniac Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Cool thread. I wanna play too! '74 custom. Same year I was born. Saying something about someone's Norlin guitar is like saying someone's wife isn't very pretty. Yeah, she's old, and not as pretty as she once was..but it's still yer wife. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 All you faker/poser/wannbe guys and your Faded/Worn/Satin/Relic/Murphy-aged baloney need to see these pics! THAT is what a played guitar looks like - honest. Thanks for posting the pics from Chile! (And don't you dare take those mini-hums out of there!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Now' date=' see what I mean?[/quote']Actually, yes.... I had no idea it was so obvious. Reminds me of my Guild BluesBird from the nineties, the point was made goofy on purpose for trademark reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 I was mainly talking about the ones made at the exact time of the changeover' date=' when Gibson hired new workers to fill the spots of the guys who went to Nashville. If you look at the difference in quality/craftsmanship between the late '60s-early '70s Deluxe and the mid '70s Deluxe [like the one pictured above'] you can clearly see that during that time, there is a VERY clear difference. Here's what I mean: Here is a 1970 Deluxe Compared to a 1975 Deluxe Now, see what I mean? Yeah...and the "Wide Angle" distortion, on the bottom photo of the '75, accentuates the differences, and even makes the body look more out of proportion. So, the photos themselves, aren't exactly "apples to apples," as to being accurately representative. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted October 2, 2009 Share Posted October 2, 2009 Yeah, I get the whole parallax thing but the difference is more than I thought. I had seen it before, thinking that those photos were less than perfectly developed in the old days. Funhouse mirror effect in live shots and such... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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