REFERENCE TABLE
From 1947 to 1961 serial numbers that were used started with an "A" prefix.
YEAR
1947 A 1305
1948 A 2665
1949 A 4410
1950 A 6595
1951 A 9420
1952 A 12460
1953 A 17435
1954 A 18665
YEAR
1955 A 21910
1956 A 24755
1957 A 26820
1958 A 28880
1959 A 32285
1960 A 35645
1961 A 36150
The production of solid body guitars introduced
an entirely new serial number system.
Though not used on the earliest instruments produced (in 1952), few
of these instruments had 3 digits stamped on the headstock. During 1953,
instruments revealed an ink stamped serial number on the headstock using
5 or 6 digit numbers, the first indicating the year, the following numbers
indicating production numbers.
Production numbers ran in a consecutive order and, apart from a few
odd changed during 1961-1962; it is fairly accurate to use them when
identifying solid body instruments produced between 1953 and 1961.
Examples:
4 2205 = 1954 614562 = 1956
In 1961 Gibson started a new serial number system
that appeared on all their instrument models.
It consisted of numbers that were impressed into the headstock. It was
also generally known to be the most frustrating and hard to understand
system that Gibson had introduced. This was 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:
Year / From - Till
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 050000 - 054400
1967 055000 - 063999
1967 064000 - 066010
1967 067000 - 070910
1967 090000 - 099999
1963 1967 100000 - 106099
1963 106100 - 108900
1963 1967 109000 - 109999
1963 110000 - 111549
1963 1967 111550 - 115799
1963 115800 - 118299
1963 1967 118300 - 120999
1963 121000 - 139999
1963 1967 140000 - 140100
1963 140101 - 144304
1964 144305 - 144380
1963 144381 - 145000
1963 147009 - 149864
1964 149865 - 149891
1963 149892 - 152989
1964 152990 - 174222
1964 1965 174223 - 176643
1964 176644 - 199999
1964 200000 - 250335
1965 250336 - 291000
1965 301755 - 302100
1965 302754 - 305983
1965 1967 306000 - 306100
1965 1967 307000 - 307985
1965 1967 309848 - 310999
1965 311000 - 320149
1967 320150 - 320699
Year / From - Till
1965 320700 - 321100
1965 322000 - 326600
1965 328000 - 328500
1965 328700 - 329179
1965 1967 329180 - 330199
1965/7/8 330200 - 332240
1965 332241 - 347090
1965 348000 - 348092
1966 348093 - 349100
1965 349121 - 368638
1966 368640 - 369890
1967 370000 - 370999
1966 380000 - 385309
1967 390000 - 390998
1965/6/7/8 400001 - 400999
1966 401000 - 407985
1966 408000 - 408690
1966 408800 - 409250
1966 420000 - 426090
1966 427000 - 429180
1966 430005 - 438530
1966 438800 - 438925
1965/6/8/9 500000 - 500999
1965 501010 - 501600
1968 501601 - 501702
1965 1968 501703 - 502706
1968 503010 - 503110
1965 1968 503405 - 520955
1968 520956 - 530056
1966/8/9 530061 - 530850
1968 1969 530851 - 530993
1969 530994 - 539999
1966 1969 540000 - 540795
1969 540796 - 545009
1966 550000 - 556910
1969 558012 - 567400
1966 570099 - 570755
1969 580000 - 580999
1966/7/8/9 600000 - 600999
1969 601000 - 601090
1969 605901 - 606090
1966 1967 700000 - 700799
1968 1969 750000 - 750999
1966/7/8/9 800000 - 800999
1966 1969 801000 - 812838
1969 812900 - 814999
1969 817000 - 819999
1966 1969 820000 - 820087
1966 820088 - 823830
1969 824000 - 824999
1966 1969 828002 - 847488
1966 847499 - 858999
1967 859001 - 880089
1967 893401 - 895038
1968 895039 - 896999
1967 897000 - 898999
1968 899000 - 899999
1968 900000 - 902250
1968 903000 - 920899
1968 940000 - 941009
1968 942001 - 943000
1968 945000 - 945450
1968 947415 - 956000
1968 959000 - 960909
1968 970000 - 972864
From 1970-1975 serialization at Gibson was randomized.
Serial numbers were stamped into the wood indicating a six digit number.
No particular order was given and some instruments serial numbers where
preceeded with a letter prefix. The orange labels inside the hollow
bodied instruments were discontinued in 1970 and replaced by white and
orange rectangle labels on acoustics, and a small black, purple and
white rectangle label on electric models.
In 1970, the words "MADE IN USA" was stamped into the back
of the headstocks (note some instruments from the 1950's also had the
"MADE IN USA" stamped into their headstocks as well.).
Year(s) Approximate serial numbers
1970, 1971, and 1972 100000s, 600000s, 700000s, 900000s
1973 000001s, 100000s, 200000s, 800000s and a few "A" + 6
digit numbers
1974 and 1975 100000s, 200000s, 300000s, 400000s,500000s, 600000s, 800000s
and a few A-B-C-D-E-F + 6 digit numbers.
From 1975-1977 Gibson serial numbers where printed
on a transfer that had eight digit numbers
The first two indicate the year, 99=1975, 00=1976 and 06=1977,
the following six digits are in the 100000 to 200000 range.
MADE IN USA was also included on the transfer.
In 1977, Gibson started using a serialization method that is in practice
today. This utilizes an impressed eight digit numbering scheme that
covers both serializing and dating functions.
The pattern is as follows:
YDDDYPPP
YY is the production year
DDD is the day of the year
PPP is the plant designation and/or instrument rank.
The numbers 001-499 show Kalamazoo production, 500-999 show Nashville
production. The Kalamazoo numbers were discontinued in 1984.
Examples:
70108276 means the instrument was produced on Jan.10, 1978, in Kalamazoo
and was the 276th instrument stamped that day.
82765501 means the instrument was produced on Oct. 3, 1985, in Nashville
and was the 1st instrument stamped that day.
However, it has come to light recently that the Kalamazoo plant did
not directly switch over to the "new" 8 digit serialization
method in 1977.
