The Les Paul Custom is Back!! - Gibson USA Les Paul Custom '70s Guitars

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I hate the white(ish) top with black sides. I know they made a few of them back in the day, but they suck too.

I assume they did this as cost cutting (Gibson says white is more expensive for them to do) and/or because they are assholes preserving all white LPCs for the more expensive models.

I'd say it's both, but 80% the latter. Gibson, "We'll give you half of what you want on a $4k guitar. Nevermind we still do white Studios for $1799. If you want a white Custom you gotta pony up a couple more K's."

 

[napalmdeath]

I'd say it's both, but 80% the latter. Gibson, "We'll give you half of what you want on a $4k guitar. Nevermind we still do white Studios for $1799. If you want a white Custom you gotta pony up a couple more K's."

The Studio is white satin for $1799, mind you.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

The Studio is white satin for $1799, mind you.

I get that, but considering over the years they've put out a good few gloss white models, sometimes limited, sometimes dealer runs, but on some regular USA models too I find it hard to believe the cost increase is so much that they can't simply raise the cost by $100-$200 for USA production models in white.

 

[napalmdeath]

I get that, but considering over the years they've put out a good few gloss white models, sometimes limited, sometimes dealer runs, but on some regular USA models too I find it hard to believe the cost increase is so much that they can't simply raise the cost by $100-$200 for USA production models in white.

Yeah, considering they don't need a fancy top. I remember back in the day, they used to price tops/colors accordingly. They'd offer a plain top, and a $300 upcharge for certain tops/finishes. Anything other than cherry or ebony used to have an upcharge.

 

[Kapo_Polenton]

To not offer it in true Randy Rhoads cream is just... fucked

It might age but I agree.. I also think that for the price, I would just for for another Edwards at what 1/3rd or 1/4th the cost? It will scratch that itch just fine, I have one.

 

[glpg80]

It might age but I agree.. I also think that for the price, I would just for for another Edwards at what 1/3rd or 1/4th the cost? It will scratch that itch just fine, I have one.

I’ve had an Edwards, own three real Norlins (two of which are maple necks), a standard and a traditional.

Even the norlins sound vastly different from one another. Back then they weren’t pushing for quality - it takes a ton of work and money to turn Norlin guitars into solid machines but once you start with a great base and invest the money, absolutely nothing touches them in sustain or speed. I’ve done it three times and don’t have interest in doing it a 4th time.

I feel a modern LP type guitar like an ESP would get you close. One thing I know for sure they didn’t get right were the necks - mid 70’s Norlins have this pencil dick neck at the nut and chunky at the heel. It’s not like anything they offer today and they are stupid fast to play on. Like Ibanez to traditional from the nut to the heel.

The lack of jumbo frets are also going to limit them. Maple necks and jumbo frets are what make norlins metal machines. It’s way cheaper to get close to them with a modern LP. With these you’re $4k in and still need to swap pickups, bone nut, refrets, and still don’t have the correct profile or the pancake body.

 

[Pushead]

I just remember all the "meh" from the internets in the early 2000s when people talked about the Norlin guitars. Now they're reissuing them and people are loving them.

 

[shar-vell Dan]

How could it be "back" it never "left".
Just another marketing ploy by Gibson to sell 1/2 measured LPC's in a dead economy.
I don't fault them but the real deals can be had pre-owned for way less than $3500.
Much prefer the 10.5 lb solid mahogany / maple body to the pancake stuff.

 

[Music&Chaos]

I'm not even a big Gibson guy and when I saw this I went "What?"

Who wants the Norlin stuff.....?

The whole community constantly complains about it.

Now they release the guitars no one wanted for 4k and they are all over it?

Gibson understands their customer base. I never will

 

[shar-vell Dan]

I'm not even a big Gibson guy and when I saw this I went "What?"

Who wants the Norlin stuff.....?

The whole community constantly complains about it.

Now they release the guitars no one wanted for 4k and they are all over it?

Gibson understands their customer base. I never will

IMO the Norlin era was the worse for Gibson just like AMF Harley's. Those were my high school years, well familiar how bad they flopped.
The crack smoking by Ceaser Romero & M. Agnostic must be in full schwing judging by them trying to re-invent the Edsel.
If you think its cool ..... it ain't.

 

[Music&Chaos]

IMO the Norlin era was the worse for Gibson just like AMF Harley's. Those were my high school years, well familiar how bad they flopped.
The crack smoking by Ceaser Romero & M. Agnostic must be in full schwing judging by them trying to re-invent the Edsel.
If you think its cool ..... it ain't.

What's really sad is now that car has more personality than anything that has hit the road during the last 30 years....

Maybe Gibson is trying to apply the same logic....except....there have been REALLY cool guitars to come out within that time period.

 

[ctvw]

The tobacco ones have some beautiful grain variance on the neck.

 

[Rick Lee]

Just removed the pup covers from my Custom the other day. I know it's cork sniffery, but I think the tone actually improved a tad. Just seems to have a little more clarity. I love the stock pickups in this guitar, but the natural Standard behind it needed something different and I had Jalen make me some EVH Frankenstein copies for it.

 

[ctvw]

Are we thinking these will be fairly cheap on the used market in the next year? I thought a lot of people hated the volutes.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

Are we thinking these will be fairly cheap on the used market in the next year? I thought a lot of people hated the volutes.

Hero worshiping dentist posers don't like volutes because "Jimmy Page's LP didn't have one" or whatever but they're objectively better for the LP headstock design in that they add good mass to the neck and strength to the notoriously head-snappy design of the Les Paul head/neck joint, and they're high up the neck enough that your hand doesn't even touch it unless you specifically reach for it. But Gibson's neck volutes are comfortable so even if you do it's not a problem.

I played a few 70's Customs other day and compared them to some Custom Shop customs in the store, their sound is pretty on-par with the Custom Shop guitars, some sounded better, some worse, just like any group of guitars you play. I will say the fretboards on the 70's Customs I played had some obvious streaking and spots that weren't totally black if that kind of thing bothers you, but overall they were good guitars.

 

[shar-vell Dan]

No problem with volutes here but that won't help if you drop your LP.

 

[skoora]

Couldn’t think of many Gibson’s I would want less than a mid to later 70’s Custom (a ‘78 was my first Gibson Les Paul). Shrill top end and a total pig with the weight. It was always funny to me when they started getting up there in price. I guess there will always be a new generation that thinks it must be good or cool because it’s old or comes from the time of a certain music.

 

[shar-vell Dan]

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I just remember all the "meh" from the internets in the early 2000s when people talked about the Norlin guitars. Now they're reissuing them and people are loving them.

The neck on my '71 Norlin LP Std was the most perfect feeling neck I ever played on. It didn't have the super thin nut like the '78 SG LP I had.

 

[Pushead]

The neck on my '71 Norlin LP Std was the most perfect feeling neck I ever played on. It didn't have the super thin nut like the '78 SG LP I had.

Yes. These are different than your 71, I'm sure, but there is something about these two (and their 78 Standard brother) that feel great. I think it's the carve more than the thickness, necessarily.

Also, put me down as pro-volute. My ESPs have them, too.