dizzylizzy Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks for reading. I always thought my LGO was a 1960, but I cannot find how to date it according to the serial number, which seems to be a digit short. The serial number is 16560. It does not have a plastic bridge so that would make it pre 1964? I believe. Any help would be appreciated, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Based on the serial number, it's a 1964. A '64 should have the plastic bridge but it may have been replaced. They went back to rosewood in 1966. Hard to say what's taken place in the past. Since the plastic bridges were held on with 4 screws (bolts?) it wouldn't leave a trace when removed and the "new" bridge would lead you to believe it was original. Remember too, they changed the neck width and headstock angle in '65 so that's always a good way to narrow it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I'm showing it, based solely on the serial number, as a '61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 You're right. I looked too quickly and thought there were six digits in the serial number. That would make it a 1964. It does indicate 1961 like you said. And they didn't go to the plastic bridge until 1962 so it all makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dizzylizzy Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kayti Sullivan Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 I just acquires a spruce top rosewood bridge Gibson LG, and the website that tracks serial numbers says they can't find this one. It is A005229, does anyone have an idea of the year? I was thinking the 60's sometime.... thanks if you respond.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, Kayti Sullivan said: I just acquires a spruce top rosewood bridge Gibson LG, and the website that tracks serial numbers says they can't find this one. It is A005229, does anyone have an idea of the year? I was thinking the 60's sometime.... thanks if you respond.... An "A" prefix with six digits indicates a build date of 1973 to 1975. While it could possibly be an LG-1, if it is X braced it is a B25. Edited September 5, 2019 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 On 2/19/2008 at 8:44 AM, ksdaddy said: A '64 should have the plastic bridge but it may have been replaced. They went back to rosewood in 1966. Actually, the bridges were still plastic in 1966. The change back to rosewood occurred in 1967. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cLynch Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 I have an old Gibson just given to me from my Grandfather when he died and wondered the year. No stickers, no other markings other than Gibson and the 6 digit serial number with no letters before or after. 365561 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 24 minutes ago, cLynch said: I have an old Gibson just given to me from my Grandfather when he died and wondered the year. No stickers, no other markings other than Gibson and the 6 digit serial number with no letters before or after. 365561 Need pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cLynch Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave F Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) looks like an LG -0 , s/n says '61 or '65, the 1 at the end looks out of place. The bridge looks plastic (maybe it's not) which would be '62 or later so my guess is a '65 From website 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 106100 to 106899 1963 109000 to 109999 1963 or 1967 110000 to 111549 1963 111550 to 115799 1963 or 1967 115800 to 118299 1963 118300 to 120999 1963 or 1967 121000 to 139999 1963 140000 to 140100 1963 or 1967 348093 to 349100 1966 349121 to 368638 1965 368640 to 369890 1966 370000 to 370999 1967 380000 to 385309 1966 1958 LG-0 introduction specs: 14 1/8" wide Mahogany top, mahogany back and sides, straight ladder bracing, black bridge pins, screw-on black pickguard, tortoise binding on top and back, 3 on-a-plate tuners, rectangle rosewood bridge, rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets total, 3-on-a-plate tuners, natural finish. Bridge pad was spruce, which unfortunately would wear out from the string's ball-ends. In 1962 plastic bridge used. $85 list price. In 1963 an injection molded styrene pickguard was used. In 1966 rosewood bridge with adjustable saddle was used. In 1968 spruce top on some models. In 1974 discontinued. Edited January 3, 2021 by Dave F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cLynch Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 1 hour ago, Dave F said: looks like an LG -0 , s/n says '61 or '65, the 1 at the end looks out of place. The bridge looks plastic (maybe it's not) which would be '62 or later so my guess is a '65 From website 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 106100 to 106899 1963 109000 to 109999 1963 or 1967 110000 to 111549 1963 111550 to 115799 1963 or 1967 115800 to 118299 1963 118300 to 120999 1963 or 1967 121000 to 139999 1963 140000 to 140100 1963 or 1967 348093 to 349100 1966 349121 to 368638 1965 368640 to 369890 1966 370000 to 370999 1967 380000 to 385309 1966 1958 LG-0 introduction specs: 14 1/8" wide Mahogany top, mahogany back and sides, straight ladder bracing, black bridge pins, screw-on black pickguard, tortoise binding on top and back, 3 on-a-plate tuners, rectangle rosewood bridge, rosewood fingerboard, 20 frets total, 3-on-a-plate tuners, natural finish. Bridge pad was spruce, which unfortunately would wear out from the string's ball-ends. In 1962 plastic bridge used. $85 list price. In 1963 an injection molded styrene pickguard was used. In 1966 rosewood bridge with adjustable saddle was used. In 1968 spruce top on some models. In 1974 discontinued. ok awesome thanks a ton for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 1965. The last digit 1 is just a mechanical misalignment of one of the wheels of the stamping device. Tuners look to have been replaced. It looks like a plastic bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, j45nick said: Tuners look to have been replaced. It looks like a plastic bridge. Those are stock tuners on an LG-0 of that era. Made in Japan. I removed them from my 1965 when I got it about 13 years ago. StewMac's Golden Age Restoration Tuners (either three-on-a-plate version) will fit the holes and spacing, but need new screw holes. Their Vintage-style (closed back, white button Kluson-style) will also fit and are a perfect match for my 1964 Epiphone Cortez. Edited January 3, 2021 by pohatu771 Called my guitar by the wrong name Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 23 minutes ago, pohatu771 said: Those are stock tuners on an LG-0 of that era. Made in Japan. I removed them from my 1965 when I got it about 13 years ago. StewMac's Golden Age Restoration Tuners (either three-on-a-plate version) will fit the holes and spacing, but need new screw holes. Their Vintage-style (closed back, white button Kluson-style) will also fit and are a perfect match for my 1964 Epiphone Caballero. Thanks for the clarification on the tuners. Did your '65 also have the screw-on pickguard, like this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 (edited) 29 minutes ago, j45nick said: Thanks for the clarification on the tuners. Did your '65 also have the screw-on pickguard, like this one? Yes, my LG-0 has a screwed on pickguard. I believe they switched to that in 1963 and kept it through the rest of the (official) LG-0's production. (It was officially discontinued in 1968, but a few were made as late as 1974 with regular adhesive pickguards.) The B-15 that replaced it had the same pickguard for a while and then switched back to a traditional style. The Epiphone Caballero (introduced in 1964 but produced beginning the end of 1963) has the same pickguard with the addition of a foil Epiphone logo. [I mis-typed earlier; I own an Epiphone Cortez, not Caballero] Edited January 3, 2021 by pohatu771 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 3, 2021 Share Posted January 3, 2021 57 minutes ago, pohatu771 said: Yes, my LG-0 has a screwed on pickguard. I believe they switched to that in 1963 and kept it through the rest of the (official) LG-0's production. (It was officially discontinued in 1968, but a few were made as late as 1974 with regular adhesive pickguards.) The B-15 that replaced it had the same pickguard for a while and then switched back to a traditional style. The Epiphone Caballero (introduced in 1964 but produced beginning the end of 1963) has the same pickguard with the addition of a foil Epiphone logo. [I mis-typed earlier; I own an Epiphone Cortez, not Caballero] The LG-0 had a screwed on pickguard from the first year of manufacture in 1958 on. Gibson did change the shape of the pickguard somewhere along the way though. The Caballero was also first introduced in 1958 as was the Cortez (although I never run across a Cortez older than 1959). These early versions had the metal bikini logo and often the old style Epi metal TRC which may well have been leftover parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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