NGD: The Paul Content

rivercider · February 2020

I had one of these back in about 86/87. Best guitar I owned for the longest time until I stupidly sold it for some sort of Gretsch-alike hollowbody that was very pretty but ultimately just.....hollow.

Mine was also just 'The Paul' rather than the Firebrand version. .

JerkMoans · February 2020

rivercider said:

I had one of these back in about 86/87. Best guitar I owned for the longest time until I stupidly sold it for some sort of Gretsch-alike hollowbody that was very pretty but ultimately just.....hollow.

Mine was also just 'The Paul' rather than the Firebrand version. .

Another true 'Old Believer'. Not like these arriviste upstarts with their glitzy, dolled up 'Firebrand' heresies.

not_the_dj · February 2020

Mike Scott (of The Waterboys) has been touring a couple of The Pauls for years now. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtFoMAkWsAESQ-E?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

JerkMoans · February 2020

not_the_dj said:

Mike Scott (of The Waterboys) has been touring a couple of The Pauls for years now. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DtFoMAkWsAESQ-E?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

A man of impeccable taste and discernment. The Whole of the Moon, indeed.

SteveRobinson · February 2020

guitars4you said:

Shows my age but I recall selling these when they first became available

I bought one new in 1980

Image: https://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/wp3/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ThePaul_Invoice-4.jpg

richardhomer · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

guitars4you said:

Shows my age but I recall selling these when they first became available

I bought one new in 1980

Wow - I was in that place all the time Steve!

SteveRobinson · February 2020

I actually bought it in 1979, on the back of a Sorscha Delft review in International Musician.

As I was hard up I bought on HP ("hire purchase" for the kids this was before the easy credit revolution), paid the £40 deposit and took it home, waiting for the repayment documents to arrive and they didn't. Six months later Chase rang and asked if I had one of their guitars and I said yes I did.

Chase had had a fire in the shop and lost all their records. I don't know how they found me. Also I'd failed the HP eligibility check so my Mum lent me the balance.

Anyway I hated that guitar. I didn't like the frets or the sound. I traded with a mate for his Epiphone Les Paul, putting the Dirty Fingers from the The Paul into the Epi which sounded and felt so much better.

MattNovak · February 2020

I saw a Gibson 'The Hawk' pop up on my FB feed this morning - never seen one before, cool guitar. Nighthawk shape with a wrapover bridge.

richardhomer · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

I actually bought it in 1979, on the back of a Sorscha Delft review in International Musician

I briefly owned a Guild D35 that had belonged to (as he was at the time) Stephen Delft.

Kittyfrisk · February 2020

^ Hawk is very nice.
As were the short lived Goddess range IMHO

Image result for gibson les paul goddess

Kittyfrisk · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

I actually bought it in 1979, on the back of a Sorscha Delft review in International Musician.

As I was hard up I bought on HP ("hire purchase" for the kids this was before the easy credit revolution), paid the £40 deposit and took it home, waiting for the repayment documents to arrive and they didn't. Six months later Chase rang and asked if I had one of their guitars and I said yes I did.

Chase had had a fire in the shop and lost all their records. I don't know how they found me. Also I'd failed the HP eligibility check so my Mum lent me the balance.

Anyway I hated that guitar. I didn't like the frets or the sound. I traded with a mate for his Epiphone Les Paul, putting the Dirty Fingers from the The Paul into the Epi which sounded and felt so much better.

Hi Steve, out of curiosity were the pickups from your "Paul' definitely Dirty Fingers?
Both of my Paul's and all other unmolested versions I have seen, all came with T-Tops.

SteveRobinson · February 2020

Kittyfrisk said:

SteveRobinson said:

Anyway I hated that guitar. I didn't like the frets or the sound. I traded with a mate for his Epiphone Les Paul, putting the Dirty Fingers from the The Paul into the Epi which sounded and felt so much better.

Hi Steve, out of curiosity were the pickups from your "Paul' definitely Dirty Fingers?
Both of my Paul's and all other unmolested versions I have seen, all came with T-Tops.

