old guy

You're right, on closer inspection it looks to be a 61 reissue.

2005 SG standard.

The goldtop looks to be a Les Paul Studio 60's tribute. The bass is a EB3

That finish filled serial number is one of the way everyone verifies a Gibson is real. It is almost more important than the serial itself because counterfeiters use real serial numbers but they stamp them after they finish a fake guitar. Here is a suggestion. Stop sanding and get a black light, and see if it is visible under a black light in a dark room then and write it down. also try doing a pencil and paper rubbing.

yes, you are correct. I'm not sure what I was thinking. It is basically the same thing though but probably better quality.

Looks like a 98 Studio 50's Tribute to me.

Not on a 2017, from 2014-2019 it would be the first and second digit for the year.

not real

That looks like a Epiphone headstock when you zoom in. That is not a Gibson.

There is a group on Facebook called Gibson Flying V Owners, post this question there and you will have an answer in about a minute. https://www.facebook.com/groups/646675042140535

It's real. looks like maybe it was refretted or it was a year that they did fret over binding. But it is real.

Post some pictures, that is the only way to tell because counterfeits utilize real serial numbers. With that being said, some years did not have the "Made in USA" but I am not sure off hand of those exact years. Pictures however I could tell if it were real or not.

OK, your guitar is not a 2022. It is a 2020. The first and fifth number signify the year. The second through fourth signify the day of the year it was made. 2 and 0 = 2020 265= September 22 For a few years 2014- the middle of 2019, the first and second digits represented the year. But when the New managment got the new production lines in full swing they went back to the old format. The daters you are using are not up to date.

You need to post some photos. Usually Gibson has 2 screws in the truss rod cover. Look at the bridge post, there should not be flat screw driver slots in them. If it it has them, than that is a Chinese bridge and a fake Gibson. Take the truss rod cover off and look at the truss rod nut, it should be a hex head, if it takes an Allen Wrench, then it is fake.

Everything Diskotekno said, plus the diamond inlay on the head stock is too small, the logo is too high. the stop tail is too low, the metric bridge is too far away from the pick ups, the nob locations are off, no nibs on the fret ends, the finger board should be ebony (all though some years they changed it) the pickup rings are too wide. If you pull the pick ups, there should be writing in them. The control cavity should not be painted inside. I could just keep going on for ever. The pick-guard is way wrong. look at how the inlays on the neck are not centered between the frets. The store, if they know anything about guitars should have spotted all of this right off.