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'69 Custom, '70 goldtop, '71 stripped...

Mark Kane

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Jul 18, 2001
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The '70 I've had forever, bought new, the '71 I picked up a month or so ago, and '69 Custom fell into my lap a couple weeks ago. I've had over 70 historics since '95 and maybe a handful would hang with these for what I like to hear. Really digging them!!

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jrgtr42

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Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
I'm kinda digging the stripped with the P-90s...
not that I wouldn't say no to either of the others...
Nice scores, all of them!
 

Progrocker111

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Dec 10, 2003
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4,013
Cool collection. :dude: These early Norlins are great guitars, very underrated here. How is their tone in comparison?
 

Mark Kane

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Jul 18, 2001
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The gold top has been "my guitar" for over 40 years and has watched many challengers come and go including 3 '50's gold tops. It sounds like all those old records. I've not owned another guitar that I thought sounded as good as it in all those years until.... this Custom. This Custom is a freak. It has what I'm pretty sure are the original frets. Still has nibs. Tiny, flat and crazy low but for some reason I have no trouble playing this guitar at all. That ebony board offers absolutely no resistance when bending. I've not played a guitar and experienced this before. Freaky!
The custom has the one piece body with deep tenon route and a 3 piece neck with transitional tenon. Original 6852 pots and original pickups. One is an early patent number and the other has one T-top coil and one earlier coil. These pickups are great sounding, lacking nothing to me. Ive not played another custom ever that sounded like this, it really sounds like a '50's standard.
The stripped guitar is a cannon. Big, fat round neck and a pair of smokin' Throbak P-90's. this guitar is the heaviest of all three but is the easiest playing LP I've ever played. It was refretted, new nut, callaham bridge, etc. before I got it. I don't know who odd the work but the person was very good. Bending is effortless, intonation all over the neck is crazy good. The pickups are really punchy and fat. I would change nothing. I love the look too.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
Come on! They are Norlins, the couldn't possibly play or sound any good. Didn't you get the memo? Just wait a bit and the "Anything les than vintage spec" police will post and illuminate us with their wisdom and save us from savoring the poisoned fruit of the (Not old growth), Norlin tree.





















Looks nice, Mark! I have a couple of long term Norlin sweeties I'd put up against any era, too.
 

Bob Womack

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Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,189
A lovely trio! My old '74 small script Standard makes a lovely noise through my 5E3 Deluxe and Traynor YRM-1 - long sustain and loads of character!

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Bob
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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Bob, I had a 74 Tobbacky Burst like that! It was just a great guitar and it meant so much too me. Man that pic brings back such good memories!!!:frank:
 

Bob Womack

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Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,189
Bob, I had a 74 Tobbacky Burst like that! It was just a great guitar and it meant so much too me. Man that pic brings back such good memories!!!:frank:
Yeah, that guitar has been with me through thick and thin. I've owned it since 1977 and there are a lot of miles and smiles on it. An Aussie friend named it "Pauly." During financial emergencies with the family my wife always refused to allow me to sell it, and I'm glad. Great guitar, great gal.

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Bob
 

Mark Kane

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Jul 18, 2001
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I got my fishing scale working again this weekend(batteries are a wonderful thing) and weighed these babies. The custom and the goldtop are both just under 9 and three quarter Lbs. The stripped P-90 guitar is a little over 10 and a half!!! :bug
 

Stoj

Active member
Joined
Oct 6, 2006
Messages
3,514
Nice trio Mark, I especially like the '69 Custom :salude
 

marantz1300

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
309
That's a great little collection.
I have a 69 Custom,had 71 and 72 Deluxe's.
Wish I could have kept them all.
 
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