Gibson Les Paul 70's Deluxe Review & Demo | Mini-Humbuckers, Full-Sized Tone

[@jgsintx1402]

Great overview of this model! Great KZbin channel, I love the content. Short story: The other guitarist in a band I was in during the 90's had a '74 Deluxe and it always sounded good live. We went in the studio to record and once I heard mini humbuckers on tape I really took notice and they had my instant respect and love. The perfect amount of clarity and fullness all in one. They sit right between a P-90 (which is my all time favorite Les Paul pickup, try it on a recording before you comment) and a PAF Humbucker exhibiting the best qualities of both. This guitar deserves to be part of any musicians tool collection. If you don't like heavy weight guitars there are lightweight examples out there of the '21 and later models, you just have to seek them out.

[@robertwelch3240]

My first Les Paul was a brand new 1982 Deluxe, which I sold before going into the Army in '91. I always regretted letting that guitar go. I finally bought one of the new reissued Deluxes this week, and love it.😍😍😍

[@nickfarrow4788]

How Is the Guitar Robert? And the neck is thick? Thanks!

[@robertwelch3240]

@@nickfarrow4788 Its the chunky 50s neck. I really like the minibuckers, though one does need to dial the tone back to about 6 to keep it from being too trebley. There is less gain than with full sized humbuckers, but more than with P-90s. I use a boost as the first part of my signal chain. Its not a clone of the Norlin era deluxes, but it is close enough.

[@nickfarrow4788]

@@robertwelch3240 thanks! I really love the mini hb, i have to purchase this guitar. I started to love the chunky necks using a Kramer SM1: It had a chunky neck, way chunkier than the average Sm1's. I love the feel.

[@jaymax3201]

Congrats！

[@carlosanvito]

Thanks for reviewing the Deluxe. I have a 1972 that I bought brand new - I have owned it for over 50 years and have never stopped loving this guitar. It's not wall art: I play it everywhere and all these years later, it's still in wonderful condition. One comment - not all Norlin era guitars have a multi-piece back, mine has a single-piece back!

[@voiceofexperience]

Best-sounding LPs in ages. Finally hearing a usable neck pup, & the bridge has a ton of character. Love the look of the GT. You guys are so right: people gotta move away from the clichés

[@TheCSpang]

I absolutely LOVE the mini humbuckers on my guitar, but at the the time, when buying, wasn’t too sure for what I had in store. Mine, however, are in a Gibson Firebird, so, of course, it’s not quite the same; yet, they still ring true to that mini humbucker range of tone. They squeal when I want ‘em too when going heavy, the neck pickup’s got a fat, bluesy sound when I wanna go Hendrix or clean, and there’s always the in-between one click away. These are certainly overlooked.

actually learned a lot about mini humbuckers and the story… finally decided to get one because of you guys

[@SilverTurtleZ28]

In the '90s, '70s Les Paul Deluxes were very unloved guitars. During that time, I picked a '77 gold top Deluxe up from a second hand music store outside of Friendswood, Texas, for $840 are taxes. Spent another $200 getting the electronics cleaned up and the frets leveled and played that guitar for years, loving every minute of it. As a Fender player, at the time, it had just the right sound for me to play everything I loved. When a guy saw me playing it one night and offered me $2,000 for it, I, foolishly, thought I could get another '77 Deluxe for cheap. Definitely wish I had kept that guitar. I've got a 2012 Deluxe goldtop now and it plays and sounds just like the '77. But there was something special about that '77 and I still think about it from time to time.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

I have sometimes heard the Deluxe described as being the " Gibson for the Telecaster player". Personally I have always really liked the Deluxe .

[@Rwtheking]

To be honest I’d compare the firebird to a tele before I would compare this. This is like a love child of normal single coil and a p90. Unfortunately I don’t have the budget for these beauties. Some day.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@Rwtheking Some day ... same here lol

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@Rwtheking I do prefer the balance of a Les Paul over the awkward Firebird ( even though the Firebird does look very cool). I am wondering what a Deluxe would sound like when fitted with firebird pickups ?

