Beginning in July 2005, Gibson USA moves to a 9-digit number, with the 6th digit now being a batch number. Batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number changes to 1. The new format is as follows: ... These serial numbers do not indicate a specific day ...

Enter Serial Number eg. 81232560 Extended Search For all Gibson guitars made prior to 1977 and reisues

How to read ink stamp serial numbers with 5 or 6 digits: if a 1950s guitar, the first digit will indicate the last digit of the year it was made (9 = 1959). Exceptions: Gibson used a space between the prefix and consecutive number until the ...

From 1977 to 2013 Gibson have used an eight or nine digit serial number on all of their guitars that can be easily decoded to show the exact day that the guitar was manufactured along with the location of the Gibson factory. From 2014 onwards Gibson changed the serial number format to a simplified nine digit number which can still be used to find the year of manufacture.

To date your Gibson guitar: Check the serial number on the back of the headstock (solid bodies) or inside the f-hole label (hollow bodies). Most Gibson serial numbers follow patterns based on production era: ink stamps (1952-1961), impressed 6-digits (1961-1969), "Made in USA" stamps (1970-1975), ...

Gibson introduced the serial numbering method that is currently used in 1977 for Gibson USA, Gibson Custom and Gibson Acoustic. Instruments have an 8-digit serial number impressed on the back of the headstock along with “MADE IN USA”. The ...

If you are wondering "How do I find out what year my Gibson guitar was made?", simply reference your serial number or factory order number (FON) using the dating guide below. Gibson has produced many types of instruments, and used many different versions of guitar serialization over the years.

September 21, 2023 - Use this simple Gibson serial number lookup guide to decode your Gibson's year of manufacture and find out when your Gibson was made.

It is also generally known to be the most frustrating and hard to understand system that Gibson has employed. The numbers were used between the years 1961-1969. There are several instances where batches of numbers are switched in order, duplicated, not just once, but up to four times, and seem to be randomly assigned, throughout the decade. In general though, the numbers are approximately as follows: APPROXIMATE YEAR SERIAL RANGE 1961 100-42440 1962 42441-61180 1963 61450-64220 1964 64240-70500 1962 71180-96600 1963 96601-99999 1967 000001-008010 1967 010000-042900 1967 044000-044100 1967 0500

May 22, 2010 - looking at a gibson sg 3 with serial number 034570471... how can i quickly find out if its a real gibson, i have to look at it today.. he wants 1000.00 for it , its the hertiage red model....thanks

In this article, we hope to clear up some of the mystery behind Gibson's serial number systems and show you how to find the serial number to get a reasonably accurate idea of your Gibson guitar's birthday.

August 23, 2024 - ... Not all Gibsons have serial numbers, some only have FONs like mentioned above, but if it does have a serial number, you will find it on the back of the headstock, or on an orange or white label inside the guitar.

Gibson Vintage Model Info Pages: Acoustic Archtop Model Information Electric Archtop Model Information Electric Thinline Archtop Model Information Solidbody Model Information Flat top Model Information Gibson Lapsteel Model Information Electric Bass Model Informations Mandolin, Mandola, Mandocello ...

So Gibson re-used serial numbers. If you read through the charts for a hypothetical number, say 123456 - we see that it was shipped in 1963, 1970-72, and again in 74-75. Not an ideal situation, but many of the Guitars we see listed for sale as 1960s instruments, are actually newer.

December 13, 2023 - Instruments will generally have one or both of these numbers stamped or written either inside the body (generally the case on earlier models) or on the back of the headstock. FONs were Gibson’s way of internally tracking batches of instruments ...

Format: Y XXXX Y = the last digit of the year (3 = 1953, 4 = 1954, … 0 = 1960) XXXX = production/batch number (not strictly a continuous global counter) Important: for Burst-era Les Pauls the Y XXXX stamp is only one piece of the dating puzzle — check finish, PAF appearance, pickup rings, headstock veneers and pot codes for confirmation. Gibson reused blocks heavily during this era; always use body features and pot codes to refine the estimate. Many blocks were reused or reassigned. Overlap is common and expected — treat serials in this era as candidates rather than definitive dates.

Examples - 9 xxx = 1989 (4 digit ... year, many instruments have a serial number that begins with "94" for the year, with the remaining 6 digits indicating the ranking number....

September 12, 2025 - You can find Gibson serial number on the back of the headstock or inside the sound hole on acoustic guitars. The serial number can help you check the production date, and the factory where your instrument was made.

The second character of the serial number denotes the type of appliance. Refer to public code charts for a full breakdown. The third character correlates to the last digit of the manufacturing year. The decade is not included which makes it difficult to fully determine the age. The fourth and fifth characters of a GIBSON serial number contain the week of manufacture.