mike53098 Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 I am looking for a serial number. I looked thru the F hole and found the # "18" on the inside of the back. Is this the serial number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Hey Mike-- It could be, at least what is left of it. If the ES-150 is like the ES-125, the serial number was printed in the body in a blue ink that usually fades over time. My ES-125 from ca. 1952 has no serial number left at all. The best way to identify the approximate age of an ES-150 is through design cues, rather than the serial number, anyway. If you are looking for a definite date, post pictures, and maybe we can help you out. I'm a former Wisconsinite, by the way. I grew up in Fond du Lac and lived in Milwaukee until about three years ago. Ignatius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike53098 Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 The "18" is written in red ink. I've identified all of the characteristics of the guitar as being a 1937 model - and my mother confirns that is when she bought it! Still has the original case too. A Gibson vintage guitar book said that there were 504 of these made in 1937. A local collector told me aboout Gruhn Guitars in Nashville as a possible appraisor - ever heard of them? The guitar is in beautiful condition except that the back has developed 2 cracks, and we're looking for a quailified repair person. We live in Watertown. Thanks for your reply Ignatius. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Hey Mike-- Gruhn Guitars is the Cadillac of guitar appraisers. It might be expensive to have him do the appraisal and will most likely involve you getting the guitar to him via shipping or traveling there yourself. I'm not sure I would want to ship a guitar of that quality and age unless I really knew what I was doing. If you can do so, though, it would be well worth the effort. There was a recent article on George Gruhn in the Winter 2007 issue of Fretboard Journal if you can find a copy. He seems like a genuinely great guy who also happens to be an absolute genius in the care and keeping of modern guitar and its traditions. Another (more moderately-priced) person to contact is Joe Vinicow at Archtop.com. Joe's shop is in Seattle, and he does excellent repair work (I sent my ES-125 to him to repair some binding problems). He can do appraisals for a small fee by phone or email if you are able to give detailed, helpful descriptions to him and/or send him good photos of the instrument. He also might be able to give you some ballparks on what to look for in a local luthier who could do good repair work for you. In addition, Joe carries a full line of arcthop cases, which is helpful if your original case is looking rough. Gibson, as far as I know, never had two-digit serial numbers (at least, once it was a deal bigger than Orville's workshop anyway). The number of a guitar in its series always was/is a part of a larger number that is usually six or eight digits long. The 18 in your guitar could be a production number, but I wonder if it simply refers to something about the piece of wood used. I'm pushing the limits of my pre-WWII Gibsons here so I hope someone else can chime in with more definitive answers for you. My gut instinct, however, is that your serial number has disappeared over the years. The reason that the ES-100, 125, and 150 all had ink-stamped serial numbers (rather than the paper labels with that info) is their status at the time as low-end models. Yeah, I know: it's hard to believe that such great guitars were the low-end for Gibson in those years, but yes, they were. I don't think Gibson saw them as much more than student models and so felt little need to track them beyond a fairly random inkstamping serial system. Of course, Gibson never has had the best serial number system to begin with. We've found in a recent thread here that the Custom Shop has actually reused the exact same serial number on three different models of guitar just within the last five years! Buying a guitar in a given year is no guarantee that it actually was made that year. I just tried out an ES-335 in Guitar Center the other day, and the decoded serial number said it was a 2005! There are even NOS 2003 ES-333s on sale via the internet these days so one could buy a "new" 2003 Gibson in a store right now in 2008. I only mention this because that means your mom's guitar could be even older if the characteristics of the guitar place it in a broader time period. I hope at least some of that is helpful. Ignatius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike53098 Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 Ignatius - thanks so much. You've been a great deal of help! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted August 23, 2008 Share Posted August 23, 2008 Ignatius - thanks so much. You've been a great deal of help! Mike Hey Mike-- No problem. It's great to hear the info was helpful (I'm sorry I wasn't around sooner to thank you for the compliment). Ignatius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike53098 Posted August 24, 2008 Author Share Posted August 24, 2008 I did a little research and found a place in Madison - Spruce Street Music. www.sprucestreetmusic.com I dropped the guitar off last week. He will be able to do repairs thru F hole for about $100. i twill be a nice suprise for my Mom. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ignatius Posted August 24, 2008 Share Posted August 24, 2008 I did a little research and found a place in Madison - Spruce Street Music. www.sprucestreetmusic.comI dropped the guitar off last week. He will be able to do repairs thru F hole for about $100. i twill be a nice suprise for my Mom. Mike That's great to hear' date=' Mike. I'm betting you mean Spruce [b']Tree[/b] Music and their website: www.sprucetreemusic.com. If so, I've never heard anything but good about them. If you have a minute when the guitar is done, drop a line to let me know what you think of the store's repair work. I'm hoping to get back to Wisconsin on a permanent basis one day down the road, and it would be great to have a good place to use for repairs--and for shopping! I am close enough to the border as it is that I might be willing to drive a guitar up there now if the work seems worth it. Ignatius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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