I always believed them to be. They had a huge DC resistance, 14K or something IIRC.

guitars4you · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

guitars4you said:

Shows my age but I recall selling these when they first became available

I bought one new in 1980

Great info - I was trying to recall the price and was guessing £300 ish - I recall an LP Deluxe then, with case was £365

I recall Amrik's shops and adverts - Big hitter in his day and had 2/3 shops inc London and Birmingham if memory is correct

guitars4you · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

Kittyfrisk said:

SteveRobinson said:

Anyway I hated that guitar. I didn't like the frets or the sound. I traded with a mate for his Epiphone Les Paul, putting the Dirty Fingers from the The Paul into the Epi which sounded and felt so much better.

Hi Steve, out of curiosity were the pickups from your "Paul' definitely Dirty Fingers?
Both of my Paul's and all other unmolested versions I have seen, all came with T-Tops.

I always believed them to be. They had a huge DC resistance, 14K or something IIRC.

I've seen them with both over the years - I recall they were meant to be Dirty Fingers, but knowing Gibson, plus how factories can operate, if a supply line delay caused guitars that were basically ready, other than p/ups, then anything will do to get the guitar out of the factory, invoiced and shipped - So they can be all original but such changes later test the history books

SteveRobinson · February 2020

guitars4you said:

Great info - I was trying to recall the price and was guessing £300 ish - I recall an LP Deluxe then, with case was £365

I recall Amrik's shops and adverts - Big hitter in his day and had 2/3 shops inc London and Birmingham if memory is correct

Yes, I used to gig in the Chase T-shirt (blue and gold) that I got free on the cover of IM&RW.

List price was £299 retail including the Mk I protector case (wish I still had that) but I got money knocked off because of a small lacquer burn on the back caused by a stand.

Kittyfrisk · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

Kittyfrisk said:

SteveRobinson said:

Anyway I hated that guitar. I didn't like the frets or the sound. I traded with a mate for his Epiphone Les Paul, putting the Dirty Fingers from the The Paul into the Epi which sounded and felt so much better.

Hi Steve, out of curiosity were the pickups from your "Paul' definitely Dirty Fingers?
Both of my Paul's and all other unmolested versions I have seen, all came with T-Tops.

I always believed them to be. They had a huge DC resistance, 14K or something IIRC.

Wow, that is huge indeed, no T-top could get near that.
As @guitars4you ; says, Gibson's methods are so *cough* 'idiosyncratic' that anything is possible

guitars4you · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

guitars4you said:

Great info - I was trying to recall the price and was guessing £300 ish - I recall an LP Deluxe then, with case was £365

I recall Amrik's shops and adverts - Big hitter in his day and had 2/3 shops inc London and Birmingham if memory is correct

Yes, I used to gig in the Chase T-shirt (blue and gold) that I got free on the cover of IM&RW.

List price was £299 retail including the Mk I protector case (wish I still had that) but I got money knocked off because of a small lacquer burn on the back caused by a stand.

I think all his shops were small - not a big product choice - But great prices on a selection of the best sellers - Market trading approach of pile high and sell cheap

guitars4you · February 2020

SteveRobinson said:

guitars4you said:

Great info - I was trying to recall the price and was guessing £300 ish - I recall an LP Deluxe then, with case was £365

I recall Amrik's shops and adverts - Big hitter in his day and had 2/3 shops inc London and Birmingham if memory is correct

Yes, I used to gig in the Chase T-shirt (blue and gold) that I got free on the cover of IM&RW.

List price was £299 retail including the Mk I protector case (wish I still had that) but I got money knocked off because of a small lacquer burn on the back caused by a stand.

amazing you still have the receipt from over 40 years ago - Cool

ICBM · February 2020

Most of the ones I've seen have had original Dirty Fingers, but I have seen one or two with T-tops. I'm sure they came with both, but I don't know if it's an earlier/later thing or more random.

SteveRobinson · February 2020

guitars4you said:
I think all his shops were small - not a big product choice - But great prices on a selection of the best sellers - Market trading approach of pile high and sell cheap

Chase is still on Oldham Street but no Gibsons, just the very cheapest stuff you can imagine.

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