[@NotBCT]

Having gone through hell and high water to get my grubby little mitts on one (which I normally would not be able to afford, but I know a guy who knows a guy, and we managed to make a deal happen), I'd have to agree with this statement, to some degree. Bridge pickup has a lot of tele-esque tones, very spanky and quacky and twangy as well as being bright. Neck pickup is more of a subdued PAF. So maybe a "Gibson for Micawber-type Tele players?"

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

@@NotBCT I hope that you are enjoying your Deluxe; I would definitely like to own one some day.

[@JAL-cc8jd]

I love the new 70’s Deluxe Les Pauls. I bought a gold one and swapped the pickups for Mojotone P90’s and bought a wine red one and am keeping the mini humbuckers in it. They are both awesome guitars. Gibson is making some great stuff!

[@ap94131]

I have one I got in the 70s and, yes, it is REALLY heavy!

[@Wooburnmusic]

My Les Paul deluxes definitely stop me from purchasing a new tele as much as I have the hots for a telecaster, the mini humbuckers on my Les,s are a great in-between the full humbuckers and the tele pickups.

[@luxoverb]

Nice demo and explanation of single coil, mini and humbuckers …. the frequency response is different because standard HBs sample a wider portion of the string and therefore higher frequency harmonics tend to cancel as their wavelengths become less than the pickup sensing area; while single coils, mini hums, and PRS narrow fields all have more HF content because the rolloff due to sensing length is at higher frequencies.

[@jameswright6059]

Received wisdom is that 70s deluxe's are in every way inferior to any other LP; I have a 73 Goldtop that is the best Les Paul I've ever played. It never goes out of tune, the pots have incredible taper, the mini humbuckers provide a huge tonal range from screaming to mellow and the guitar is extremely well made. The previous owner gigged it for years and it never let him down & reluctantly sold it as he needed cash. If you get the chance try an original 70s deluxe : they're still available for the price of a brand new standard & for me far superior.

[@jimmyjames2022]

Every Cooper demo is a musical treat! Minis sound good, but I wonder how 60s Firebird pups (not the newer ones) would sound in one of these new 70s Deluxes.

[@HamptonGuitars]

Interesting that on the gold top shown here, the bridge pickup is mounted reversed, like a Peter Green home phase reverse job.

[@Trial212]

Hey guys, what a great review. I love Firebirds and I've been waiting for a modern 70's era LP with mini buckers. I must live under a rock because I didn't hear about these till now!! There is a used one for sale locally. Got to check it out!! Thanks!! Keep up the great work!! Brian

[@georgescannelli3814]

You guys were great in your explanation. Thank you. Just upgraded from a tribute model, pickups being 490R & 498T.. the 498T was added later. It did sound good. But I love the deluxe. Same person told me it was a poor man’s les paul. Bull --. The standard & custom models of course sound different. It depends what sound / tones you are happy with. So to me, when someone asks, who is better: the Beatles or the Stones? You can’t compare , because they are different. Thanks guys, you made my day.

[@braddietzmusic2429]

Beautiful guitars. Beautiful finishes. Beautiful sounds. Not 100% accurate to the models they are seeking to emulate, but really close enough to hopefully inspire players to love these too. Good review, guys.

[@georgescannelli3814]

What a great demo! You guys made it really interesting and fun. Thanks. Going to buy one. Love the Cherry. BTW, where can I order one of those tee shirts? Really cool!

[@georgescannelli3814]

Second time I,ve seen this!

[@anniedarkhorse6791]

Great sound demo. Thanks.

[@roberthealy1814]

THANK YOU Cooper! I just, FINALLY, Got my Les Paul. Through your suggestion, I bought a Blue Traditional Pro 4. LOVE it !! Great Guitar! A little heavier than I am used to, but nice.

