# Gibson Tribute 70s Guitars



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Remember, these are Tribute guitars, like a Led Zeppelin Tribute band is not exactly the original Zep, but the can be good....


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

The Link,... Gibson Guitar: Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitars, Baldwin Pianos

Street Price in the US - $849 for the Firebird and SG. $899 for the LP.


----------



## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> The Link,... Gibson Guitar: Electric, Acoustic and Bass Guitars, Baldwin Pianos
> 
> Street Price in the US - $849 for the Firebird and SG. $899 for the LP.


Its a love/hate relationship for me. The guitars look awesome but the pickups look funny. I would gather I am not the first person that thinks they look to small aesthetically.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Tribute, retro, etc. guitars or anything else along that line do nothing for me. I think they do lots, though, for the mfr. They make them money.


----------



## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

Didn't the Deluxes come with mini-hums?

Not a bad price though. Could always throw some P90s in there, no?


----------



## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

dcole said:


> Its a love/hate relationship for me. The guitars look awesome but the pickups look funny. I would gather I am not the first person that thinks they look to small aesthetically.


They looked too small on the original models.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Love these guitars. I'm desperately trying to talk myself OUT of getting the goldtop. I've ALWAYS wanted a 70's deluxe goldtop but can't afford it, so this might be the next best thing.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I know the Firebird is not like the original - neck thru boday design. But I like the looks. Has Alnico II pickups. Nice. But it would likely sound not much different than the SG. Both set neck with mahogany bodies - just cut in a different shape.


----------



## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

my gripe with these (and past) tribute models is the finish. very cheap...very incomplete...easy to damage and scratch.... there were many instances on the les paul forum where the black back ones would flake off with very little effort from a belt or jean rivet.


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I agree that the pups do look small, maybe just my imagination


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

blam said:


> my gripe with these (and past) tribute models is the finish. very cheap...very incomplete...easy to damage and scratch.... there were many instances on the les paul forum where the black back ones would flake off with very little effort from a belt or jean rivet.


I agree. I was lucky enough to get one of the 50's tribute Goldtops when they first came out. The guitar played and sounded FANTASTIC, but yeah, the finish was pretty bad.

There are some resources online for properly sealing the finish. Alternatively, you can always strip and refinish it!

I guess Gibson figured with the popularity of road-worn/relic stuff, people would be into it, but I would expect even a $900 "budget" guitar to have a decent finish on it.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

why make a tribute of an era that is considered the worst in the Cie's history!


----------



## traynor_garnet (Feb 22, 2006)

al3d said:


> why make a tribute of an era that is considered the worst in the Cie's history!


I was just about to write the exact same thing. A tribute to the decade that all but killed the company?

This is a stupid as the "80's night" the leafs had this year. We are all trying to forget that decade . . .


----------



## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

al3d said:


> why make a tribute of an era that is considered the worst in the Cie's history!


 I always have to laugh at Fender and Gibson putting out 70's re-issues. Back when the originals were released, they were generally reviled by musicians as crap with a fretboard. Hense the high quality Ibanez and other Japanese instruments' emerging popularity. That being said, they do still have a nostalgic charm.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

A lot of people didn't dig the Norlins, but where else you gonna find a Lester with mini-hums?

Maybe you like LPs with full-sized humbuggies, but the mini-hums, like P90 Pauls, have a flavour all their own.

I would totally buy a 70's Deluxe if I could A) afford it and B) find one under 10lbs


----------



## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> A lot of people didn't dig the Norlins, but where else you gonna find a Lester with mini-hums?
> 
> Maybe you like LPs with full-sized humbuggies, but the mini-hums, like P90 Pauls, have a flavour all their own.
> 
> I would totally buy a 70's Deluxe if I could A) afford it and B) find one under 10lbs


Agreed. I actually like the sound of the mini-hums.


----------



## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

My 50's Tribute Goldtop is one of my favorite guitars and I play it more than any of my others. It just oozes with mojo and tone. Maybe I was just lucky with this guitar, but I'm willing to take a chance on a Firebird with mini's. I can always put P-90's in if I don't like them.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I believe it was around the mid 70s when the guitars really started to show a decline. I once tried an 1980 LP GT Deluxe and it must have weighed 15 lbs.



al3d said:


> why make a tribute of an era that is considered the worst in the Cie's history!


