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Norlin years

Olsen

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Feb 11, 2003
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Hi guys.
I often hear about the Norlin Years.When exactely was that?
I believe that I heard something about that guitars from that period should have lower quality.I got a 1980 LP Custom that I regard as my best guitar.Is that from the Norlin era?
Thanks.
Chriss
 

Captain Jack

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Jan 6, 2007
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Olsen I am by no means an expert but I believe the Norlin years were from the mid 70's (I think that is right) to 86 (I am almost positive about that). There is a great book you can find at Amazon.com entitled 50 years of the Gibson Les Paul which has a wealth of information.

My understanding from reading and talking with people is that "generally" the Norlin years did not produce the best guitars. If you look in the Blue Book of Electric Guitars (I have seen those at your local Barnes and Nobel) you will see that reflected in what they value those guitars. That being said I also see those guitars selling for more and more each year.

As for me I tend to keep an eye out for 1987 until the present. Hope that helps.
 

Olsen

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Hi...Thank you,Captain Jack.Very helpfull.I will check out the book you mention.
Chriss
 

GlassSnuff

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The first thing you have to understand is Gibson didn't make changes in January, so "year" is a bit vague. The second thing is Les Pauls are made by people, and there are "good" ones and "bad" from from every year, even 1959 and 1985. However, the value of the guitar is determined more by the year than it's quality as Les Pauls are collectible.

Gibson stopped making the '50s Les Pauls in 1960, though there are some very rare '61s floating around.

In 1968, they started again, and the only way they new how was the way they did it before, so these guitars are worth a lot.

In 1969, they started making some changes, so these are guitars are also worth a lot, depending...

1970 saw the introduction of the "Norlin" Les Paul. Changes included flatter tops, volutes on the neck, larger headstocks, and the dreaded "pancake bodies".

The Norlin period continued through until the 1986, when the company was sold to the current owner, Darth Juszkiewicz.
 

Olsen

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Feb 11, 2003
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Hey GlassSnuff,thanks a lot.When you say pancake bodies,are you then referring to the three peace maple top?
Chriss
 

dwagar

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pancake refers to the layering of the bodies, you can see a line on the side.
 

GlassSnuff

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There has been a lot of discussion about these things, here's a thread that may be of interest:

Norllin... bad rep?

The bottom line is, if you love your Custom, that's all that should matter to you. Guitars are just instruments to make music, and if you're making great music on your Lester, then by my definition, it's a great guitar! :salude
 

Wilko

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So far the question has not been answered well.

The Norlin Years technically started in 68/69 when the "Norlin" group bought the company. It ended in the mid 80s.

Guitar construction "issues" that gave Gibsona bad rap for that time were made starting in 1969 and the change back to better guitars started in 1977 when the one-piece body came back.

SO. IMNSHO, the "Norlin Years" are late 1969 through 1977.

1968 Les Pals were made by Norlin, as were 1980 Heritage Les Pauls.
 

Olsen

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Hi ...thanks for the reply's.I was just wondering.I am very happy about my LP Custom.It is a 1980 wine red and as far as I know from this forum,it has Tim Shaw PU's,wich I love.The top is transparent and I can see that it is made in three pieces.It sounds great and I certenly don't feel that it is second rate.
I am the the happy owner of three LP's and this is for shure the best.
If this is a Norlin,I can only say that they made very good guitars also.
Thanks again.
Chriss
 

PTate

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May 18, 2006
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Hi ...thanks for the reply's.I was just wondering.I am very happy about my LP Custom.It is a 1980 wine red and as far as I know from this forum,it has Tim Shaw PU's,wich I love.The top is transparent and I can see that it is made in three pieces.It sounds great and I certenly don't feel that it is second rate.
I am the the happy owner of three LP's and this is for shure the best.
If this is a Norlin,I can only say that they made very good guitars also.
Thanks again.
Chriss

Fuck the snobs and enjoy your Norlin. I enjoy mine and they are some of the best guitars I've played.

Assholes will try to claim the pancake, three piece neck, wide head, volute, pieced maple caps and mini-buckers etc. were inferior. What a load of toss. They were done for practical reasons and not as a way of reducing cost.

The Norlins were marginally, and I mean MARGINALLY, different, to the originals. They were all wood; a mix of mahogany and maple; they were the right shape and the early ones were made in the same factory, most likely, by the same staff.

Plug-in, thrash and enjoy.
 

