How 1974 was?

[stevek]

Yup, 1960 for me too, that's partly why I bought my Classic. When I turned 40 I very nearly shelled out for a 1960 Jr but managed to restrain myself.

 

[tulk1]

My biggest problem/obstacle in getting another gtr is that I had this made for me for my 50th. Turns out, it's an okay gtr, but it's no LP. It was supposed to be my LP in a Tele body. It's mahogany bod, cherry top, maple neck, ebony fb and coil splitting RG pups. So, until this one blows over, I'm not sure I can spring for one of the higher end LPs. Which is what I'm gassing for right now. That or a custom SC from that other company.

 

[Dale74]

In terms of quality because I was born in 1974 and I am thinking about buying a '74 but I'd want to know how good/bad they were and aprox. market price

I was born in '74 and I have a '74 Les Paul custom black beauty. It's awesome!.. people crap on the T-TOP pickups.. but they are great.

 

[jb_abides]

I was born in '74 and I have a '74 Les Paul custom black beauty. It's awesome!.. people crap on the T-TOP pickups.. but they are great.

Welcome here, Dale. Well, 1st post is a ressurection from way-way-back, a suprise. Please post pics of your 74 LPC...

Here's mine, a creamy white lefty 74 20th Anniversary LPC. Perhaps rare, it's the only Norlin I own. Everything else is HJ to current era.

And a dog ambivalent about my playing.

 

[Bob Womack]

Wow! Necro thread from one year after I started here. We won't have any Influence on the OP but I might as well throw in my oar. Here's my '74 Kalamazoo Small Script Standard, from the period when the Standard was only available as a special order:

The model wasn't even in the catalog that year. It weighs nine pounds, eight ounces, has T-Top pickups, a three-piece top and neck, pancake body, nylon saddles, vestigial volute, only the tiniest amount of flame. Basically, everything in the world is wrong about this guitar according to Internet mavens but it plays and sounds very nicely. I've played more sessions and concerts with this guitar than I can count since I bought it used from Pick n' Grin in Knoxville, TN, in 1977. I had it refretted in 1996 and the result was one of the easiest playing instruments I own.

Bob

 

[charliechitlins]

Some of the old timers were still there, doing fine work.
I have a '71 that, aside from necessary construction differences (pancake, volute...) plays/feels like a '58.

 

[kerryboy]

I'm selling this one

https://reverb.com/item/85749413?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=85749413

 

[clapciadrix]

One thing to remember is that the reason for custom shop guitars and high end replicas is because the norlin Gibsons and the CBS Fenders basically sucked.

 

[Progrocker111]

One thing to remember is that the reason for custom shop guitars and high end replicas is because the norlin Gibsons and the CBS Fenders basically sucked.

I wouldnt say that early 70s Norlins or 66-71 Fenders generally sucked... They were still very comparable to earlier ones tonewise.

 

[clapciadrix]

I wouldnt say that early 70s Norlins or 66-71 Fenders generally sucked... They were still very comparable to earlier ones tonewise.

Call it what you like, but there’s a reason why both companies almost went out of business and professional musicians stopped using their new instruments. The obvious quality decline is what started the whole vintage instruments/replica craze.

 

[Billy Porter]

Call it what you like, but there’s a reason why both companies almost went out of business and professional musicians stopped using their new instruments. The obvious quality decline is what started the whole vintage instruments/replica craze.

The rise of cheaper good quality copies from Japan (Ibanez, Tokia, Aria etc) compounded this. I literally sold hundreds of these in the late 70s and early 80s.
Money was a lot tighter back then in the UK. We aspired for Gibsons but they were just out of our reach for most of us.
I finally got my used Les Paul '74 in '84 for £350 which was a lot of money back then. Its served me well over the years and am still happy with it

Incidentally, John Bairnson of the Scottish band Pilot used a '74 custom on the outage solo on Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights (source Guitarist magazine) which I always presumed was Dave Gilmour