how to tell if guitar is a second

[bongofury]

I plan on buying a new leftover sg standard . and

didn't trust the sales people so much. they where eyeing each other

back and forth.there is a few swirls and light scratch marks

I asked them to reduce it they said they did already.

one sales person said possible a B guitar . then asked other guy he said

no new. so I made them transfer it to my local branch where I know the guys.

they tried to talk me out of doing the transfer but i made them . will the serial number tell me if a B guitar

if I call gibson with the number? the guys at my branch will be more honest once it gets there.

thanks

bongo

[surfpup]

My first Les Paul was a second (1978) it had "Second" stamped into the backside of the headstock under the serial number. However, I don't think Gibson sells their seconds anymore. I believe they destroy them.

[brc]

Not sure about the newer model Gibsons, but manuf. like Epiphone stamp the head stock "second" and also black out the serial number on the Epiphone label.

If I remember right Gibson at one time identified their "seconds" within the guitars serial numbers.

Then I heard from quite a few people (mostly dealers I know) that Gibson stopped selling their seconds.

Not sure you would get any information from Gibson but it might be worth a phone call to them and we if they could help you.

I would like to know the answer to that question myself, to see if they are still selling seconds, and if so how to identify them.

[bongofury]

thanks for the help. the sales person threw me off by saying it might

be a B guitar . i haven't heard that before. but I did buy a second

years ago at the same shop. but they told me it was a second

I don't recall any special markings though. I had it transfered

to a another branch that I trust ,they will find out.

thanks

will let you know

bongo

[BigKahune]

My first Les Paul was a second (1978) it had "Second" stamped into the backside of the headstock under the serial number. However, I don't think Gibson sells their seconds anymore. I believe they destroy them.

 

Yep. . AFAIK Gibson does not sell their seconds anymore - they destroy them. In the past, at one time or another, four different stamps were used: "2" (second), "CULL" (second), "BGN" (bargin, stamped vertically with the "B" on top, the "G" underneath and the "N" under the "G"; only sold to employees at substantial discounts), and "USED". These are no longer in use. Gibson does not "refurbish" their rejects, sell them to refurbishers like M.I.R.C., or sell them to the public.

 

Epiphone guitars marked "USED", as well as others, have gone to a refurbishing center to correct factory flaws. M.I.R.C guitars, standing for Musical Instrument Reclamation Corporation of Franklin Tennessee, ( MIRCWEB.com ) is an example of one of these refurbishers. The company purchases instruments from major manufacturers and wholesale distributors, with the majority of their inventory purchases being "less than first quality" guitars. MIRC has a good quality repair operation that reconditions the instruments, brings them back up to MIRC quality standards, and then in turn re-sells to dealers only as MIRC USED reconditioned guitars, they do not sell to the public. MIRC guitars are stamped "USED", and they've been the subject of complaints on fleaBay.

 

 

.