Next Last. With vintage Gibsons selling at auction for as much as half a million dollars, Davidson will sometimes roll up his sleeves and poke around in the ledgers, but only as time allows. So double check the serial numbers on those 1970s L … Electric or lap steel guitars not only help to build my collection but became the core for the early years with a number approaching 100 at one point. Find the current Blue Book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. I’ve got a Gibson Les paul custom with a 6 digit serial number of 140533 stamped on back of headstock with “made in USA” below. The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once 699 is stamped, the batch number will change to 1. The current Gibson serial number system. Gibson Serial Numbers and Factory Order Numbers (How to Find the Year). Gibson serials Gretsch serials Guild serienummers Höfner serials Ibanez serials Jackson serials Martin serials PRS serials Rickenbacker serials Squier serials Samick serials Taylor serials Yamaha serials Potentiometer codes Fender amplifiers With no (or unreadable) serial numbers, the electronic parts of an electric guitar also give an indication. From the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s Greco models have mostly used 2 serial number formats for non Acoustic models. vadsy Member . Fakes usually have the serial number either engraved too deep into the wood or inked (with too much ink). Gibson L Series. Please note that most of this information relates to serial numbers used from 1975 to present. The first digit is the year and the other numbers are production numbers. The first digit of this style serial number indicates the last digit of the year it was manufactured. The first year of Gibson solidbodies was 1952, and Gibson didn`t use any serial number in 1952. Gibson Serial Dating. Best guess is it’s between ‘70 and ‘72. The serial number on Gibson Les Paul guitars is located on the back of the headstock. The older Gibson guitars may have a serial number and a Factory Order Number. Discussion about the newer Kramer Guitars by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Only the newer ones have the year on them so it's not necessarily a fake if it's not there. Gibson introduced a new pattern when they began producing solid body guitars. This Module has been updated to work with the newer serial number formats. Essentially, each Heritage guitar is (ink) stamped with a six character serial number on the back of the headstock. Locate the serial number on your Gibson. Gibson serial numbers are even more interesting, because you can find out the specific date that your instrument was completed! {{itemCount}} {{sku.Description}} Review Cart . With that information, you can determine its rarity and, ultimately, its worth. Gibson Guitar Serial Numbers 2005-Current- Gibson USA goes to a 9 digit serial number in early July 2005. Messages 5,033. Instruments with f-holes often have the serial number repeated on a label inside the guitar body. This system is useful in helping to date and authenticate instruments. Beginning in 1953, a three-digit serial number was stamped on the top. This following information applies to all Gibson instruments including guitars, mandolins, lapsteels, basses and others. The Guitardater Project cannot verify the authenticity of ANY Guitar, this site is simply meant as a tool to satisfy the curiosity of guitar enthusiasts. An ink stamp on the back of the headstock which included either 5 or 6 digits. List of vintage Kalamazoo-brand guitars, basses. Vintage numbers from 1932 to 1970 are supported. Anyone have any better info? Messages 1,703. Use this site for a pricing guide and source of information on all guitars. Under furniture, stacked along walls and pretty much invading every room with the exception of the bathrooms. The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this time period. Serial numbers from 70' and 80's era Epiphone guitars made in Japan are not supported. tdarian. In these cases, to figure out which is the exact year for a guitar, see the General Specs section for more details. Gibson needs photos and the serial# for a proper ID. There are three separate groupings of numbers that have been identified and are used for their accuracy. L-00; Gibson L-1; Gibson L-3; Gibson L-4; Gibson L-5; L-130; L-140; L-150 Custom; LC-1 Cascade; LC-2 Sonoma ; Gibson LG-0 1958 to 1974. Does anyone know how to decipher the Gibson Kramer serial numbers? This system is useful in helping to date and authenticate instruments. Beginner level guitars. I have a flat top Gibson Kalamazoo. There are three separate groupings of numbers that have been identified and are used for their accuracy. Example: 3 0602 = 1953 Note: They were everywhere! The Epiphone serial number decoder currently supports 12 serial number formats from 25 factories. I beleive this guitar is old, in the 50's and 60's. For acoustic instruments, the serial number is typically located inside the sound hole at the neck joint or on a piece of paper glued inside the guitar and visible through the sound hole. 1 of 2 Go to page. The earliest Les Pauls made in 1952 may lack serial numbers. Checkout × We use cookies to understand how you use our site, give you an awesome experience, and deliver our services. Gibson serial numbers are usually on the back of the guitars headstock; either stamped, inked or as a decal. Modern numbers are 9 digits but older/vintage Gibson guitars are much shorter. 13 posts 1; 2; Next; fullspectrum Kramer Maniac Posts: 30 Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:38 pm. The first and fifth number signifies the year it was built, and the second, third, and fourth are the day of the year. This system is fairly reliable for guitars made from 1953 to 1961. Here's how: Gibsons have this pattern stamped onto the back of their headstocks: YDDDYRRR. Joe's book lists a lot of FON numbers for 1940-1945, but unfortunately doesn't largely specify exact years during this period. Today, it’s simple to use the serial number on your Gibson to date your guitar. Starting in 1953, the first number is the last number of the year. Simply checking a serial number with Gibson yields just about the same result, becuase real numbers are showing up on fakes. Platinum Supporting Member. All models, stamped in back top of peghead. Learn more about Orville and Orville by Gibson guitars here. Gibson Custom Shop Serial Numbers. If it was manufactured after 1977, the build date is included