[@michaelheller8841]

That's an Atlanta Rhythm Section "Barry Bailey" kind of guitar all the way. I always digged his tone.

[@Cinestudi0]

Why does the poles on the neck are inverted on the gold top? Whats up with that?

[@allab3716]

Great guitar cool that they did a reissue in 2021.. ! I was a Stratocaster player for years and I bought a 2012 reissue when they came out and never regretted it since ! This guitar is so underrated and so good sounding and articulate... Try it ..!

[@i013452]

Great video as usual. Wondering if Gibson is having quality control issues again. Why does the gold top have neck humbucker screw heads flip flopped? It may not make any difference tone wise, but it just seems off. According to my 50’s Les Paul, the cherry is setup correctly where the screw heads are closest to the fingerboard.

[@Somenite]

Nice catch. The pickup on the gold top is installed incorrectly. I saw someone do a Gibson review recently on a different model a few weeks back and they picked up on the same thing. Someone on the Gibson production line doesn't know the proper alignment on those apparently.

[@martinclayton7260]

Why has the gold top one got its neck pickup the wrong way round?

[@Sunshinecoastphotography]

Huge fan of the minis. I only have one LP and I believe it is a 71 or 72 cherry sunburst with minis that are embossed with “Gibson”. That always catches the eye of other guitar players who know about these early 70s Les Pauls. I only have the one LP because I never found another one that sounded as good. I have lots of Fenders and other guitars in the collection though.

[@TommySG1]

Your playing is so easy on the ears man ( Ya, I know I’ve said this before too ahah! ) Anyhows, I just purchased a new Les Paul Standard finally and because I think Gibson has really upped their game on the quality control finally. I was looking at these 70’s models as well however I went with the Burstbuckers of the 60’s model along with the slim tapered neck and it sounds and plays beautifully. I also waited a pretty long time to pull the trigger because the tops vary A LOT! So if the top matters to you it can take quite a while to find the right one. I think if I ever go for a Gibson with the mini humbuckers I’d probably just go for the neck through Firebird. Love your feeds guys thanks 🤙

[@briandietrich1373]

Goldtop for me every time!

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

I owned an early 70`s Deluxe in tobacco burst.

[@raytorvalds3699]

Is the neck pickup on the gold top being mounted the "wrong" way intentional ?

[@Friedrich664]

I've had a LP Delux from age 14, bought for $200 in about 1979 - wine red. I think it's a 75 or 76. I have played mostly acoustic and classical all my life, and always wished I had an LP with the regular humbuckers, not the minis. Recently I had my Delux repaired - a simple electronic issue - and have had a chance to compare it with a friend's LP standard, on loan to me. I am surprised that I prefer the sound of the Delux. Here's the deal: You can make the Delux less bright with the tone knobs. You can't make the Standard as clear as the Delux with the tone fully bright. The neck pickup of the standard sounds really murky to me, while the Delux sounds clear yet smooth. The Delux is more versatile. The minis have a little less output, but I kind of like that, and you can get a little more fender tone out of it also. And you can always use a distortion pedal to make the mini humbuckers sound more like full-size. I am very happy with my Delux.

[@csb65536]

I too am a fan of the mini humbucker. I had a 75 Les Paul Deluxe. Yes, it was made with multiple pieces of mahogany and maple (thanks to the poor decision of Norlin). It also had a three piece maple neck vs a one piece mahogany neck. I prefer the mahogany. I am looking forward to buying one of these. 10:19

[@borowland5744]

These things are SO underrated.

[@justsomeguywithoutalife3855]

Does anyone know the type of music that the clean demo was I could listen to it forever but I can’t figure out what to search up if anyone knows please tell me

[@shawnawesome7770]

With new child I had to skip buying a goldtop deluxe so I made my own. But those are absolutely beautiful 😍

[@sublyme2157]

A buddy of mine has a 1979 Les Paul Deluxe that he bought new in '79 or so. It's the best Les Paul I have ever played, and the one all others are measured. Needless to say, I don't own a Les Paul.

