NGD 1979 Gibson “The Paul”

[mudface]

You're becoming one hell of an income stream for old Lt.

In return I got some awesome guitars.

 

[JHMvP]

I have been looking for one of these for a while,... but I decided to have @LtDave32 build me one instead... the twist here is instead of walnut or mahogany it’s going to be made of Korina.... one piece neck and a one piece body with some T-Top clones.
This will be Desert Star number 4 for me.

Verrry interesting idea; please keep us informed about the progressions!

I just wanted to point you to the slightly different body-shape of the The Paul; just like the Smartwood Exotics they have a belly-cut and a slightly different thickness, which is extremely comfortable. And I don't know what neck the original The Paul has, but the 59's neck of the Smartwood Exotics is the ultimate love-child of a 50's and a 60's neck.

 

[brianbzed]

Finally an affordable vintage ‘70s Les Paul.

From my understanding, this guitar has a Walnut body, Mahogany neck, and an Ebony fretboard. I believe that the guitar is all original with two T-Top Humbuckers.

On the way home, and in back seat of the car photo.

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Yep, very cool and unique sounding guitars....had one in the mid-80's...traded it off for a Kramer....big mistake!

 

[billyhandyjunior]

Cleaned up 43 years of grime. Still some work to go and I need to put on a new set of .010’s.

Other than the dark area on the horn, the guitar is in really good condition. Sounds good, plays good, and stays in tune. Pretty happy with my purchase.

The T-Tops definitely get that ‘70s sound.

I need to decide what to do with the dark spot on the horn. In the last photo, I sat a black pick-guard on the guitar just to see how it would look.

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I like the dark spot. That’s rock n roll!

 

[1981 LPC]

That's not a spot, that's character.

 

[HardCore Troubadour]

coffee table burst....leave it alone and play it.

 

[Gridlock]

Definitely different and it’s cool to own a ‘70s era Gibson again.

 

[Elrathia]

That’s a nice drip edge Super! Great year and great amp…

 

[moreles]

The Paul was the way you could get into a Gibson at a reasonable price.

This is exactly it. Sort of the Studio of its day. I don't like walnut, period, but it has become a perfectly acceptable guitar wood used by plenty of boutique makers, and Gibson showed forethought in trying to get it into the mainstream. That didn't happen (though the natural look did catch on somewhat) which made The Paul a flop. Too bad, in retrospect.

 

[mudface]

This is exactly it. Sort of the Studio of its day. I don't like walnut, period, but it has become a perfectly acceptable guitar wood used by plenty of boutique makers, and Gibson showed forethought in trying to get it into the mainstream. That didn't happen (though the natural look did catch on somewhat) which made The Paul a flop. Too bad, in retrospect.

Well not exactly a flop....they made them well into the late '80s.... they sold every one they made.

Not all were walnut.... most were hog bodies..... by late '80s they got painted bodies.

Mahogany body ( the Paul is a Special without neck binding with a ebony fretboard and a relocated toggle switch)

Now the Firebird X was a flop......... the ones they couldn't sell was ran over by a loader.

 

[daemon]

I've got an '84, the only Gibson I've ever owned. My dad found it from an acoustic player who decided electrics weren't for him. Apparently has a Velvet Brick at the bridge and a Shaw in the neck. Despite the dreaded neck break in the 2000s it plays as good as it ever did, especially after replacing that terrible harmonica bridge.

 

[jamhandy]

Pretty sure The Paul came with Dirty Fingers pups... or maybe a different year, different pups... But the Dirty Fingers pups sounded awesome... great value of this era LP

 

[steakfinger]

I've never play The Paul, but I used to have a The SG and it was my favorite guitar period. Same walnut and ebony combo. I love how it looked, especially the oversized 70s headstock.

 

[Arf]

Finally an affordable vintage ‘70s Les Paul.

From my understanding, this guitar has a Walnut body, Mahogany neck, and an Ebony fretboard. I believe that the guitar is all original with two T-Top Humbuckers.

On the way home, and in back seat of the car photo.

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Killer guitar. But I'm pretty sure the stock pickups were Dirty Fingers (both coils were screw coils). All the ones I saw or played when they were new had them.

