Gibson "Stage" - L-140 or Prototype?

[sezme]

I'm hoping you can answer a question about a guitar I bought new in 2000 from a music store. It is badged as a Gibson Stage but looks identical to a L-140 except, instead of the Gibson crown on the headstock, it has an angel wing identical to the ones on the 3-9th frets. According to the serial number 90128003 it was built 1-12-1998 which is a year before the L-140 was stated to exist. Either Gibson started producing L-140's a year before releasing them to stores or I have some type of prototype.

 

My work took me to Bozeman, MT so I dropped in on the Gibson outlet store and showed them the picture. They called the shop to ask the guys about a "Stage" but no real explanation was given.

 

BTW, had a bone saddle and nut installed and it sounds sooo gooood! Bright, balanced, responsive, a little growl with aggressive playing. I love it.

 

Thanks for your help in solving an age-old question.

[vacamartin]

Checked my serial #91238003 on my L-130. It's a June, 2002, looks as your Stage was a prototype. Take the mop's, head logo, pic guard, and you've got the same body. Yours is a beauty. Did it come with LR baggs ? J.D.

[sezme]

Does yours say L-130 on the "Style" line on the badge? Mine says Stage on that line.

 

It has an active transducer but I don't know if it is a Baggs. The Guitar World website (and it looks like they rescued the Gibson webpage before it was removed from the Gibson site) states they were using Fishman

 

L-130 here - http://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/acoustic/gibson/l-series/l-130.html

L-140 here:- http://www.guitar.com.au/guitars/acoustic/gibson/l-series/l-140.html

 

You obviously read the serial number differently. I thought it was:

 

Serial number 90128003 - 9&8 = yr 012 = day of yr 003= number made that day (3rd one of however many made that day)

 

Maybe that's the method for Gibson electric guitars. Let me know how you are doing it.

 

Thanks!

[billy_v]

I have the reverse situation with an '03 L-150 I just scored (woohoo!). The catalog photo shows a very ornate headstock inlay, similar to one of the fretboard inlays, but my headstock has the good ol' Gibson crown. I assume that the fancier headstock inlay is on the earliest production runs, and the simpler crown inlay is on later production. I had an L-130 a while back, but you don't see many L-140s or L-150s. It'd be interesting to know what the production totals are. It's been 20 years since I last owned a rosewood guitar (I've been strictly a mahogany guy), but in the L-150 I may finally have discovered the cure for flat top GAS! Hope you dig yours as much as I dig mine!

[sezme]

Wow - That's beautiful. I do love mine. Somebody wrote a review that these were woody and muffled. I couldn't disagree more. I spent 2.5 hours in the music store with this and a Martin surviving a six guitar "playoff". When I got it down to these two the store agreed to put new strings on both. The Martin was nice but it just didn't have the presence of the Gibson. The Martin seemed to be all mids with tapered highs and bass. The Gibson has bright mids and highs with slightly reduced low end. If you really want to take the L-150 the extra mile have a bone saddle and nut installed. You will be happy.

 

That's good info about the catalog having the fret inlay in the headstock. The plot thickens. Does your catalog cover the L-140? If so, what pic is on the headstock?

[vacamartin]

Billy-V.....where can I get ahold of that catalogue? I've beeen looking all over for one with this series.

 

 

 

Sezme...yup, the tag says L-130......pretty sure I read that serial correctly, but you never know...at my age I'm lucky to read anything.... That review was way off on the tone of these li'l gems! I am constantly amazed at the lush bass, mids, and highs. I'm using "Flexcore" 12.5's and the sustain and "growl" is pure heaven. J.D.

[sezme]

vacamartin - This is from a Gibson serial number posting online:

 

In 1977, Gibson first introduced the serialization method that is in practice today. This updated system

utilizes an impressed eight digit numbering scheme that covers both serializing and dating functions. The

pattern is as follows:

YDDDYPPP

YY is the production year

DDD is the day of the year

PPP is the plant designation and/or instrument rank.

The numbers 001-499 show Kalamazoo production, 500-999 show Nashville production. The Kalamazoo

numbers were discontinued in 1984.

When acoustic production began at the plant built in Bozeman, Montana (in 1989), the series' numbers

were reorganized. Bozeman instruments began using 001-299 designations and, in 1990, Nashville

instruments began using 300-999 designations. It should also be noted that the Nashville plant has not

reached the 900s since 1977, so these numbers have been reserved for prototypes. Examples:

70108276 means the instrument was produced on Jan.10, 1978, in Kalamazoo and was the 276th

instrument stamped that day.

 

So, with a serial of 91238003 I think your baby was born 5-3-98 in Bozeman, MT and was the 3rd one off the line that day. It looks like Gibson was hot and heavy into production of these gems in 1998.

[vacamartin]

If these dates are correct, it means your beauty WAS the prototype-and production began just a few months later with the L-designation! Looks like you have solved the mystery! ..J.D.

[Hogeye]

I have the reverse situation with an '03 L-150 I just scored (woohoo!). The catalog photo shows a very ornate headstock inlay, similar to one of the fretboard inlays, but my headstock has the good ol' Gibson crown. I assume that the fancier headstock inlay is on the earliest production runs, and the simpler crown inlay is on later production. I had an L-130 a while back, but you don't see many L-140s or L-150s. It'd be interesting to know what the production totals are. It's been 20 years since I last owned a rosewood guitar (I've been strictly a mahogany guy), but in the L-150 I may finally have discovered the cure for flat top GAS! Hope you dig yours as much as I dig mine!

 

Gibson made 6 L-150's in 2003. They are on the pricelist in 2002 but not in 2003 so they must have had some orders to fill.

[vacamartin]

So........I read the wrong serial number. The correct one for the L-130 is...02062018> which makes it July 25, 2002, #18 that day. J.D.

[sezme]

Gibson made 6 L-150's in 2003. They are on the pricelist in 2002 but not in 2003 so they must have had some orders to fill.

 

 

Hey Hogeye - You seem to have data! Can you tell me what the 1998 L-140 production totals were? Can you forward a theory on the "Stage" designation? Is it common for the factory folks to whip out some "shoot from the hip" name for a guitar that isn't exact on model specs?

 

Thanks