L-00 with no stamp in soundhole - real or fake?

[Jamin44]

Help please! I bought what I thought was a used L-00, but I’m now realizing there is no sticker/stamp inside the soundhole. Has anyone seen this before? Headstock has the “ Made in U.S.A”. and “2019,” but nothing in the soundhole and the serial number lookup says it’s a 1970-ish model. 

[kidblast]

7 hours ago, Jamin44 said:

Help please! I bought what I thought was a used L-00, but I’m now realizing there is no sticker/stamp inside the soundhole. Has anyone seen this before? Headstock has the “ Made in U.S.A”. and “2019,” but nothing in the soundhole and the serial number lookup says it’s a 1970-ish model. 

I would post this in the acoustic section, and pictures would really be helpful.

you can upload them to your facebook account if you have one, or a photo host site. 

Then add the image link in your post (look for the "Other Media" option to the right bottom corner of the edit wind, right about submit reply.  (Instert Image from URL)

Edited February 27, 2022 by kidblast

[Retired]

And Good luck. 

[sparquelito]

There aren't all that many reasons that a guitar seller would remove the sound hole sticker;

* It's an L-00 Studio model ($$), and he wants to pass it off as an L-00 Standard ($$$$). 

* It's a counterfeit Gibson
or, 
* He used to allow his pet gerbil to roam around inside the guitar, and the little animal ate the sound hole sticker. 

That's all I can come up with. 

🙂

[sparquelito]

$$

 

vs

$$$$

[Retired]

18 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

There aren't all that many reasons that a guitar seller would remove the sound hole sticker;

* It's an L-00 Studio model ($$), and he wants to pass it off as an L-00 Standard ($$$$). 

* It's a counterfeit Gibson
or, 
* He used to allow his pet gerbil to roam around inside the guitar, and the little animal ate the sound hole sticker. 

That's all I can come up with. 

🙂

I had a acoustic that the sticker just fell out with age. It can happen. 

[kidblast]

25 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

There aren't all that many reasons that a guitar seller would remove the sound hole sticker;

* It's an L-00 Studio model ($$), and he wants to pass it off as an L-00 Standard ($$$$). 

* It's a counterfeit Gibson
or, 
* He used to allow his pet gerbil to roam around inside the guitar, and the little animal ate the sound hole sticker. 

That's all I can come up with. 

🙂

Sparky, it's a 40 year old guitar  s--t happens.   There is 100 reasons the label is no longer there.

Without pictures and something concrete to judge the pedigree on, everyone is just guessing.

And he just bought it, so perhaps it is better to not speculate.

Again, Post this here: Gibson Acoustic - Gibson Brands Forums  this is where the guys who know Gibson Acoustics very well will see it.

Edited February 27, 2022 by kidblast

[sparquelito]

My apologies to all for my spurious, capricious posting. 

I'm sure the guitar is perfectly legitimate, and the new owner will get many happy years of playing enjoyment out of it. 

😐

[Sgt. Pepper]

I love this forum. A bunch of yahoo’s asking questions, getting answered by another bunch of yahoo’s ( myself included). We’re guys, and girls, and whatever you identify as that play guitars. We didn't make your guitar. A label can come unglued, or be faked, or it may never have had one. Gibson's QA is sometimes a little slack. Pictures can help, but unfortunately  there are bad people in the world that make, and sell fakes, and are good at it. Many have come here and been duped out of a lot of money because of it. If you bought it, and it is you may be stuck with it. 

Is my guitar fake? I Don't know.

How long will my strings last? I Don't know.

What does my serial number mean? I Don't know.

Are my pickups PAF's or Shaw's? I Don't know.

What guitar should I get? I Don't know.

What kind of bracing is in my Guitar? I Don't know.

Should I swap out my tuners? I Don't know.

Just added this one: How much is my guitar worth?  I Don't know.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[sparquelito]

Should I buy these pups or those pups?      I Don't know.       (And they are called pickups, by the way.)

 

😉



 

[Sgt. Pepper]

2 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

Should I buy these pups or those pups?      I Don't know.       (And they are called pickups, by the way.)

 

😉



 

Yep, but guitarist are lazy. Spelling out the whole word is taxing.

I could sit and think if 20 more that we see here daily.

Edited February 27, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[sparquelito]

Should I return this guitar, or just learn to live with this minor imperfection?   I do know.  But I'm not going to tell you, for fear of being wrong in front of all these people. And their dogs. 

🤔

[Sgt. Pepper]

1 minute ago, sparquelito said:

Should I return this guitar, or just learn to live with this minor imperfection?   I do know.  But I'm not going to tell you, for fear of being wrong in front of all these people. And their dogs. 

🤔

Most say if that was my guitar, I'd keep it, but it's not, and you know you wouldn't.

[pohatu771]

This is impossible to answer without photos.

I do have concerns based on your description, though.

Gibson serial numbers in the late 70s either began with 99, 00, or 06 (1975, 1976, and 1977, respectively) or with a 70, 71, 72, or 73 for 1977-1979, depending on the day of the year. A 2019 would begin with 10, 11, 12, or 13. There is no overlap.

