November 2009 \ Eye Candy \ Guitar of the Month \ 1978 Gibson The Paul (Standard)

1978 Gibson The Paul (Standard)

The Paul represent's Gibson's late-seventies search for a low-cost, high-quality Les Paul variant.
Premier Guitar November 2009

In 1978 Gibson decided to make a versatile, playable, solid guitar to compete with less expensive Strats and Teles. They didn’t introduce The Paul – a Deluxe and Standard – until 1979, and production ran until 1982. The guitar pictured here is all original, and plays like buttah! It was the 45th guitar made on Oct. 10, 1978 at the Nashville, TN factory. The body is walnut with a natural finish, exposed humbuckers, ebony fretboard and Tune-o-matic bridge/stop tailpiece.

The Paul series of guitars have recently been rediscovered by guitarists looking for a vintage vibe, great tone and playability, but with a gig-friendly price and durability.

Guitar courtesy of Byrn Paul.

     

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Comments

 (18 comments) display by
UsernameComment
luis arias
on 02/04/2013 		I have a 1979 Gibson Les Paul "The Paul" - Walnut #40 serial #70479540 all original with case and im looking to sell it what will you offer? email: snoopy777sk8@yahoo.com
Jeff
on 02/02/2013 		I picked up a '79 The Paul on eBay for, I think, 700 bucks. It was a mess when I got it. Somewhere along the line, someone had dropped in a single coil pickup between the two humbuckers, and a switch to turn it on and off. But the wiring overall made no sense; there was plenty of noise, and the sound generally was awful. I was heartbroken and felt ripped off. After a few disastrous tries by a couple of repair shop departments of local guitar resellers, I took it to an independent guitar tech (Evan Gluck) who'd been recommended by a couple of people. He straightened the whole thing out, giving it one volume knob for each pickup, one overall tone knob, the switch was now dedicated to phase shifting and he even added in a split coil push-pull pot on the tone knob. This thing is now a tone machine. Plays everything from a single-coil/single-pickup Danelectro kind of sound to a full-on Gibson-Growl-Plus. And plenty of variations in between and beyond. An absolute tone machine. I will never ever ever sell this guitar. It is full on awesome. http://instagr.am/p/VOYRMyiyW6/ http:// instagr.am/p/VOYZtPiyW7
Jim
on 09/14/2012 		I too have a Hondo II version of the Gibson "The Paul". Believe I bought it in 1982 (new in GR Mich). Wish I still had the sales receipt. Loved it then, love it more now. Never had any trouble with it. Mine is very similar to the one in the picture except my headstock is the same color as the body and mine came with gold colored volume/tone knobs. One Beautiful Guitar.
Matt
on 06/12/2012 		Got my'78 The Paul while in high school. I bought it used for $300, I think. It's been with me ever since - I've had it for at least 32 years! I'll never part with it. It's had 2 fret jobs, I put some Seymour Duncans in it, and graphtech nut and saddles. Because there's no pick guard my fingers have worn away the finish between the pickups and I have actually worn the wood away with my fingertips. This is a solid guitar - and heavy! It weighs but it plays so nicely, sounds great, and stays in tune always. A true work horse of a guitar.
Eric
on 03/07/2012 		Bought mine in '79, right after college and needed a serious axe to replace my 1973 Ibanez Les Paul copy for a band I was in. Used it up until the turn of the century (wife, kids and other diversions). Recently dusted off the guitar and started jamming with it. Smooth as silk to play and sounds just as hot and nasty as the day I bought it.
Soporifix
on 02/03/2012 		Just got one to replace the one I had in high school (1979) and sold for some reason. The one I have now is all original, plays beautifully, sounds sweet. Walnut, ebony fretboard, T-top pickups. A beauty, and a bargain -- $500, and it plays and sounds far better than any of the new LP studios hanging in the guitar shop for $1000+
Joey(Netherl ands
on 01/31/2012 		Our the following linck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M W_TcUA2wuI&feature=related
Joey(Netherl ands
on 01/31/2012 		Check out the "A Golden Day" cover from the Waterboys, thats the same guitar.
Joey(Netherl ands
on 01/31/2012 		I bought this guitar in 1979 in Holland, it was my first. I still have it and it's in perfect shape. It's was made on Dec. 28 1978 at the Nashville, TN factory. I had a lot of guitars, but this one is special, the way it plays ans the special sound. Years ago I saw the Waterboys playing with this guitar and tought, I'm a lucky guy to have the same.
Mississippi man
on 01/17/2012 		i have a 78 gibson the paul that looks exactly like this one but it has an additional switch for the humbuckers. i need to sell it to pay for my rent, i got fired from my job today



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