I have a late 60s/early 70s Gold top Deluxe that I bought second hand as a kid. It was the only Gibson that I could afford at the time and I bought it not knowing anything, only that it was a Gibson and my heroes played them. It weighs around 11 lbs and was difficult to play cos there was a hump in the fret board around fret 9 and the bridge was bent forward due to strings pushing on the back of it. I eventually had these issues fixed and 47 years later it plays and sounds like a dream.
I also have a 69 Deluxe which l purchased in 72, it's still a great player guitar, stuck a Lollar P90 in the bridge position. Gotta have a P 90 Paul ya know!
I did the same with my 1974 Gibson 20th Anniversary Les Paul Custom! I'd messed with it so not original now, like we did when we were in our teens. I spent the same on it as I paid for it!😂 Now it plays and sounds like it should have done 50 years ago!
I have an early 1978 LP Pro Deluxe with P90s. Very heavy. Ebony fretboard. Stunning looks. I bought the guitar in 1980 together with a Music Man 210 135W amp for around $1200 from a dude with more than a fleeting interest in recreational drugs in my home town of Malmö, Sweden. I still use both of them and for a very long time, they were my principal setup, most of the time with just a cable between the guitar and the amp. The P90s into that amp not only takes you to distortion heaven, but it also delivers the sweetest clean, jazzy tones you can think of. The neck is so easy to play, I can play faster on that guitar than on any other guitar I have ever come across. It’ll stay with me until my terminal breath… :-)
I have a '75 Les Paul Custom and I love it... in my years of trying out various Les Pauls (my absolute favorite guitar), I've come to believe that it's less that all of the Norlin-era guitars were crap and more that there was significantly more variance in quality control during that period. There were definitely singular bad build decisions made at that time, but there are some amazing guitars to be found from that time period (it just takes a bit more hunting around for them).
I don’t hate Norlin era Gibsons. I own one (got it used and modded, I modded it some myself, but the neck, frets, body, toggle switch, two of the pots, output jack, strap knobs, nut, bridge & tailpiece posts, and most if the wiring are original- it didn’t have the original pickups, knobs or machine heads when I bought it, and I changed all of those.) it’s about 10 pounds. I love it. The feel is original. I love the volute, no issues with it or the pancake body. It feels like an extension of myself. I have played many other Gibsons from this time frame. And most of them were good, some were much better. Yes there were duds, all companies have that, but never write them off without checking them out first.
The 70's Gibson argument aside, can we just take a moment to appreciate Chris' spectacular playing in this video? I know it's become routine with his videos but, still...
Fab video once again Chris, and I received my signed copy of the live album today, so thank you to all of you in the band, for taking the time to not only make amazing music, but to sign the CD for me too! 👍❤️
This broke young kid walked into a music store in San Francisco in 1973 with just enough money to pay the rent and convinced the owner to let him play a beautiful new cherry sunburst LP Custom that was hanging high up on the wall. Put it on layaway and picked it up a month later. Took 6 months to finally afford a little fender amp! I am fortunate enough to own some excellent guitars now, but it is still the best guitar I've ever played. I did put in Schaller tuners and the Gibson TP-6 tailpiece a little later and that solved the tuning problems with that guitar. Unfortunately at 10 lbs I can't gig any more 4 hour sets with it.
Got a white LP Custom 20th anniversary there. I discovered the invoice price and offered him $50 over. He had several that I tried, and he accepted. $550 with case! Later traded straight across for a beautiful 1961 Byrdland. Still miss both more than my girlfriend at the time.😂
After watching all the way through, Chris's playing never fails to amaze me. You have a signature style that leaves no doubt as to who is playing. You can quickly recognize Beck, Page, Stevie, BB and Albert King and now Chris
Everyone hated them 25 years ago. Then the 50s and 60s ones got too expensive for most so people reevaluated them because it’s all they could afford in terms of vintage. But, to be honest, they were probably never as bad as people said and they’re probably not as good as their prices would suggest today.
@@SeanOHanlon Like I said, people only started valuing them when they found themselves priced out of the older guitars. Guys who would’ve laughed at a Norlin era Les Paul having a premium on it quietly started appreciating them when it was clear they’d never own a 50s LP. Personally, I wouldn’t pay more than the price of a new LP for one but people want to own “vintage” to convince themselves they’re worth it.
I have a '74 deluxe goldtop and I love it to bits. The mini humbuckers have a great sound especially the neck pick-up is lovely. It's full and warm, yet with more bite than the Les pauls
I played a '73 LP Deluxe gold top during my prime rock 'n roll years. I had always wanted a Custom but never could seem to afford one back then. The pickups were good and loud on the Deluxe, but I truthfully never was a fan of gold tops and ended up getting rid of it when I started playing full time in a country band. Now I have a Custom and I'm playin' it in the bedroom and also in a worship team environment...at least I finally got one. : )
I love the custom. I'm a lefty so they're rare air and mighty spendy. I had to settle for an Epi Custom Pro and as much as I frown on the old boat oar of a head stock, the guitar is beautiful. It's got all upgraded electronics including Pro Buckers with CTS Pots and 50's wiring. It sounds amazing, but it's still a notch or two away from sounding like the real deal.
My first Gibson was a 73/74 (pots date to November of 73 so it could be an early 74) cherry sunburst Custom that I bought for 350 bucks from my guitar teacher in high school. I played that guitar all throughout the 80’s in various bands and it never failed me. I have owned many Les Pauls from the 70’s 80’s 90’s and 2000’s mostly customs and the only ones Ive held onto is the 73/74 custom and a 1990 Custom in alpine white that has aged into a nice cream color ala Randy Rhoads 😁
I've got a '75 LP Standard with a maple neck, furniture grade mahogany body, and the label on the back of the headstock says LP Deluxe. I bought it from a guy who put Dimarzio super distortion pickups. It probably sounded OK through an icepick Marshall Amp, but was a muddy midrange mess through my Vibrolux Reverb. I replaced the pickups with split coil Bill Lawrence L-450's and push-pull tone control pots to switch between single coil and HB. Now it gives balanced tone in HB, and P-90 in single coil. A great player guitar.
Jeez man, that last clip was friggin' immense! I had my '62 335 valued at ATB a couple of weeks ago and he apologised for being a bit upside down due to filming...
Chris plays as though the guitar is a singer, with a singer's melodic line and phrasing. And with a singer's natural dynamics. Human beings are naturally attuned to human voices, and the more a guitar sounds like a human being singing, crying or screaming, the more it makes a connection with us. Or is that just me? :-)
Guitars weren't the only products to suffer from poor American manufacturing quality in the '70s - cars and motorcycles were garbage, furniture and buildings were built to be replaced every 5 years, it was all terrible.
That’s because we’re all about “commerce, commerce, commerce”. Built-in obsolescence and all that stuff. Everything is ultimately “disposable”, including us.
I certainly agree with your comment except houses weren't built to be replaced in 5 years but they were built like crap. But you said buildings so you might be right on that one too. The 70s marked the time of big government moving in to control businesses through very high taxes and high inflation. Not to mention the workforce was stoned hippies. I would say that since 2008 US manufacturing has been declining into obsolescence as it suffers from every type of decline.
Seems to be true from the pass down toys I received in the early 80s and from brass instruments from the big name companies too (though dusted mud 60s for brass instruments) even have the same issues you describe of the Gibsons, heavy and dead sounding not all but a lot
You are one heck of a player- must be nice to be able to play so well! Les Pauls are great guitars, mine had horrible pick- ups but after replacing them with cheap ones that actually sound way better it sounds as well as it plays- great neck and fingerboard- oh, also replacing the bridge with an aftermarket one saved me from continuous broken strings, love it now (77) great guitar! 🍄👍
Came across this video by accident and I'll say; Wise words and the playing at the end is second to none. Will you do any gigs in Sweden in a foreseeable future? //BR, Peter
I had a late '80s (maybe early '90a) Cherry 'burst LP Custom. Big mistake. I wasn't up on the details of models of Les Pauls, and I was getting a monster deal because my father played tennis with the store owner (Victor Litz Music in Gaithersburg, MD). Super heavy, binding on the back, triple layered binding, gold hardware, huge clunky hard plastid case, etc... Happy to sell it. Then I got a gem - a 2005/6 Heritage Cherry 'burst Standard with a top that was at least a AAA I've never seen a more mind-blowing tiger striped either in person or from a picture. The perfect LP - sweetly clean/overdriven, roared like hellzapoppin; when cranked and distorted. Great sustain, green tuners, parallelogram markers, top hat knobs, completely and stunningly GORGEOUS, I was STOOOOOOOOPID enough to sell it when hard financial times hit. Well, I was never able to properly buy another one and I don't think I will ever be able to (the $2499 price tag back then has gone to $3199 for a AAA top PLUS $300 to have it Plek'd) - and the "Tiger Striping?" I checked on Sweetwater. I'm only a basement hacker with little gig experience, and I was going to bequeath it to my son when the time comes. I'll never forgive myself.
