The Ultimate Deluxe?

[Strings Jr.]

This is the guitar in my avatar. A 1977 one piece top Deluxe.
Maple neck, rosewood board.
Sounds as incredible as it looks!

 

[DanD]

Nicest Norlin Deluxe I've ever seen! :dude:

 

[Nobi]

great looking top

 

[Kris Ford]

Vey nice!!
I love the grain, and am a sucker for natural finish!
I see it has the solid Schaller tune-o-matci thumbwheels?
Do you recall when they changed from a solid wheel to the one that had the bottom side hollowed out?
from what research I've gathered, sees to have been around 1978, and you'd be the guy to ask!

I love the top on your Deluxe!! Looks like a topographical map!:biggrin:
What tuners do you have?

 

[Progrocker111]

Wow, such one-piece top in this era is extremely rare. Is it Kalamazoo made?

Cool one :yah

 

[Strings Jr.]

Vey nice!!
I love the grain, and am a sucker for natural finish!
I see it has the solid Schaller tune-o-matci thumbwheels?
Do you recall when they changed from a solid wheel to the one that had the bottom side hollowed out?
from what research I've gathered, sees to have been around 1978, and you'd be the guy to ask!

I love the top on your Deluxe!! Looks like a topographical map!:biggrin:
What tuners do you have?

Thanks Kris. I do remember changing over to the hollowed out thumbwheels. I couldn't find any notes about it in my book, but I'm thinking it was more like early 80's. I remember we started a new model (possibly the Explorer 83??) and a lot of them had neck pitch issues. Couldn't get the action low enough. Instead of scrapping them, they ordered the new thumbwheels that would go down over the bridge bushings. In my opinion, they should have been scrapped, but they were desperate for sales/revenue so they shipped them. When I built my Deluxe, I drilled it for the chrome Schallers that were used on the LP Pro Deluxe and LP Custom with Chrome hardware. Mine has the little flip out crank handles also. When I get time, I have another story about this Deluxe and another very special factory "one-off" I know you'll enjoy.

 

[Strings Jr.]

Wow, such one-piece top in this era is extremely rare. Is it Kalamazoo made?

Cool one :yah

Very rare indeed. In all my years at Gibson, I saw just a handful of one piece tops. This is the only Deluxe I've ever seen. Made in Nashville.

 

[Kris Ford]

Thanks Kris. I do remember changing over to the hollowed out thumbwheels. I couldn't find any notes about it in my book, but I'm thinking it was more like early 80's. I remember we started a new model (possibly the Explorer 83??) and a lot of them had neck pitch issues. Couldn't get the action low enough. Instead of scrapping them, they ordered the new thumbwheels that would go down over the bridge bushings. In my opinion, they should have been scrapped, but they were desperate for sales/revenue so they shipped them. When I built my Deluxe, I drilled it for the chrome Schallers that were used on the LP Pro Deluxe and LP Custom with Chrome hardware. Mine has the little flip out crank handles also. When I get time, I have another story about this Deluxe and another very special factory "one-off" I know you'll enjoy.

More great info bud, thank you!
Do you find that the solid ones are better tonally?
I'm searching like HELL to find a set..All I can find are the hollowed out ones..:dang
I seem to remember a time that the Nashville bridge was considered a sturdy upgrade to the leaning, sagging, rattling, buzzy ABR-1, but was eschewed by the 50's crowd because it wasn't the exact thing that came on a '56-'60...(I still like both equally..and I even like the harmonica bridge!)

 

[Kris Ford]

Also, dying to hear those stories!!:teeth

 

[Big Al]

That looks to have the post 80 short body and pre 80 dome carve. Can't quite tell as the angle of the shot is harder to determine the stop bolt/knob relationship. Was that body size adopted by Nashville early? I have seen late 70's Kalamazoo models which still feature the long body, but I have noticed several recently of post 77 Les Pauls with the later shorter body. Makes for some confusion as I remember the Standard 80's as the first with the shortened body and wider cutaway horn with deep dish carving. I always assumed it started then, but yours and some others I have seen are a mix of features I wasn't as aware of.

