PeterG Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Hi there,<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);"><br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);">my name is Peter, I'm a new member from the Vancouver area in BC.<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);"><br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);">I recently started playing again after many years and one of the first things I did was to have an old Gibson acoustic restored. My Father bought it in a music store called Ward's 1957 when we first immigrated to Canada. I am pretty sure that it's an LG, but don't know much beyond that. I thought the serial number would be on the headstock, but can't find anything there. There is a stamp inside the body that says 'LG-1', but that's all I can find. I had the pegs and a few frets replaced and a couple of body cracks repaired, but I still have the original pegs which I've included a picture of.<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);"><br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);">Any suggestions would be appreciated.<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);"><br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);">Thanks,<br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);"><br style="color: rgb(28, 40, 55); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; background-color: rgb(250, 251, 252);">Peter
jedzep Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 While there is a possibility your guitar received no identifying numbers, it probably was written on a label that fell off the inside back at some point. Probably not, but there may be a faint stamp up inside where the neck ends ( neck block ), as well. You may have to be content just knowing the era.
PeterG Posted January 5, 2016 Author Posted January 5, 2016 Thanks Jed, I'll take off the plate and have a look for the stamp. I think it was used when he bought it, so it could be from the early 50s.
j45nick Posted January 5, 2016 Posted January 5, 2016 Thanks Jed, I'll take off the plate and have a look for the stamp. I think it was used when he bought it, so it could be from the early 50s. Look at the other end of the neck, inside the soundhole. The neck block is the chunk of mahogany inside the body, where the neck joins the body. Just take a small flashlight and point it through the soundhole, towards the neck. Look carefully, as the numbers have sometimes faded to the point of invisibility. They would be ink-stamped on the face of the neckblock, clearly visible through the soundhole. This guitar would not have had a paper label inside. In the period this guitar was made, that was reserved for higher-end instruments. With that pickguard and a 20-fret neck, this guitar is post-1954, but pre-1962. If it has an ink-stamped number, we can probably pin it down closely. Otherwise, it is probably best described as late-1950's. If you are certain it was purchased in 1957, it would probably be a 1955-1957 guitar.
PeterG Posted January 6, 2016 Author Posted January 6, 2016 Thanks Nick. It's there, but hard to make out. It looks like 'U 9373 32', but the 7 could be a Z. Does that sound like the right kind of number range? I'll see if I can get my telephoto camera and take a close up and will post it if it comes out. BTW, I am more than certain it was purchased in 1957, my Mother never let my Dad forget that it was the first thing he bought when we got off the boat from Ireland. :)
Dave F Posted January 6, 2016 Posted January 6, 2016 Year Letter ---- ------ 1952 Z 1953 Y 1954 X 1955 W 1956 V 1957 U 1958 T 1959 S 1960 R 1961 Q
j45nick Posted January 6, 2016 Posted January 6, 2016 Thanks Nick. It's there, but hard to make out. It looks like 'U 9373 32', but the 7 could be a Z. Does that sound like the right kind of number range? I'll see if I can get my telephoto camera and take a close up and will post it if it comes out. BTW, I am more than certain it was purchased in 1957, my Mother never let my Dad forget that it was the first thing he bought when we got off the boat from Ireland. :) So it looks like it is a 1957, and may have been purchased brand new, to treat himself on their arrival in North America. Your dad had his priorities right that day. Only the "U" really matters here in determining the age. The other numbers are in the correct range and format. That one is a keeper, since buying it obviously meant a huge amount to your dad almost 60 years ago. Cherish it. And welcome aboard!
PeterG Posted January 6, 2016 Author Posted January 6, 2016 Year Letter ---- ------ 1952 Z 1953 Y 1954 X 1955 W 1956 V 1957 U 1958 T 1959 S 1960 R 1961 Q Thanks Dave!
PeterG Posted January 6, 2016 Author Posted January 6, 2016 So it looks like it is a 1957, and may have been purchased brand new, to treat himself on their arrival in North America. Your dad had his priorities right that day. Only the "U" really matters here in determining the age. The other numbers are in the correct range and format. That one is a keeper, since buying it obviously meant a huge amount to your dad almost 60 years ago. Cherish it. And welcome aboard! Thanks for all your help Nick, much appreciated. It holds a lot of great memories for me.
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