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Why not a Norlin?

PLarson

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Joined
Mar 7, 2009
Messages
918
I've had my '74 Deluxe since 1990, and I love it. The pancake body was a try to get a brighter sound, right?

Recently I have bought a '69 Deluxe, and I love it. A professional instrument.

I'd say Norlins before '75 are pure art!
 

guitplayer

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Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Right you are. Wagon loads of classic Rock songs recorded and preformed w/ Norlins.
 

jimmi

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Joined
Oct 8, 2012
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2,077
I think the reason claimed for the pancake bodies was to reduce the chance of the body warping.....not sure that was really a problem though.

There are some great guitars from this era. I really like the early reissues from this era in the early 80s like the Heitage series, the Leo's Specials and the Trader's guitars. I actually like several aspects of these better than the historics. The top carves are much closer to the originals compared to all but the most recent historics. The tops on these guitars are usually stunning. The wood was usually very select wood.....my Leo is closer in accoustic tone and sustain to my 50s guitars than all but a few Historics I have played. I like the Shaws selected for these guitars better than the BB and certainly better than the 57s. Great little guitars.


And of course pictures :)
Heritage Award (#31 of 50)
8545532818_5d04b2f1fe.jpg

8545542174_7bb8fa69dd.jpg


Leo's Special
8729669374_7999bae4a7.jpg

8729669264_d80d20b31f.jpg
 

shred

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Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
4,667
I love 69-74 LP's and have played and owned a lot of them. They are the perfect rock machine. Fast necks, big macho headstocks, cool vibe and the pefect platform to customize a guitar to your own specs: Pups, fretwire, tuners etc...

The only reason I got into Reissues was for the 2 piece flame tops. As far as GT's and plain tops go, I'd rather have a Norlin.
 
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guitplayer

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Mar 8, 2008
Messages
2,114
Agree!! Heres my 74 deluxe. Kept the tuners and fretwire. Neck pickup a 1965 T-top and Bridge and custom wound Duncan.
Light at 8lb 14oz and a large neck.(look for big heels).
I did all the work. Right now the only thing I pick up.
 

efk

Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
519
I've got a stripped, scratched and scrubbed 71 Deluxe with P90s in it and it's the best darn LP I've ever personally played. I don;t care how it's built or how many pieces it is, all I know or care about it how it sounds!

As a woodworker, my opinion is that the 3 pc. necks and pancake bodies are a heck of a lot more stable than single pieces of wood, although I've never heard of anyone having an issue with body warp so it's probably a non-issue when it comes to bodies.
 

jimmi

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Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
The Leo's Special is one of my favorite all-time guitars.

Have only seen one in person ever and its the one I have. Same with the Heritage Award. Both are very rare I guess. Actually would like to compare to another one to see if they are all this good.
 
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Cogswell

The Duke of Dumbassery
Joined
Mar 19, 2002
Messages
15,717
I'm pretty sure the pancake idea was just to get wood that was cheaper because of the smaller dimensions needed for the bodies. Larger pieces of clear wood are harder to find & therefore cost more.
 

Progrocker111

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Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
I've had my '74 Deluxe since 1990, and I love it. The pancake body was a try to get a brighter sound, right?

Recently I have bought a '69 Deluxe, and I love it. A professional instrument.

I'd say Norlins before '75 are pure art!

Yes, 70-early 75 Norlins are my favourite Les Pauls. My current 74 Custom is very resonant and big sounding, coupled with clear sounding T-Tops its a lively and loud singing Les Paul with amazing sustain and string definition. Former near mint ebony 73 Custom i sold was much thinner and brighter sounding - they varied from piece to piece a bit, but generally these are great rock/hardrock/70s music Les Pauls with unique voicing and character. Just give me pancake, volutes, 3 piece necks and T-Tops.

Is there a tone difference between your 69 and 74 Deluxe?
 

Progrocker111

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Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
I'm pretty sure the pancake idea was just to get wood that was cheaper because of the smaller dimensions needed for the bodies. Larger pieces of clear wood are harder to find & therefore cost more.

