Towser83 Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Hey, was just wondering what people think of the Deluxe? I'm speaking more of the originals not the reissues. Are they seen as cheap, crappy Les Pauls or kind of cool variants? I've had my Les Paul Deluxe goldtop for 9 years and at the time I didn't really want a deluxe it just happened to suit me more than any other guitar I played (great action, lovely neck, beautiful sound etc). Then shortly afterwards I became a big Who fan and was amazed that Townshend played the Deluxes. Also people like Scott Gorham played them too, and although I love the look and sound of the minihumbuckers (in my mind they have a classic Les Paul sound on gain but crisper on clean sounds, less warm and jazzy which suits me nicely) I've never shaken the feel that I don't have a "proper" Les Paul. So I'm curious to what other people think. Who loves them, who hates them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxboron Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Hey' date=' was just wondering what people think of the Deluxe? I'm speaking more of the originals not the reissues. Are they seen as cheap, crappy Les Pauls or kind of cool variants? I've had my Les Paul Deluxe goldtop for 9 years and at the time I didn't really want a deluxe it just happened to suit me more than any other guitar I played (great action, lovely neck, beautiful sound etc). Then shortly afterwards I became a big Who fan and was amazed that Townshend played the Deluxes. Also people like Scott Gorham played them too, and although I love the look and sound of the minihumbuckers (in my mind they have a classic Les Paul sound on gain but crisper on clean sounds, less warm and jazzy which suits me nicely) I've never shaken the feel that I don't have a "proper" Les Paul. So I'm curious to what other people think. Who loves them, who hates them?[/quote'] subjective comment. 100/2 = 50 50% loves them, 50% hates them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I own a '76 LP Deluxe, and Love it! (on the lower right) CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towser83 Posted October 26, 2009 Author Share Posted October 26, 2009 Nice Deluxe there :D Mine's a 77. Quite weird in that it has a maple neck! I Know (I think I know..) some of the sunburst ones have a sunburst painted neck too, has yours got that or just the standard Mahogany? Nice Custom too, one day I hope to own enough Les Pauls to do a picture like yours haha. You've just kickstarted a desire for the double cutaways too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 Mine has a solid colored neck, but it is 3-piece maple, as they were, then. I know what you're talking about, though. I've seen those, as well. Thanks, for the nice comments, on my other LP's, too. The "Classic" (on the lower left) is the only one with a figured top. I usually like "Plain tops" for some reason. But, I liked the suble "flame" or striping, in that one. And the Double cuts are great! The Red and Black ones aren't made anymore... they were LP "Junior Lite's." The TV yellow one is the "faded" version, that I've upgraded to my own preferences, not because it "needed" it, at all. Cheers, CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockstar232007 Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 The "problem" with the DeLuxe (or ANY Norlin-era LP for that matter) is the consistency of their overall construction, or look if you will. Some of them look perfect, and some...well, let's just say that some of them aren't very good looking. Not that they don't/might not sound good, but IMHO a guitar (especially a GIBSON) should look as good as it sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted October 26, 2009 Share Posted October 26, 2009 I love the deluxe with those min-humbuckers. A 70's deluxe was the first LP I ever played and fell in love with but sadly I do not own one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildobbin Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 I bought a sunburst LP Deluxe in '75 (my first "real" guitar) & just could not get on with the mini-humbuckers (probably to do with the fact I was running it into a late '60's Twin Reverb: far too clean) & sadly got rid of both a couple of years later. Wish I still had them now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towser83 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 The "problem" with the DeLuxe (or ANY Norlin-era LP for that matter) is the consistency of their overall construction' date=' or look if you will. Some of them look perfect, and some...well, let's just say that some of them aren't very good looking. Not that they don't/might not sound good, but IMHO a guitar (especially a GIBSON) should look as good as it sounds.[/quote'] Yeah I know what you're saying, I agree the looks are a big part for me. The funny thing is, I love how mine looks even though I never liked goldtops before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towser83 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 I bought a sunburst LP Deluxe in '75 (my first "real" guitar) & just could not get on with the mini-humbuckers (probably to do with the fact I was running it into a late '60's Twin Reverb: far too clean) & sadly got rid of both a couple of years later. Wish I still had them now... Yeah I think on a clean sound the mini humbuckers sound pretty different to normal sized ones, with some drive on them it's not that different. You still get the sustain and nice bass fullness but perhaps a bit more top end compared to some humbuckers. It kind of works for what I play, which is handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lpdeluxe Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Burst-obsessed collectors think that anything else is inferior, but Les Paul himself loved the Deluxe. Me, I don't like the sound of full-size humbuckers in a Les Paul (although they sound fine in my 335), and, if I didn't have a Deluxe with minis, I wouldn't own an LP at all. It's a shame that a lot of people think the way you do, because that leads to Deluxes constantly being mutilated to make them into "real" Les Pauls. The Deluxe was a clever way to fit humbuckers into cavities already routed for P90s, and the result, to my ear, was a serendipitous delight: the sustain of the Les Paul without the muddiness of the larger pickups. Gibson obviously took them seriously: manufacture of the Deluxe continued for many years after the re-introduction of the Standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted October 27, 2009 Share Posted October 27, 2009 Yeah, I like "Mini-humbuckers!" I have 3 guitars with them. My '76 LP Deluxe, Epiphone Riviera, and AIUSA Epiphone Sheraton II. They work well, in all of them. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Towser83 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Share Posted October 27, 2009 Burst-obsessed collectors think that anything else is inferior' date=' but Les Paul himself loved the Deluxe. Me, I don't like the sound of full-size humbuckers in a Les Paul (although they sound fine in my 335), and, if I didn't have a Deluxe with minis, I wouldn't own an LP at all. It's a shame that a lot of people think the way you do, because that leads to Deluxes constantly being mutilated to make them into "real" Les Pauls. The Deluxe was a clever way to fit humbuckers into cavities already routed for P90s, and the result, to my ear, was a serendipitous delight: the sustain of the Les Paul without the muddiness of the larger pickups. Gibson obviously took them seriously: manufacture of the Deluxe continued for many years after the re-introduction of the Standard.[/quote'] If you mean me, I love my deluxe and the only Les Paul that I love as much is the Les Paul custom black beauty. I guess I just felt people looked down on the deluxe as much as I love it. I'm actually glad to see some love for it here. That's why I posted this, was interested to see what different people think now. I mean I could've actually bought a Les Paul custom 1972 for less money when I got my Deluxe, but the Deluxe won out in every department (apart from maybe looks) Didn't know that the deluxe was loved by les paul! Although I don't think he liked the arch top either. But I would certainly never mutilate a deluxe, what's the point? Although I do have a desire to get a 76 wine red and Townshend customise it with the extra seymour duncan and toggles. Don't know if I'd have the guts too though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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