 

[DBDM]

If I understand the history correctly (and seemingly no one understands it all) there were several different versions of "The Paul", all good guitars but of varying desirablity and collectability. Some had the silk screen Gibson logo and some had the Gibson logo burned onto the headstock (called "Firebrand"). Some had T-tops (now frequently changed) and some did not (Dirty Fingers, others). Some all Walnut, some not. Values (but not necessarly tone or playabllity) is effected by these nuances. This is really more of a question than a statement. Anyone a "The Paul" expert that can fill in those gaps?

 

[mudface]

If I understand the history correctly (and seemingly no one understands it all) there were several different versions of "The Paul", all good guitars but of varying desirablity and collectability. Some had the silk screen Gibson logo and some had the Gibson logo burned onto the headstock (called "Firebrand"). Some had T-tops (now frequently changed) and some did not (Dirty Fingers, others). Some all Walnut, some not. Values (but not necessarly tone or playabllity) is effected by these nuances. This is really more of a question than a statement. Anyone a "The Paul" expert that can fill in those gaps?

the original was called "The Paul" in 1978-9....then there was the "The Paul Firebrand" with the wood burned branded Gibson Logo....1979-80.... Then there was the "The Paul Firebrand Deluxe".... 1981 the Deluxe had a nitro clear finish with the gold silkscreen Gibson Logo some had painted finishes. The first incarnation had the Dirty Fingers pickups.... the later models had T-Tops....the Deluxe had the Velvet Brick in the bridge (the highest output Gibson humbucker ever)...Dirty Fingers Tim Shaw designed pickup and the Velvet Brick was a Bill Lawrence pickup... prior to the PAF Tim Shaws. The pickup type changed without notice and with availability.


Firebranded logo

Without the Firebranded logo

By 1982 the Harmonica bridge was used... Other than pickup changes and finish upgrades the guitar stayed the same.

 

[Eric102673]

I bought one used in Memphis back in '92. Played that thing until sometime in the mid 2000s and then essentially "lost" it in the closet for years. I knew it was in there somewhere, but when I finally dug it back out, I sold it off just a few years ago.

What Mudface jives with the various versions of The Paul I've seen.

Mine was the walnut, with T tops and the gold silkscreen headstock logo, and engraved TRC. Frets were low/small and neck was straight as an arrow, on the ebony board. Neck carve was pretty thin. Hella fast to play. Weighed a metric ton. I lovingly referred to it as the coffee table guitar. That's what it always reminded me of for many reasons.

I took the T's out of mine sometime in the mid 90s and swopped in I forget what into the neck, but had a JB(J) in the bridge. It absolutely roared through my JCM and 412. And because of that, the weight was ultimately manageable.

Tastes changed. Gear changed. But a lotta good memories of that rig.
Enjoy that thing.

 

[DBDM]

the original was called "The Paul" in 1978-9....then there was the "The Paul Firebrand" with the wood burned branded Gibson Logo....1979-80.... Then there was the "The Paul Firebrand Deluxe".... 1981 the Deluxe had a nitro clear finish with the gold silkscreen Gibson Logo some had painted finishes. The first incarnation had the Dirty Fingers pickups.... the later models had T-Tops....the Deluxe had the Velvet Brick in the bridge (the highest output Gibson humbucker ever)...Dirty Fingers and Velvet Brick were Tim Shaw designed pickups.... prior to the PAF Tim Shaws. The pickup type changed without notice and with availability.

By 1982 the Harmonica bridge was used... Other than pickup changes and finish upgrades the guitar stayed the same.

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I had in my head that they were not ALL made of Walnut? True or False? and also that some of the later models were made of scavenged unused parts and were "all over the place" as far as details. Full disclosure I have heard the "unused parts" myth about many models but a few of them were actually true!

 

[mudface]

I had in my head that they were not ALL made of Walnut? True or False? and also that some of the later models were made of scavenged unused parts and were "all over the place" as far as details. Full disclosure I have heard the "unused parts" myth about many models but a few of them were actually true!

This is true.... they were not all made of Walnut.... only the first incarnations of The Paul and The Paul Firebrand and those were still available in mahogany with a 3 piece mahogany neck if you wanted.

 

[Bluerocker]

Congrats on the very cool guitar. I can remember a time when you couldn't give one away - I wish I'd bought one then.