Those mini humbuckers are great. I got one off a friend who'd bought a 70s SG Special and replaced the black-covered mini humbuckers with DiMarzios. I put the pickup he gave me on my mid-seventies Tele when the neck pickup conked out and what a sound; both on its own and together with the Fender bridge pickup.
As usual, exquisite guitar playing!!! I owned a "Kalamazoo" Les Paul most likely made in 1979, with the short-lived open face T-top humbuckers. It had a horrible looking finish that resembled a tequila sunrise mixed drink. The neck was also baseball bat thick, and looking back on it now, I have no idea why I bought it. It sounded just fine and the action was quite good, but overall, that guitar and I just never bonded. My favorite Les Paul in my collection now is my Y2K 1960 Classic in honeyburst finish, and that one has been my #1 LP since I got it back in 2003 or so. We clicked from the start, and when I had Jim Wagner's "Fillmore" pickups installed in it, it really came alive! The finish is pretty battered now, having survived Hurricane Katrina, but I will NEVER part with that guitar. I was fortunate in that my first real guitar was a '62 Gibson SG Special that I never should have let get away ............
This is a tired alarm. So many videos start out with '70's this" or 'Mini-Humbuckers that' or "Norlin something other". But the fact is, these guitars, with their pancake bodies and 3 piece necks are showing up as very strong and stable and capable of lasting the years. Ever ask yourself why it's easy to find a '70's Les Paul? It may be because people have believed the stank stories about the Norlin area, but it certainly is because those guitars last incredibly long. I bought a new Deluxe Gold Top in '72, and I still play it every day - no major service of any kind. It has easily been played most of my 10,000 hours. If you're needing vintage, a '70's Les Paul is your best bang for the buck.
So true. I have a 75 deluxe, blonde top, standard HB, all stock. Bought it from a friend in the early 80's. IIRC the deluxe was released in 69 by Gibson. It was a hybrid of a 59 body and a slimline 60 neck. It's not replaceable to me.
I got several 70s Customs. All of them great instruments. The youngest is a 1980 and my favourite guitar. Regarding pickups you have a point. Partly I swapped them out for alternatives. But the 3-piece necks did not need any adjustment for the last up to 34 years during my ownership.
The ones that were crafted better than others (i've seen quite a few things with norlins - loose neck joints, misplaced bridges,...) surely last well! I think the bigger downside of those era guitars is the weight and you really have to be lucky to find a good sounding one. I've oned a couple of norlins and sold them all eventually as in the long run i found a few modern reissues that played and sounded way better. I wish I found a good norlin, kinda like their appearance!
@@chrisdanner1173 "Loose neck joints?" Had dozens of Norlin Era Gibsons and NEVER came across any "loose neck joints" on which model? Personally I hate most re-issue stuff as they sound and play like shitty soul-less new guitars compared to VINTAGE Gibsons (which is what Norlin is! VINTAGE not re-issue)
@@PrettyRecords I had it two times on late 70's LP customs... I have to say the recent reissues sound way closer to my 50's/60's and have more soul than any of the norlins I've had...
I went into my local music store in 1976 intent on buying a Les Paul. They had six to chose from which each one I went over the fit and finish prior to plugging in. Every single one looked like crap with finish flaws and mostly the worse binding work you can imagine. The salesman was with me and after I rejected all of the Les Pauls, he handed me a new Electra Les Paul set neck copy (the one with the plug in effect modules in the back). The finish work and playability was outstanding and when plugged in sounded spectacular. Still have that guitar today. The only downside 48 years later is a large difference in resale value between my 76 Electra and a 76 Les Paul. Oh well, its not for sale anyway!
Yes, there were a few cream puffs made during the Norlin Era, but as a young Gibson Girl, I never ran into them. There was the early or mid 70s SG I had in the early 90s, that screamed, but wouldn't stay in tune for more than 2 or 3 songs (ugh!). There was mid to late 70s Les Paul Signature (basically an ES-335 with a Les Paul style lower cutaway, and low impedance humbuckers) that I had while I was attending the University of WIsconsin in the 80s, that had the infamous super skinny "speed neck" (1.56" nut width), that I wondered why I every put up with it, considering that I play classical style, with my thumb behind its cramped neck (which I found out had the very rare for that model, tobacco sunburst finish, that makes it pretty valuable nowadays). Oh yeah, and the piece de resistance for heavy guitars - the 1980 Howard Roberts Fusion, that was my main gigging guitar for most of the 90s. You think a 10 lb guitar is heavy? Out of curiosity, I weighed the guitar on a calibrated scale - it weighed 13 lbs! Well that certainly explained why by the end of the 2nd set, it felt like my shoulder was ready to fall off. Oh yeah, and all too often, up through the 90s, if you wanted a Gibson or for that matter a Fender made in the 70s and early 80s, you tried out multiple guitars, due to the fact that so many of them were duds when you played them with regards to sound and playability. Even the aforementioned Howard Roberts was only bought by me after trying out 5 different guitars at Dave's Guitar Shop (one other one of the 5 tried out [a 1964 Firebird] was also decent, but at $2500 in 1992 dollars, was way more than I could afford).
Great content Chris. I have a 72 Les Paul Deluxe and yes, it has all of the derided features of a 70's Gibson. Volute, 3 piece maple neck, 3 piece maple cap, pancake body and mini humbuckers. I guess I got lucky as mine plays really well and I really enjoy playing it. I have other post Norlin era Gibsons and it stands up very well against them for me.
I had a 73 Deluxe and it was magnificent. Every time I played with a Les Paul Standard player they would be stunned at the nuance and flavor the little humbuckers would get.
Chris. Beautiful . Your playing ALWAYS lifts me up. I am going to try to make the Nashville show . Have a special needs, son, he will dictate if we go ( single parent , my wife passed away) . But We are going to give it our best effort. Absolutely love to listen to you play.
I bought a 1970s Deluxe in the early 80s. It wasn't very expensive and, at the time, I wasn't really clear on all the differences between a Deluxe, Standard and Custom. It just happened that someone I knew was selling one and it was a chance to have a real Gibson. It served me well for most of the time I was playing live regularly. Once I had a bit of spare money (much later) it received a re-fret. The originals were on the low side of comfortable.
Own a 73 SG Deluxe, bought new. An odd one. They moved the neck into the body by about an inch or so, but they continued to use the same body, same pickup cutouts, and same scale length. The bridge pickup is about an inch farther away from the bridge compared to earlier and later SG's. The neck pickup is where an LP would have it, unlike earlier and later SG's. Bridge pickup sounds less shrill, and the neck pickup sounds like an LP. I can get Tele tones out of that bridge pickup. The vibrato is unusable, but this is my favorite guitar. Sounds great, is versatile, and the neck is perfect after all these years. Still playing it live.
I was fortunate enough to purchase my 'one-day guitar' - a 70-72 ES335 TD Walnut. MOP block inlays. It is an absolute joy to the soul to play. It delivers the 60s vintage tone and feel I was hoping for without the high price. My thinking was, unlike the solid bodies of the Norlin era, there wasn't a significant change yet in the construction methods from the much desirable, 335s of the 60's era. In the early 70s Norlin were using the same wood stock from the 60's, as they transitioned to more economical construction methods and perhaps compromised QC systems later that decade as the oil crisis affected the economy, they had to stay competitive to the emerging Japan market. I saw it as a way to buy the 60's vibes without the 'house-deposit' price tag. I have a modest but reasonably good quality collection, consisting of 80s MIJ Burnys and Greco Les Pauls, Flying Vs and US and MIJ Firebirds. A Knaggs and a Gibson Custom Shop made to VOS. I play them all for the different characters - *BTW, vintage MIJ is amazingly good when comparing to the US equivalent. Buy 3x vintage MIJs or one US? Comparing the 335 to any of these guitars, there is a vintage sound and feel that truly sets this guitar apart. Something soulfully historic embedded within. A highly skilled person made it with care, pride and a deep knowledge. Probably the same people who made the 335s in the 60s. (?) Who cares that it's a 3 piece neck (?) I think I got it right on this one. Thank you Norlin era for giving us 70's kids, 'affordable' vintage Gibsons. :)
I own a 1969 Gold Top Deluxe with P90s installed. I believe these must have been a retrofit. I'm NOT a Gibson fanboi, I'm a Fender guy. Having said that, I played this guitar when the previous owner, a mate, brought it to work in one day (in a guitar shop where we both worked). I was *astounded* by the sound and I made him promise that he would sell me the guitar if he ever parted with it. Fast forward a few years and I now own it. The luthier I engaged to refret its super low frets, told me that it was a real ripper. It has a three piece neck (which are very stable btw) but a 'non-pancake' body.
Chris, I really, really, really wish you would release exclusively guitar music. Few things bring as much musical satisfaction as listening to your playing. I like Cardinal Black okay, but as with most every other band, vocals get in the way unless they are over-the-top exceptional. It’s YOUR playing I want to hear, and I’m left grasping for incomplete examples in your videos.
