Odd Norlin era SG

[plankton]

Some of the Norlin stuff is just so different. I'm not a fan, but it's interesting when you see one you haven't before. This is for sale locally right now.

1972 Gibson SG100 Cherry Red | Guitars & Amps | Gumtree Australia Salisbury Area - Para Hills | 1306739127

If youre a hater of Norlin Era, keep scrolling Only SG Ive ever played that doesnt suffer that horrible neck dive Will consider trades The SG 100 200 250 ..., 1306739127

www.gumtree.com.au

 

[Decadent Dan]

The one with embossed p-90 and bridge cover might be cool.

 

[Col Mustard]

People panned those guitars for several reasons...

Foremost was the Norlin Gibson notion of eliminating the traditional
four degree neck back angle. Such that the neck is parallel to the body.
A guy can play it like that, but it feels weird if you're used to Gibbies.

Changing the guitar's appearance made it a jolt to the eye
such that the more you look at it the more jarring it is.
No one had respect for that weird slanted Fender style pickup, whatever it was.
Fender guitars mostly have a good sense of design... The SG 100 doesn't.

Norlin Gibson's notion of eliminating the beloved bevels in the cutaway
made nobody happy. Maybe they were cheaper to produce that way,
They looked like it. Band saw boogie...

The '70s style Harmonica bridge was actually a good idea, and it gave more
travel to the bridge saddles. So they would intonate well with light gauge strings.
And they didn't sag and cave in like the old ABR-1s do.
But people got wound up over all the other "improvements" and
panned the harmonica bridge too.

These guitars didn't sell well, and were discontinued after a year or two.
Maybe that makes them rare and special, but they still are eyesores to
those of us who love the SG design.

A good player with a good amp can make one sing... that's for sure.
But he can do better with a modern Faded Special or a Special T.
Those guitars were discontinued for good reason IMHO.
It took Norlin Gibson a long time to recover from mistakes they made
in those days.

 

[Col Mustard]

Pete Townshend wrote that he didn't like the changed SG
at all. When the group was touring here, he got them to stop in
at Gibson's factory. He wanted Gibson to make SGs for him
like they did before Norlin took over.

They wouldn't do it. So Townshend told them to get stuffed
and went on with his tour, stopping in pawn shops and music stores
and buying up old SGs. *laughs

 

[duane v]

The SG200 was my first guitar I purchased in 1974 (I was 10). Hanich Music put it on law away for after putting half down. I tossed a lot of newspapers for that sucker. I thought it was the greatest guitar until I got a Les Paul Custom and realized how crappy that guitar was. It basically stays in a case now.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

My 1 Norlin. My other.

 

[Col Mustard]

The SG200 was my first guitar I purchased in 1974 (I was 10). Hanich Music put it on law away for after putting half down. I tossed a lot of newspapers for that sucker. I thought it was the greatest guitar until I got a Les Paul Custom ...

I would never want to say something bad about a guys guitar, especially if he really cares for it.
And I'm sure that old Gibbie can play. A lot of posts are made on this forum concerning 70s SGs.

That's probably because the '70s SGs are the only "vintage" Gibsons most of us will ever even see,
much less have a chance to own and play. They are priced lower because of some of their features.
New members come aboard here to find out about an old Gibson they have, maybe they bought it
and maybe they inherited it. Maybe they've never played an SG or even looked at one before.

Often they want to find out: what is this old Gibson? How much is it worth?
Somebody told them that only old Gibsons are any good. How old does it have to be to be cool?
Norlin Gibsons have been rehabilitated recently, with some of our members extolling their virtues.
So live and let live, I say.

 

[Siamese]

Hoo boy....leave it to Norlin. I worked at Gibson during that era, and it was apparent they didn't have much of a clue.

 

[chilipeppermaniac]

Hoo boy....leave it to Norlin. I worked at Gibson during that era, and it was apparent they didn't have much of a clue.

Siamese, I really like my Norlin guitars that I have. My 76 SG STD. My 89 3 Knob SG and my 79 LP KM.

 

[duane v]

I dig my Norlin era Gibson's as well with exception of the low flat filing of the frets. All my Norlins have been re-fretted with jumbos .... I'm thinking the fret dressers back then didn't like bending very much.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

Neck profiles and frets are sooo subjective. I actually love the low frets on my Norlins. It may be because my first electric was a Norlin with these and it was what I got used to early on, but for whatever reason I love them. And FWIW, my '71 SG with well worn "ghost frets" is the easiest bender I own, 3 fret bends are just there in any position without effort. Up around the 12th fret I can even go 4 frets worth of bend with some effort, but it is there on demand with full control.

Not saying it should be everyone's cup of tea, but it is mine, and I don't find I am missing out on anything over my guitars that have slightly taller frets. I have actaully passed on a lot of fine instruments that had "jumbo" frets because I find them a bit jarring when I slide and bend around during exuberant lead passages. It all comes down to what you like and what you are used to.

 

[plankton]

Here's another one for sale, definitely not for me. People don't seem to be getting what they're asking for these things, at least around here.

Free local classified ads

Find Guitars & Amps ads. Buy and sell almost anything on Gumtree classifieds.

www.gumtree.com.au

 

[duane v]

$4500??????? LOL!!!

 

[MR D]

I had a bunch of Norlin's and there was 1 I did not think I would ever sell. but it was really a POS ! A 1979 SG 'THE SG' DELUXE. Deadest acoustic sounding guitar I ever heard.....had a bunch of those too, I kept the one for 35 years.then got rid of it for the best SG STANDARD I've ever heard....2017 SG STANDARD IN BLACK....Locking Grovers, ROLLED BINDING & '57 Classics, Hard Shell Case.........ALL STOCK ! and just $1299 ALL-IN. Such BAD-A$$ERY in 1 guitar !

 

[Decadent Dan]

Here's another one for sale, definitely not for me. People don't seem to be getting what they're asking for these things, at least around here.

View attachment 50261

Free local classified ads

Find Guitars & Amps ads. Buy and sell almost anything on Gumtree classifieds.

www.gumtree.com.au

“…amazing piece of Gibson history” usually translates to overpriced

 

[Decadent Dan]

$4500??????? LOL!!!

That’s AUD which is currently around $3,133 USD, still a lot but not quite as much.

 

[Stella]

In my experience, you HAVE to play a Norlin (especially 1975-80) to know if it’s a dog or a decent guitar…And there’s about a 45% chance of either. But there is that last 10% where you get a killer guitar.

But Gibson made some very strange things during that period, and I find it interesting to study. I’ve become a big fan of the later Norlin Victory series, and began collecting them because they are generally “good” guitars…but they’re heavy.

 

[Go Nigel Go]

I like weird...

 

[peteanddani]

I ha

The SG200 was my first guitar I purchased in 1974 (I was 10). Hanich Music put it on law away for after putting half down. I tossed a lot of newspapers for that sucker. I thought it was the greatest guitar until I got a Les Paul Custom and realized how crappy that guitar was. It basically stays in a case now.

I have the same 200 and the same story, but bought mine in 1978 for $225 paper route $$. I need new bridge saddles and a cover and original pick guard. Messasge me if you have a source for original parts. May 3d print the saddles? Nice collection!