[@nellayema2455]

I have one. I had to wait to get it. Mine's a gold top. I too am a sucker for a gold top. No volute. No pancake body. No giant 70's headstock. I prefer this modern tribute to the 70' version.

[@Lionsmane419]

Wow I love your style of playing so pretty.

[@chickenlickin3820]

the goldtop has the pickup in the wrong way in the neck position, out of phase how bizarre they would do that??

[@boddumblues]

It is not out-of-phase by being turned 180 degrees, It is just turned 180 degrees FYI

[@jasoncherry4221]

i had one back in the day ..was my first les paul and it weighed more than i did

[@vladimirpoutine7522]

70's Deluxes weren't typically big on flame tops. Even going as far as having 3 pieces of plain maple.

[@aicMadSeason]

Do they happen to have a Gibson LP with a plated Burstbucker in the neck and then an open(unplated) minibucker in the bridge? I would personally really enjoy that combo

[@aicMadSeason]

Imagine a three pickup LP with two minis at the bridge and neck and then the middle pickup is a full burstbucker. Talk about tone. Just a thought though

[@ripw1]

Good review

[@CeesDonker]

I just received a goldtop de luxe today. The pickups are very microphonic, aren't they?

[@multitrubshaw]

Why is the neck pickup in back to front? Has someone done this or is it Gibsons shocking QC issues?????

[@marcjansing7339]

Is the neck pickup on the goldtop reversed? Was that from the factory?

[@darkestfugue]

i have an early 81 les paul deluxe, got it in 1990, it was sitting in the shop for years, nobody wanted it, i have put it against all kinds of other les pauls from customs to standards but it always held its own or surpassed anything i was tempted to get rid of it for, its also a tank, it has never gone wrong, been in the belly of planes countless times the 3 piece maple neck never moved, never a scratchy pot, nothing, the only thing i dont like about it is once your hands get used to it its very hard to play anything else because its low action sustain and how the notes jump off the fretboard make it effortless

[@Wooburnmusic]

Absolutely agree with you, when I bought my 79 deluxes I never looked back.

[@hglassman48]

How much do you think an ACTUAL 1970 Les Paul Deluxe, cherry sunburst, all original would be worth? I bought mine USED in 1972 and have owned it since then. I think it was 3 years old made in 1969.

[@calsurflance5598]

Norms Rare Guitars in Tarzana Ca. Currently has a couple Deluxes from the mid 70s. Mid $5k to $6k.

[@TheHumbuckerboy]

Scott Gorham's Deluxe looked fantastic

[@guitarcrap4523]

LP Deluxes are they greatest, as are the p90s. seems like the neck pickup in that goldtop is mounted upside down tho? whats great w these or the p90 models is that you can switch back and forth between minis and p90s.. to me, thats a big plus over a fullsized humbucker model

[@Saori-chan74]

I love the sound of the 70s LP Deluxe but I never liked the build quality of them until 1982 when they made them the proper way. Anywho I was looking for a post-82 when a kid had one in a rival band and of course he didn't want to sell it because he knew it was "the Thin Lizzy tone"

[@PaulGAckerman]

Tune in next week when Alamo Music launches their new KZbin series "Lifting With The Luthiers"!

[@roberthealy1814]

Send me directions to your Store, would love to come down.

[@a_new_hourbandofficial9121]

Cooper you sure can play!

[@raistlinmajere2257]

Am I the only one who noticed the reversed neck pickup on the gold-top?

[@ZacCostilla]

My ideal Les Paul would be a “Special Deluxe”, on a flat mahogany slab body (or even Korina… err… African Limba) painted black with wraparound tailpiece, trapezoid inlays on a bound ebony fretboard, P90 bridge and a Mini-Humbucker in the neck. All hardware would be gold, just to make the traditionalists even madder.