Honestly, instrumental guitar music doesn't interest me in the slightest, either as a listener or as a writer. That's not to denigrate it as a genre; it's just not for me...as music with vocals isn't for you. Part of enjoying what I do and being able to stay motivated is writing and playing music that I love and enjoy listening to. Maybe in the future, who knows but for the time being, unfortunately not.
The 70s were my formative years as a guitar player. All I knew then were the infamous Norlin guitars. I lusted after a Les Paul Custom, inspired by people like John McLaughlin, Robert Fripp and a guy I knew in a local band who had, what I thought at the time, the coolest looking LP Custom in that dark wine red finish. I never did get a Custom, but I did have a '73 Deluxe that had been routed for full size humbuckers before receiving its usual mini-buckers and some nasty looking cover plates. These features would now be considered cool and collectible, I suppose. People are weird.
My 70 deluxe has those. Goof rings or goof hiders I think they are called. Funny thing is, I had the guitar since around 98, and no idea they were anything unusual until someone said to me last year 'oh, I've never seen a deluxe like that before...' :D Anyway I don't think they add any desirability, probably the opposite, but the guitar is wonderful.
I had a boat anchor late 70s LP Custom back in the day. Kinda wish I still had it around for sentimental sake (my first "real" guitar). Your playing just slays me.
I still have my 11 lbs '79 LP Custom along with the lifelong warranty registration card with my name on it. Still love her for the full and utterly heavy sound. All the sh*tty parts (pickups, bridge, pots) have been replaced over the years. Love the 3-piece maple neck with the volute, the high grade ebony board, the color, the buzzsaw case and the overall quality. It's the epitome of a player in great condition. I don't take her out for gigs anymore, considering her and my age. Adam Jones can't be all that wrong with his silverburst, can he?
My primary guitar is a 1978 ES335 with a 3 piece neck, I love it. I've played a few 70's Les Pauls, and I tend to like most of them, especially Deluxes.
It's funny how everybody used to hate mini humbuckers (and threw them in the bin and fitted soapbars to Deluxes) because they were considered a bit weedy and too bright, and now people have realised that all the classic PAF humbucker sounds they liked were nice toppy, underwound pickups. An American friend once told me that the trick with mini humbuckers is to roll the tone back to 7 or 8 and I found it very useful advice. Also the Gibson 'T-Top' full sized HB is raved about now, and quite rightly so. 70s Gibsons will never be golden age but there's nothing wrong with a good Deluxe, or a 335 with T-Tops.
In March of 1974 I heard that Guitar Center in Hollywood had the Les Paul that we had been wanting Gibson to make , a '59 Sunburst reissue .. When I was driving over the hill into Hollywood I was imagining a Les Paul with the '59 specs , beautiful flame maple top with a faded sunburst finish , 17 degree headstock angle , you know , that hope that it had really been done proper . I get inside and ask for the Sunburst reissue and there they were . The deflation felt bad ... There were 3 of them maybe 5 .. it's been awhile . They were the Les Paul Standard with the pancake body , probably 3 piece neck , large headstock , brown to yellow sunburst finish on the body and back of the neck .. but , they had the large humbuckers ! That was cool .. one had a five or so piece top where all the pieces had flame but only one had a 2 piece center seam top . To me it played the best and sounded the best . I bought it and moved to Corpus Christi , Tx a few days later . After a few weeks I picked up a Fender blond Bassman head for $35.00 and plugged it into my Cerwin Vega G35 ? 2 - 12 cabinet that had the ER 123 speakers and that combination was unreal .. that guitar was a gem and it liked what I had plugged it into . I played a lot of Gibsons and Fenders during the '70s that really were bad guitars .. I have also played some vintage guitars that were duds . There are '59 Sunbursts that are a polished turds ... Its a by chance situation , you find a guitar where all the woods work together and the neck feels right in your hand .. yeah ! You just never know .. to finish this rant , I worked in a guitar store for 18 years and we had Gibson for a bit but had Fender the whole time that I was there . One day a friend came in and asked to see the best Strat in the store . The best one ? I walked over to a Squier Affinity and tried to hand it to him and he told me not to waste his time .. he wanted the best Strat in the shop . He played a Custom Shop , a Clapton model , American Std ..... Once again I offered and dared him to play the Squier ... He finally took it and played a few riffs and licks and then wrapped both of his arms around it and told me I would never get it back .. funny , it was always the black ones that would have that neck that played and sounded great .. not bad for $149.00 .. if it works it works.. go figure
Blonde Bassman and Cabinet just casually in the background. My Dads LP Custom is very heavy but sounds awesome, Gibson engraved pickups, needs a refret. My 74 Wine Red Deluxe is a standout guitar and I'm so lucky to have it, pancake or not. The other thing to think about is a guitar that old has probably been worked on, if that work is good, you're in. You're playing on the goldtop is the best (to me and my taste) I've heard you do. Great video thanks.
In the mid 1980's I bought a 1978 Standard, that as soon as I picked it up and played it, I knew it was special , so i bought it. It is still one one my favorite guitars, and plays better than any other Les Paul I had ever played before and since. As far as sound goes, the front Dirty Fingers pickup is amazing, although I'm not a fan of the stock treble/bridge pickup.
Always loved the Deluxe as a kid. My friend had one in the band and it sounded great w/mini hum buckers. Still have not owned anything with the mini hb on it...someday...
My Brother has a Norlin era black LP Custom that is a fantastic guitar both in playability and sound and isn't really heavy. It weighs in at 9.3 pounds, not heavy, but not a featherweight either. but having said that, i have an Edwards John Sykes model that aside from the pancake body of the Norlin is so close you would think the Japanese studied a 70"s LP Custom when they designed the guitar, it even weighs exactly 9.3 pounds. Cheers
I always enjoy your videos and your playling. I have a 1976 Deluxe that I love. One of the best feeling guitars I've ever played and the mini humbuckers sound fantastic. Beautiful cherry sunburst with a lot of wear, mostly from me ( got it in 1980). The one thing I will complain about is the weight - close to 12 lbs! I used to gig with it a lot, but I'm in my 60s now so it stays home. Still love to play it on the couch.
I have had a few SGs. They can be dogs from any era. They can be more difficult to set up than a Les Paul - at least if the neck is slim. Less mass or something, so I find there's a very narrow sweet spot for where the truss rod needs to be. It needs just the right amount of tension on it to resonate properly, or the feel and sound of the guitar can go all wonky. Worth doing though, because my current SG Standard is my fav guitar when I get the setup right (no tail wrap either, because it messes with that tension thing, but my Les Paul is better with the tail wrap, as was a SG I had that had a shallow neck joint angle that required a tail wrap to get the tailpiece lower).
Being in 'that' age group, I had a 74 SG with the Harmonica bridge. That was a Schaller bridge and I've personally always liked that bridge. The much more flimsy and sagging narrower ones were never my cup of tea: made of Zamac and with a rusting guitar string to keep the saddles in place? I had one on a 57 Gold Top, on a V and a 'Bird, on a 92 LP... I've never understood the 'hate' on the Schaller (harmonica) bridge
People only hate them because they read on forums that they are bad and just believe it as well as repeat it. I was lucky to first experience 70's Gibsons with no prejudice and honesty, 2 of my top 5 guitars ever are 70's Gibsons. Wonderfully thin necks, not the baseball bats of the 50's. Incredible as a 16 year old to discover these old guitars that did everything I'd have wanted from a modern "shredder" guitar. Honestly, if anyone played a 70's Gibson objectively, no one would care about '59's.
I worked in a guitar shop in the mid-late 70's & owned few, 60's & 70's models(my 1st good electric was a White LP. Sold it w/in 8 months). I can assure you MANY of the Norlin Gibson pickups were replaced soon after purchase. I still have a labeled bridge humbucker I replaced for a player. The early market was lead by DiMarzio. I got better response from Bill Lawrence (& still have a few of those).
My first 'good' guitar was a 1974 Gibson SG standard walnut, with bigsby, in 1975 at 18 yrs old. I must have struck lucky, it was a fantastic instrument. Took me 6 months or so to set it up to my liking, gigging from the off. There wasn't the information available back then, everything was DIY. Lasted me until 1983, when my wife persuaded me I didn't need that and my fender telecaster, so I sold it to buy a fridge 😆 But I have to say, the quality was impeccable. I wonder what happened to it 🤔 Great video, brought back many memories 👍
I own a 75 Deluxe Natural finish that is exceptional. Someone routed the bridge pickup for a T Top and left the mini in the neck. It’s a great combo. Somehow I got lucky buying online on a firearms forum of all things. I also have a 74 Stratocaster that is fantastic. They are out there but the big thing is to play before you buy. The mini hum neck tone is better to me than even a PAF. You get much more chime and treble than a traditional himbucker.
I had a Les Paul Artisan from 1978. One piece mahagony body and 3 piece maple top, 3 piece maple neck. Very heavy Les Paul and by far the best Les Paul i ever had. Was silly enough to sell it, because of "comfort". I own a 1978 Gibson Super 400 - GREAT guitar, beautiful built. Not the great OPTIC tiger wood, but superb sounding tone wood. So.. my experience with late 70s Gibsons is a very good one and i named the two best of them.