in the sequence. Another exception to the above rules is in the autumn from 1958, where a some Les Paul Juniors and Specials had a four-digit serial number. Aug 27, 2014 #1 What is the best way to check/find a custom shop guitar serial number, like a 2011 historic? The first 5 numbers remain the same, the last 3 numbers will remain the same. Serial Numbers One of the areas that causes the most confusion for new members of the Heritage Owners Club is how to decipher and understand the serial numbering system employed by the factory. Also, these cases have a pink interior satin cover that goes over the top of the guitar before closing the case. Thus, the older Gibson guitars may have a serial number and a F O N. The F O N may indicate the year, batch number, and the ranking (order of production within the batch of 40). Dating Maestro guitars "All our Serial numbers include the year of manufacture: For example guitars made in year Thailand by Gibson. Thread starter vadsy; Start date Aug 27, 2014; 1; 2; Next. Orville and Orville by Gibson Guitars (1988-1998): ... *F = Factory: G, J & K beginning the serial numbers denote that is was made by the Terada factory: the "G" ink stamp means the guitar should have Gibson USA pickups, and "J" for Japanese pickups. The first format is MYYPPPP. Guitar Dater is a just one tool you can use to see if the serial number might be valid. Gibson LG-1; Gibson LG-2; Gibson LG-3; Nick Lucas Series; SJ-299 Western Classic; SJ-300 Rosewood; Songmaker Series; Songwriter Series; Southern Jumbo; Super 200 Cutaway Custom; Electric guitars Hollowbody and Semi-Hollowbody guitars. The easiest way to find the year of a particular Gibson instrument is usually by referencing the instrument's serial number of factory order number. I have a Kalamazoo archtop serial DK-3345 but i want to. This guide, republished courtesy of Gibson.com, provides information from 1975-present, covering thousands of Gibson i Stamped in serial numbers, used from 1961 to 1969. See the Gibson Serial Number Info web page for help determining the exact year. Please note that most of this information relates to serial numbers used from 1975 to present. Our hope is to make the dating process and, in turn, the valuation as easy, accurate and transparent as possible. There are a number of distinct time periods for Gibson’s serial numbers, where the systems differed. The serial number on this Les Paul Junior indicates that it was made in 1956. Greco Gibson replicas started using serial numbers around 1975 and pre 1975 models had a Greco logo that looked like "Gneco". 1940s J-45/J-50 FON numbers by J.Spann. Gibson And Epiphone Guitars Serial Number Guide. Decoding Heritage Guitar, Inc. Thus, the older Gibson guitars may have a serial number and a F O N. The F O N may indicate the year, batch number, and the ranking (order of production within the batch of 40). Greco guitars have been made by Matsumoku, Fuji-Gen Gakki, Dyna Gakki and others as well. Note many serial numbers are duplicated from 1963-1969. The number one source of guitar and amplifier pricing and information so you can find the price and value of your used guitars and amplifier. Gibson Serial Numbers 1975-Present This Article is designed to assist in dating and/or identifying instruments manufactured or distributed by Gibson Guitar Corp. Go. Serial Numbers. But with a little bit of research you should be able to find out when your Gibson was built and in some cases where.. Gibson guitar serial numbers are, like a lot of serial number systems from guitar manufacturers, a complicated beast. Aug 27, 2014 #2 vadsy said: What is the best way to check/find … Gibson 6 string Guitar cannot find a serial number 551840. It should also have "Made in USA" underneath the serial number. Gibson Serial Numbers 1975-Present This section is designed to assist in dating and/or identifying instruments manufactured or distributed by Gibson Guitar Corp. Most of the sites I’ve checked aren’t very clear. Here's the J45 FONs listed, but not specific to any particular year (other than "1940-1945"). Maybe you have a Gibson banjo, dobro, or a Goldtone amplifier you’re not sure about. General Gibson serial number information. - Answered by a verified Tech Support Specialist Post by fullspectrum » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:06 pm First off..I did search first...lol. And are these made in the Samick Korea … Certain guitar models built in the late 1970s can be used to demonstrate the old-style 6 digit serial numbers. Gibson Kramer serial numbers. A lack of a serial number usually implies an instrument has been refinished. Gibson used 5 or 6 digit ink stamped serial numbers on Les Paul guitars from 1952 until 1960. Product Registration Customer Service Repair and Restoration Report Counterfeits Serial Number FAQ Gibson Guitar Specs (2015-2019) Dealer Resource Center; Locate A Dealer; Looking for Something Specific? For example, this Les Paul's serial number is "7_6227" so it was made in 1957. This serial number guide will help you to figure it all out. Gibson Lap Steel Serial Numbers; Gibson Electric Steel Guitars What started all this GAS business! This website possesses NO DATABASE of guitars made by manufactures, instead simple serial code patterns that are available on this site and in the wider guitar community are used. Gibson Serial Numbers, 1952 to 1961, solid body models. It is estimated that Gibson’s Kalamazoo plant continued to use the 6 digit serial numbers through 1978 and 1979. But the serial number on a Gibson can tell you when the guitar was made. The higher priced Orville by Gibson and Orville EB-3 SG Bass guitars were Yamano Gakki's and Terada's main priority in the early years and were made for the intermediate and professional player market and were therefore given serial numbers to be in step with Gibson's usual practice of using serial numbers on Gibson guitars. Ink stamped number on back top of peghead. Gibson Serial Numbers, early to mid 1970's. Gibson And Epiphone Guitars Serial Number Guide. B. K stands for Kuramae, Yamano's wholesales division. Wondering how old your Gibson or Epiphone guitar is? Gibson Serial Numbers, Feb 1961 to 1970. Later in the year, and continuing through 1961, Gibson stamped a five- or six-digit number in ink on the back of the headstock. Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Memphis From 1975-1977 the number is typically found on a decal on the back of the headstock. No "MADE IN USA" stamp below serial number!