Les Paul Customs

[siggy14]

What years did LP's have the Maple necks? I know we have discussed this before, but when i do a search i can not find it.

[dinkyjacksonman]

Mid 70's through early 80's.

[Chasbo]

Mid 70's through early 80's.

yep, I believe thats right.

chuck

[siggy14]

I believe it was 78 through 81, but i just want to get it confirmed, does anyone else know if it was just the customs, or all les pauls made in that time frame?

[Seventh Avenged]

there were standards also that had them, as well as deluxes.

with the volutes and sandwich bodies as well.

[Firebird V]

yep. also known as the norlin lp's. volutes, sandwich bodies 3 piece maple necks. most lp guys either love them or hate them. I only really like the ones from those years with the maple fretboards.

[clifffclaven]

my 78 standard has a 3 piece maple neck.

[DonP]

What years did LP's have the Maple necks? I know we have discussed this before, but when i do a search i can not find it.

LOL! You're getting the urge for one too, huh Todd?

If you remember when I was on the hunt for one back in January, I did the research. I can't find the thread on the LPF (the search is down?) but from what I remember, maple started being used in 1976 and ended in 1982. So I shot for 1977 - 1981 Customs to give me a year of safety. BTW my 1977 is a maple neck. If you search for the thread on the LPF, it was several pages, and a guy with the name of Progrocker111 put up a nice timeline of how Norlin changed the specs on customs and in what years. Maybe just send him a pm.

Sandwich bodies ended in 1975-76, so it would be extremely rare if there were any sandwich bodied maple necked Les Pauls. My 1977 is a solid slab of mahogany with a maple cap.

Good luck finding one. I got really lucky with mine, because I've seen great ones and crappy ones. I took a chance on ebay and it paid off. The only real issue with mine is that it's been played to death and still has the original frets, i.e. what's left of them. Still very playable and has a great feel, but in general I prefer jumbo frets. If and when I get it refretted, I'll take it to Dan Erlewine and try to keep the binding nibs.

[siggy14]

LOL! You're getting the urge for one too, huh Todd?

If you remember when I was on the hunt for one back in January, I did the research. I can't find the thread on the LPF (the search is down?) but from what I remember, maple started being used in 1976 and ended in 1982. So I shot for 1977 - 1981 Customs to give me a year of safety. BTW my 1977 is a maple neck. If you search for the thread on the LPF, it was several pages, and a guy with the name of Progrocker111 put up a nice timeline of how Norlin changed the specs on customs and in what years. Maybe just send him a pm.

Sandwich bodies ended in 1975-76, so it would be extremely rare if there were any sandwich bodied maple necked Les Pauls. My 1977 is a solid slab of mahogany with a maple cap.

Good luck finding one. I got really lucky with mine, because I've seen great ones and crappy ones. I took a chance on ebay and it paid off. The only real issue with mine is that it's been played to death and still has the original frets, i.e. what's left of them. Still very playable and has a great feel, but in general I prefer jumbo frets. If and when I get it refretted, I'll take it to Dan Erlewine and try to keep the binding nibs.

I know where i can get a wine red 1980 for $2000 in almost mint condition, he is local so i could go try it out as well before i buy. He says Firm on that price, but he has not sold it in over 4 weeks, so i am wondering if he will come down some.

[DonP]

My 1977 in anti-mint condition:




This cost me $1416 shipped from HI ($60 shipping). Might not be mint, but the tone is to die for. Make sure you like the tone of it if you decide to get it-I always worry that a "mint" axe might not have been played because the tone isn't up to par, but that's not a good way to choose an axe. $2000 sounds fair if it is in mint shape.

Check the weight - mine weighs in at 10lbs. Like compared to it's piers, but 1.5lbs heavier than my other three LP's, and you do feel it. Some of these got up to 13-14lbs.

[jcm800x]

I can't belive what these are going for now, I've owned 6 LPC's and never paid more than a G. I bought a new one for a G in 92'! I bought a black one a couple of years ago for 900 and got 1675 for it on ebay! I guess ebay demand sets the prices now. I bought my first LPS in 85' for 200, silverburst LPC in 86' for 500, triple pup LPC in 91' for 900, several LPS's for 500-600, all in all I've owned 12 LPs and I'm suffering sticker shock now! The craziest deal I heard of was my ex guitar player sold his early-mid 70's cream anniversery LPC for a 300 bag of dope, dumb ass. It had the badge at the 12th fret and was yellowed up nicely too.

[DonP]

I can't belive what these are going for now, I've owned 6 LPC's and never paid more than a G. I bought a new one for a G in 92'! I bought a black one a couple of years ago for 900 and got 1675 for it on ebay! I guess ebay demand sets the prices now. I bought my first LPS in 85' for 200, silverburst LPC in 86' for 500, triple pup LPC in 91' for 900, several LPS's for 500-600, all in all I've owned 12 LPs and I'm suffering sticker shock now! The craziest deal I heard of was my ex guitar player sold his early-mid 70's cream anniversery LPC for a 300 bag of dope, dumb ass. It had the badge at the 12th fret and was yellowed up nicely too.

From what I'm reading, most of your purchases were from the late 80's / early 1990's. You need to take some classes on supply and demand and the effects of inflation.

I hope you saved your investments so that you can sell now while the market is hot.

[charvelguy]

Norlin years started in '76. Don is pretty much spot on.
Every gibson I sold for less than a grand in the 80's is now worth at least 3-4x what I sold it for. The old Ibanez copies of Gibsons are also selling at about their list prices..and the truer a gibson copy, those are going for at least double if not triple what I sold mine for back in the 80's.

You could buy a deluxe or a LP custom for 400.00 back in the 80's (very early)..most decent Gibsons were getting 500.00..but the demand is higher now for those instruments.. and in terms of dollar amount, inflation/wages..what they are fetching isn't too far whacked.
Any decent Gibson produced now will be about 1700-2500 retail or light used. In terms of 80's prices its pretty proportionate. IMO, the lower end Gibsons are pretty much like firewood to me..they're like the Sonex or the Firebrands of today just on a more diversified mass produced scale. Its still a game of hit and miss.. you have to play quite a few of them to find a 'good one'

[jcm800x]

In my post I stated that I bought a black LPC a couple of years ago(2002?) for 900, not the 80's.

[charvelguy]

Silverbursts have jumped up alot, namely cause that guy in Tool. LP's were down in the pre and post GnR years.
IMO ..when the imports like the 80's Tokai's started jumping up by hundreds in a matter of months.. so did the USA's. You could still get good deals back in 99-2001, even a few years ago...but now..