My RD77 was a great guitar, loved the thin, slightly wider neck, and the Moog pre-amp in it. Was my goto guitar for 20 years. My buddy's 1974 goldtop (law-suit) Ibanez, was just amazing.
My favorite spec is the '68 Custom, with that less steep headstock and maple cap. I have a '22 Reissue, and can only imagine how good an original sounds. These guitars all sounded and looked fine to me.
I actually just brought a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty recently (play it on my channel), and it now may be my favorite guitar. What most people don't realize is that the "signature" Les Paul sound really is the Norlin era/70s Customs. I can name way more rock and metal players who played 70s Customs than the original 58/59 Bursts. That's in part because there weren't a lot of late 50s Les Paul bursts produced, so stock was always limited to players. They also didn't have the history or "lore" back then that they have now. That said, I think most would gravitate to a 70s Les Paul Custom for the simple fact that the necks are slimmer than the 50s bursts, they had the fretless wonder frets which made alternate picking and legato much easier (Example: Al Di Meola or John Sykes), and the heavy bodies made for good sustain. The volute and headstock angle does keep them in tune slightly better than a regular Les Paul. As for pickups, most of the 70s/80s guys swapped out the T-Tops, so there wasn't as much emphasis on a good PAF like the 50s guitars. Those 50s PAFs aren't that great for hard rock or metal anyways.
Chris,please please think about a Canadian tour. Lots of love here for Cardinal Black. The west coast is the best place in Canada to visit. Like the Chilli’s said “ the sun may rise in the east at least it settles in a finer location. “ Love to see you here in British Columbia.
I've had about 10 70's LP'S,as I was working in a guitar store early 80,s so a lot came through for P/X against pointy headstock strats! None did I keep apart from their 1980 heritage Burst re issues which were/are brilliant guitars!I often think they extra mass/moisture in the woods sucked out any resonance or character? I was lucky enough to take in orders for the mid 80's LP'S and sold them all the same week as they were VASTLY superior and I still look out for them, definetly Gibson got their act together! I also have 70's strats and again saw a lot come through my store,would suggest from 76 onwards quality dropped significantly and weight increased! Strange time the 70's and don't let the "o it's a vintage guitar now" vibe make you pay over the top,try and find an 80'S LP instead!
Very interesting. As I was born in 1959 I owned several Gibson 70s bought new at the time. I had, among other things, a Deluxe that was indeed not bad. But overall, the sandwich concept, the three-part neck and especially the weight kept me away from Gibson for a while. Until I rediscover them via the custom shop reissues of course! It’s a bit like the Fender strats of the same time. Bad overall but among which you can find pearls! However, all other things being equal, don’t forget that the guitars of the 70s are woods that have aged 50 years and are therefore at their best! I think that without mentioning the 50-60 that are inaccessible to most of us, those of today will sound much better in 50 years ! P.S. I hate the SG of Norlin period, but one of my friend had a SG which sounded really magic !!!
Interesting Chris, thankyou. After owning 5 LP's ( many years ago) rom the 1950's.... 2 x cherry 59 Juniors, 1 x 59 TV Junior, 1x '59 Special which i got from Steve Marriot, and a '55 GoldTop, i had to try the reissue GoldTop in 1968. It was rubbish, and I've never forgotten how bad..... but a mate of mine bought one that day. He sold it last year for 10,000euros..... i was flab and gasted, and i still think he was lucky. I just sold mine for considerably more... obviously. 👍✌️🇬🇧.
As usual a great piece and fantastic playing. As you say basically keep an open mind, if the guitar feels "right" in your hands and talk to you who cares about anything else. Do you think you could squeeze in some Canadian shows in one of these days please?
I Have a 78 SG i brought SH in 1980 not a flashy guitar in dark cherry red ,but the brazilian RW neck is the nicest gibson neck i have played , really slim easy to play that you won't find on most LPs , a Vintage solid mahogany SG is hard to beat , resonates sustains always stays in tune vintage grovers, not a guitar i would Sell, i have played some bad LPs but its same as all Gibsons setup they can sound awesome .
I got a 74 Les Paul on higher purchase from Cardiff in the 70's - brought it home and really didn't get on with it. Sold it a few years later, got a cheap copy and fell in love with it - till it got nicked from the back of my car outside a pub. I'm still a bit traumatised by the experience of losing that guitar.. Got a lovely Epi now so I'm happy..
2010 Epi Les Paul here, bought used but like new. Changed the PUs and Caps, 50s wiring, sounds like a dream and it's a pleasure to play it. Great guitars and you can keep both of your kidneys.
Wow that 73 Deluxe was almost an exact copy of my 74 Deluxe. It was my first real guitar bought new in '74 with paper route money (paper route? yeah I'm old). I don't remember thinking it was anything less than GREAT. It was sold, traded, whatever, but now I want it back. I understand they are collector's items today.
My first decent guitar was a 70s SG with P90s. I loved it, not realising that the pickups were not the usual humbuckers (ah, youth). Ive had 2 SGs since then with HBs and they sound really harsh by comparison
Over the years I've had three '79 Les Pauls. Two "The Paul" models and one Goldtop Deluxe. The Deluxe sounded great, with those mini humbuckers, but I have to say that the build quality on the cheaper The Pauls was much, much better. Great guitars, and affordable too.
Thoroughly entertaining episode Chris. Problem is I think you could play ham sandwich with a string on it and it would sound good! Your technique is just beautiful. You remind me so much and take this for whatever you might of Jeff Beck with the thumb and the fingerpicking, the extreme stretching, the intentional pause. Very well done and I certainly am hoping to catch you guys stateside. Take care be safe and travel about.
I bought a 72 Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe from my cousin in 75 and have owned it ever since. Maybe I got lucky but mine plays excellent and the Mini HBs absolutely sing. They are some of the most musical pickups I have ever heard, and I currently have about 50 guitars from just about all the major/boutique builders. It's completely stock except a refret about 10 years ago and a replaced plastic jack plate. I also picked up a 79 cherry SB Les Paul KM with the uncovered creme pups. It weighs about 2 lbs more than the Goldtop, so it is heavy, but it sounds like a LP should. I believe these were Gibson's first effort at a 59 reissue. While not that close to a 59 specs, it is a nice guitar in its own right. These pups are particular great when cranked for hard rock. It is bone stock. It was already 20+ years old when I got it and had been sitting in a closet for years. It looks like it could only be 2-3 years old. Maybe there were some dogs from the Norlin era, but mine were not among them.
My first real guitar was a Left handed 83' Les Paul Deluxe. I was able to save up for it but it didn't play like I thought. I traded it in for a new stratocaster and haven''t looked back.
I have a late 60s/early 70s Gold top Deluxe that I bought second hand as a kid. It was the only Gibson that I could afford at the time and I bought it not knowing anything, only that it was a Gibson and my heroes played them. It weighs around 11 lbs and was difficult to play cos there was a hump in the fret board around fret 9 and the bridge was bent forward due to strings pushing on the back of it. I eventually had these issues fixed and 47 years later it plays and sounds like a dream.
I also have a 69 Deluxe which l purchased in 72, it's still a great player guitar, stuck a Lollar P90 in the bridge position. Gotta have a P 90 Paul ya know!
I did the same with my 1974 Gibson 20th Anniversary Les Paul Custom! I'd messed with it so not original now, like we did when we were in our teens. I spent the same on it as I paid for it!😂 Now it plays and sounds like it should have done 50 years ago!
I have an early 1978 LP Pro Deluxe with P90s. Very heavy. Ebony fretboard. Stunning looks. I bought the guitar in 1980 together with a Music Man 210 135W amp for around $1200 from a dude with more than a fleeting interest in recreational drugs in my home town of Malmö, Sweden. I still use both of them and for a very long time, they were my principal setup, most of the time with just a cable between the guitar and the amp. The P90s into that amp not only takes you to distortion heaven, but it also delivers the sweetest clean, jazzy tones you can think of. The neck is so easy to play, I can play faster on that guitar than on any other guitar I have ever come across. It’ll stay with me until my terminal breath… :-)
Totally agree!! I’ve got an ‘80 LP Pro Deluxe and it’s simply an amazing guitar!
I played one once and it had a very thin (for a Gibson), very playable neck.
I have a '75 Les Paul Custom and I love it... in my years of trying out various Les Pauls (my absolute favorite guitar), I've come to believe that it's less that all of the Norlin-era guitars were crap and more that there was significantly more variance in quality control during that period. There were definitely singular bad build decisions made at that time, but there are some amazing guitars to be found from that time period (it just takes a bit more hunting around for them).
Sorry to hear about you losing your Poppa x
Man, I love watching this guy play🤯 especially that strumming, picking, muting, right hand , brilliant note choice and bends
I don’t hate Norlin era Gibsons.
