ID help please!

[BeauBass]

Hello,

 

I recently acquired this Gibson acoustic from my father. Told me he picked it up from a garage sale for about $50 recently. Unfortunately, being more of a bassist (and, admittedly, a Fender guy ) I don't really know a whole lot about it. I was hoping some of the fine folks here could point me in the right direction as far as what year it was made (ballpark), what model it is, value, etc.

 

Sorry for the crappy cell phone pics, best I could do. Some info that may not be able to be discerned from the photos: No volute where peghead meets neck; serial number on back of headstock reads 137137 and appears to be stamped; Ladder braced top; plastic bridge. Anything I've forgotten please ask, I'm happy to provide whatever info is helpful.

 

Thanks!

 

[j45nick]

Looks like an LGO, late 60's-early 70's. Someone here will pin it down better. Serial number looks like 137337. Very nice case, by the way. Good find at $50, although it's the entry-level Gibson acoustic. Looks to be in nice shape. I'm guessing on value, but I'd say around $500.

 

There are LGO experts here who will tell you the date, day of the week, and time of day of manufacture, and the value to the last 10 cents. There are scary people here with Gibsons on the brain and too much time on their hands. Not me, of course.

[Craig910]

Yup, that's definitely an LGO with the tortoise binding - serial number indicates 1970. A much nicer case than I would have expected to have been originally been sold with this model.

[DanvillRob]

Yup, that's definitely an LGO with the tortoise binding - serial number indicates 1970. A much nicer case than I would have expected to have been originally been sold with this model.

 

 

He states that the SN is 137137, (although the middle "1" sure doesn't look it to me).

[Craig910]

I've changed my mind. The plastic bridge would indicate to me that this is actually a 1963 model LGO - the serial number range would be correct for 1963 and later years would not have a plastic bridge. Here's a pic of a '63 someone posted on another thread here back in Dec. '09

 

[j45nick]

I've changed my mind. The plastic bridge would indicate to me that this is actually a 1963 model LGO - the serial number range would be correct for 1963 and later years would not have a plastic bridge. Here's a pic of a '63 someone posted on another thread here back in Dec. '09

 

 

Yeah, '63 was the first hit I got on the serial number, but I'm not familiar enough with plastic bridge, screwed pickguard models to say. I thought those plastic bridges (whose idea was that?) started a couple of years later.

[SoonerBuckeye]

I believe that the only year that Gibson used "screwed on" pickguards was 1968. I suppose that someone could have added the pickguard as an after-market item though.

 

Bob

[BeauBass]

Thanks for the help guys, it's much appreciated. I thought the same thing about the plastic bridge, pretty dumb. Even my cheap Korean acoustic has a rosewood bridge.

[TommyK]

No one would think less of you or the guitar if the plastic bridge were replaced with a good quality rosewood or ebony bridge. The plastic bridge was just a brain fart.

 

To me the scratch guard looks OEM. I personally doubt anyone would replace a screwed on guard with a screwed on guard.

[j45nick]

No one would think less of you or the guitar if the plastic bridge were replaced with a good quality rosewood or ebony bridge. The plastic bridge was just a brain fart.

 

To me the scratch guard looks OEM. I personally doubt anyone would replace a screwed on guard with a screwed on guard.

 

Agree on both counts. Gibson has had a number of B F's over the years, and this was one of them.