Why you need a 70's Les Paul

[@nalukeko]

Thank you for causing a run on these and further raising the value of my ‘73 Black Beauty 😊

[@rockhead69]

Got a 76 Standard from my dad for my bday...that was 1987...still have it, still love it.

[@badGamr]

In 1980 I was talking to my guitar teacher about my desire to buy a Les Paul (My first electric) and my inability to afford one. He encouraged me to look at 70s LPs as they might be affordable. So I kept a sharp eye on the local classified paper here in LA (The Recycler) and one day I spotted an ad from Charles Music in Glendale CA. It listed a 1977 LPC with a maple top and a maple fretboard. $300 I was there when the store opened the next day and bought it. I had never seen an LPC like it before and have seen very few since. Pancake body and 3 piece neck. Weighs a ton and plays like a dream. I took it home and plugged it into a borrowed JCM800 and there it was - Instant rock and roll! I was elated. By 1994 I was making decent money and had my own house in which I had a dedicated soundproof music room. My amp was a JCM900 with 2 4X12 cabs and I had a happit of leaning my LPC up against it. Then the Northridge earthquake happened and did $150K of damage to my house. The 2 4x12 cabs fell over onto the LPC. The only damage it sustained was the plastic tip on the selector broke. That was it. Not a scratch otherwise. I will say that I have seen many, many LPCs with broken headstocks. None of those were 3 piece. I still play this beautiful instrument constantly. Best $300 I ever spent.

[@tardcore4life]

those maple neck les pauls (especially with the big volutes) are known to be the strongest necks Gibson has ever made. I have 79 and an 80 Lefty Natural finish LPC with maple neck/ebony fret board and it's nice to worry a little less about those infamous headstock breaks.

[@greg3030]

Three piece or scarfed, Gibson could make them more durable. But, ‘heritage’.

[@jamesdugan5160]

@@badGamr Oh wow! I love those, they look great! So different! I’ve seen them pop up for sale once in a great while, at $5-7k

[@rnarrington1]

man, i absolutely love watching you play!

[@johnwashburn3793]

Thank you, Baxter. That was fun!

[@sully5493]

Got a pile of various LPs (all different configurations), but have a special place for my ‘79 Goldtop Standard. I’ve had it since ‘90 and it has seen countless shows. Less than 10lbs, no pancake, effortless player, chain saw case and all. Would never sell it. I enjoyed seeing the other 70s pieces - esp your Deluxe. Keep on rockin’ Baxter/Casino!!

[@w4shtrey]

When I was a 13-year-old kid in 1981, I mowed lawns all summer to save up $400 to purchase a 77' Cherry Burst custom from a local player. Thankfully I still have it. The only negative about it is it weighs 10 1/2 pounds

[@jamesdugan5160]

They’re coming into their time now, just like Gen 3 Camaros! Late 70’s/early 80’s have Shawbuckers too, great bonus! I had a ‘69 Deluxe goldtop with a humbucker in the bridge, and a headstock repair, kinda beat up but a great player. 1991 I decided I was done playing, so I put it up on consignment at my local mom and pop music store. Got…..$400 for it…..

[@mitchmatthews6713]

I really miss my 79 The Paul. Had to sell it when I was laid off years back.

[@rowbags3017]

I'm sorry to read that. I've still got my '78 The Paul that I bought new. It's a great guitar that's never let me down and I wouldn't want to part with it.

[@11secretherbsandspices49]

Bought a 79 LP Custom in white back in 2006 when I worked at Sam Ash. A guy was trading it in and wanted a PRS, but it had paint cracks and the store didn't want to deal it so I offered him $1200 and grabbed it. Sold it later that year on ebay to pay for college to someone 5 minutes away who had a small studio in a house. :( BUT, 18 years later I got the itch for one and always regretted selling that one. I looked up some of the records recorded at that studio (it closed soon after) and cold-emailed every producer and actually got in contact with the guy I sold it to. He actually said the guitar was still in the closet the day I brought it to him! His family owned the house/studio and he had a couple records blow up and moved suddenly so he didn't have time to do anything with the guitar! Sold it back to me (at a nice premium) but 18 years later I have it back. Got a nice SS refret and it plays and sounds great!

[@Paul-lj3qw]

It’s funny how everyone bashed Norlin era Gibson’s . Now that earlier Gibson’s are not as accessible. These will be overpriced.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

They are overpriced now by a lot.

[@reverendg5937]

This is a shop pushing this for there benefit. They must of scoped up a bunch and now want to dump them for killer profit.

