Real or Fake, I can’t tell?

[jbash]

And looks like it was originally Cherry Sunburst (See sides under blacklight)

 

[CB91710]

Yep.
Again, it's so old it's been through many years of "Maybe this is a good idea"... The gold hardware Gibsons have black pickup ring screws... but that doesn't mean they weren't changed because someone thought the gold or nickel looked better... or no thought was given when the pickups were installed, and a sloppy installer just grabbed parts from his bench instead of trying to keep the originals with the guitar.

But missing screws on the Grovers (and no apparent holes for them) point to a fairly recent change, otherwise tuning stability would have been noticed.
I'm leaning more and more to someone attempting to make a new clone look old.
But that doesn't explain the finish does indeed look to be nitro.....

 

[jbash]

But that doesn't explain the finish does indeed look to be nitro.....

Back in 2008 I bought a partscaster by a guy who finished it with a spray can of reranch Nitro and a relic job and sold them on ebay for cheap. I'm sure people can "fake" a Gibson look nitro too, for (relatively) cheap.

 

[CB91710]

Back in 2008 I bought a partscaster by a guy who finished it with a spray can of reranch Nitro and a relic job and sold them on ebay for cheap. I'm sure people can "fake" a Gibson look nitro too, for (relatively) cheap.

If he was selling on ebay for cheap and finishing with Reranch, he wasn't making much money. Freaking rattle cans are an expensive way to refin, even just using hardware store paint.

 

[jbash]

If he was selling on ebay for cheap and finishing with Reranch, he wasn't making much money. Freaking rattle cans are an expensive way to refin, even just using hardware store paint.

When I say cheap- I meant $600 dollars in 2008- Around the same price as the top of the line MIM of the day but better quality materials- quality bodies, necks, parts- Fender USA/AV, Warmoth , Mighty Mite, etc.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

Whatever it is that baby is definitely a player so I would strum it,
plug it in and see/hear what it has to say.
Then, if ever, I would make an offer based on the pleasure I get.

 

[rogue3]

off hand, headstock looks good here.

 

[100LL]

well and here i thought we were talking

Get flashed at a gig? Then you've made it.

The true measure of your status as a musician is if you've been shown the mellons. Right?

www.mylespaul.com

 

[Who]

As fun as it is to ponder this guitar…. the big question is why would anyone want it, with all the other guitars in the world?

 

[Roxy13]

Even MIJs though have the sharp center in the open book of the hs. My oldest one is a 1973 and even that one does.

Greco customs come with gold screws in the pup rings, but they are flat on top and those look like they have a domed top to me. However, people replace rusty screws and may not use the correct ones.

The bridge posts do look like they might be M4 posts, which nearly all MIJs use. But, again someone might have had a bent post or something and used a bridge with M4 posts, like a Gotoh.

 

[Roxy13]

Wait, are there bushings under those bridge posts? And then it's using like M8 to ABR conversion posts? If so there were not many MIJ guitars that used bushings and M8 posts on the bridges.

Again though, someone could have drilled for bushings on a Gibson or something else.

 

[Bobby Mahogany]

As fun as it is to ponder this guitar…. the big question is why would anyone want it, with all the other guitars in the world?

That is a hell of a good question!

 

[vaguely]

Headstock is wack; so's the rest.

 

[PRSWILL]

It's at best a parts guitar- most likely a Chibson that's been relic'd, and upgraded to some extent- HARD PASS.

 

[01GT Eibach]

My guess is that this is a 1970s-era LPC copy (not recent Chibson) that someone recently went to the extra step of relic'ing to try to hide its less-than-authentic history. That is just a guess, though.

 

[slinkyrio]

I have a Norlin 78 Custom. Comparing to mine, I say too many issues. Headstock looks wrong, dotted "i" in Gibson logo, no volute. I say pass.

 

[mudface]

I have a Norlin 78 Custom. Comparing to mine, I say too many issues. Headstock looks wrong, dotted "i" in Gibson logo, no volute. I say pass.

I have a 1978 Les Paul Custom with a dotted I..... I have owned it since 1980... get over the dot..... some have them.... some don’t.

Having a dot or not doesn’t mean shit.

The logo has the closed b and closed o like the Norlin period logo. Kinda rules out a recent fake “chibson”.

The Made In USA stamp can be stamped so light it’s hard to see like mine..... in this pic you only see the word “IN”.... but at certain angles you can see it all

Also mine has the volute

Though the OP’s guitar has a few issues I can’t say for certain it’s legit..... something is fishy about it.

It’s been refinished a number of times and it’s possible renecked or repaired.

Besides all the little details that are clearly wrong.... pup rings....bridge.. it still has a pointy cutaway horn like mine. I would simply avoid this guitar. Not worth it for any price.

 

[none2low]

Never seen mother of pearl glow like that under black/UV light. Not sure what it is, but I don't think it's what it's claimed to be.

 

[dwagar]

74-75 Serial should be impressed, not ink stamp. No Made in USA. Pic showing top of headstock looks bad. Bridge posts? No volute, should be pancake body with 3 pc neck.

I'd say walk away.

But we DO have a Norlin Section here, post it there, those guys will know.

 

[CB91710]

Though the OP’s guitar has a few issues I can’t say for certain it’s legit..... something is fishy about it.

It’s been refinished a number of times and it’s possible renecked or repaired.

Besides all the little details that are clearly wrong.... pup rings....bridge.. it still has a pointy cutaway horn like mine. I would simply avoid this guitar. Not worth it for any price.

Ya, this one certainly falls under "There's too many fish in the sea" to be worth it to take the chance.

Resale would be questionable even if it is determined to be legit, because only a few of the current questions could be removed from a future listing.
Agreed that it's not likely to be a newer Chibson, but the fact remains that it *may* be misrepresented.... so whether it is a misrepresentation of a $200 Chibson or a late 70s Ibanez or Tokai.... it still isn't that any longer, and the attempt to add value ends up removing any potential value.

There are other Norlin Customs out there that are not so questionable (and yes, they will not be cheap).