I own one (got it used and modded, I modded it some myself, but the neck, frets, body, toggle switch, two of the pots, output jack, strap knobs, nut, bridge & tailpiece posts, and most if the wiring are original- it didn’t have the original pickups, knobs or machine heads when I bought it, and I changed all of those.) it’s about 10 pounds.
I love it. The feel is original.
I love the volute, no issues with it or the pancake body.
It feels like an extension of myself.
I have played many other Gibsons from this time frame.
And most of them were good, some were much better.
Yes there were duds, all companies have that, but never write them off without checking them out first.
I own a 77 LP Deluxe and it's one of the nicest guitars I have ever played. Very easy to play. And yes it is easily 10lbs.
The 70's Gibson argument aside, can we just take a moment to appreciate Chris' spectacular playing in this video? I know it's become routine with his videos but, still...
Fab video once again Chris, and I received my signed copy of the live album today, so thank you to all of you in the band, for taking the time to not only make amazing music, but to sign the CD for me too! 👍❤️
This broke young kid walked into a music store in San Francisco in 1973 with just enough money to pay the rent and convinced the owner to let him play a beautiful new cherry sunburst LP Custom that was hanging high up on the wall. Put it on layaway and picked it up a month later. Took 6 months to finally afford a little fender amp! I am fortunate enough to own some excellent guitars now, but it is still the best guitar I've ever played. I did put in Schaller tuners and the Gibson TP-6 tailpiece a little later and that solved the tuning problems with that guitar. Unfortunately at 10 lbs I can't gig any more 4 hour sets with it.
Don Wehr’s Music City?
@@renodavid That was the store. Found out later the man who sold me the guitar was Don himself.
@@georgelincoln5041 Really? Very cool. He went on to open a car dealership here in Reno.
@@georgelincoln5041 Oh, and that’s where I bought my ‘74 LP Custom about a year after you got yours. Still have it.👍
Got a white LP Custom 20th anniversary there. I discovered the invoice price and offered him $50 over. He had several that I tried, and he accepted. $550 with case! Later traded straight across for a beautiful 1961 Byrdland. Still miss both more than my girlfriend at the time.😂
After watching all the way through, Chris's playing never fails to amaze me. You have a signature style that leaves no doubt as to who is playing. You can quickly recognize Beck, Page, Stevie, BB and Albert King and now Chris
Everyone hated them 25 years ago. Then the 50s and 60s ones got too expensive for most so people reevaluated them because it’s all they could afford in terms of vintage.
But, to be honest, they were probably never as bad as people said and they’re probably not as good as their prices would suggest today.
No no. The 70's LPs have always been dog doo-doo.
@@SeanOHanlon I’ve played several that were fantastic.
@@Dreyno
The problem with the overwhelming majority of them is they should feel and sound far better than they do - especially for how much they cost.
@@SeanOHanlon Like I said, people only started valuing them when they found themselves priced out of the older guitars. Guys who would’ve laughed at a
Norlin era Les Paul having a premium on it quietly started appreciating them when it was clear they’d never own a 50s LP.
Personally, I wouldn’t pay more
than the price of a new LP for one but people want to own “vintage” to convince themselves they’re worth it.
I have a friend with three Norlin era Gibsons, including two LP Customs. He likes the construction and the neck carves.
I have a '74 deluxe goldtop and I love it to bits. The mini humbuckers have a great sound especially the neck pick-up is lovely. It's full and warm, yet with more bite than the Les pauls
I played a '73 LP Deluxe gold top during my prime rock 'n roll years. I had always wanted a Custom but never could seem to afford one back then. The pickups were good and loud on the Deluxe, but I truthfully never was a fan of gold tops and ended up getting rid of it when I started playing full time in a country band. Now I have a Custom and I'm playin' it in the bedroom and also in a worship team environment...at least I finally got one. : )
As an aside I had a 76 strat that was a shocker. Thick poly, heavy, ice pick sounding pickups. You can have most ‘70s guitars I was there.
I have had a 75 Strat since new and mine is great!
I love the custom. I'm a lefty so they're rare air and mighty spendy. I had to settle for an Epi Custom Pro and as much as I frown on the old boat oar of a head stock, the guitar is beautiful. It's got all upgraded electronics including Pro Buckers with CTS Pots and 50's wiring. It sounds amazing, but it's still a notch or two away from sounding like the real deal.
My first Gibson was a 73/74 (pots date to November of 73 so it could be an early 74) cherry sunburst Custom that I bought for 350 bucks from my guitar teacher in high school. I played that guitar all throughout the 80’s in various bands and it never failed me. I have owned many Les Pauls from the 70’s 80’s 90’s and 2000’s mostly customs and the only ones Ive held onto is the 73/74 custom and a 1990 Custom in alpine white that has aged into a nice cream color ala Randy Rhoads 😁
I've got a '75 LP Standard with a maple neck, furniture grade mahogany body, and the label on the back of the headstock says LP Deluxe. I bought it from a guy who put Dimarzio super distortion pickups. It probably sounded OK through an icepick Marshall Amp, but was a muddy midrange mess through my Vibrolux Reverb. I replaced the pickups with split coil Bill Lawrence L-450's and push-pull tone control pots to switch between single coil and HB. Now it gives balanced tone in HB, and P-90 in single coil. A great player guitar.
I own an early 70’s SG and I love it to death. Setups go miles, find yourself a good luthier no matter what guitar you have and life will get better.
Jeez man, that last clip was friggin' immense! I had my '62 335 valued at ATB a couple of weeks ago and he apologised for being a bit upside down due to filming...
Blistering opening solo Chris!
Man I love his style of play
playing amazing? yeah, i kind of like that style too 😀
Chris plays as though the guitar is a singer, with a singer's melodic line and phrasing. And with a singer's natural dynamics. Human beings are naturally attuned to human voices, and the more a guitar sounds like a human being singing, crying or screaming, the more it makes a connection with us. Or is that just me? :-)
Agreed, Chris is a RUclips treasure
Guitars weren't the only products to suffer from poor American manufacturing quality in the '70s - cars and motorcycles were garbage, furniture and buildings were built to be replaced every 5 years, it was all terrible.
Can confirm. Look at how crap Harleys were well into the 80s and 90s.
That’s because we’re all about “commerce, commerce, commerce”. Built-in obsolescence and all that stuff. Everything is ultimately “disposable”, including us.
I certainly agree with your comment except houses weren't built to be replaced in 5 years but they were built like crap. But you said buildings so you might be right on that one too. The 70s marked the time of big government moving in to control businesses through very high taxes and high inflation. Not to mention the workforce was stoned hippies. I would say that since 2008 US manufacturing has been declining into obsolescence as it suffers from every type of decline.
Seems to be true from the pass down toys I received in the early 80s and from brass instruments from the big name companies too (though dusted mud 60s for brass instruments) even have the same issues you describe of the Gibsons, heavy and dead sounding not all but a lot
USA still maintains a reputation for poor workmanship (especially cars)
Lovely solo,
You are one heck of a player- must be nice to be able to play so well! Les Pauls are great guitars, mine had horrible pick- ups but after replacing them with cheap ones that actually sound way better it sounds as well as it plays- great neck and fingerboard- oh, also replacing the bridge with an aftermarket one saved me from continuous broken strings, love it now (77) great guitar! 🍄👍
Came across this video by accident and I'll say; Wise words and the playing at the end is second to none. Will you do any gigs in Sweden in a foreseeable future? //BR, Peter
I had a late '80s (maybe early '90a) Cherry 'burst LP Custom. Big mistake. I wasn't up on the details of models of Les Pauls, and I was getting a monster deal because my father played tennis with the store owner (Victor Litz Music in Gaithersburg, MD). Super heavy, binding on the back, triple layered binding, gold hardware, huge clunky hard plastid case, etc... Happy to sell it. Then I got a gem - a 2005/6 Heritage Cherry 'burst Standard with a top that was at least a AAA I've never seen a more mind-blowing tiger striped either in person or from a picture. The perfect LP - sweetly clean/overdriven, roared like hellzapoppin; when cranked and distorted. Great sustain, green tuners, parallelogram markers, top hat knobs, completely and stunningly GORGEOUS, I was STOOOOOOOOPID enough to sell it when hard financial times hit. Well, I was never able to properly buy another one and I don't think I will ever be able to (the $2499 price tag back then has gone to $3199 for a AAA top PLUS $300 to have it Plek'd) - and the "Tiger Striping?" I checked on Sweetwater. I'm only a basement hacker with little gig experience, and I was going to bequeath it to my son when the time comes. I'll never forgive myself.
Bought the live album based on this video. Longtime viewer and now a collector.
your last song came out so well!
Those mini humbuckers are great. I got one off a friend who'd bought a 70s SG Special and replaced the black-covered mini humbuckers with DiMarzios. I put the pickup he gave me on my mid-seventies Tele when the neck pickup conked out and what a sound; both on its own and together with the Fender bridge pickup.
As usual, exquisite guitar playing!!!