[@lnewbyliveca]

You have your 100k, this was recorded weeks ago

[@patrickmeaney6743]

Good video-p

[@gregputman]

Gibson issues a 1970s tribute Deluxe that's absolutely nothing like a 1970s Deluxe. Brilliant

[@stephanematis]

Odd, Cooper's guitar has the humbucker pole pieces outboard for each, while the Goldtop has polepieces both Southbound. Odd. That is not far from Clownburst though. I agree, it would have been nice to have a bit of pattern on the top. IMO the coolest setup would be P90 in the neck and mini-hum in the bridge. Dear Gibson, can you please stop treating small retailers like 2nd class, get them gear and let them sell online. Come on. And you guys should have a P90 neck and mini bridge Alamo Goldilocks Edition.

[@craigthomson3621]

So you need 4 Gibson Les Pauls (1 x 2 P90s), (1 x 2 full Humbuckers), (1 x 3 full size Humbuckers), (1 x 2 mini-Humbuckers)!

[@dponzi56]

I don 't think they should call them "70's" Les Paul Deluxe. No pancake body, no volute, no 3-piece neck. I have a 73 deluxe I bought new. I have other guitars, but thats my favorite. BTW, mine is 9 lbs-12 oz. I have a 79 with the "clown burst", and thats 9 lbs-14 oz.

[@leedee4968]

Could be a great jazz guitar

[@josephliptak]

I was excited when I first heard Gibson was coming out with 70s les pauls but after reading the specs there's nothing 70s about these Pauls. Way too costly for a les paul that doesn't even come close to a 70s les paul. Its more a 2020 les paul. I won't be buying one and hold on to my real deal sparkle blue deluxe.

[@sixbladeknife44]

It’s a bummer that they didn’t spec the correct headstock or inlays, the only real difference vs. the Standard is the pickups. I’ll hold out for a true reissue, the vintage examples are just too much $$ nowadays.

[@jordanpratt3821]

I wonder how many kids watching this thought "who is Vanna White"??

[@cchavez248]

To be honest, I think younger players would be more likely to give these 70's models a fair shake if we didn't tell them what to think of them before hand. I understand giving the history of the instruments but the real 70's guitars were not less desirable because of design or sound, they were considered less desirable because they had more issues due to poorer quality control by CBS Fender and Norlin Co. cost cutting practices. Seriously, who would prefer a laminated boat anchor to a 50's-60's Gibson?

[@jimistheman9732]

Mini's go from warm and sweet jazz tones to screaming hard rock. Best HB's all around. Case closed.

[@nihilioellipsis]

The only Les Paul without the unusable muddy mudrange tone.

[@boddumblues]

That cherry burst is far from the original, the fade is too soft. Still a desirable guitar though.

[@grinkashman7884]

Beabadoobee!!!!

[@chickenlickin3820]

i'm now shopping at sSw££twater lol, they know when the guitar has an anomaly (out of phase pup!) you do not have 2k subs why would you say that hahah merry chrimbo.

[@drgonzorevival]

Far too much talk about the guitar retail and construction business compared to actual talk about music and tone. Who cares how hard it is for your store to get some of these in stock? Who cares whether it's a good idea for Gibson to release these from a business perspective? Really, this must have been the uncoolest review of guitar gear I ever sat through.

[@mister-LA]

I wish you carried PRS.

[@JP-mp5st]

I have a 1976 Goldtop Deluxe that I bought new because I was young and didn’t know any better. At the time it was the cheapest way into a Les Paul. Definitely NOT a good guitar. Poorly made, heavy like an anvil strapped around your neck. The Epiphone mini humbuckers they put in these things squealed like a pig if you tried to use distortion. I, like many, couldn’t take it any more and routed the guitar for full size humbuckers. Better, but still no bueno. Not a good era for Gibson. I’m surprised that they reissued these.

[@stephenjames4937]

No. You have been waiting for those guitars, not on them. Waiters and waitresses wait on people. The rest of us wait _for_ everything.