1976 Les Paul Standard??

[bigtobacco]

I have acquired a 1976 Les Paul Standard - sweet guitar - but when comparing it to my friends '82 standard - noticed that the body on the '76 is wider. The headstock is wider as well. There is also a difference in the curvature of the maple top.

I was wondering if anyone was out there to give a little history on the mid 70's Les Paul Standards vs. the later models....

Thanks
bigtobacco

 

[rcerex]

I have a 76 too; it's a really underrated guitar. The body is a sandwich of maple cap, with mahogany , a thin maple layer and another layer of mahogany. The neck is a 3 piece maple like alot of 70's era Les Pauls(Zakk Wylde's is the same design). Purist don't like this era because of the deviation, but I really think it's an overlooked guitar that sounds and plays great. It is pretty heavy though, and I think this model is why Gibson drilled a bunch of holes in the body of subsequent model Les Pauls which was hidden with the maple cap.(except the Heritage and Custom shop models, which weren't drilled).

 

[56Tweed]

Wow, thats the first time I ever heard that. I knew the late '70s were some of the heaviest, but I didn't know why. I swear to god my '77 is over 12lbs.

It looks and sounds sweet though. The "middle" maple top is birdseye.

Mike

 

[MeatSteeple]

I haven't done a search on the forum yet, but it would be great to hear more about the mid-late 70's standards. I have a (74?) '75 that I bought from a guy who got it new. It was 3 months old and I paid him $350 for the Standard and a Maestro Echoplex. Ah, the good old days.
I love mine. It's been through alot and it's heavy, but hey, I think it sounds great! (57 Classics installed early 90's)

 

[bigtobacco]

70's LPS

I love my '76. do you know what the original pickups were during these years?

 

[MeatSteeple]

I believe they were T-Tops. I swapped them out in '77 for a pair of dimarzio SD's. I wanted huge output at the time. Wish I hadn't done that. I put the T-Tops in a Univox LP copy and sold it. I'm sticking with the 57 Classics, though. They give exactly the tone I want out of this Paul.

 

[Joe-Bob]

They didn't exactly stick to the original specs on the 70s LPs. I had a 74 LP Custom in Tobacco Burst with a plain top. Wish I still had it.

 

[JoeYello]

I am also the original owner of a 76 sunburst Les Paul Standard. I replaced the bridge pickup with a Super Distortion when the guitar was fairly new. It is a great guitar but it needs to have the frets replaced. I have been afraid to have this done because I feared the binding and neck getting damaged. I also don't really know a good luthier in the central NJ area.

This guitar has been with me through everything and I would love to start using it again.....if it had new frets.

 

[electricwood]

I have a 76 ebony Les paul Custom with factory nickel hardware it weighs in at 11lb 4oz. body heavy but still balanced. it plays real fast and effortlessly. the ax has original pickups and electronics, the guitar sounds a little muddy in the neck pup and some what constipated tone I think I would like to change the pots to 500k cts and different caps the rs kit probably witch one is the question, also for My 99 R7 that would open it up. The question about body size the 76 has a little more beef to the body I dont know if the pups are t tops have never had the covers off but thinkin bout it.

 

[Wilko]

There should be plenty f info on the differences if you search the forum.

Here's the skinny:

The Les Paul Standard was introduced as a model in 1976 (one was shipped in 1975). Before that they were called Deluxes and could be ordered with factory Humbuckers (T-Tops)
The Deluxe and Standard from that period have a pancake body and the top carve is what is commonly called the "Dome Carve" or "Flat Carve" and it is no where near as curvy as the previous or later models. The body is thicker and has two layers of mahogany with 1 1/16" layer of maple between them. The tops are three-piece mostly plain.
the necks are three-piece and have the large headstock with a volute.

 

[jeffhef]

I had a 76 Les Paul Standard. Bought it new when I was 17. It was the first Les Paul I bought with my own money. I had a Les Paul Signature at the time. I bought it at Reliable Music in Charlotte, NC. Saw it hanging and I had to have it. It was the Mahogany sandwich body with a Natural Maple top. I hadn't seen anything like it at the time. It had a Maple Neck. I bought it on layaway. Took me 3 months to pay it off. I paid $624.00 for it. That included NC Sales Tax.

Everybody complained about the weight but it didn't bother me. LP's have never seemed heavy to me. I replaced the bridge pickup with a Dimarzio Double Cream PAF. Did it myself without butchering the guitar. I had no fear at the time. Here's a pciture of me playing it around 1979:

http://home.carolina.rr.com/jheffner/

If you zoom in close enough you'll see I had epoxyed a Susan B. Anthony Dollar and a penny to the Headstock (Don't ask). If anyone knows where this guitar ended up (longshot) I'd love to know.

I've only seen one other like it. I saw it at the Charlotte Guitar Show about 3 years ago. It was going for $1,000 if I remember correctly. I loved this guitar. Unfortunately I lost it to a pawn shop during one of my darker periods. Pawned it for $125 I think. It's kinda hazy.

jeffhef

 

[Pearly Grapes]

I have a '77 Std. Great guitar. Not a sandwich body, but has 3-piece neck.
I've installed 500k pots, Fillmores, Kluson-style tuners, & lightweight stopbar. The lw stopbar really opened up the definition of the lower stings. If you prefer clean-ish tones, it also sounds great w/Timbuckers.