I owned a "Kalamazoo" Les Paul most likely made in 1979, with the short-lived open face T-top humbuckers. It had a horrible looking finish that resembled a tequila sunrise mixed drink. The neck was also baseball bat thick, and looking back on it now, I have no idea why I bought it. It sounded just fine and the action was quite good, but overall, that guitar and I just never bonded.
My favorite Les Paul in my collection now is my Y2K 1960 Classic in honeyburst finish, and that one has been my #1 LP since I got it back in 2003 or so. We clicked from the start, and when I had Jim Wagner's "Fillmore" pickups installed in it, it really came alive! The finish is pretty battered now, having survived Hurricane Katrina, but I will NEVER part with that guitar.
I was fortunate in that my first real guitar was a '62 Gibson SG Special that I never should have let get away ............
This is a tired alarm. So many videos start out with '70's this" or 'Mini-Humbuckers that' or "Norlin something other". But the fact is, these guitars, with their pancake bodies and 3 piece necks are showing up as very strong and stable and capable of lasting the years. Ever ask yourself why it's easy to find a '70's Les Paul? It may be because people have believed the stank stories about the Norlin area, but it certainly is because those guitars last incredibly long. I bought a new Deluxe Gold Top in '72, and I still play it every day - no major service of any kind. It has easily been played most of my 10,000 hours. If you're needing vintage, a '70's Les Paul is your best bang for the buck.
So true. I have a 75 deluxe, blonde top, standard HB, all stock. Bought it from a friend in the early 80's. IIRC the deluxe was released in 69 by Gibson. It was a hybrid of a 59 body and a slimline 60 neck. It's not replaceable to me.
I got several 70s Customs. All of them great instruments. The youngest is a 1980 and my favourite guitar. Regarding pickups you have a point. Partly I swapped them out for alternatives. But the 3-piece necks did not need any adjustment for the last up to 34 years during my ownership.
The ones that were crafted better than others (i've seen quite a few things with norlins - loose neck joints, misplaced bridges,...) surely last well! I think the bigger downside of those era guitars is the weight and you really have to be lucky to find a good sounding one. I've oned a couple of norlins and sold them all eventually as in the long run i found a few modern reissues that played and sounded way better. I wish I found a good norlin, kinda like their appearance!
@@chrisdanner1173 "Loose neck joints?" Had dozens of Norlin Era Gibsons and NEVER came across any "loose neck joints" on which model? Personally I hate most re-issue stuff as they sound and play like shitty soul-less new guitars compared to VINTAGE Gibsons (which is what Norlin is! VINTAGE not re-issue)
@@PrettyRecords I had it two times on late 70's LP customs... I have to say the recent reissues sound way closer to my 50's/60's and have more soul than any of the norlins I've had...
@ChrisBuckGuitar your phrasing is just sooooo great! And your videos always informative and entertaining. Huge props!
I went into my local music store in 1976 intent on buying a Les Paul. They had six to chose from which each one I went over the fit and finish prior to plugging in. Every single one looked like crap with finish flaws and mostly the worse binding work you can imagine. The salesman was with me and after I rejected all of the Les Pauls, he handed me a new Electra Les Paul set neck copy (the one with the plug in effect modules in the back). The finish work and playability was outstanding and when plugged in sounded spectacular. Still have that guitar today. The only downside 48 years later is a large difference in resale value between my 76 Electra and a 76 Les Paul. Oh well, its not for sale anyway!
Back then the best new guitar one could buy was likely made in Japan.
Yes, there were a few cream puffs made during the Norlin Era, but as a young Gibson Girl, I never ran into them. There was the early or mid 70s SG I had in the early 90s, that screamed, but wouldn't stay in tune for more than 2 or 3 songs (ugh!). There was mid to late 70s Les Paul Signature (basically an ES-335 with a Les Paul style lower cutaway, and low impedance humbuckers) that I had while I was attending the University of WIsconsin in the 80s, that had the infamous super skinny "speed neck" (1.56" nut width), that I wondered why I every put up with it, considering that I play classical style, with my thumb behind its cramped neck (which I found out had the very rare for that model, tobacco sunburst finish, that makes it pretty valuable nowadays). Oh yeah, and the piece de resistance for heavy guitars - the 1980 Howard Roberts Fusion, that was my main gigging guitar for most of the 90s. You think a 10 lb guitar is heavy? Out of curiosity, I weighed the guitar on a calibrated scale - it weighed 13 lbs! Well that certainly explained why by the end of the 2nd set, it felt like my shoulder was ready to fall off.
Oh yeah, and all too often, up through the 90s, if you wanted a Gibson or for that matter a Fender made in the 70s and early 80s, you tried out multiple guitars, due to the fact that so many of them were duds when you played them with regards to sound and playability. Even the aforementioned Howard Roberts was only bought by me after trying out 5 different guitars at Dave's Guitar Shop (one other one of the 5 tried out [a 1964 Firebird] was also decent, but at $2500 in 1992 dollars, was way more than I could afford).
Great content Chris. I have a 72 Les Paul Deluxe and yes, it has all of the derided features of a 70's Gibson. Volute, 3 piece maple neck, 3 piece maple cap, pancake body and mini humbuckers. I guess I got lucky as mine plays really well and I really enjoy playing it. I have other post Norlin era Gibsons and it stands up very well against them for me.
I had a 73 Deluxe and it was magnificent. Every time I played with a Les Paul Standard player they would be stunned at the nuance and flavor the little humbuckers would get.
Sorry to hear about your loss . Didn't know. My Father passed away 21st June 18 years ago. Certainly was the longest day for me.
I don't know anything, only that Ii like the way you play the guitar.
Didn't know about your "viejo" Chris, my condolences, greetings from Spain
Chris. Beautiful . Your playing ALWAYS lifts me up. I am going to try to make the Nashville show . Have a special needs, son, he will dictate if we go ( single parent , my wife passed away) . But We are going to give it our best effort. Absolutely love to listen to you play.
I bought a 1970s Deluxe in the early 80s. It wasn't very expensive and, at the time, I wasn't really clear on all the differences between a Deluxe, Standard and Custom. It just happened that someone I knew was selling one and it was a chance to have a real Gibson. It served me well for most of the time I was playing live regularly.
Once I had a bit of spare money (much later) it received a re-fret. The originals were on the low side of comfortable.
Own a 73 SG Deluxe, bought new. An odd one. They moved the neck into the body by about an inch or so, but they continued to use the same body, same pickup cutouts, and same scale length. The bridge pickup is about an inch farther away from the bridge compared to earlier and later SG's. The neck pickup is where an LP would have it, unlike earlier and later SG's. Bridge pickup sounds less shrill, and the neck pickup sounds like an LP. I can get Tele tones out of that bridge pickup. The vibrato is unusable, but this is my favorite guitar. Sounds great, is versatile, and the neck is perfect after all these years. Still playing it live.
I was fortunate enough to purchase my 'one-day guitar' - a 70-72 ES335 TD Walnut. MOP block inlays.
It is an absolute joy to the soul to play.
It delivers the 60s vintage tone and feel I was hoping for without the high price.
My thinking was, unlike the solid bodies of the Norlin era, there wasn't a significant change yet in the construction methods from the much desirable, 335s of the 60's era.
In the early 70s Norlin were using the same wood stock from the 60's, as they transitioned to more economical construction methods and perhaps compromised QC systems later that decade as the oil crisis affected the economy, they had to stay competitive to the emerging Japan market.
I saw it as a way to buy the 60's vibes without the 'house-deposit' price tag.
I have a modest but reasonably good quality collection, consisting of 80s MIJ Burnys and Greco Les Pauls, Flying Vs and US and MIJ Firebirds.
A Knaggs and a Gibson Custom Shop made to VOS.
I play them all for the different characters - *BTW, vintage MIJ is amazingly good when comparing to the US equivalent. Buy 3x vintage MIJs or one US?
Comparing the 335 to any of these guitars, there is a vintage sound and feel that truly sets this guitar apart.
Something soulfully historic embedded within.
A highly skilled person made it with care, pride and a deep knowledge.
Probably the same people who made the 335s in the 60s. (?)
Who cares that it's a 3 piece neck (?)
I think I got it right on this one.
Thank you Norlin era for giving us 70's kids, 'affordable' vintage Gibsons.
:)
I own a 1969 Gold Top Deluxe with P90s installed. I believe these must have been a retrofit. I'm NOT a Gibson fanboi, I'm a Fender guy. Having said that, I played this guitar when the previous owner, a mate, brought it to work in one day (in a guitar shop where we both worked). I was *astounded* by the sound and I made him promise that he would sell me the guitar if he ever parted with it. Fast forward a few years and I now own it. The luthier I engaged to refret its super low frets, told me that it was a real ripper. It has a three piece neck (which are very stable btw) but a 'non-pancake' body.
Chris, I really, really, really wish you would release exclusively guitar music. Few things bring as much musical satisfaction as listening to your playing. I like Cardinal Black okay, but as with most every other band, vocals get in the way unless they are over-the-top exceptional. It’s YOUR playing I want to hear, and I’m left grasping for incomplete examples in your videos.
