Need help with serial number

[1973birdman]

Hi,

 

I found this website looking for some information. Last week I stopped by the house of an old friend (who lives in Oklahoma)on my way back home to W.F. Texas after picking up a '92 Harley I bought in Tenn. After supper my friend said he had something he wanted to give me. He then presented me with two guitar cases and told me that no one in his family would be interested in one of them as his great uncle had given it to him in 1988 and the other he wanted me to get it back playable so he could give it to his son in 4-5 years (This guitar belonged to his dad, my best friend, that we lost in 2000.) They needed a lot of love. Both of these beautiful instruments have been brought back to life! The one he gave me is a 1970's Hummingbird and the other is a 1979 Gibson Epiphone Blonde Hollow Body. The main reason I am on here is to find out what year the Hummingbird is. I believe I know but I would like to find some more information. I believe the Hummingbird is a 1973, but what is confusing is this. She has an eight digit serial number and Gibson didn't start using eight digit serial numbers until 1977 but when I decipher the number according to Gibson chart it is a 1973. This is the serial number 7xxx3111 The three X's are numbers I've chosen to leave out. It also has the one year ony (1973) single block inlaid frets. I am confused! Can anyone help me?

[L5Larry]

I don't deal with x's. If you want help with the ID of this guitar then you need to post detailed photos, and a REAL serial number!

 

What's with the x's, do people really think that serial numbers are some secret code?

[1973birdman]

I don't deal with x's. If you want help with the ID of this guitar then you need to post detailed photos, and a REAL serial number!

 

What's with the x's, do people really think that serial numbers are some secret code?

 

 

 

The serial # is 72473111. Here are some pictures. Hope this helps.

[Tim Plains]

What's with the x's, do people really think that serial numbers are some secret code?

(guitar) Identity theft. I think it can be a valid concern.

[BigKahune]

Hmmm... Looks just like this one - http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-GIBSON-HUMMINGBIRD-CUSTOM-ACOUSTIC-GUITAR-/200513313977?pt=Guitar&hash=item2eaf865cb9

 

The ebay ad says it's a 79. Also, the finish covers the soundhole inlay - that's a bit odd.

 

There's a 73 listed but the pics aren't as good & the label looks a bit different - http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-HUMMINGBIRD-CUSTOM-1973-/200496411652?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eae847404

 

[Riverside]

... Also, the finish covers the soundhole inlay - that's a bit odd.

 

 

Hmmm... the inlay. I'm not sure.

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Acoustic-Instruments/Square-Shoulder/Gibson-Acoustic/Hummingbird.aspx

[1973birdman]

No inlay around the sound hole. Black and yellow lines on top of the finish. Mine's the same way.

[TommyK]

1973 was during the bad old Norlin years. Could be just a sloppy burst.

 

What about the Epiphone? What model?

 

 

 

Someone told a horror story about a guy who came to look at his guit tar which was for sale. Didn't know him from Adam. The guy left without purchasing. Later that week he came back with the local jean-de-arms and claimed it was his, that it had been stolen.

 

The police confiscated the guitar as evidence until the matter was settled. The 'proof' of ownership centered around some obscure Canada/USA border crossing document. Apparently you did or do fill this out when carrying an expensive item across the border so they can tell if you bought it in the other country when you come back in and whether or not import duty is owed. It records a serial number. This dood had the document entered in as evidence. He claimed he had filled this out on a trip to Canada once.

 

The rightful owner took it upon himself to go to the border crossing to check it out. He asked about the document. The border guards showed the document blanks to him. They keep no copies on file. He also asked if he could have one. The guards said yes. He presented a dozen blanks documents to the judge in court.

 

He got his guit tar back, but not without a lot of anguish.

 

That is why serial numbers are obscured in most posts. Guitar ID theft can and does happen.

[ksdaddy]

That was me.

 

I bought a 1965 Jazzmaster from the pawn shop. Several months later a locally famous drunk guitar player showed up under the guise of b.s.-ing about guitars. Next thing I knew a Sheriff's Deputy was at the door. Based on my story he opted to not confiscate it but warned me to not sell or try to hide it. They ultimately decided to not pursue it because his story had too many holes so the drunk took me to small claims court. This went on for over a year, between rescheduling, them asking for more time to pursue this and that.... you'd think it was a big case. I had to serve papers on the pawn shop owner and the Deputy so they'd show up in court. Pretty sad when you have to subpeona a Deputy to defend yourself! I also went across the border with the Jazzmaster and asked for a receipt. They sent me into the main office where there was a post-it style stack of receipts, which I was told to fill out myself. I presented this evidence for the judge, stating that I could have filled out info about a projection screen TV just as easily and therefore the document meant nothing. The drunk asked for one more extension so that they could contact Fender to ask about serial number records. At that time I wrote to Fender and sent it Express Mail. This was 1995 and we had no internet. At least it wasn't widespread anyway. I sure didn't have access. Their response was that they did not maintain serial number records and the owners at that time. It was laughable at the final 'trial'. His lawyer (yes, he hired a friggin' lawyer!) said they played phone tag with Fender but didn't get anywhere, at which point I produced my letter from Fender. The judge took one look and ruled in my favor.

 

I sold that cursed thing two days later.

 

Since that time I've heard things. The guy who sold it to the pawn shop was a drunk associate of Drunk #1. Rumor has it Drunk #1 sold or gave the Jazzmaster to Drunk #2 and forgot about it. Much later he realized it was gone (he had 2 or 3) and then began tracing it down and ultimately finding me.

 

So was it (originally) his Jazzmaster? I believe it was. But he sold it and I bought it legitimately. Then in a rare sober moment he tried to claim it was stolen and wanted me to pay the price.

 

I have mixed feelings about the whole "XXX" in the serial number thing. In 2005 I bought a 1955 Les Paul that turned out to be stolen. Once I heard that, I contacted the police myself and turned it over. The thief was never caught and I was out a lot of money. A year later the real owner had me sell the LP for $25K and not only did I recoup what I lost (by pre-arranged agreement), he also gave me a commission of about $1300, so it paid off in the end. While I had it for sale I was the target of many scam attempts, much scorn and abuse on a Les Paul forum, and the LP showed up on ebay at least 10 times, you know, those scam auctions where they have a 'buy it now' of $1700 by Western Union. I got tired of reporting it to ebay... God knows the pics are still out there somewhere. After that I began imprinting 'ksdaddy.com' over the ebay pics if it was a guitar with a value over $1000 or so. I had obscured a couple digits in the serial number (in the original auction) and almost received death threats for not revealing it.

 

And they think I'm paranoid....

 

Back to the original subject, it was common for them to overspray (sunburst) the rosette in the 70s.

[1973birdman]

What about the Epiphone? What model?

 

The Epiphone was made in 1979. I don't know the model. This is what she looks like.

[BigKahune]

KSdaddy -

 

Man, that's a brutal story.

 

 

1973Birdman -

 

That's a nice lookin' Epi. B)

 

Sorry I'm no good with stop tails, more of a trapeze guy.