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JimR56

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  1. Definitely not common, but it may be the original finish. Some guitars were custom-ordered in special colors. The "candy apple" shade of red on Gibsons was known as "Sparkling Burgundy". If you do an online search for "vintage Gibson sparkling burgundy", you will see numerous examples. There were also some models (including the Byrdland) which were not generally available in the more standard Gibson "cherry red" color, but were sometimes custom-ordered in that color also. On high end (expensive; hand carved) guitars like the Byrdland, L5, Super 400, etc, these custom-color examples are all the more rare, because fewer of the high end guitars were produced in general. Please post more info (and hopefully some photos) of your Byrdland! 🙏 🙂
  2. If you're inquiring about the year of manufacture, it's either 1963 or 1967. If you can provide photos, we can probably tell you which year. From http://www.guitarhq.com/gibson.html#serial : Gibson Serial Numbers, Feb 1961 to 1970. All models, stamped in back top of peghead. No "MADE IN USA" stamp below serial number! Note many serial numbers are duplicated from 1963-1969. In these cases, to figure out which is the exact year for a guitar, see the General Specs section for more details. ALSO note: It is easy to confuse 5 digit and 6 digit serial numbers from this era, and hence get the wrong year for a guitar. That is, 55555 is not the same number as 555555 (but when reading the number off the back of a Gibson peghead, these two numbers do look very similar!) Range Year ----- ---- 0100 to 42440 1961 42441 to 61180 1962 61450 to 64222 1963 64240 to 71040 1964 71041 to 96600 1962, a few from 1963/1964 96601 to 99999 1963 000001 to 099999 1967 (all 6 digit numbers starting with "0" are 1967) 100000 to 106099 1963 or 1967
  3. There are knowledgeable people here who can tell you more about your guitar, but we're going to need more than just the Factory Order Number (the number you've provided is a FON, not a serial number). These numbers alone can not indicate what Gibson model you have. If you can post some photos, that would be ideal, if not, you'll need to describe the guitar in some detail. More info on serial numbers and FON's here: Gibson serial numbers / Guitarhq.com
  4. Been awhile since I tried to share a photo on this site. 9.4 kb max image size ?!? So instead I tried linking to the image where I shared it on another site, and... no dice. And I can't even edit a post I just made? Oh well...
  5. I'd like to see slimt's too. I never owned a 150, but I did own a 250N (1940): [IMG]https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?attachments/40-es250n-w-zenith-jpg.718642/[/IMG]
  6. What you're describing sounds like a custom order (two pickups, stereo/varitone, Pelham blue). To some, that would create a premium value over a standard model; and to others it would be less appealing and less valuable than a standard model. So, value is somewhat subjective. Condition is as well, of course. I would look for comps on Reverb.com and also perhaps show some photos to some shops who deal in vintage Gibson solidbodies.
  7. 25 19/32" = 25.5 + .09375" So, your measurement is less than one tenth of an inch off from the standard scale length for an L5. L5's generally have floating bridges, which may help to explain (by virtue of human error in positioning the bridge) any such minor discrepancy. Some L5's will also have bridges with adjustable saddles, making it easier to account for variances (whether accidental or intentional, based on circumstances in getting a specific guitar to play in tune). Also, you mention Gibson's other standard scale of 24 3/4 as though it might be relevant to the topic of your L5 scales being "off". Actually, I don't see that as relevant at all, especially considering the fact that your L5 scale measurements are over 25.5, not under. Basically, I don't think there's anything too odd or unusual going on here, and if you're able to keep the guitars in tune, there's nothing to be concerned about.
  8. Very interesting topic! I have been a jazz guitar enthusiast for many many years, and I've read about and collected the recordings of hundreds of players. Although Staton's name vaguely rings a bell, I don't think that I ever heard any of his recordings. At any rate, I don't think there's much if any doubt that your dad's guitar was previously owned by Staton. There is also the finger wear around the bass side of the pickup, where Staton must have played it with the pickguard in its current position, thus causing wear to the finish. ES-150s are somewhat iconic, and the Charlie Christian pickup is as well. I'm not seeing any notch in the "blade" of the pickup, suggesting that it is indeed early (you can do more research to learn when the notch was introduced, but it was in the early part of production. I once owned an ES-250, which was a slightly fancier and larger model. 150's were produced in much greater numbers than the 250, but they still have collector value. The Staton history probably won't add a great deal of value, to be completely honest. The condition of the guitar is a much bigger factor on the market value. I did try a web search on Staton, and came across this 1989 obituary, for whatever it might be worth (potential family contacts, for one thing)... DELL STATON, CLASSICAL JAZZ GUITARIST By PUBLISHED: July 4, 1989 at 4:00 a.m. | UPDATED: September 25, 2021 at 10:52 p.m. Dell Staton, the classical jazz musician known in South Florida as “The Guitar Man,” died at the Kendall AMI Hospital in south Dade County on Sunday. He was 69. The Hollywood resident was taken to the hospital after collapsing at 11 p.m. during a performance at the Miami Repertory Theatre at Apple City. A daughter, Donna Staton of Hollywood, said Mr. Staton had suffered a heart attack. Mr. Staton played at numerous clubs, weddings and conventions since moving to South Florida in 1950. He also taught classical guitar privately and to hundreds of students at Broward Community College and Miami-Dade Community College. Mr. Staton was born in Oak Hill, W. Va., and began to study the guitar when he was 6. He was largely self-taught, his daughter said. He studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory. During World War II, Mr. Staton served in Europe with the Army Infantry. After his discharge, he returned to the conservatory — this time to teach. Mr. Staton played on the old Arthur Godfrey and Ed Sullivan TV shows, was music director for the Benihana restaurant chain for six years, scored several movies and recorded several albums, including Your Place or Mine?, which was nominated for a Grammy award in 1982. “The Staton style is in a class by itself,” a critic wrote of a performance in 1986. “As soon as Dell picks up a guitar it ceases to be a separate instrument and becomes a part of him, a tangible expression of thought and mood that weaves a hypnotic spell.” He was described as a “guitarist’s guitarist” and his 6-foot-3 size belied the gentleness and passion that he displayed during his many solo performances. “The guitar looked like a toy in his hands,” recalled Alan Kole, a friend and president of the Miami Federation of Musicians Local 655. “But he was a great player, just tremendous. He (always) had the attitude of a young man, too. Everyone in this profession knew him … throughout the country.” In addition to Donna, Mr. Staton is survived by his wife, Terry; two sons, Dell Jr. of Columbia, S.C., and James of Hollywood; four other daughters, Judith of Albuquerque, N.M., Laura Hanna and Linda Walsh, both of Hollywood, and Jill Petty, of Miramar; a sister, Ellen Draheim of Lady Lake; and eight grandchildren.