Honestly, instrumental guitar music doesn't interest me in the slightest, either as a listener or as a writer. That's not to denigrate it as a genre; it's just not for me...as music with vocals isn't for you. Part of enjoying what I do and being able to stay motivated is writing and playing music that I love and enjoy listening to. Maybe in the future, who knows but for the time being, unfortunately not.
The vocals in your band are fantastic!
I own a first year Gibson 1971 Cherry Sunburst Custom. I love my guitar ❤
The 70s were my formative years as a guitar player. All I knew then were the infamous Norlin guitars. I lusted after a Les Paul Custom, inspired by people like John McLaughlin, Robert Fripp and a guy I knew in a local band who had, what I thought at the time, the coolest looking LP Custom in that dark wine red finish. I never did get a Custom, but I did have a '73 Deluxe that had been routed for full size humbuckers before receiving its usual mini-buckers and some nasty looking cover plates. These features would now be considered cool and collectible, I suppose. People are weird.
My 70 deluxe has those. Goof rings or goof hiders I think they are called. Funny thing is, I had the guitar since around 98, and no idea they were anything unusual until someone said to me last year 'oh, I've never seen a deluxe like that before...' :D Anyway I don't think they add any desirability, probably the opposite, but the guitar is wonderful.
I had a boat anchor late 70s LP Custom back in the day. Kinda wish I still had it around for sentimental sake (my first "real" guitar). Your playing just slays me.
I still have my 11 lbs '79 LP Custom along with the lifelong warranty registration card with my name on it. Still love her for the full and utterly heavy sound. All the sh*tty parts (pickups, bridge, pots) have been replaced over the years. Love the 3-piece maple neck with the volute, the high grade ebony board, the color, the buzzsaw case and the overall quality. It's the epitome of a player in great condition. I don't take her out for gigs anymore, considering her and my age.
Adam Jones can't be all that wrong with his silverburst, can he?
Warm Love, my fav solo! Just awesome! I would love you to do a breakdown, even if it was just a lesson in how you do those beautiful runs! 👍🏻👊🏻🖤
My primary guitar is a 1978 ES335 with a 3 piece neck, I love it. I've played a few 70's Les Pauls, and I tend to like most of them, especially Deluxes.
It's funny how everybody used to hate mini humbuckers (and threw them in the bin and fitted soapbars to Deluxes) because they were considered a bit weedy and too bright, and now people have realised that all the classic PAF humbucker sounds they liked were nice toppy, underwound pickups. An American friend once told me that the trick with mini humbuckers is to roll the tone back to 7 or 8 and I found it very useful advice. Also the Gibson 'T-Top' full sized HB is raved about now, and quite rightly so. 70s Gibsons will never be golden age but there's nothing wrong with a good Deluxe, or a 335 with T-Tops.
A much more held together sound on the intro. Great rendition ❤
In March of 1974 I heard that Guitar Center in Hollywood had the Les Paul that we had been wanting Gibson to make , a '59 Sunburst reissue .. When I was driving over the hill into Hollywood I was imagining a Les Paul with the '59 specs , beautiful flame maple top with a faded sunburst finish , 17 degree headstock angle , you know , that hope that it had really been done proper . I get inside and ask for the Sunburst reissue and there they were . The deflation felt bad ... There were 3 of them maybe 5 .. it's been awhile . They were the Les Paul Standard with the pancake body , probably 3 piece neck , large headstock , brown to yellow sunburst finish on the body and back of the neck .. but , they had the large humbuckers ! That was cool .. one had a five or so piece top where all the pieces had flame but only one had a 2 piece center seam top . To me it played the best and sounded the best . I bought it and moved to Corpus Christi , Tx a few days later . After a few weeks I picked up a Fender blond Bassman head for $35.00 and plugged it into my Cerwin Vega G35 ? 2 - 12 cabinet that had the ER 123 speakers and that combination was unreal .. that guitar was a gem and it liked what I had plugged it into . I played a lot of Gibsons and Fenders during the '70s that really were bad guitars .. I have also played some vintage guitars that were duds . There are '59 Sunbursts that are a polished turds ... Its a by chance situation , you find a guitar where all the woods work together and the neck feels right in your hand .. yeah ! You just never know .. to finish this rant , I worked in a guitar store for 18 years and we had Gibson for a bit but had Fender the whole time that I was there . One day a friend came in and asked to see the best Strat in the store . The best one ? I walked over to a Squier Affinity and tried to hand it to him and he told me not to waste his time .. he wanted the best Strat in the shop . He played a Custom Shop , a Clapton model , American Std ..... Once again I offered and dared him to play the Squier ... He finally took it and played a few riffs and licks and then wrapped both of his arms around it and told me I would never get it back .. funny , it was always the black ones that would have that neck that played and sounded great .. not bad for $149.00 .. if it works it works.. go figure
The new live album is fantastic. Gave it several plays today. Tone and playing are tops.
Blonde Bassman and Cabinet just casually in the background. My Dads LP Custom is very heavy but sounds awesome, Gibson engraved pickups, needs a refret. My 74 Wine Red Deluxe is a standout guitar and I'm so lucky to have it, pancake or not. The other thing to think about is a guitar that old has probably been worked on, if that work is good, you're in. You're playing on the goldtop is the best (to me and my taste) I've heard you do. Great video thanks.
I'm sure any guitar you play will sound good. Your playing is rare and unique. Stunning.
In the mid 1980's I bought a 1978 Standard, that as soon as I picked it up and played it, I knew it was special , so i bought it.
It is still one one my favorite guitars, and plays better than any other Les Paul I had ever played before and since.
As far as sound goes, the front Dirty Fingers pickup is amazing, although I'm not a fan of the stock treble/bridge pickup.
Always loved the Deluxe as a kid. My friend had one in the band and it sounded great w/mini hum buckers. Still have not owned anything with the mini hb on it...someday...
Cant wait for you to get to Seattle some day Chris. Love your playing.
My Brother has a Norlin era black LP Custom that is a fantastic guitar both in playability and sound and isn't really heavy. It weighs in at 9.3 pounds, not heavy, but not a featherweight either. but having said that, i have an Edwards John Sykes model that aside from the pancake body of the Norlin is so close you would think the Japanese studied a 70"s LP Custom when they designed the guitar, it even weighs exactly 9.3 pounds. Cheers
I swapped mine, a 74 Black Custom,for a Kramer Stagemaster Custom. which is my fave gig guitar to this day!
I always enjoy your videos and your playling. I have a 1976 Deluxe that I love. One of the best feeling guitars I've ever played and the mini humbuckers sound fantastic. Beautiful cherry sunburst with a lot of wear, mostly from me ( got it in 1980). The one thing I will complain about is the weight - close to 12 lbs! I used to gig with it a lot, but I'm in my 60s now so it stays home. Still love to play it on the couch.
I'm pretty sure this guy could make an 80's Encore sound great
I have a 1972 SG Standard, with a pencilneck.
It’s still the most amazing guitar I’ve ever personally had my hands on.
Fair enough Buckmaster. Have a great America trip.🎉
I have had a few SGs. They can be dogs from any era. They can be more difficult to set up than a Les Paul - at least if the neck is slim. Less mass or something, so I find there's a very narrow sweet spot for where the truss rod needs to be. It needs just the right amount of tension on it to resonate properly, or the feel and sound of the guitar can go all wonky. Worth doing though, because my current SG Standard is my fav guitar when I get the setup right (no tail wrap either, because it messes with that tension thing, but my Les Paul is better with the tail wrap, as was a SG I had that had a shallow neck joint angle that required a tail wrap to get the tailpiece lower).
Being in 'that' age group, I had a 74 SG with the Harmonica bridge. That was a Schaller bridge and I've personally always liked that bridge. The much more flimsy and sagging narrower ones were never my cup of tea: made of Zamac and with a rusting guitar string to keep the saddles in place? I had one on a 57 Gold Top, on a V and a 'Bird, on a 92 LP...
I've never understood the 'hate' on the Schaller (harmonica) bridge
I have a 1978 Les Paul Standard and a '79 RD Artist. Both are excellent guitars
People only hate them because they read on forums that they are bad and just believe it as well as repeat it.
I was lucky to first experience 70's Gibsons with no prejudice and honesty, 2 of my top 5 guitars ever are 70's Gibsons. Wonderfully thin necks, not the baseball bats of the 50's. Incredible as a 16 year old to discover these old guitars that did everything I'd have wanted from a modern "shredder" guitar.
Honestly, if anyone played a 70's Gibson objectively, no one would care about '59's.
I worked in a guitar shop in the mid-late 70's & owned few, 60's & 70's models(my 1st good electric was a White LP. Sold it w/in 8 months). I can assure you MANY of the Norlin Gibson pickups were replaced soon after purchase. I still have a labeled bridge humbucker I replaced for a player. The early market was lead by DiMarzio. I got better response from Bill Lawrence (& still have a few of those).
