Quality of 70's Les Paul Customs?

[Boutros]

Hey, I've got an opportunity to get my hands on a 70's Les Paul custom for cheap, but my friend has been telling me that ones made in the 70's generally have poor quality. Can anyone here verify/dispel this rumor?
Thanks!

[zontar]

Can't comment on the one you're looking at, but mine is great, and I've played others that I like.

That said--some may not be so good--but then even in 58-60, some of them weren't so good too.

Judge each one on its own merits.

[joesatch]

Your friend is half correct. There are some really good ones and some shit ones. Your gonna have to test it out / look it over.

[kmrumedy]

Boutros - There is a Norlin section if you want detailed info on your custom. Also, if you search "Norlin" in title search you will get a lot of great info.

I think this subject should be laid to rest. Even on The Gear Page their opinions have changed and it simply comes down to this:

Generalizations are useless. They are great for speculation at the pub but there's so much variation in wooden instruments -- in eras of good management as well as bad -- that to buy a guitar based on some perception that one is good and another bad is doing yourself a disservice.

Like most attempts to be knowledgeable and cool, that strategy is a good way to miss out on gems (on the one hand) or to end up with a boat anchor (on the other).

Gibsons made in Kalamazoo, Nashville and Memphis, under several management regimes, doesn't matter: it's the quality that SPECIFIC guitar, not "those" guitars.

Judge each one individually not an era.

[scottyk]

Hey, define "for cheap."
That'd make some kinda diff in my decision.

[LOSTVENTURE]

Kmrumedy has hit the nail on the head here. Personally, I had a '70 that was an incredible guitar. It's one of the few guitars that I would buy back (at any price) if I got the chance. Incodentally, they were $325 new.
Don

[HOT-BRIT]

It is the uninformed & inexperienced who love to jump on the band wagon by making there uninformed & unsubstantiated negative claims about Norlin era Gibson guitars, it gives them a sense of self worth, they also feel it makes them look like an expert in the eyes of there peers, when in fact it just makes them look stupid, ignorant & uninformed.

[blackie2]

My two cents, I had 20th Anniversary LP Custom with gold hardware. Guitar was very heavy, the gold hardware flaked off in no time, but the guitar sounded great. I paid about $325 for it and sold it later for about the same amount. Play it and if you like it then buy it if the price is right. That's the only way to purchase a used guitar no matter what decade it was built.

[Dino Velvet]

Originally Posted by Boutros

Hey, I've got an opportunity to get my hands on a 70's Les Paul custom for cheap, but my friend has been telling me that ones made in the 70's generally have poor quality. Can anyone here verify/dispel this rumor?
Thanks!

Well than you had better not get one. As we all know here, your friend is the undisputed authority on all things Gibson.

[Olds442]

every guitar is different and has it's own mojo.

as does every player.

[sixlicks]

I like this one 1977 .

[tag2]

Randy Rhodes hated his 1974 LPC.

[zontar]

Originally Posted by tag2

Randy Rhodes hated his 1974 LPC.

But Randy Rhoads played his quite a bit.

Don't know who this Rhodes fellow is...

[Boutros]

Thanks everyone for your input, some more than others.
kmrumedy: Thanks for that, sorry if this thread is something that has been done to death. I guess I'll just have to check it out.
Scottyk: I'm trading my les paul studio plus $400usd, so around 1200 total.

[kjwolfer]

My 72 is the bees knees. It has mojo that my R8 cant touch.

[Olds442]

Originally Posted by Boutros

around 1200 total.

not worth it imo.

it's a husk that someone else didn't want.

think that through.

if you have major GAS for a custom, save up. i've seen very nice customs sell in the classifieds for under $2k.

and they didn't need any work.

maybe strings.

good luck.

[marantz1300]

I'd buy it do fix it up and make it my own,if I was in your shoes.You'll probably never get another chsne like that and be kicking yourself.You can alwayd buy another
Studio.

[Boppy]

You know what? Out of all the LPCs I've played (Norlins & modern) I've only come across a couple of dogs and they were both the result of fail-mods and/or poor setup. Other than that, I'm always knocked out by the feel, tone and quality of LPCs.

[old mark]

I had a '74. A very good guitar, not my favorite, but very good...but even a bad vintage Les Paul Custom is better than most everything else.

Nice (unbroken and factory stock) Norlin era Customs are going for around $3000 and up.


mark

[pknoot]

Wait a minute! Are you talking about the "guitar" in the thumbnails you posted? I would not trade a working Studio for that. Unless you are a skilled luthier, you're going to spend more to restore it than buying a fully functional Custom. Save yourself the headaches!

[Archtop 13]

The neck profile on my 72' Custom is all over the place. Other than that it's been a solid guitar. It's my Baby.

[Lebo]

Mine is more than awesome, but that varies, and you should really think about it couse that guitar needs a lot of work and a lot of things, and after all, it's your decition.

[kmrumedy]

Boutros - If you can post up a bunch of detailed pictures and a good description of what you have been told about the guitar, we can help you out with good accurate info for your purchase. Happy to do it.

Some amazing people on here. That is what I did last week and they helped me out a bunch.

[old mark]

Boutros: The Les Paul in that pic needs so much work -and parts. The probable reason all those parts were stripped off is that they are very expensive to replace, and I'd guess they were sold by the piece. Parts for almost any '70's big name guitar are available on eBay and they cost a fortune.
You would be better off saving some more cash and buying a good Les Paul that you can play. I spent a lot of money on "fixer" guitars, and then I realized that I was very tired-and not very good-at fixing them. Patience is hard, but owning a guitar body that needs all that work is harder, especially when you spent all your money on it.
You can't play it till it's fixed, and that will be a long time...

mark

[b-squared]

For a LP in that shape you shouldn't pay more than $500, IMO. If you have to get all the hardware you're putting several hundred into the instrument, and that's not including a pro refin.

I have a '76 Custom that I bought in the early 80's, and it's still a great playing guitar. I got a 'good one' as they say.

(I wish I was still this skinny!)

You can buy a $3000+ R9 and still get a dog of an instrument, same holds true for any era (even the...wait for it...1950s!) .

If the guy won't be realistic on his price...PASS.

[Midnight Blues]

I have two. One I've had for over 35 years, the other for 34 and I love them both!!!! So does my Luthier.

[Backstage]

I don't know why many challange the ladies from the 70's. What about the 80's? .

[Renegade]

I have a 73 LP Custom and it looks, plays and sounds great. 70's LP could be on the heavy side but mine weights about the same as my new Traditional.

A lot of the trade plus cash would depend on the condition of your Studio.
Is the Studio one of the more expensive models and in great shape?

Are the pieces of the Custom all there and in working order?

The other thing I would do is find a good qualified Luthier and have him evaluate the Custom, how's the neck joint? Has the head stock been repaired? etc. etc. If everything checks out OK and you don't mind a BIG project...try to get it as cheap as possible, there can be certain satisfaction value in putting it all together and making a play again but even though the prices of 70's era LP is coming up, because of the refin this one never be more than a player (IMHO).


Okay...that is pretty long winded for only my second post.

[ccwhiskey]

my 79 has been the find of my life,been playing it now for 11 years and would not part with it .

[TKOjams]

Tell he he's correct and offer him half of what he'a asking, and laugh all the way to the bank.