need some help with a FON#

[jannusguy]

i'm trying to accurately date a 1954 SJ. the guitar has a small pick guard and 19 frets. all consistent with a '54. attached is a pic of the FON on the neck block. could be an "x" could be a "z" preceding batch numbers. if it's "z" it's a '52. any opinions?

[/img]jannusguy.86683@uploads.photobucket.com

[jannusguy]

let's try this again

[/img]jannusguy.86683@uploads.photobucket.com

 

 

oh well, maybe someone can paste this into their browser and have a look. i'd appreciate any help.

 

thx, rob

[jannusguy]

http://s207.photobucket.com/albums/bb253/jannusguy/?action=view&current=DSC01407.jpg

 

here's another link.

 

thx

[Thermionik]

If you hadn't given me the choice, I'd have said Z.....

 

But there are two problems.

(1) from that angle, the bottom-left to top-right diagonal is 'end-on' and wide.

(2) the grain takes the ink of all the serif blobs and confuses the issue.

 

No answer, sorry - but now I couldn't call it either way, Z or X

 

Gibson experts say the FON went on any time during manufacture - whereas the Serial was applied at the end of the manufacturing process and maybe 6 months later, so a one year difference is quite common.

 

Z for 1952, X for 1954 (as you know.....)

So does the serial help nail it:

Serials A9421-A12460 for 1952

Serials A12461-A17435 for 1953

Serials A17436-A18665 for 1954

Serials A18666-A21910 for 1955

[jannusguy]

thanks nik, not sure if there is a serial number as i haven't had the guitar in hand. my '54 j45 has no serial # just a FON. rather confusing.

[gearbasher]

I would say "Z".

[Thermionik]

Oh lordy, I am a sad person....., well bored rather than sad, sitting waiting for an e-mail.

 

So - saddo that i am, I took your image, cut out the number against the wood alone and tweaked the color data.

Edge Preserving Smoothing suggests more ink in a Z patternt than an X pattern.

Salt & Pepper Filtering attacks the tails of a Z rather than those of an X.

Edge Dilate is inconclusive, though Z looks better in a straight comparison.

Edge Find looks marginally more Z than X.

Contour Tracing suggests more ink across the top/bottom than up the sides, or a Z.

Stripping out colour information in favour of 'ink color' over 'wood color' says it's a Z.

 

Zoom in on it, and look closely:

Z - is filled top and bottom, not filled left and right.

X - is not filled top and bottom, not filled left and right.

(oh - and this applies with or without serifs)

 

I would be prepared to wager it is a Z and NOT an X on the evidence so far.....

[jannusguy]

well, opinions are running 50/50 between nik and some off forum advice i've sought. g. gruhn has agreed to take a look at it. t'will be interesting to see where he comes down on it. thanks nik. i appreciate it.

 

EDIT: george thinks it's z but says it could be an x. back to square one. oh well.

 

rob

[jt]

I cropped and adjusted the pic. Looks like an X to me:

 

[Johnt]

Oh lordy' date=' I am a sad person....., well bored rather than sad, sitting waiting for an e-mail.

 

So - saddo that i am, I took your image, cut out the number against the wood alone and tweaked the color data.

[i']Edge Preserving Smoothing[/i] suggests more ink in a Z patternt than an X pattern.

Salt & Pepper Filtering attacks the tails of a Z rather than those of an X.

Edge Dilate is inconclusive, though Z looks better in a straight comparison.

Edge Find looks marginally more Z than X.

Contour Tracing suggests more ink across the top/bottom than up the sides, or a Z.

Stripping out colour information in favour of 'ink color' over 'wood color' says it's a Z.

 

Zoom in on it, and look closely:

Z - is filled top and bottom, not filled left and right.

X - is not filled top and bottom, not filled left and right.

(oh - and this applies with or without serifs)

 

I would be prepared to wager it is a Z and NOT an X on the evidence so far.....

 

Thinking you might need a large dose of "Sherry" at this moment!

 

Love to both!

[Thermionik]

ebay related email came through, all good.

 

Been hammering the be'jasus out of the blonde on blonde for a while (pup adjusting, heh heh heh).

 

See you Saturday Johnt.....