Tell me all I need to know about late 70's Les Paul Customs

[Dave]

I am going to look at a 77 LPC tonight.

Original patent number pickups, he said he has used a black light and finish is all original, no breaks cracks or issues, original case and its black.



Is $2200 too much if its a sweet player?

[GuitarBilly]

Not at all, it's a good price.

[Dave]

Oh shoot had to push the meet up back, but that's good to know.

[KCTigerChief]

Dude, 2200 seems great! I will be super jelly btw...DO IT!

[neilrocks25]

Does want

[Dave]

Ok, talked to the dude tonight.


Do all 1977 customs have a maple neck?

It also has the volute which isn't exactly my favorite norlin feature, and the pancake body. He said the frets are a bit low and it'll need a refret at some point. I may have to pass on this one.

[_ej_]

volutes rule. Just try it out at least.

[Dave]

I hate volutes. I've played a ton with the volute. Hate is not a strong enough word for how I feel about volutes.

[_ej_]

Why do you hate them?

[Dave]

Why do you hate them?

Part of my love of Gibsons is the headstock joint. I play a lot of stuff in open position and the normal slim taper neck joint with no volute feels great. It's like caressing a hot bitch's leg. Sexy. Volute? Circus freak with protruding bones rotting out of their frothing vaginas.



Not really, and I've played many a good Gibsons with volutes. However it's not what I want and there are tons of LPC's that meet my criteria. Nothing wrong with the volute at all.

[_ej_]

gotcha dude. My first few guitars had them and I just really like them. More nostalgic than anything really.

I love my nonvolute Gibson.

[Jp77]

$2200 is a nice price if no breaks, holes drilled. Etc. early 70's through 76 had pancake bodies I believe. Early on had 3 pc mahogany necks but mid 70's somewhere went to 3 pc maple till early 80's when switched back to a 1 pc mahogany neck and body. I think by 77 the sandwhich bodies were gone so double check the date on the one you might buy. Early 70's had the gold waffle back tuners and later had the Gibson stamped drystone tuners. The volute never bothered me as far as the feel and some of my favorite lp's were norlin era. I also prefer the fretts Gibson used in this era with their low wide size. I hate when they are refretted with the round jumbo fretts which is often the case. There were a few made in 70's with maple frettboards in place of the ebony which to me just doesn't look right.

[GuitarBilly]

Ok, talked to the dude tonight.


Do all 1977 customs have a maple neck?

It also has the volute which isn't exactly my favorite norlin feature, and the pancake body. He said the frets are a bit low and it'll need a refret at some point. I may have to pass on this one.

Yeah, almost all Norlins have a maple neck, sandwich body and the volute. Honestly, the best LPCs you can buy are the ones being built right now. The Custom Shop has been coming out with some killer LPCs.

The Norlins are really not traditional LPs at all, but became classic guitars from guys like Rhoads, Sykes, Zakk etc using them.

[Dave]

Yeah I'm going to look at a 93 this weekend and then a 2005 sometime in the next few days. Thanks for the advice!

[sleewell]

Damn, that sounds like fun shopping!!!

[benjamin801]

Yeah I'm going to look at a 93 this weekend and then a 2005 sometime in the next few days. Thanks for the advice!

Either would be a great guitar. Join the club. Join us.

[Cflat]

Norlins get a bad rap, but most famous recordings of Les Pauls that people seem to love so much were done with them.

By 1977, the bodies went back to a solid slab of mahogany with no holes drilled. You can be safe and have him send you a pic of the side of the guitar. You'll see the pancake lines if it's a pancake body. The neck is 3-piece maple. I don't see this as a downside. 3-Piece maple is stable as all fuck. Some of my favorite Les Pauls came from this era. My most recent ones, especially. I had a 1978 Custom that I recently sold and still miss the shit out of. But I still have a 1981 Custom that keeps me happy. I like to shave the necks down to bare maple, although many other LP owners find this blasphemous.

You can expect to need a refret. The frets will probably be low. They were low from the factory. But that's a pretty damn good price if the guitar is in good condition, so you can factor in another $200 for frets. Go check it out. Gibsons are very hit or miss. If you love it, you got a great deal.

I never had an issue with the volute thing. But if it bothers you, it's something to consider.

[Macelind]

The volute adds strength and makes it more difficult to snap the headstock. But if you no likey, you no likey.

[long standing member]

I'd pass on a 70-80's.
the quality of Gibsons shot up after 1990. I'm constantly on the lookout for a LPC, but not in black.
I don't care about the volutes, but I must have the thin taper, mahogany neck, and a maple top. IRRC, the painted ones were all mahogany, including the tops

[Cflat]

Gibson's quality shoots up and down from guitar to guitar. I've owned lots of them. Many great ones were Norlins, and many shit ones were from the 90's. And almost all Les Paul Customs have a maple top, except for very few models like some reissues. Regardless of paint color. The neck will be similar to a slim taper. Just as thin, if not a little thinner. They generally have a slightly more rounded profile than the more flattened slim taper.

If you like the idea of a mahogany neck and it makes you feel better, then avoid the Norlins. But there's not really any other reason to, as the differences from LP to LP can vary much more than the difference in a maple and mahogany neck. I would suggest trying before buying in either case.

[Diddlybo]

I had a Norlin era LPC. I think it was the heaviest guitar I ever owned. It was a beast. Actually, most Norlin era LPs that I have played were all pretty stinkin heavy.

[Dave Lister]

The volute adds strength and makes it more difficult to snap the headstock. But if you no likey, you no likey.

Volute=Pointy knees.

[Tommy Eisen]

WTF is a volute? Sounds like something you drink champagne out of? But man, that's a hard price to pass up. It's a LPC Mang, dem shits is tighhht.

[almightycrunch]

Its the chunk of wood carved at the headstock/neck joint on the back of the neck. They did it to strengthen the area due to the construction method at that point.