Here’s a great example of the best of Gibson’s much-maligned Norlin era. This 1977 Les Paul Artisan was owned by Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, and he used it onstage often during the late ’70s/early ’80s. Essentially a dressed-up Les Paul Custom, the Artisan featured fancy inlays and a full complement of three humbuckers: two Series VII units at the bridge and neck, and a Gibson Super Humbucker in the middle position. It’s a very cool guitar, but like a lot of Norlin-era Gibsons, it’s quite heavy.