GlassSnuff

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Wilko, I have to disagree with your Not So Humble opinion. You stated that Gibsons had a "change back to better guitars" in '77, when in fact, that was about the time their quality started a long slide into mediocrity. All American products lost quality in the '70s, but to their credit, Gibson held out longer than, say, Fender or Martin. We hung in there, but finally gave up being a Gibson dealer in '89.

If there was truth to what you claim, then an early '80s LP would be worth more than an early '70s LP, but that's not the case. I know you're convinced that pancake bodies are evil, but some folks have a dislike for rocker tenons and weight relief holes, which you appear to consider improvements as you're including them in your specs for "better guitars".

In the end though, none of these things determine a "good" or "bad" guitar. Different, sure there are differences, but I don't think everyone needs to play the blues, and I don't think everyone needs an exact copy of a 'burst. Some of us want to be different.
 

Wilko

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Sorry, I understand that there are many differences. I don't consider the weight relief or rocker tenons to be good. Or other quality issues.

I just know that the change back to 1-piece bodies and the longer process to get to the Shaw era was indicator that Gibson knew they weren't making what people wanted and they started back to the old style that made them famous to begin with.
I don't believe that the pancakes are "evil" and have never posted that. I did post that the change back to one-piece bodies signalled the start of the trend toward better guitars. I stand by that. The pancake construction, maple neck, boat anchor heavy guitar isn't as versatile or as "Les Paul" as what they made in the early 80s up til now.

They are DIFFERENT and I have posted that. they are also one of the biggest reasons that Les Pauls sounded very different than the originals.

I still own a 76 custom and have owned many early 70s Les Pauls. I knwo the difference, and FOR ME the Norlin recipe isn't right for most of what I like to play. I like the woody resonance of different Les Pauls.
 
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Olsen

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Feb 11, 2003
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Hey PTate..nice post.He-he...
Well,I was'nt worryed about value or "is this a real Gibson" or anything like that.I have had to many well sounding cheap guitars over the last thirty years to be worryed about that,but the Gibson Les Paul guitar has allways been my favorite.I love my Pauls but think about this:The guitar I got,that get closest to the sound of my Custom,is an Epiphone Wildcat with Alnico P-90 pu's.It is way different to play,but the sound...great.I recently recorded 15 songs with my band,using the Custom and the Epi.When I listen to the demo I can't hear where I use the Epi or the Custom.They are so close in sound.The Epi has the sound but the Custom has the feel and the sound.
I also own a '78 LP Pro with P-90 wich according to Guitar Player Magazine,in an article in the mid 80's,did'nt have the real LP vibe.It is one of the best guitars I have ever played.
No,I was just wondering,what years we were talking about,when talking about the Norlin Years.
Thanks for the good post,everyone.
Chriss
 

Sparta

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Aug 7, 2002
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There are absolutely no apologies that need to be made for a Norlin Les Paul Deluxe.

I own an play a bunch of good guitars, including a few R9s from various years, a Custom Shop 335 and an L4-CES.

My 1971 Deluxe is a really great guitar! It is different from the R8 and R9s, but it sounds and plays fantastic.

The Norlin Deluxe needs a few different settings on the amp, so be aware of that if you go to try out an old original Deluxe. Turn down the treble on the amp.

I am very happy with its unique voice, its feel, neck profile, and workmanship. Great instrument.
 

Sparta

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Also, I totally agree with the stand that most have made: that this is an individual thing.

There are specific areas where my 71 Deluxe with original mini-hums will excell in a unique way. It is good for certain tasks.

1.) In particular, it has a very nice and full clean sound when both pups are engaged and the bridge volume is rolled off a bit (7 or 8). This is quite a full and clear sound which has drawn unsolisicted compliments from other players. This sound is most evident in a 6L6GC-based amp, has a nice chime though EL84, and is less amazing in an EL34 system.

I partly attribute this positive feature to the ~absence~ of that woody resonance tone that I seek for lead work.

2.) The 71 Deluxe has a very good sustain to it. You do not need to put it in a compressor or high-gain amp or overdrive to have the notes hold out. On a related note it is loud acoustically for a solid body. Not up there with an Historic Reissue, but pretty good!

3.) It is much less likely to go "muddy", and therefore nice for clean rhythm work in a band setting. It cuts through a bit more, without necessarily being obnoxious.

Thanks
 

Wilko

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Sparta's comments are exactly the same in my experience as well.

The term we've been using around the LPF for years is that the heavy Norlin Guitars are "focused". And yes, sustain is excellent.
 
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