Gibson Les Paul 70s Deluxe

25
SEPTEMBER 2021 GUITARIST
GIBSON LES PAUL 70s DELUXE
VINTAGE VS MODERN
It might be far from a reissue, but how does the
new Deluxe compare with an early 70s example?
severely bashed out of line. And while the owner
can tell us all about its life from the early 80s,
before that we can only guess. It’s been played,
that’s for sure. The original wide ’n’ low frets are
now
very low – approximately 2.65mm wide by
0.86mm high – and the fingerboard, as a result,
is heavily worn, almost scalloped in places. A
definite candidate for a refret!
But the neck profile is good and it’s thinner
back to front than our review sample – 20.1mm
at the first, 24.9mm at the 12th – with a lovely
unclubby C shape. The large binding strip in
the cutaway looks rather funky, but you could
certainly live with that. While the controls and
probably the pickups have been removed at some
point (probably during its repair and refinish)
and then refitted, the pot codes date the guitar
to 1972, as do the ‘Gibson’ logos on the front of
the mini-humbuckers. The original ‘Black Beauty’
caps are still in situ, but about the only mod
we can see is a replacement aluminium output
jack plate and, possibly, what appears to be a
reshaped heel.
D
espite its speckled past, you’ll be lucky
to snag a real 70s Les Paul Deluxe for the
price of this new model. As ever, vintage
prices centre on condition and you’ll often find
repaired neck cracks or full breaks, and plenty of
Deluxes routed for humbuckers with the minis
long gone. Then there’s the notorious weight,
often 10lbs and over – the main reason why Pete
Townshend stopped using his Deluxes.
But side-stepping vintage value, we’re
reminded of the potency of this ‘wrong’ Les Paul
when playing an early 70s example that’s been
well used and has a neck repair that’s been totally
stable since 1980. The sample we get to play is
lighter (3.94kg/8.67lb) than many, despite its
‘pancake’ body and three-piece mahogany neck.
In fact, it’s the lightest we’ve ever found.
The headstock actually looks huge. It measures
88mm across its upper tip; the modern head is
79mm and is around 0.6mm thinner in depth at
9.6mm. Both the neck pitch and headstock angle
of the old guitar are flatter, too.
Typical of a well-used and near 50-year-old
guitar, its condition isn’t great with plenty of
wear and finish cracks to the back, sides and
headstock, but less on the top, which suggests
it was over-sprayed. The dual ring ‘tulip’ Gibson
Deluxe tuners have definitely seen some action;
the B, D and G string buttons have all been
Comparing the decades-apart two guitars,
it’s not just the construction that differs, and
no doubt informs the sound, but the unpotted
mini-humbuckers of the original guitar expand
and enhance what we hear from the new example.
They are slightly hotter from their DCRs –
6.72kohms (bridge), 6.88k (neck) – but have so
much more ‘old Les Paul’ about the voice, and
that’s with not particularly fresh strings and
those really low frets. What does that mean?
The old example is more vocal. There’s also a
little more depth but still with that focus and a
beautiful touch-sensitivity. Terms such as ‘wiry’
spring to mind, but in a very positive sense.
Of course, you can Deluxe-ise any soapbar
Les Paul and the potential duality has immense
appeal. There’s a surprising choice of mini-
humbuckers available, including from the UK’s
Ben Fletcher (www.fletcherpickups.co.uk) who
we featured in Pickup Lines back in issue 463,
and a multitude of P-90 soapbars. We can’t help
thinking that this new 70s Deluxe could be quite
the tone-tinkerer’s favourite.
We’re reminded of the potency of this Les
Paul when playing an example with a neck
repair that’s been totally stable since 1980
Our vintage circa 1972
Les Paul Deluxe
The neck pickup still doesn’t follow the string
rake, but lies  at to the body
The original pickups have
patent number stickers and you
can just see the maple spacers
Even the bridge
saddles are heavily
worn and clearly
made of brass
Hardly tidy, but the
’72 features a pair of
‘Black Beauty’ caps
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