Gibson Explorer serial help

[Sarkasm]

Hi!

I live in Sweden and bought a gibson explorer in a local store somewhere around 1993-94. Now I'm wondering if anyone could help how to read out the serialnumber and see where and when it was made. Since I failed to do so myself. Thanks for the help!

 

/Oskar

 

On the back of the headstock it says: LIMITED EDITION, made in USA, 00231107

[e/2 Explorer]

You sure the first number is not really a 9 because you usually read the 1st and 5th digits for the year which would translate as a 2001 by the number you gave which would be impossible if you bought it back in the early 90s

[Sarkasm]

Yes. I am very sure. It says: 00231107. I am not good with colors, but it looks like this one (link below), exept for the pickups that have been replaced by EMGs.

 

http://www.ishibashi-webshop.jp/img/goods/1/311887580.jpg

[Sarkasm]

Oh yeah, the tuning knobs (?) are not white either (as the one on the link I posted), they are in metal (goldcolored). But I don't know if they are the original knobs.

[e/2 Explorer]

This is all I could find regarding Custom Shop and Limited Edition Gibson reissues:

 

1952-1960 Les Paul, Explorer, Flying V, and Futura reissues (since late 1992):

M YRRR or MYRRRR

M is the model year being reissued

Y is the production year

RRR® indicates the guitar's place production for that year. NOTE: This number includes all models for a particular reissue year - so, for example, a 1958 Reissue serial number may include '58 Reissue LP Standard and '58 Explorer production

 

Not really any help though since your number starts with 0 so you may have to contact Gibson to find out. The Explorer was re-issued as a '58 and a '76 so the first number of the serial number would be 5 or 7. That make's it obvious that it is not a Custom Shop. My best guess it was just a limited edition natural finish model

[Laaz]

What you have is a original 1976 reissue Explorer. They were all stamped "Limited Edition" and began with the 00 serial number.

[L5Larry]

Laaz is correct, "00" was the prefix code for 1976, also identifiable by the fact the "00" is somewhat separate from the other numbers, and the fact that the serial number is a decal.

[Jaytm401]

I am also trying to find out the same thing with an explorer. Serial   016660546

trying to find out the year is super confusing with the explorer 

 

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

16 minutes ago, Jaytm401 said:

I am also trying to find out the same thing with an explorer. Serial   016660546

trying to find out the year is super confusing with the explorer 

 

 

Should be June 15th, 2006.