[@bulkhogan-s2o]

Cork sniffin’.

[@jacobbond835]

I should have bought one years ago. I started watching the prices climb on the 70’s LP’s a couple years ago. Definitely a valuable section of Gibson lineage.

[@explorervango880]

All very nice.

[@joeyracano1]

I have a sweet mint all original 79 Heritage Cherryburst LP Custom. I adore it.

[@ericwagner2997]

My dad has my '76 Deluxe. I bought it off a friend back in the early '80's for $350.00. The bridge mini-humbucker was a tad microphonic so I brought it to a shop and had the body routed for a full size humbucker and dropped a Seymour Duncan Invader which was the hottest non-active pickup you could buy at the time. At the time I wasn't thinking the guitar would be worth money some day if kept original. I've always loved the way the neck felt on that guitar. It was extremely heavy, like hanging a cinder block around your neck. When I gigged with it, my back was hurting by the 2nd or 3rd set.

[@Scaredycat-dad]

I can hear you speaking Baxter, but all I can focus on is that blue Strat over your right shoulder. I love the look of that guitar .

[@paulketchupwitheverything767]

Great demos of those guitars. I have an early 70s deluxe gold top that I've owned since the early eighties. It was the only Gibson I could afford at the time. Someone I knew was selling it and I didn't know much about Les Pauls. It was my main guitar for years. The frets were low, which was the primary thing I found an annoyance. I eventually got it re-fretted and prefer the better playability over originality.

[@zz-.-]

I’ll wait a year for them to go back down to a realistic price. Great vid!

[@charlesbolton8471]

The prices haven’t been realistic in awhile, and it has nothing to do with inflation or the COVID guitar boom. They have been overpriced since they became “vintage”.

[@zz-.-]

@ assets like collectibles are the first to take a huge hit when things get tough. Seeing as how life in every country right now is frozen by the things you mentioned and many many more, prices have already come down. And it’s just the very beginning. This has everything to do with the current financial state of the world, with currencies dropping debt skyrocketing wages stagnant, defaults rising - less and less people have the cash for these toys, except for the very low end and very high end, expect the drop to continue. That Majesty that was 6k that’s now 4800 on sale for 4300 is gonna be 3300 sooner than you think.

[@avivpinto4013]

Love early eighties reissues. Best guitars

[@Vermonster23]

Back in my heavy gigging days I almost exclusively used a 1978 Les Paul custom. Sold it when I moved. I do miss it… there were a whole lot of Norland Ara Gibson’s, and CBS era fenders out there that were not thought of as desirable. Oh, the days when they were real cheap!

[@kinstane]

Really dig this installment, I had a 1978 Tabacco sunburst I bought used for $500 around the early 80's. It was later stolen along with all our other gear by our drummer. A few years ago, I got the urge to want to relearn, play again, I looked to get myself another '78, so I went to reverb, I couldn't believe what they were going for. Though I was a little disappointed, I did however find a 2013 Traditional for a good price, love that guitar. Recently I did find a 2022 standard 50s and it was a Tabacco burst, though it's not a '78 it reminds me of it, both in color and weight.

[@RUSS312]

Great video and cool guitars!! I've had a fair amount of Les Pauls come and go the past few years...two that have never left have been a 1977 Les Paul Custom in wine red and a 1974 Les Paul Standard in tobacco sunburst with a pancake body and 7 piece top. Both sound great and have interesting "personalities".

[@user-no1cares]

Always digging your guitar chops. Love Les Pauls, I have 2 of ‘em. Sometimes they need a bit of work to sound just right.

[@jamescaldwell1933]

I was able to purchase a new 78 LP Standard in December of 78. It was wine red, had a super thin neck and was a breeze to play. Had to sell it in 1983 or so to pay the rent. Been looking for another one like it.ever since. Wish I had it back.

[@michaelkeudel8770]

Bought my 1979 Natural Standard brand new off the shelf for $600 back in 81, best guitar I've ever owned, 12 lb 8 oz monster,

[@TimothyGrove-ky6qu]

Got my ‘76 Tobacco burst LP Standard for $300 at a pawn shop in ‘90. Wore the frets out on it & sold it a decade later for $2K. I’ve had a ‘73 LPC & a ‘78 Goldtop Standard. Every one of them was a boat anchor. They were cool & useful guitars, but I honestly prefer the later CS RIs. There ARE exceptions - I know of 2 very early LPCs by me that are both 8.5 lbs and sound unbelievable.

