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Just bought this Orville by Gibson Les Paul Custom

Progrocker111

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
These older Japanese copies are great guitars, i played many of them (from 70s and 80s) and really some of them could compare to current Gibson USA production without problems. These old Japanese VH pickups were nice too.
 

fatcat

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Joined
Feb 1, 2004
Messages
301
4lp-1.jpg


4lp2-1.jpg


4lp3-1.jpg
 

omboy

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Mar 10, 2003
Messages
145
I got an Orville Custom back in the late '90's and I still have it. I changed out the pups and had it routed for a middle pup. It's one of the very few that I've seen that actually has an Ebony fingerboard. Great guitar all the way around. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I hadn't routed it as the middle pup gets in the way of my playing even with the pup lowered. I just thought it would look cool, and it does, but I never even use the middle pup. I had it wired in for awhile but now it's wired up standard.

I have one of those, all mahogany and an ebony board. It gets more play time than any git in the house. Zhangbuckers, CTS pots and Russian PIO caps are the only changes.

9d45cf09.jpg
 

Ad_02Std

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Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Messages
5,055
Update

I am deeply in love with this guitar at the moment; I just can't stop playing it. It had sat in the case for quite a while and I'd thought of selling it a few times. I was just about to advertise it as for sale and then made the mistake of getting it out of the case and playing the damn thing. I played an entire gig with it on Friday without picking up my #1, and that's never happened before, even when I've picked up my much loved Tele or '67 SG Special for a couple of tunes. Glad I gave it another shot, it's definitely a keeper.

Apart from a set-up to my tastes the only mod I've done is to wire the pots and caps "50s" style, which really woke up the pickups. They both sound so much sweeter now. Thinking of adding a push/pull pot to get some out-of-phase tones.

Anyway, just wanted to come back here and say how it had worked out.


I probably should've added in the first post that I bought this guitar from somara.com



Ps. Interesting how this thread has been moved from Backstage, where I initially posted it, to The Other Gibsons... :hmm
 
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riscado

Active member
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,460
I have a 1988 Terada built orville by gibson double cut cherry les paul junior... Amazing guitar, with gibson usa p90, electronics and hardware and a very nice nitro finish, much like an older guitar. I love it, and it's staying.

I've also played some other of their orville by gibson line of reissues, and all were very nice. Plus I've had a 94 regular orville SG guitar, which while not being nitro was truly excelent and sometimes I think I should have kept that one too.

Overall nice guitars, if you choose them properly, much like any other brand.
 

ZZ Not

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Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
744
Don't own either one of these now but they were both great guitars.

FullBody-1.jpg


fullbody.jpg
 

57Lefty

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Jun 7, 2005
Messages
1,037
I bought /sold a lot of them back in 2001/2002. Very nice copies for the money. The best part is for the price of a real R9 you can have a whole collection of them.
 

burstman59

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Joined
Mar 10, 2002
Messages
1,753
Man these are very well made...a lot better than the Korean and Chinese built modelsThw woods are higher quality. A bit better than the plain Orvilles and the Japan built Epis. I have found an Epi by Gibson I want. its kinda pricey but really like it.
 

bblooz

New member
Joined
Oct 9, 2014
Messages
25
I got an Orville Custom back in the late '90's and I still have it. I changed out the pups and had it routed for a middle pup. It's one of the very few that I've seen that actually has an Ebony fingerboard. Great guitar all the way around. Hindsight being 20/20 I wish I hadn't routed it as the middle pup gets in the way of my playing even with the pup lowered. I just thought it would look cool, and it does, but I never even use the middle pup. I had it wired in for awhile but now it's wired up standard.

I get your point, but would still like to see pix if you have any. I probably looks pretty cool.
 

TM1

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Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
The Orville's are made in the Terada factory. Same factory that's made the Epiphone Elite's and all the pro line Gretsch Guitars! They were more correct in those days than the Custom Shop was on neck tenon's and top carves etc.
 

Blackjack30

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Joined
Apr 9, 2016
Messages
321
Mine is a Fujigen.

There were three Japanese factories, Terada, Gakki & Fujigen that made Orvilles.
 

ScumbackSpeakers

Active member
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
247
I have four Orville guitars, 3 LP's and an Explorer. Great guitars if you upgrade the electronics and get the frets leveled and dressed!

Here's my Orville LP with my TrainWreck Express clone through a 1x12 loaded with a Scumback M75 65w. Straight in, no attenuation, no pedals, just turned up the amp to 5 and let the guitar rip. My solo starts around 3:31. Forgive the clams, they showed me the chord changes after they started the song!

https://youtu.be/5pr1ol8F4RM?list=UL5pr1ol8F4RM

 
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