Les Paul Customs

[Tbone]

I have a '79 silverburst and agree with Forty6and2 that a large percentage of the guitars from that era are awesome. Mine is a heavy thick piece of meat but it has great tone and playability. I like the three piece neck and the upper fret access is better on my '79 than on my '59 reissue.

 

[FourT6and2]

I have a '79 silverburst and agree with Forty6and2 that a large percentage of the guitars from that era are awesome. Mine is a heavy thick piece of meat but it has great tone and playability. I like the three piece neck and the upper fret access is better on my '79 than on my '59 reissue.

Pics? Mine's a silverburst, too!

 

[ericsabbath]

I have a '73 black beauty

VERY thin neck (thinner than the 60's slim taper neck they make now), volute, pancake body, huge headstock

had a lot of BKP sets and a couple motor cities
with any pickup, this guitar sounds HUGE

it doesn't sound better or worse than a newer les paul, but definitely different
bass is deeper and solid, mids are darker and more dense sounding, top end picking response is very sharp and percussive
newer Gibsons are usually middier, less bass heavy, less percussive and more open sounding
mine is quite punchy and somewhat aggressive sounding
I had an '81 lp standard that sounded quite dense as well, very different from a 90's or 2k's les paul

right now my '73 has a BKP riff raff on the bridge, BKP mule on the neck
I don't miss higher output pickups at all
this guitar shows some serious teeth with the riff raff

 

[Tbone]

A quick and dirty pic as requested:

 

[Superunknown]

 

[parntz145]

I find the early 90's to be very well built. I would never buy one without playing it first. I have a limited edition 91 Custom that just slays.

 

[bravedude2]

I totally dig my triple pup '57 Black Beauty... She's beautiful. Ended up loading a set (3 altogether) of BKP Emeralds and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo stoked with the feel, tone, and attitude of this guitar.

Just sayin',
Mo

 

[duesentrieb]

That would be the princess of all LPCs.

. . . . and this the queen

I have a '76. Heavy, volute, maple neck, stays in tune super well and soundwise the description somebody gavehere about Norlins is correct. Less Mids than the all mahogany (like 57 RI) stuff, which is nice, Neck is pretty slim. Of course I'vehad jumbos installed and run it with a set of SD6s, which are splittable.

 

[killertone]

Number one, don't believe all the bullshit about different eras being totally bad. All eras had good and bad guitars. Worst LPC I ever owned was a '97, it was dead and lifeless. Best one I own is a '76. I also have an '89 and a '73 that are all killer. The thing to remember is to play the guitar and decide for yourself, don't let the "era" bullshit cloud your judgment. I would heavily recommend playing before you buy unless you buy from someone you know and trust.

 

[rupe]

Seems to be an "echo" in here with alot of repeats

Now go find your Custom

 

[Zachman]

After playing a Black Beauty a while ago at a gig, my GAS for one of these has been re-ignited. I'm normally a PRS man and haven't really got on with Gibbos, but Customs just feel so classy and easy to play.

Any recommendations as to which era / type / year to go for, and which to avoid?

When I buy, money will hopefully be (within reason) no object.

CHEERS LADS!

-C

pre-1980

 

[billboogie]

79. had since new. Have played some dogs over the years. This is not one of them. Plenty of good ones to be found.

 

[Ventura]

I totally dig my triple pup '57 Black Beauty... She's beautiful. Ended up loading a set (3 altogether) of BKP Emeralds and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo stoked with the feel, tone, and attitude of this guitar.

Just sayin',
Mo

OMG

How F*CKIN cute is that!?!?!?!?!?

 

[billboogie]

I totally dig my triple pup '57 Black Beauty... She's beautiful. Ended up loading a set (3 altogether) of BKP Emeralds and I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo stoked with the feel, tone, and attitude of this guitar.

Just sayin',
Mo

OMG

How F*CKIN cute is that!?!?!?!?!?

That is so cute I now have puppy GAS and I think I'm headed to the pound! Thanks

 

[xmorgan socialx]

Love me an LPC. Here are mine, the red one is a 1980 and the black one is a 1990. The black one has a repaired headstock and is by far the best guitar I have ever played.

 

[blackba]

The Norlin thing is a touchy subject.

Many of them are considered crap. But the reality is, a large percentage of them are pretty awesome. My '79, for example, is badass. Maple neck, solid one-piece body (no weight relief or anything), volute (no broken necks for me), and just solid construction. Sounds and plays great.

But go play a bunch and get what you like.

The norlin era sure is touchy. One of my friends asked me to work on a LP custom he borrows from a bandmate. He used to work in a music store and hates Norlin era Gibsons. I got it home and started to work on it. I checked the date and it was a '73 LP custom (same year as mine). He loves this guitar, but has long thought that Norlin era Gibsons are crap.

 

[Scuba200ft]

No absolutes...The dibs list on my 71 Norlin Deluxe is about 10 deep. Its absolutely an amazing sounding axe..

 

[Ventura]

Lotsa mojo inlcuded with the guitar, no doubt...

 

[DeezDemos]

My 2001 '57 Historic. I made my living with this guitar for the last ten years. Retired from the bars this August and still haven't found time nor the desire to clean it up! Lots 'o memories with this one!