[@zombieprivates]

I had a 73 Goldtop converted to humbuckers, it was a boat anchor..lol.. Got rid of it years ago with no regrets..

[@curtvona4891]

I had a '74 Les Paul Custom in white. It was stolen. I still miss that guitar.

[@hessex1899]

Matt Pike's 3 pickup 70's les Pauls sound absolutely amazing.

[@DoctorEnigma01]

Love Norlin era especially when they have the larger headstock

[@GRBAquatics]

Very Cool, Thankyou. The first (Only) Gibson Les Paul I've played was a 1970's That I always 'remember' as being "The Black Betty Guitar" lol, but was probably 'just' a Gold Top.... Was at Byron Bay Music, Australia in the mid 1980's, and I also 'remember' Phil and Tommy Emmanual being instore that day and 'assisting me'. I was 'beginner' buying a Fender Sidekick 15R Amplifier, lol, (great little Amp still going Today, lol) ..... I ALWAYS remember 'That Guitar' as THE ONE I should have bought .... In 1980's Australia it was probably 'less expensive' than the little Fender solid state amp, lol ..... OH DEAR .... hurts thinking about it, lucky I've been a 'Strat Man' .... hahaha. Have in recent years, in my 50's, got back into Electric Guitars and Purchased a 'quality' ... 'Les Paul' Copy and cannot believe how this guitar has transformed my entire guitar playing experience, for the better. Inspiring me to play at my best, and even surprising me with 'tunes' I had no idea I was capable of. I am still hopeful 'one day' of getting a 'real' Les Paul and these 1970's are VERY interesting, thankyou. Awesome video. All the Best. Cheers

[@robertplum4415]

Some sick tone right there

[@sysop007]

A high school buddy of mine had an 80’s era silver bust. All I remember is its immense weight and how well it played.. and that his dad bought someone’s pawn ticket for some ridiculous amount like a couple hundred bucks or something.. As a bassist I’d like to have one to plink around on but they’re a bit rich for my blood just to have a toy when there’s so many basses and not enough time..😂

[@sconni666]

I got a ‘72 Goldtop in 1991 for $750. Still got it.

[@greg3030]

The something behind you in the playing section over the first LP that looks like a cigarette on the headstock. 😎

[@drippinglass]

I’ll take a 90’s for a lot less. ‘95 on were CNC, so they are all pretty good.

[@Vermonster23]

The quality of construction was better, and the wood was thought to be nicer as well. I do think the 90s will be highly desirable in the years to come.

[@EdHeinzelman]

I just finally got the $$ and bought a Standard 60s that you convinced me that I needed a year ago...sheesh.

[@DK-rv5tt]

Baxter, do you listen to some type of ear monitor, or are you just winging it when you play these demos? I was just wondering, anyway, sounds awesome, as always!

[@bottomkitchen250]

There is something very appealing, to me at least, about the 70s Customs. "Built like tanks" they sure are. This is the Casino Guitars video I've been waiting for.

[@robertmellang6998]

I love Les Pauls. I am 68, and I just bought my first Gibson Les Paul. You mentioned punk days. Did you ever cover any Riverdales tunes. Nice jam on that custom. I just got the black studio, Gibson. The one they called “the one”

[@andrewbecker3700]

Better off with one of the AJ sigs from Epiphone. They're 1979 silverburst replicas, and I've got 2 of them. One custom art version, and one with the Gibson headstock. Both are well worth what I paid, and I have zero regrets. Did a few mods to them and don't have to worry about it. They aren't museum pieces. Peace!

[@jeremyversusjazz]

That first cut away of a gold top was not a deluxe…right? Anyhow i want a blue sparkle deluxe!

[@stephendellangelo6425]

I have two late 70's deluxe's. A cherry sunburst and the other is burst like yours. The cherry burst is a fretless wonder for sure that is in need of a re- fret perhaps. What's your opinion on that?

[@robvee532]

I own a 73’ and 75’ and played the the 75’ to death because it has been my favorite for the past 30 years. I do have newer CS’s and others but the 75’ will be buried with me. I Paid $300 for the 73 and $500 for the 75. The 75’ was roached with poorly repaired headstock break when I got it. I learned how to work on guitars on it, I repaired the headstock 30 years ago and it is still holding strong today. It never went to a luithier for anything and plays awesome. I was always happy about these being slagged and not collectible because they remained cheap for a long time. I have my 2 and that’s all I need.