I had a 78 with the regular body shape and still have some old photo's. This is really confusing to me as I had always assumed my 78 was from Nashville, but had the older Kalamazoo shape. Is there a specific year for this changeover, and did they run different body shapers? The cutaway horn is also confusing for me as I don't remember them changing until well after the Heritage 80 series yet I have seen several photo's of much earlier models with the shallow cutaway.

If you can help an old man out with any light shed on this I would greatly appreciate it.


Now that Deluxe is just about the nicest I have ever seen! Way to go, building that bad boy! I LOVE MINIHUMBUCKERS!!!:dude:

 

[Strings Jr.]

That looks to have the post 80 short body and pre 80 dome carve. Can't quite tell as the angle of the shot is harder to determine the stop bolt/knob relationship. Was that body size adopted by Nashville early? I have seen late 70's Kalamazoo models which still feature the long body, but I have noticed several recently of post 77 Les Pauls with the later shorter body. Makes for some confusion as I remember the Standard 80's as the first with the shortened body and wider cutaway horn with deep dish carving. I always assumed it started then, but yours and some others I have seen are a mix of features I wasn't as aware of.

I had a 78 with the regular body shape and still have some old photo's. This is really confusing to me as I had always assumed my 78 was from Nashville, but had the older Kalamazoo shape. Is there a specific year for this changeover, and did they run different body shapers? The cutaway horn is also confusing for me as I don't remember them changing until well after the Heritage 80 series yet I have seen several photo's of much earlier models with the shallow cutaway.

If you can help an old man out with any light shed on this I would greatly appreciate it.


Now that Deluxe is just about the nicest I have ever seen! Way to go, building that bad boy! I LOVE MINIHUMBUCKERS!!!:dude:

Sorry Big Al, but I don't have any information on short body / long body, or cutaway features. I can tell you that mine does not have the deep dish top. I can also tell you that when I first saw my Deluxe, it was hanging on the wall in the Manufacturing Office. It was buffed and neck prepped, but had no hardware. I later learned that the guitars that were held in that office were usually for the Engineers to review some changing point. Did mine have a new feature that was being reviewed, or was it in there just because it had a one piece top? I don't know. I just know I'm very blessed to have been given the green light to buy it.

 

[Stoj]

That is one killer looking LP :dude:

 

[bulletproof]

That is one beautiful Deluxe right there,brother!! I'll trade you my '05 GT Deluxe for it:hee

 

[Gary64]

Ahh, one of the two guitars I learned to play on. The other looks a whole lot like it! Could be worth many, many thousands to a rich collector. But still wouldn't sell it unless I was broke, hungry, homeless, jobless, etc....

 

[Tjsounds1981]

I am trying to find out some info and maybe a value on a guitar I purchased . I own a 1979 Les Paul Pro Deluxe guitar. It is all original. It hasn't been touched for over five years . I try to look online and compare but I cannot find a similar guitar

On the head stock it says Gibson Les Paul Pro Deluxe and the serial number is 7054962, it also has the gold knobs . And p90 pick ups . All original.
Can anyone point me in the right direction. unfortunately I cannot post pics right now.

 

[Big Al]

Similar to same year Standards and Deluxes.

 

[Strings Jr.]

I had forgotten about using these "no-lip" bridge bushings on my Deluxe.
At first glance, gives the appearance of a vintage ABR, but keeps all the advantages of the Nashville TOM.

 

[Kris Ford]

I had forgotten about using these "no-lip" bridge bushings on my Deluxe.
At first glance, gives the appearance of a vintage ABR, but keeps all the advantages of the Nashville TOM.

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Those are slick Randy!

Have never seen those stock...was it a "hot rod" kinda thing?

PS...STILL grateful for those solid thumbwheels you sent me!:salude:salude

 

[CoyotesGator]

Wow!

Just spectacular!

 

[Nick-O]

I have to join the masses on this one, easily one of the prettiest LP's I've laid eyes on. Thanks for posting.