BanjosandLPs Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Hey everyone – Looking for some insight on one of my Les Pauls. It is the first Les Paul I ever purchased and I’ve had her now for 15 years! I bought her from a local shop in 2006 when I was 21 years old. She’s a 1996 Tobacco Burst Gibson Les Paul Standard with a 59 Profile neck and it gets a lot, and I mean A LOT, of attention. I’m always getting comments about the paint job on it, and the wood grain of the top. Most people comment saying that they’ve seen tobacco bursts before but have never seen one look so good, or done quite so well. Others marvel over the grain on the top. I’ve had people offer to buy it from me outright for WAY more than I paid for it, and I’ve had someone try to walk off with it once. I always took pride in the attention that it received when I took it out, but never really put much thought in to its history until recently, so I started where one would start. With the Serial Number, I know the day it was stamped and obviously the year, and I’ve even deduced where it was built, but the production number is throwing me for a loop. The Language on Gibson’s site says: “Since 1989, all Gibson acoustics are built in Bozeman, MT and all Gibson electrics are built in Nashville or Memphis (Mine was stamped in Nashville since Memphis wasn’t opened until 2001). Ranking Numbers for Bozeman start each day at 001 and the electrics start as low as the 300s. Examples: 70108276 means the instrument was produced on Jan 10, 1978, in Kalamazoo and was the 276th instrument stamped that day. 82765501 means the instrument was produced on Oct. 3, 1985, in Nashville and was the first instrument stamped that day.” I am comprehending that although these examples pre-date my guitar, the logic states that if my guitar was the 1st guitar stamped in Nashville on September 2nd, 1996 then my serial number would be 92466301 because electrics start as low as the 300s, so if my guitar was the 89th guitar stamped in Nashville on September 2nd 1996 that my serial number would read 92466389. If my guitar was the 215th guitar stamped in Nashville on September 2nd 1996 then my serial number would read 92466515. So what if the production number is ‘300’, the lowest of the ‘300s’ you can start at? My serial number is 92466300? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Hmmm....I had a look at https://www.gibson.com/Support/Serial-Number-Search ".....and the electrics may start as low as the 300s." That is so vague it doesn't really help at all, so I think you can only assume yours is the 300th guitar stamped that day? You might try emailing - service@gibson.com Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanjosandLPs Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanjosandLPs Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 1 hour ago, jdgm said: Hmmm....I had a look at https://www.gibson.com/Support/Serial-Number-Search ".....and the electrics may start as low as the 300s." That is so vague it doesn't really help at all, so I think you can only assume yours is the 300th guitar stamped that day? You might try emailing - service@gibson.com Best wishes! But the thing is, the run numbers appear to run sequentially. If the first acoustic produced today in Bozeman Montana is marked 001 then the second is marked 002 etc. Same thing with electrics if you look at the examples the serial number 82765501 means the instrument was the 1st instrument stamped that day. The second would be 502, the third 503, etc. up to 999. Kalamazoo run number were 001 through 499, and the example shows that the numbers ran sequentially. 70108276 was the 276th guitar stamped on January 10th 1978. If the electrics may start as low as the 300s, then wouldn't we assume that the same sequential logic for the 8 digit serial number remained constant after 1989 and that the first guitar produced on September 2nd, 1996 would have a serial number of 92466301, the second 302, the third 303 and so on? And if that's true then my Les Paul is the zero guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Gibson doesn't understand their own 423 versions of their serial numbers, including the 118 versions that were used more than once. rct Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 9 hours ago, rct said: Gibson doesn't understand their own 423 versions of their serial numbers, including the 118 versions that were used more than once. rct tru dat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 (edited) 10 hours ago, rct said: Gibson doesn't understand their own 423 versions of their serial numbers, including the 118 versions that were used more than once. rct Martin did it right it just goes consecutively. There is the first one built and the last one built in a given year and if yours is one of those or in between those two, that is the year your guitar was made. No secret code or handshake you have to know. Edited March 2, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Those last three numbers are a bit vague to me, the others are pretty clear with recent #'s. if anything makes sense, it's what you're stating. If the electrics may start as low as the 300s, then wouldn't we assume that the same sequential logic for the 8 digit serial number remained constant after 1989 and that the first guitar produced on September 2nd, 1996 would have a serial number of 92466301, the second 302, the third 303 and so on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 I've never known Nashville numbers to be anything other than "over 500". I was under the impression the "300+" area was for Memphis. Bozeman, of course, was "under 500" exclusively, before Memphis opened. I'm not claiming to know for a fact, however. I would very much like to see a photo of your serial number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanjosandLPs Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 It won’t let me post a pic because all my pics are “over the size limit” but I have posted it on my Reddit here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BanjosandLPs Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 33 minutes ago, ksdaddy said: I've never known Nashville numbers to be anything other than "over 500". I was under the impression the "300+" area was for Memphis. Bozeman, of course, was "under 500" exclusively, before Memphis opened. I'm not claiming to know for a fact, however. I would very much like to see a photo of your serial number. 300s were memphis, but Memphis wasn’t open when my guitar was produced. Only Nashville was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 It's definitely a befuddling serial number and a truly intriguing top! Sorry I don't have anything to offer. Sweet guitar though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 (edited) Gibson doesn't even understand its own serial number system. Its a number on a guitar that means nothing unless you need it for a warranty claim. And if you didn't register it or its used your SOL. Who cares if it was the 4th guitar stamped on the 3rd of June 2018. If you are buying a new guitar you should know what year it is. If its vintage and you don't know yeah it helps to determine that if you can decipher the mystical code. Here is a question do you obsess about your cars VIN number. I don't. Edited March 3, 2021 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted March 3, 2021 Share Posted March 3, 2021 Message Gibson, using this link. Lay out the question, simply and in very few words. They'll get back with you in a day or so, and all will become revealed. https://www.gibson.com/Support/Contact 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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