[@johnmurray3346]

I really don’t need one, but i’ll watch anyway

[@XoseGuitar]

$10k for a 70s Strat. BWAHHAHAHAHAHA no. My '83 LPC is 10# and I freaking love that guitar. It plays like butter, its DEAD QUIET (shielded with actual aluminum boxes!), and sounds unreal for rock and roll.

[@dylanlamb8710]

Great video…love the Pitfall reference…the two of us that had that game totally got it….besides Frogger, I played Pitfall a lot….oh, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Been thinking about getting one of these gitters with the bendy strings as acoustic playing can only take you so far (or is harder to learn bends and pulls) and classical necks are as wide as the 405. I had no idea how heavy LP are…and you’re saying these are even heavier? Also had no idea how small they are…picked up a new one at GC and thought it was made of lead. We’ve chatted via email, so you know my house will burn long and hot with all the Sitka Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood, but I’ve lately started flirting with learning how to play….my attempts at playing across/up a neck using Pentatonics is like aforementioned Frogger that gets run over in that first lane of traffic. No one is going to be thrilled with 1/4 and 1/2 note arpeggios…lol. And, the mistakes I’ve made in the acoustic world (should’ve bought the D-28 earlier so I would have had something to compare with for the ones I built….Backpacker to Little Martin to GS Mini also comes to mind) lead me to believe vintage is where I’d inevitably end up, but don’t want the 10K+ price tag, so 70’s might be a good place to get the feet wet. Vintage guitars strike me as very similar to vintage watches. You really need to know your sh!t, but could find a smoking deal. Side note….watchmaking isn’t a “hobby” I’d recommend to any neophytes unless you really like spending hours on the floor searching for a microscopic screw.

[@tomfoolery2082]

In 1977 a gold top lp deluxe retailed fo $1000 including hard shell case . I know because I bought one .

[@fettuccinealraver]

Can anyone comment on the vintage 70s LPs vs Murphy Lab? Curious about going for something that has age and character vs something that was meticulously recreated.

[@essehindeed]

What are you playing through for the demos. Sound tuff.

[@timnewman1172]

I had a 1978 black Les Paul Standard for over 20 years... it was a great playing & sounding guitar and I loved it, but... it was heavy!!! I traded it in Feb 2020 for a brand-new 0-18 Martin. May I should regret that now???

[@version7144]

I’ve owned 5 gold tops from ‘70-‘73 over the years and none of them were very good. They do have a certain aesthetic appeal and vibe. The customs from this period seemed more consistent but the late 70’s were all over the place, especially when they changed the shape of the cutout around ‘78.

[@harrisonpassion]

All this video does for me is make me want a two rock!!!

[@garyvorhees73]

I have a dotless i Gibson LPC , early 70s, but not sure which year. Fretless wonders are easy to play once you get used to them.

[@k2rocksstl]

I dream of one.

[@petersouthwell5971]

NOT MUCH of a Gibson Fan.. I bitch about them a lot.. But I do really love the 70s stuff. Flying Vs are awesome. THE ONE Less Paul Ive always wanted was the black beauty. I just think they're fabulous. Three Humbuckers... Always on the lookout for that beast at a "good" price

[@petersouthwell5971]

The one your holding in the video is pretty damn close. If that had the three golden pickups.. Id be calling you trying to make a deal

[@vintageswiss9096]

My father had a late 70s Les Paul Bass. He let my mom take everything in the divorce except the guitar. He died in the Army, and his girlfriend took everything in the house before we had a chance to go thru anything. I play a 2022 Les Paul 60s Standard just because it reminds me of him. I love trading around my guitars to try something new, but I'll always have a Les Paul...

[@FredPriest-ud6cu]

Baxter's right these Les Pauls have different tones throughout the years.

[@MayorMcCheese2000]

Honestly the first 10 seconds are kinda all ya need.... after that if anyone needs convincing, it's like.... why?

[@martinclayton7260]

If I could afford one, I would have one.

[@larrocovarry9027]

I spent 800 on 76 standard that was not a PanQuake body... sure it was ten pounds..but i traded it for a stupid strat... miss thst baby ...

[@badluthier]

Ahh the no fret special…keeping my girlfriends spoiled for a long time.

[@SilverTurtleZ28]

I had a '77 Deluxe and it was glorious. But I was young and thought I could just buy another one, so I sold it for a profit. Worst. Decision. Ever.

[@peterpowder8546]

I had one. And that time everyone said I needed one that was at least 10 years older. 🤔🥴

[@johnwashburn3793]

I had a new goldtop around '71/72. As I recall, she was a curvey girl. I quit the band and went solo acoustic and I let her go...

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

-Heavy as a boat anchor.

