On paper this '72 custom should be pretty bad...

[kats]

A brought over my '13 Joe Perry burst over to my buddy's the other day for him to check out. He's like, hey man check out this '72 I picked up.

I played it and it was great - fast neck, 9.1 lbs. I plug it in and was blown away with the neck pup - definitatley a tone everyone would appreciate as top class ( a personal favourite for me). Bridge tone, excellent - although I didn't appreciate it any more than my JP. But generally speaking, I liked it equally to my "correct" guitar.

The thing is, this '72 (IIRC) has everything people hated about Gibsons - sandwich body construction, mulit piece necks, volutes, short tenon (EDIT: it has long tenon) blah blah blah...

If he'd sell I would have bought in on the spot.

 

[Cogswell]

I used to have an early '70s Black Beauty w/all the "wrong" specs. I wish I could find it today!

 

[Progrocker111]

Early (70-early 75) Norlin Customs are great guitars, comparable to Historics in many aspects. They have very different feeling and tone (clearer, more articulate and aggressive), but they are excellent guitars especially for old 70s rock and hardrock. Dont forget, that there is very big amount of great old school rock, progrock and jazzrock music recorded with these guitars with great results. Many of them are surprisingly resonant and under 10 lbs in weight. Im a big fan of these guitars.

 

[Wilko]

The early Norlin Customs don't have ALL of the wrong specs. They still have a good neck joint.

They are noticeably "better" than '76 and later.

 

[kats]

Mr. Progrocker,

You are a man of excellent taste - and like you I have a '72 DR103 and '72 SE4122, now I'm thinking that '72 custom should be mine to complete the set. I know my friends weakness, vintage mics - the call is in and the seed is planted...

 

[Progrocker111]

Mr. Progrocker,

You are a man of excellent taste - and like you I have a '72 DR103 and '72 SE4122, now I'm thinking that '72 custom should be mine to complete the set. I know my friends weakness, vintage mics - the call is in and the seed is planted...

Wow, welcome mate . Its nice circumstance to meet here someone with the same amp and cab from the same year. :dude: :3zone

Which serial number does your amp have? Mine has 3009.

 

[kats]

Yes I thought it was quite the co-incidence, especially the cab - they are so impossible to find.


Mine is 3465.

 

[Progrocker111]

especially the cab - they are so impossible to find.

Yes, i have looked very long time to find some early 70s cab with original Fanes.

Heres my rig

 

[parts]

I have a 71 LPC for 40 years..it is my youngest Gibson. The sound and feel have kept it one of my favorites..
All my other Gibsons are 1967 or older..this Norlin is..and has been a best friend..

 

[Wilko]

For the record...

A '72 Les Paul doesn't have a "short tenon"

The only so-called downsides are different/heavier wood source, sandwich body, and lame top carve.

Other minor complaints come from multi-piece neck and volute.

 

[Cogswell]

I believe mine had a maple neck also.

 

[kats]

 

[Wilko]

I believe mine had a maple neck also.

maple necks are '75/76 and later.

 

[Cogswell]

ahh

 

[Wilko]

WHat I was getting at is that the early 70s LPC are not so bad on paper. It got worse!

I had a '76 LPC that had a maple neck, weighed a ton, lame top carve AND that short "rocker" tenon. IMNSHO, that shitty rocker neck joint is a major tone suck.

 

[Progrocker111]

The only so-called downsides are different/heavier wood source

Not all were heavier, most were still in 9-10 lbs range just like 50s or late 60s Customs.

 

[Wilko]

Gotta disagree there. 50s have a much higher percentage of lighter ones.

1968 has a large percentage of lighter ones.

'69 and later have a much smaller chance of having lighter than about 9 1/2 lbs. MOST will be closer to 10 lbs or more. The wood source changed and the guitars surely show it.

 

[abalonevintage]

It has been my experience that earlier 50's Les Paul Customs tend to be lighter than late 50's.

 

[davidd]

For the record...


Other minor complaints come from multi-piece neck and volute.

I bet there are a lot of guys who have had headstock breaks that wished the neck had a volute on it.

 

[Wilko]

I'm not convinced that the volute helped much at all. It's actually too far up the neck to help.

I had 2 (TWO) Les Pauls with volutes break. One in the case, the other, the typical faceplant off a stand.