Additionally, Gibson Acoustic never stamped model years on the headstock like Gibson USA did (and neither did it in 2019). As far as I know, Gibson didn't reissue the L-00 until the 90s.

Edited February 28, 2022 by pohatu771

[Retired]

9 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I love this forum. A bunch of yahoo’s asking questions, getting answered by another bunch of yahoo’s ( myself included). We’re guys, and girls, and whatever you identify as that play guitars. We didn't make your guitar. A label can come unglued, or be faked, or it may never have had one. Gibson's QA is sometimes a little slack. Pictures can help, but unfortunately  there are bad people in the world that make, and sell fakes, and are good at it. Many have come here and been duped out of a lot of money because of it. If you bought it, and it is you may be stuck with it. 

Is my guitar fake? I Don't know.

How long will my strings last? I Don't know.

What does my serial number mean? I Don't know.

Are my pickups PAF's or Shaw's? I Don't know.

What guitar should I get? I Don't know.

What kind of bracing is in my Guitar? I Don't know.

Should I swap out my tuners? I Don't know.

Just added this one: How much is my guitar worth?  I Don't know.

How long will my guitar last with no chips or dents?  I Don't Know. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

8 minutes ago, Retired said:

How long will my guitar last with no chips or dents?  I Don't Know. 

Forever until you bump into something.

I got the answers but most don’t want to hear them.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[Retired]

13 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

Forever until you bump into something.

I got the answers but most don’t want to hear them.

 I still cannot believe when I bought a brand new Fender Acoustic right after I retired from B.N. for $100.00 cash, Played the heck out of it everyday for years and it had chips and scratches here and there. Took it back to Guitar Center and sold it back to them for $100.00 cash.   But I bought a 12 string for $300.00 and barely got $100.00 fo it and it was in perfect shape. 

[kidblast]

I don't know guys, I'm just not getting why a thread like this from a newcomer draw so much discontent?   and yea, know it this kind of post surfaces a lot, but really, if you don't want to help, maybe just click on to the next thread.  People come here looking for some advice, and don't understand that Gibson employees maintain absolutely no presence here.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

32 minutes ago, kidblast said:

I don't know guys, I'm just not getting why a thread like this from a newcomer draw so much discontent?   and yea, know it this kind of post surfaces a lot, but really, if you don't want to help, maybe just click on to the next thread.  People come here looking for some advice, and don't understand that Gibson employees maintain absolutely no presence here.

 

I agree. Are there really well informed Gibson nuts here who know their stuff - Yes. Are there guys out there that can fake stuff so good they call fool people - Yes. So if we tell someone we think its real and it isn't, and then they buy it, and take it to get set up, and the guys tells him its a fake, their gonna be upset at the guys here who told them they though it was real. If you bought it and its fake, your hosed. Sweetwater and Musicians Friend and the other big stores will not be selling fakes. Timmy Tingle on Craigslist certainly might be.  Many of us have been here a while, and this comes up several times a week on the the different sections of the forum. Gibson is so inconsistent with its serial number system you need a Ph.d to be able to understand, and keep up with it. There is about a 9 page explanation to their serial number system(s) that seems to changes every 2 years. Man just do what Martin does, and have all the serial numbers go consecutively. There is the first one and last one stamped in that year, and if it falls between there, that is the year your guitar was made. Easy as pie, unless you don't know how to bake.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[sparquelito]

32 minutes ago, kidblast said:

I don't know guys, I'm just not getting why a thread like this from a newcomer draw so much discontent?   and yea, know it this kind of post surfaces a lot, but really, if you don't want to help, maybe just click on to the next thread.  People come here looking for some advice, and don't understand that Gibson employees maintain absolutely no presence here.

 

To be fair, I did endeavor to help the OP, and to offer advice. 
My advice, sadly, didn't pass muster with the more seasoned and experienced Gibson acoustic owners, and I then apologized for having the temerity to offer up such substandard counsel. 

You do bring up a very good point though, and perhaps you can enlighten me;

This is, by all accounts, a Gibson (corporate) sponsored/approved web forum, right?
And it appears, by your observation, and in the opinion of others who have commented on same, this web forum is not regularly monitored or moderated by anybody from Gibson. 

That means we regular visitors are, every one of us, common laypersons, musicians, guitar players, guitar collectors, and average citizens. 
We are flawed human beings, given to outbursts of nonsensical humor, petty bickering, and flights of online fancy. 
NOT a good look for Gibson, if I may be so bold for saying so. 

If you agree that all that is true, then here is my solution:

Gibson should pay every one of us regular posters (those with more than two years aboard, possessing a strong approval rating, and who haven't been temporarily banned on a regular basis) a small stipend.   Not much. Maybe a hundred quid a year.

This way, we will be sure to be on our best behavior, to post responsibly, and to represent Gibson Corporate in a genteel, gracious, and respectable fashion. 

Is anybody with me?
Am I alone in this?
Am I alone?