[@ratwynd]

Why I don't own a Les Paul? * I own a 2014 ES335 and it is TOO HEAVY the LP is worse. ** I play a 1996 USA Guild Bluesbird that was built in the Fender Custom Shop beffore Guild built their Tacoma factory, less than 2000 made total. Light and comfortable chambered, lemon to cherry burst nitro finish. Fender 3 screw buckers. ***I really like my D'Angelico, both with USA Seymour-Duncan's and my own wiring harness. Much lighter. **** I only groupie for Martins.

[@rvanstar]

Similar to realestate prices .. Ask yourself what is the underlying motive?

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

I would rather buy a brand new custom shop or Murphy Lab LP than a 5k for a 70s LP. We all knew this was going to happen when the 50s LP prices got insane and then the 60s and now the 70's pancake LPs. Same with the 70s strats. Desperation. ha The same happened with dog late 70s to early 80s corvettes. In the 2000s, they were going for 3k to 4k now that 4+ times that.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

I'd buy a 90s. No way I'd over pay for a 70s boat anchor.

[@Ronsat]

5 Grand for a Boat Anchor that will wreck your Shoulders and your Nether regions similtaniously ? 🤣🤣 In the 70's I always wanted one of those....until I picked one up in a store. I bought a Strat and put a Dimarzio in the bridge. Happy Daze...

[@thesjkexperience]

Did a chiropractor write the video title 😂🎉. I make my own because Gibson doesn’t make V necks 😊

[@kosmonument2682]

Norlins (the common name for 70s LPs) are not built very well. The 70s generally is an era of far lower quality control for Gibson and other brands. The only reason to own one of these is if you want the nostalgia of playing a guitar from that era. Objectively speaking though, a Les Paul from the "New Management" era of mid-2019 to now is going to be superior in every way to what you'd get from any Norlin.

[@friedtaters8940]

the 70s

[@rennpart]

AL GORE RYTHUM BRUTHA!!!! MAGA WIF THE 70’S SHIT TURDS!!’ HELL YEA GOBLESS

[@BizarrePudding]

All these big bad rockers whining about the weight of guitars...Meanwhile - the not a particularly large person - Mary Ford played a Les Paul for most, if not all, all of her guitar-playing career, lol...Of the 5 Mary Ford LPs currently on Sweetwater's website the lightest one is just under 9 lbs...the rest are 9lbs plus and there's one over 10...Les himself played LPs well into his '90s Maybe the guitar's not too heavy, y'all are just too weak?

[@sully5493]

I have never understood the weight thing. I’ve used various guitar weights for decades and it has never bothered me in the least. Just another thing for LP haters to go on about. I do wish they’d just stay off the chains. Tired of hearing the same old BS. To each his own. I’m 57 and take a 12lb LP out regularly.

[@BizarrePudding]

@@sully5493 Hear! Hear!...Good for you for still hauling that beast onto your shoulders and rocking it!! I'm 66, have a few aches and pains in my back (and elsewhere!) but if I like the way a guitar plays and sounds I never think about what it weighs...One of my favorites these days is a metal National that feels like I've got a Buick on my back - couldn't bother me less, play it every day...the thing sounds like an orchestra! Thanks for the reply...Good to know there are still others out there who can appreciate guitars for how they sound and not for what they weigh or don't weigh!

[@Pdbottleneck]

All you guys did with this video is add another $500 to every 70’s LP that was already listed on reverb

[@SeanApplePie]

Try to tune that G-string.

[@tymanngruter1808]

The golden years, as good as an 1954! But better for your wallet, it screams play me sum rock!!! ♨️🪨♨️

[@Nordic_Sky]

No, you most definitely do NOT need a 70s Gibson, or Fender for that matter. The Norlin era was horrible.

[@BizarrePudding]

It's not authentically '70s without brass hardware

[@reverendg5937]

You only need a 70's Nolan Era guitar is because you haven't blown your back out yet. Then after getting one, it will blow your back out. Way over priced and the performance and tone is gamble. For the same amount of money buy a Custom Shop. FACT!!!!

[@monsirto]

I have something far better, an 80s Tokai LP.

[@MeMuppet444]

Nope sorry, love the sound but thats it, too heavy, bad ergonomics, too expensive … thanks though

[@tschieding]

Nonsense.

[@DementedAugminish]

I will vehemently disagree. Heavy, dull sounding, over priced junk they've always been. There's a few good ones, very very few. But it says Gibson 🤦

[@zetascorpii9519]

That was fucking awesome 🤘