Could be, but this manufactoring process would be much more labour intensive on the other side. :wah They even added a small piece of separate wood layer under maple cap like in the middle of the body, so there was other reason i think. Like here clearly visible on the photo:

IMG_4540.jpg
 

Cody

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 23, 2002
Messages
4,494
Agree!! Heres my 74 deluxe. Kept the tuners and fretwire. Neck pickup a 1965 T-top and Bridge and custom wound Duncan.
Light at 8lb 14oz and a large neck.(look for big heels).
I did all the work. Right now the only thing I pick up.
I LOVE these really dark early tobacco sunbursts.

:salude
 

Uncle Gary

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Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
2,431
My first real Les Paul was a tobaccoburst '78 Standard. It must have weighed 14 pounds as my second-a '81 Standard 80, which weighed nearly 11 pounds, felt like a feather compared to it.

It was heavy, and the tone was thin and bright. I don't miss it at all.
 

jimmi

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Oct 8, 2012
Messages
2,077
My first real Les Paul was a tobaccoburst '78 Standard. It must have weighed 14 pounds as my second-a '81 Standard 80, which weighed nearly 11 pounds, felt like a feather compared to it.

It was heavy, and the tone was thin and bright. I don't miss it at all.

The Leo I have is much lighter than that.....right at 9lbs....5 oz lighter than my '54 std and just a few oz more than my conversion. Sounds pretty close to a 50s guitar. I think if it had nitro instead of the 80s finish it would really be very close. The Heritage Award is a little heavier....but it has all gold hardware with includes the METAL backing plates. The one on the control cavity weights a pound by itself. It sounds very good but not as much like a 50s guitar...sort of its own sound. If I replaced the Shaws in the Leo (which are still very good) with PAFs and add nitro lacquer, it would be very close to a vintage sound.
 

Bob Womack

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Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,191
The "cross-banding" with intermediate layers of wood laid at a 90' angle is a technique to increase stiffness and rigidity. The design philosophy at the time was that maximum rigidity of the overall structure reflected maximum energy back into the string for maximum sustain.

And that, my friend, was the big design goal of the time: infinite sustain.

Bob
 

tonyj

Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2010
Messages
384
I've had my '74 Deluxe since 1990, and I love it. The pancake body was a try to get a brighter sound, right?

Recently I have bought a '69 Deluxe, and I love it. A professional instrument.

I'd say Norlins before '75 are pure art!

Why Norlins before '75 and not later ones? I have a very nice '76 DeLuxe with the mini humbuckers and the 'improved' Nashville bridge, which otherwise is not a lot different in construction to the '75 and earlier models, which lets face it, often 'changed' more frequently than the weather. Still the same laminated bodies, the volute and the three piece maple neck, along with the questionable and varying neck tenon lengths.

The mini-humbucker BTW, is to some of us, quite an appealing alternative to the full size humbuckers that were tried, and is not something I personally would ever wish to change. That same humbucking pickup was extremely successful in the Epi Wilshire and others back in the sixties, and is pleasantly different.

The '76 DeLuxe is yet another Norlin tainted guitar, which let's face it, are not everyone's cup of tea, but after nearly forty years of non stop playing, many of them are still fully original and are still going strong. They can't really be all that bad .....now can they!!

Here's to the next forty or so years! I know mine will still be going strong ......... long after I am !
 

Progrocker111

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Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
Why Norlins before '75 and not later ones?

Good question. I have had many post 75 Norlins and most of them were nice guitars. To me, 70-74 Norlins are closer with specs to late 60s more traditional Les Pauls and their tone is from my experience closer to these too. Maple necked post 75 Norlins have a bit different voicing and more radical Norlin changes (short tenon, Nashville bridge, cheaper electronics). They are still very useable, but they were often heavier and less resonant (generally). For some players it could be an advantage (stiffer and clearer tone, better suited for higher gain), but personally i prefer earlier Norlins with mahogany necks. Just my 2 cents. :)
 

MacGyver

Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Messages
106
I got one of these early Norlins with a mahogany neck and absolutely love it! It's a 74 standard (I guess these are not as common compared to Deluxes) that plays and sounds so transparent and just great with any amp, that I won't ever sell it. Cheers to Norlins!
 

frankv

New member
Joined
Dec 20, 2011
Messages
15
I've said it a few times on forums. One of the best Lestors I ever had was this '77

06f8192477b748c62fa8443c4a5aca2d_zps0adcff6a.jpg


But my best Lestor of all is my refinished '81 XR1

20130510_163213_zps043a7d84.jpg
 
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