----------



## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

My Les Paul JR from last year has the satin finish. Within days I had taken a chip off behind the bridge while changing strings. Despite this I love the guitar and like the satin finish on the neck.

I noticed this year's Juniors come with a nitro finish but somehow look worse than the satin versions.


----------



## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

traynor_garnet said:


> This is a stupid as the "80's night" the leafs had this year. We are all trying to forget that decade . . .


Are you kidding me?..best decade ever..if you were into metal or hard rock and marshall full stacks..THAT WAS IT.....even if i don't remember most of that decade.. but i got picts thank god..


----------



## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

hollowbody said:


> A lot of people didn't dig the Norlins, but where else you gonna find a Lester with mini-hums?
> 
> Maybe you like LPs with full-sized humbuggies, but the mini-hums, like P90 Pauls, have a flavour all their own.
> 
> I would totally buy a 70's Deluxe if I could A) afford it and B) find one under 10lbs


Mini hums are indeed very cool but even my inner Pete Townshend couldn't convince me to keep a 12 lb '79 Deluxe.


----------



## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

al3d said:


> Are you kidding me?..best decade ever..if you were into metal or hard rock and marshall full stacks..THAT WAS IT.....even if i don't remember most of that decade.. but i got picts thank god..


Alain, I think Traynor was referring to the fact that the sucky Leafs sucked even more than their usual suckiness caused them to suck. To quote my buddy who's a die hard member of Laff nation, "Harold Ballard will never die!"


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

traynor_garnet said:


> I was just about to write the exact same thing. A tribute to the decade that all but killed the company?
> 
> This is a stupid as the "80's night" the leafs had this year. We are all trying to forget that decade . . .


The Leafs played hockey in that decade?


----------



## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

It may have been golf they were playing. Low score is a good score!


----------



## Spikezone (Feb 2, 2006)

al3d said:


> why make a tribute of an era that is considered the worst in the Cie's history!


I don't know about that...I LOVE my 75 Standard!
-Mikey


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

There is a time and place for mini-humbuckers, and for solid pickup covers. I put gold-plated solid covers (from Di-Marzio at the time) on the full humbuckers I wound for my beloved late 50's Epi Windsor that was stolen from me in 1988, and they made the guitar (natural blond finish) look gorgeous. But on these guitars, particularly the LP and SG, they just look cheap.

Now I'm worried that the next tribute reissue might be the Corvus, or a "Zoot Suit" version of the Marauder and S-1. Ted McCarty, wherever you are, please look away.


----------



## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

mhammer said:


> There is a time and place for mini-humbuckers, and for solid pickup covers. I put gold-plated solid covers (from Di-Marzio at the time) on the full humbuckers I wound for my beloved late 50's Epi Windsor that was stolen from me in 1988, and they made the guitar (natural blond finish) look gorgeous. But on these guitars, particularly the LP and SG, they just look cheap.
> 
> Now I'm worried that the next tribute reissue might be the Corvus, or a "Zoot Suit" version of the Marauder and S-1. Ted McCarty, wherever you are, please look away.


I'd have to hear the pickups first. I'm leery of them being "hot." I'd probably swap them out for SD Antiquities, or find a winder to wind me a proper mini-hum, not a blade style pickup.


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

According to the spec sheet, the pups are Alnico II dual blade.



hollowbody said:


> I'd have to hear the pickups first. I'm leery of them being "hot." I'd probably swap them out for SD Antiquities, or find a winder to wind me a proper mini-hum, not a blade style pickup.


----------



## Ti-Ron (Mar 21, 2007)

The firebird is really nice!


----------



## Morkolo (Dec 9, 2010)

dcole said:


> Its a love/hate relationship for me. The guitars look awesome but the pickups look funny. I would gather I am not the first person that thinks they look to small aesthetically.


I find they look odd too, some models look like they work but others are just.... not for me.


----------