  9. What a treasure that L7 is. Thanks for the added images. I've always loved that slanted script "Gibson" logo of the late 1940's, and the personalized/engraved truss rod cover (which are uncommon but not extremely rare on vintage Gibsons) is also an eye-catcher. These truss rod covers were manufactured by the "Mono-Plak" company of Oswego, IL, and could be ordered in different finishes and of course with custom engraving.
  10. Your other guitar (perhaps an L50), has a factory order number that suggests 1950: Gibson Factory Order Numbers, 1942 to 1951. Serial numbers are seldon found on instruments made during WW2. But most (not all) have Factory Order Numbers (FON). These contain a four digit batch number stamped in ink, followed by a two digit sequence number written in red pencil (during WW2 only). After the war, the red pencil wasn't used (and on instruments made during the war, sometimes it's really hard to see the red penciled sequence number). Usually there is no more than 46 instruments (sequence numbers) per batch. Also no batch number with a "1" as the first digit was used during WW2. The FON is usually located on the neck block. The war-time list that follows is not definative but includes FONs that I have seen. Unfortunately I don't have every range of FON's during this period. Year Factory Order Number ---- -------------------- 1941 G (letter code sometimes seen after FON, i.e. 2586G). 1942 907, 910, 923, 2004, 2005, 7000ish (i.e. 7119) - all 'Banner' logo. 1942 H (letter code sometimes seen after FON, i.e. 7116H). Range 5xxxH to 8xxxH 1943 Range generally 9xx to 22xx, depending on the model. 1944 Range generally 22xx to 29XX, depending on the model, some with no FON. 1945 1xx to 10xx, but many with no FON. 1946 n/a ('Banner' logo no longer used, now script logo with no banner). 1947 700s to 1000s 1948 1100s to 3700s ('Script' logo no longer used, block logo used.) 1949 2000s 1950 3000s to 5000s 1951 6000s to 9000s
  11. Your L7 would appear to have a serial number (not a factory order number) that dates to 1946: Gibson Non-Hyphen Serial Numbers, 1902 to 1947. Series starts with 1000. Note the format of these serial numbers has NO HYPHEN and NO LETTERS. For a number list with a hyphen and/or a letter, see the previous section under Factory Order Numbers. Year Last Number ---- ----------- 1931 90450 1932 90700 1933 91400 1934 92300 1935 92800 1936 94100 1937 95200 1938 95750 1939 96050 1940 96600 1941 97400 1942 97700 1943 97850 1944 98250 1945 98650 1946 99300 1947 99999 (April 28, 1947)
  12. There is some extensive discussion here about cleaning options: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/major-problem-cleaning-a-67-trini-lopez.2502914/
  13. Vintage 355's should always have the yellowed tone split diamond, unless the original lacquer has been removed. This sometimes happens, because when it begins to crackle and chip off, some owners will remove all of it for a more uniform (completely un-yellowed) appearance. I suppose there may have been slight variations in the color qualities of "clear" lacquer that was used over the years; and of course the aging lacquer on different guitars can vary in color due to environmental factors such as the amount of exposure to heat, cold, direct sunlight, and cigarette smoke. But back in the day, I don't think that there were different colors of lacquer chosen according to a guitar's body color. As far as newer guitars, and what to expect from custom builds, I honestly have no idea what is being done in terms of things like artificial aging, etc. That's a good question to ask of someone associated with or very familiar with the custom shop.
  14. Looks like a factory order number (four digit batch number followed by a space, and then a sequence number, which is normally two digits). Anyway, the 6000 series of factory order numbers dates to 1951. http://www.guitarhq.com/gibson.html#serial
  15. 1967. I always recommend saving/bookmarking this webpage and the associated pages of Gibson (and other brands) information: http://www.guitarhq.com/gibson.html#serial
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