Dating Gibson Guitars

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The Memphis facility is used for semi-hollow and custom shop instruments, while the Bozeman facility is dedicated to acoustic instruments. Note during this period there where three different manufacturers making cases for Gibson, all with the same basic specs, but slightly different shapes Lifton, Geib, Stone.

Unfortunately, the numbers were in no particular order. The format consists of a three or four digit number, a hyphen, then a one or two digit batch number. This new serial number system allows determination of the exact date the instrument was stamped with the serial number, and the factory of manufacturer.

How to Determine the Age of a Gibson J-45 - Note that all staining was done with water based aniline dyes directly on the wood.

The age of a Gibson guitar, along with the physical condition and relative rarity, are the major factors in determining its value. While physical condition can be assessed with a careful inspection, rarity and date of manufacture are not always easy to determine. But the serial number on a Gibson can tell you when the guitar was made. With that information, you can determine its rarity and, ultimately, its worth. Locate the serial number on your Gibson. 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. On electric guitars, the serial number is generally printed on the back of the headstock. Decipher your serial number if it's eight digits. Since 1977, Gibson has used the following method: The first and fifth numbers indicate the last two digits of the year the instrument was produced, the second through fourth digits tell the day of the year it was produced and the last three digits indicate the production rank. For example, the serial number 81449243 means the guitar was the 243rd instrument made on the 144th day of 1989. Use the Blue Book of Electric Guitars, available for free at Gibson's website, to date your instrument if it has a different type of serial number. Over the years, Gibson has gone through several different serial-number changes, sometimes resulting in multiple guitars with the same number. The book, which lists all the company's historical serial number schemes, is an invaluable resource when dating vintage Gibson guitars. If you're still having trouble accurately dating your Gibson, take pictures of the guitar, including the serial number, and upload them to the customer service section on the company's website. In most cases, they'll help you date your instrument.

Gibson 2018 SJ-200 Standard Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Non-cutaway post-war models are interesting but not very collectible. I am pretty sure the original owner received it between 1950 and 1970, but that is as narrow as i can get at this point. The Kalamazoo plant kept going for a few years as a custom-instrument shop, but was closed in 1984; several Gibson employees led by plant manager Jim Duerloo established in the old factory, building versions of classic Gibson designs. This is not the most desirable of the Les Paul brown cases, as it has a flat top and four latches typically this style of brown case was sold with Les Paul Specials and Juniors. If this is the case, start at the beginning and first determine what type of guitar you have. Bozeman instruments began using 001-299 designations and, in 1990, Nashville instruments began using 300-999 designations. Gibson opened their Memphis facility 18 years ago, which currently occupies just a portion of a massive 127,620 square foot complex. Examples are as follows: 722 A 23 465 D 58 863 E 02. It really looks like a B-25 but i think it could be older. The inside of these cases are also usually a deep maroon. However, while the intent was to maintain a more organized catalog, this system in practice achieved the exact opposite.