Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus

[Hans Worm-Laurs]

I've owned this marvellous guitar for a couple of years, and I'm very pleased with it.

There's just one issue, that puzzles me: According to the serialnumber (F340474) my guitar was made at the Fuji-gen Plant, Japan in 2003!!!!! Which is definitely not correct!

Can anyone enlighten me🤔

[cdeez]

As found in the  Epiphone Serial Number Decoding thread in the Epiphone Acoustics section:

 

• F - Qingdao (China) = Les Paul Standard '59 / '60 / Tribute Models (see bottom of post on F-Serial Numbers Used on LP Std'59/'60 models and Tribute/Plus models)

 

F-Serial Numbers on Les Paul Standard '59/'60 Models and Tribute/Plus Models

The latest serial number system used by Epiphone has not yet been completely deciphered. The new "F" models are made in China. The new system seems to be just continously running model numbers rather than a dedicated code for year, month, and place of manufacture.

 

 

• F300000 = late 2009 used on LP Std'59/Std'60/Tribute models
• Continued around F310650~F311050 in spring 2012 on Tribute-Plus models
• Continued around F305000 in 2011
• Continued around F310000 in 2012
• Continued around F317000 in 2013
• Continued around F324000 in 2014
• Continued around F330000 in 2015

Edited February 21, 2020 by cdeez
Additional info added.

[Hans Worm-Laurs]

Thanks a lot for the information!

I used www.guitardaterproject.org, which gives the information with "2003", "Japan" a.o. 

[Michael13Fr]

When i bought my tribute guitar, i wanted to know the year of product too.

And i finally found a topic with the system of the new serial numbers.

Decoding the newest F serial numbers

 

So F34 means 2018 which is more accurate than 2003 ^^