Which black beauty LP Custom: 79 or historic 68 RI?

[Jim Sloves]

....focus in on hard rock and 80s-90s metal: think Steve Stevens, Skid Row, Whitesnake, etc. Probably will replace the pups.

Main tonal difference I think is the maple neck on the 79 Custom which is ebony finish; I don't know if they had pancake bodies then.

Historic 68 Custom ebony is like the 57 Custom but with a maple cap.

Just for fun. I may get one....or both if I'm insane.
.
.

 

[plonky17]

Billy Duffy's signature LP was a maple necked and capped black Custom that had the finish sanded off the top (so it looks like Mick Ronson's).

He has a fantastic sound - from the right period too (Sonic Temple, Electric even Ceremony)

Grant

 

[Jim Sloves]

Thanks.

Sykes and Rhoads had late 70s LP Customs, too.

 

[woody-89]

+1, I would go for the 79, all the guys that you (and I!) want to sound like used Norlin era stuff, very often with maple necks.

Do it!

 

[Henk]

Get the '79 i would say.

By the way, ive seen 2 BB '79s which i checked and confirmed to have a 1piece body and mahagony 3-piece neck and maple top (by opening the control and neck cavities as well as taking off the TR cover).

Like my '76 custom, many were 'special orders' which came with a 1-piece body. Later 70s 3HB customs usually were special orders.

Finally, take your time selecting a good one, the Norlin years werent very consistent qualitywise.

Greetings, Henk

(sorry but i need to post my natural '76 custom again)

 

[moonweasel]

To each their own, but Norlin's were all over the place qualitywise in my experience. I have seen inconsistent binding, finish issues, my brother owns a NOS-ish condition 77 LPC that has binding separating in the cut away. I LOVE Norlins, but of all the Gibson eras, they take the most diligence pre-purchase. They were really cranking them out.

Randy's guitar was a 74 with a mahogany neck.

By 79, I am almost certain 1 pc bodies were the norm.

The nice thing about going with the Norlin is that is has already depreciated! A new 68RI will lose a grand walking out of the store.

In the long run, I would rather have the 68RI in black, but I am horribly biased. (See link in signature to my site)

 

[duane v]

To each their own, but Norlin's were all over the place qualitywise in my experience. I have seen inconsistent binding

That they were.....


and mainly because they were built in two separate factories...... I would say the early Nashville LP's had the bulk of the inconsistencies early on..... But I do agree with the binding differences from one guitar to another....

 

[Henk]

That they were.....


and mainly because they were built in two separate factories...... I would say the early Nashville LP's had the bulk of the inconsistencies early on..... But I do agree with the binding differences from one guitar to another....

Nashville made the bulk of the 'volume' if you search around on the net there is plenty of info on the Gibsons made in the Norlin era. I even think i found production numbers of different models for each year for both factories somewhere.

FWIW even back then the Kalamazoo made ones were considered better, i even heard shopkeepers say "They had no idea how to put a guitar together back then." when talking about the Nashville production in the 70s.

Binding separation is not an uncomon issue, many original vintage LP's suffer from binding issues especially when checking occurs.

 

[Jim Sloves]

:wah

 

[Humbuck]

Since it sounds like you can afford it, buy both and keep the best one.:salude

 

[Jim Sloves]

Well...I can afford both but I would feel uncomfortable having two LP Customs with humbuckers, even if they differ a bit. Both are used but I can't try them: long distance. I could wing it, buy both and mess around for a while, and then sell the one I don't favor.

.

 

[moonweasel]

Nice that the 68 is used, already depreciated. Is it a sunburst or black?

 

[Jim Sloves]

Both are ebony: R68 with nickel hardware & mahogany neck; 79 gold with maple neck I assume.

I told the owner of the 68 Historic I'd buy it; a gentleman's agreement. It would be slightly dickish of me to back out.
.

 

[moonweasel]

Put it to you this way, neither are incredibly rare. Since the R68 is used and depreciated, should you choose to honor that agreement, Im sure you could sell it and break even if it doesnt float your boat. Every R68 I have played has been quite good though.

Im sure you could find another 79 if you pass on this, or vice versa.

Good luck either way.

 

[Henk]

Both are ebony: R68 with nickel hardware & mahogany neck; 79 gold with maple neck I assume.

I told the owner of the 68 Historic I'd buy it; a gentleman's agreement. It would be slightly dickish of me to back out.
.

Most late 70s BBs ive seen had mahagony necks, alot had 3 piece necks but some 1-piece. It were the transparent colors which got the mayor part of the maple necks. And to be quick about it, maple necks are better in every way imaginable!eace2

Anyway, the historic has the better specs and hardware, long neck tenon, softer wood, probably wont sound as complex but for (vintage) rock youll get what you need out of it.

Gratz, Henk

 

[Jim Sloves]

Got both.

:##

 

[moonweasel]

hahahah

 

[Henk]

Well done! Would be nice to hear an a/b sometime.....

Greetings, Henk

 

[Progrocker111]

I prefer early 70s Customs with mahogany necks to 68 reissue. Had many Customs and one 68 reissue. But the maple neck Les Pauls sound sometimes too stiff and cold to me, so i would perhaps take the 68 RI. But for 80s metal and hardrock the 79 Custom would be really ideal. :hmm

 

[Henk]

Alot of the BBs had 3piece mahogany necks and by '79 did not have the pancake body anymore. Customs before '74 all had mahogany 3piece necks AFAIK but did have the pancake body. In '74 part of the custom production moved to Nashville, the special orders, like the 3pu versions were still made in Kalamazoo untill late 70s/early 80s.

Maple necked les pauls do sound different, clearer, more mids but behave a bit differently resonansewise(higher pitch resonance, sounds a bit cooler acoustically) so the amp also distorts differently.

Benefits are the most amazingly rockhard, solid, stays in tune for decades and the -lowest action youll ever find- necks Gibson ever made! Way better cleans, perfect for modern fingerstyle fusion stuff, very balanced troughout the board.

Greetings, Henk