My first 'good' guitar was a 1974 Gibson SG standard walnut, with bigsby, in 1975 at 18 yrs old. I must have struck lucky, it was a fantastic instrument. Took me 6 months or so to set it up to my liking, gigging from the off. There wasn't the information available back then, everything was DIY. Lasted me until 1983, when my wife persuaded me I didn't need that and my fender telecaster, so I sold it to buy a fridge 😆 But I have to say, the quality was impeccable. I wonder what happened to it 🤔 Great video, brought back many memories 👍
I own a 75 Deluxe Natural finish that is exceptional. Someone routed the bridge pickup for a T Top and left the mini in the neck. It’s a great combo. Somehow I got lucky buying online on a firearms forum of all things. I also have a 74 Stratocaster that is fantastic. They are out there but the big thing is to play before you buy. The mini hum neck tone is better to me than even a PAF. You get much more chime and treble than a traditional himbucker.
I had a 74 black Custom. An absolute DOG of a guitar! The paintwork never actually got hardened and the sound was dead, despite many pickup upgrades!
Deluxes are all I play nowadays!! minihumbuckers are so clear and punchy.The early paf stickered ones are slightly brigther i think
The best SG I ever played was a 72 walnut SG. I have owned a few and that is the one that hurts that I let it get away.
I had a Les Paul Artisan from 1978. One piece mahagony body and 3 piece maple top, 3 piece maple neck.
Very heavy Les Paul and by far the best Les Paul i ever had. Was silly enough to sell it, because of "comfort".
I own a 1978 Gibson Super 400 - GREAT guitar, beautiful built. Not the great OPTIC tiger wood, but superb sounding tone wood.
So.. my experience with late 70s Gibsons is a very good one and i named the two best of them.
My RD77 was a great guitar, loved the thin, slightly wider neck, and the Moog pre-amp in it. Was my goto guitar for 20 years. My buddy's 1974 goldtop (law-suit) Ibanez, was just amazing.
My favorite spec is the '68 Custom, with that less steep headstock and maple cap. I have a '22 Reissue, and can only imagine how good an original sounds.
These guitars all sounded and looked fine to me.
I actually just brought a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty recently (play it on my channel), and it now may be my favorite guitar. What most people don't realize is that the "signature" Les Paul sound really is the Norlin era/70s Customs. I can name way more rock and metal players who played 70s Customs than the original 58/59 Bursts. That's in part because there weren't a lot of late 50s Les Paul bursts produced, so stock was always limited to players. They also didn't have the history or "lore" back then that they have now. That said, I think most would gravitate to a 70s Les Paul Custom for the simple fact that the necks are slimmer than the 50s bursts, they had the fretless wonder frets which made alternate picking and legato much easier (Example: Al Di Meola or John Sykes), and the heavy bodies made for good sustain. The volute and headstock angle does keep them in tune slightly better than a regular Les Paul. As for pickups, most of the 70s/80s guys swapped out the T-Tops, so there wasn't as much emphasis on a good PAF like the 50s guitars. Those 50s PAFs aren't that great for hard rock or metal anyways.
Chris,please please think about a Canadian tour. Lots of love here for Cardinal Black. The west coast is the best place in Canada to visit. Like the Chilli’s said “ the sun may rise in the east at least it settles in a finer location. “ Love to see you here in British Columbia.
Love the head stock checking on that 73 LP with the minis.
I've had about 10 70's LP'S,as I was working in a guitar store early 80,s so a lot came through for P/X against pointy headstock strats! None did I keep apart from their 1980 heritage Burst re issues which were/are brilliant guitars!I often think they extra mass/moisture in the woods sucked out any resonance or character?
I was lucky enough to take in orders for the mid 80's LP'S and sold them all the same week as they were VASTLY superior and I still look out for them, definetly Gibson got their act together!
I also have 70's strats and again saw a lot come through my store,would suggest from 76 onwards quality dropped significantly and weight increased!
Strange time the 70's and don't let the "o it's a vintage guitar now" vibe make you pay over the top,try and find an 80'S LP instead!
Very interesting.
As I was born in 1959 I owned several Gibson 70s bought new at the time. I had, among other things, a Deluxe that was indeed not bad. But overall, the sandwich concept, the three-part neck and especially the weight kept me away from Gibson for a while. Until I rediscover them via the custom shop reissues of course!
It’s a bit like the Fender strats of the same time. Bad overall but among which you can find pearls!
However, all other things being equal, don’t forget that the guitars of the 70s are woods that have aged 50 years and are therefore at their best!
I think that without mentioning the 50-60 that are inaccessible to most of us, those of today will sound much better in 50 years !
P.S. I hate the SG of Norlin period, but one of my friend had a SG which sounded really magic !!!
Interesting Chris, thankyou.
After owning 5 LP's ( many years ago) rom the 1950's.... 2 x cherry 59 Juniors, 1 x 59 TV Junior, 1x '59 Special which i got from Steve Marriot, and a '55 GoldTop, i had to try the reissue GoldTop in 1968.
It was rubbish, and I've never forgotten how bad..... but a mate of mine bought one that day.
He sold it last year for 10,000euros..... i was flab and gasted, and i still think he was lucky.
I just sold mine for considerably more... obviously.
👍✌️🇬🇧.
As usual a great piece and fantastic playing. As you say basically keep an open mind, if the guitar feels "right" in your hands and talk to you who cares about anything else. Do you think you could squeeze in some Canadian shows in one of these days please?
I really enjoy the 73 standard deluxe as well. Great sonics.🎶🎸👍Great 71!
Sorry to hear of your father's passing, Chris. Sincere condloences.
Just amazing playing in this one, wow. That mini humbucker Les Paul sounds a hell of a lot like a Telecaster, and that's never a bad thing.
I Have a 78 SG i brought SH in 1980 not a flashy guitar in dark cherry red ,but the brazilian RW neck is the nicest gibson neck i have played , really slim easy to play that you won't find on most LPs , a Vintage solid mahogany SG is hard to beat , resonates sustains always stays in tune vintage grovers, not a guitar i would Sell, i have played some bad LPs but its same as all Gibsons setup they can sound awesome .
These are consistently interesting videos with some dazzling playing thrown in. Thank you
I got a 74 Les Paul on higher purchase from Cardiff in the 70's - brought it home and really didn't get on with it. Sold it a few years later, got a cheap copy and fell in love with it - till it got nicked from the back of my car outside a pub. I'm still a bit traumatised by the experience of losing that guitar.. Got a lovely Epi now so I'm happy..
Epi’s are where it’s at. Have a late 80s MIJ Riviera and love it to bits
2010 Epi Les Paul here, bought used but like new. Changed the PUs and Caps, 50s wiring, sounds like a dream and it's a pleasure to play it. Great guitars and you can keep both of your kidneys.
I have two similar LPs. A 1993 Korean Cherry Burst LP and a black and creme 2008 LP. Both upgraded. They're both gems for me.
Wow that 73 Deluxe was almost an exact copy of my 74 Deluxe. It was my first real guitar bought new in '74 with paper route money (paper route? yeah I'm old). I don't remember thinking it was anything less than GREAT. It was sold, traded, whatever, but now I want it back. I understand they are collector's items today.
I enjoy your playing - tasteful!
Always enjoy your thoughts and stellar playing man! Thank you
My first decent guitar was a 70s SG with P90s. I loved it, not realising that the pickups were not the usual humbuckers (ah, youth). Ive had 2 SGs since then with HBs and they sound really harsh by comparison
Over the years I've had three '79 Les Pauls. Two "The Paul" models and one Goldtop Deluxe. The Deluxe sounded great, with those mini humbuckers, but I have to say that the build quality on the cheaper The Pauls was much, much better. Great guitars, and affordable too.
Daaaaaamn son, that intro was insane!
Thoroughly entertaining episode Chris. Problem is I think you could play ham sandwich with a string on it and it would sound good! Your technique is just beautiful. You remind me so much and take this for whatever you might of Jeff Beck with the thumb and the fingerpicking, the extreme stretching, the intentional pause. Very well done and I certainly am hoping to catch you guys stateside. Take care be safe and travel about.
I bought a 72 Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe from my cousin in 75 and have owned it ever since. Maybe I got lucky but mine plays excellent and the Mini HBs absolutely sing. They are some of the most musical pickups I have ever heard, and I currently have about 50 guitars from just about all the major/boutique builders. It's completely stock except a refret about 10 years ago and a replaced plastic jack plate.
I also picked up a 79 cherry SB Les Paul KM with the uncovered creme pups. It weighs about 2 lbs more than the Goldtop, so it is heavy, but it sounds like a LP should. I believe these were Gibson's first effort at a 59 reissue. While not that close to a 59 specs, it is a nice guitar in its own right. These pups are particular great when cranked for hard rock. It is bone stock. It was already 20+ years old when I got it and had been sitting in a closet for years. It looks like it could only be 2-3 years old. Maybe there were some dogs from the Norlin era, but mine were not among them.
My first real guitar was a Left handed 83' Les Paul Deluxe. I was able to save up for it but it didn't play like I thought. I traded it in for a new stratocaster and haven''t looked back.