🤫
 

[sparquelito]

6 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I agree. Are there really well informed Gibson nuts here who know their stuff - Yes. Are there guys out there that can fake stuff so good they call fool people - Yes. So if we tell someone we think its real and it isn't, and then they buy it, and take it to get set up and the guys tells him its a fake, their gonna be upset at the guys here who told them they though it was real. If you bought it and its fake, your hosed. Sweetwater and Musicians Friend and the other big stores will not be selling fakes. Timmy Tingle on Craigslist certainly might be.  Many of us have been here a while and this comes up several times a week on the the different sections of the forum. Gibson is so inconsistent with its serial number system you need a Ph.d to be able to understand and keep up with it. There is about a 9 page explanation to their serial number system that changes every 2 years. Man just do what Martin does and have all the serial numbers go consecutively. There is the first one and last one stamped in that year, and if it falls between there, that is the year your guitar was made. Easy as pie, unless you don't know how to bake.

Agreed. 
😑

[jedzep]

This conversation must be setting a record for discussions about a guitar that there aren't any pictures of.

[Sgt. Pepper]

3 minutes ago, sparquelito said:

Agreed. 
😑

Like I said many times before, I tell it like it is, and say what needs to be said. Many don't like me for that, and I can live with that too.

Like when I was a Chief and Senior Chief in the Coast Guard it was my job the tell the Captain what he needed to hear, it was the officers jobs to tell the Captain what he wanted to hear. Huge difference.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[kidblast]

7 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said:

I agree. Are there really well informed Gibson nuts here who know their stuff - Yes. Are there guys out there that can fake stuff so good they call fool people - Yes. So if we tell someone we think its real and it isn't, and then they buy it, and take it to get set up, and the guys tells him its a fake, their gonna be upset at the guys here who told them they though it was real. If you bought it and its fake, your hosed. Sweetwater and Musicians Friend and the other big stores will not be selling fakes. Timmy Tingle on Craigslist certainly might be.  Many of us have been here a while, and this comes up several times a week on the the different sections of the forum. Gibson is so inconsistent with its serial number system you need a Ph.d to be able to understand, and keep up with it. There is about a 9 page explanation to their serial number system(s) that seems to changes every 2 years. Man just do what Martin does, and have all the serial numbers go consecutively. There is the first one and last one stamped in that year, and if it falls between there, that is the year your guitar was made. Easy as pie, unless you don't know how to bake.

yes all of this.

And most of the time, these posts are prefaced with "I just bought this.."  so the cat's already too late if the seller found an unsuspecting buyer.  It would be so much better to ask the questions prior to handing over the dough.  

In this case, without a photo, it could be anything really.  

With regarding to purchasing,  I am trying to think of the last time I bought a guitar second hand from someone I did not know, or a store that had already figured out the legitimacy.   I can't remember... 

Just now, sparquelito said:

To be fair, I did endeavor to help the OP, and to offer advice. 
My advice, sadly, didn't pass muster with the more seasoned and experienced Gibson acoustic owners, and I then apologized for having the temerity to offer up such substandard counsel. 

You do bring up a very good point though, and perhaps you can enlighten me;

This is, by all accounts, a Gibson (corporate) sponsored/approved web forum, right?
And it appears, by your observation, and in the opinion of others who have commented on same, this web forum is not regularly monitored or moderated by anybody from Gibson. 

That means we regular visitors are, every one of us, common laypersons, musicians, guitar players, guitar collectors, and average citizens. 
We are flawed human beings, given to outbursts of nonsensical humor, petty bickering, and flights of online fancy. 
NOT a good look for Gibson, if I may be so bold for saying so. 

If you agree that all that is true, then here is my solution:

Gibson should pay every one of us regular posters (those with more than two years aboard, possessing a strong approval rating, and who haven't been temporarily banned on a regular basis) a small stipend.   Not much. Maybe a hundred quid a year.

This way, we will be sure to be on our best behavior, to post responsibly, and to represent Gibson Corporate in a genteel, gracious, and respectable fashion. 

Is anybody with me?
Am I alone in this?
Am I alone?

🤫
 

I'm with Sparky  there was nothing negative in the response,  I think the nature of your response was meant in good spirit.   my point is, we have no information to even suggest that it's possibly a counterfeit.   and most of the risk with Counterfeits are on new guitars not ones that have 30 or 40 years on them. 

it's all good really 

Besides, the guy who posted this thread has not even come back to look at it..  Who knows if he ever will.  Something else that happens a lot.  Someone posts a topic, 5 pages of replies fly by, and the author never responds again.  

Makes ya wonder what the intent was after all.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

The OP is once again, one of the one post people, and now crickets. Do some of your own research people. If you can hold the guitar in your hand when buying it, tell the seller you want to take it to a reputable shop to make sure its not fake. If he refuses there is your sign. If you bought it online from some guy, your taking a risk. Reverb has a policy to help you get your money back if things go south. Like I stated SW, MF, SA won't be selling faked. GC might they suck.