Curious, why? You do realize that the bulk of Les Paul's out there are Norlin's right? After Henry took control of Gibson, the quality has went down and the price up. The Historics are nice though but again, way over priced. Now we have so many different versions of the Les Paul I don't even bother looking at what's currently available. Give me a plain old Standard and I am ready to go. Are you a actual player or just a dabbler. You sound sort of like one of the dudes on MLP w/ the Norlin dislike yet MLP members like Joe Bonamasso love the Norlin's??? I base my opinion on 40 years of actual playing. I am also a fan of the Japanese Ibanez Destroyer's, Rocket Roll's and Iceman's, the very rare Japanese Shiro Les Paul copies, all the 4 digit Hamer USA Standards. I grew up with Norlin's, yep played a '59 burst also when no one gave a rip about them and you could get one for around $800 or less. and it was a nice guitar, I really like the pickups most as that Les Paul growl is intoxicating with a Marshall had to look at 10 of them before I found one that was "right"
I'm definitely a "dabbler". No one's paying me for my musical talent, or lack thereof.
I bought my first guitar in 1975, with my own money saved from mowing lawns. A fender F-35.
I was a "trained" musician at that time. About 8 years of classical organ. Haven't played the organ in nearly 40 years. Playing things that don't interest you as a 8-15 year-old doesn't lead to a long-term love of the instrument.
I've played and taken several multi-year hiatuses since 1975. Roughly 8-10 years of daily playing throughout the last 40 years.
I've owned Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Taylor, Hamer, Epiphone, Agile, Kramer, and I've built a couple guitars. I've owned a boatload of amps from a 1-watt Blackheart to a 100-watt Carvin head. Fender, Marshall, Peavey, Carvin, Blackheart, VOX, Valco, Epiphone, Silvertone, and Magnatone.
I should have been quite specific about the Norlin era guitars I was commenting about.
I would not own one of the pancake body, multi-piece top, multi-piece neck, or any of the other sub-standard construction method built LP guitars of the Norlin era. Just like I didn't really want a new multi-piece body LP. Not because I may not play well, but because the price is not in line with the construction.
To me, a Les Paul needs a one-piece mahogany body with a two-piece maple cap and a one piece mahogany neck. Preferably no weight relief or chambering.
Gibson makes crap today, and they make great guitars today. I'm sure there are great individual guitars of the Norlin era, and it looks like you have a few, but I have no desire to seek one out.
Just like you won't have a weight-relieved, or chambered LP, I don't want a pancake body LP. You believe there is a tonal difference, and without scientific testing I wouldn't discount that belief out of hand, but my personal feelings are there is little to no measurable difference.
Same amp, same strings, same pickups and electronics, same player, same room...just change the guitar body and neck, I don't think anyone could hear the difference in a double-blind test. I don't think it can be measured either. Give me Pearly Gates and I'll still sound like me, not Billy Gibbons (even though I try and steal every one of his licks and pattern a lot of my playing after his style). Give Mr. Gibbons my '01 LP and he'll still sound like Billy Gibbons.
I paid $400 for my two-piece body, multi-piece top, chambered LP (that I said I wouldn't have). It cost me about 10 cents worth of Titebond to repair it and maybe a $5 bottle of tung oil to refinish it. I would not have paid $1200 for it. It plays wonderfully, sounds very good, and I have a "beater" Gibson. It's also a P-90 loaded model and my other LPs are loaded with humbuckers.
So offer me a beautiful Norlin era LP for $1000 and I'll probably eat crow.
I apologize if I offended any Norlin owners out there. That was not my intent.