Other notable variations from this time period are a 5 character serial number starting with a number, then a space, and 4 digits. Year=2017 Serial=1234567. Despite being purchased by the Norlin corporation in 1970, Gibson maintained the same confusing 6-digit serial system through 1975, meaning instruments with the same serial number could be from either the 60s or the 70s. One of them unusual Gibson from the 70s! Colours on sale in 2012 are "Antique natural" - like the original 1970s all-maple maple neck L6-S - and "Silverburst" with a baked maple fretboard. 801000-812838. 6 Go Head to Head, Best 12 String Guitar. The first letter in this sequence is the year. Original Bill Lawrence pickups are warm and thick with classic vintage tones. or maybe 76? Each had its own unique scratchplate. The image features Carlos Santana (of latin rock band Santana) playing the L6-S Custom. 2=ES-295, 3=1963 ES-335 (block inlays), 4=ES-330, 5=ES-345 & 9=1959 ES-335 (dot inlays). Tilt back body, anybody know ? Gibson L6-S - Wikipedia Ask if the last owner has the Gibson Owner Manual and Gibson Warranty Inspection card. I need help: Identifying a mid 1960's Gibson/Kalamazoo. Learn every inch of your guitar, 5 Tips On How to Stay Creative With Songwriting on Guitar, 6 Tips: How To Get the Best Sound When Playing Guitar at Home, 7 Pro Tips for Playing Guitar and Singing at the Same Time, The Mystery Of The Fretboard. The serial number is 6 digits and starts . Your link has been automatically embedded. My original prototype had a beautiful, elegantly-shaped pickguard, but somebody changed that too. The book said around 1975 <>. 1968, 1969. This should be an 8 digit number that can be dated by the 1st and 2nd digits as follows: With the 2 knobs its not a custom so it has to be made after 73 and before 77 so that leaves it at 74 the way I figure. ex 3 1234. The second list reproduced here (below) was included in the 1981 Gibson part list, towards the very end of the instruments production period. The 5 Best Guitar Books: Must Have Books For Every Skill Level 2021, The Best Way To Learn Guitar: New York Guitar School, https://www.mylespaul.com/threads/1983-studio-vs-1994-studio-lite-vs-1995-studio.345674/. Got an opinion on the contents of this page? 1975 Gibson L6-S natural - Yeahman's Vintage & Used Guitars But, Im a member on a blog where the guys are very helpful. Any thoughts? GIBSON L6-S SPECIAL Solid Body ELECTRIC GUITAR w / Orig GIBSON CASE. Specimens built before 1902 had a star inlay or crescent in place of a logo. For many vintage instruments, determining the date of manufacture involves little more than running the serial number through a reference guide. The 1st digit indicates the year of manufacture for the 4 & 5 digit serial numbers, these were used from 1989-1999. He's also got an unhealthy obsession with vintage VW Campervans. Two "Tar Back" pickups (rating 6.4k Bridge and 5.8k in the neck) with non-standard 3 adjustment screws (one on each side and 1 in front or back) and completely unique pentagon (5 sided) Mounting Rings. Elixir Nanoweb Vs Polyweb. Archtop models had a stamp on the inside of the F hole, and the solid-body models displayed the serial number on the rear of the headstock. Below is a table of the the highest known number for each production year. 10 Essential Tips For Guitar Care: The Best Ways To Maintain Your Guitar: The Ultimate Acoustic Guitar Tonewoods Guide: How Does Wood Affect Your Tone? Use the decoder above to retrieve a much clearer date. Since the six-digit numbers from the 60's & 70's are such a mess, you'll need to provide more data to get any accurate information. But they now sit with guitar historys most sought-after electric guitars. By Gibson stopped dotting the i in their logo on some of their instruments. and, off course, it plays like butter. According to bluebookinc.com it has to be a 1968 model, though Wikipedia says that the L6S Deluxe was build between 1974 and 1979. Serial # 129202 Can anyone help me out with date and data on it? Whats best for you? At least both of mine, a 72 and a 74 did. On acoustic guitars, theyre usually in the soundhole. Our decoder will give you all of the information in both cases. as far as dating it i've only gotten as far as seeing in the vintage gibson pages where they state the sales figures for the l6 s that there were only 16 cherry sunbursts produced during the entire production run and all of them in 1975. not sure if that is true or not. Each guitar is made out of a one-piece maple body and a three-piece set neck, with a choice of rosewood, maple or ebony fingerboard. Photos are always good, as specific features change on Gibson models during their run. And obviously give Gibson a call to check its not a fake with serial number and sizes. There are crossovers to when it was produced. To complicate matters further, there was sometimes a second letter from 1938 to 1941 indicating the brand (G for Gibson, K for Kalamazoo, W for Recording King) and sometimes even a third letter indicating "Electric" (the letter E). I have an ES 135, Serial Number 00002305. 7 of the Very Best For Every Skill Level, Ibanez Acoustic Guitar Review. Must Have Guitar Setup Tools For Repair & Maintenance, Best Guitar Stand 2022: The Essential Buyers Guide, Best Guitar Wall Hanger: 5 Trustworthy Guitar Wall Mounts, The Very Best Single Coil Pickups For All Your Guitar Needs, The 10 Very Best Humbucking Pickups For All Your Guitar Needs, Best audio interface for guitar. Even with these changes, the early production L6-S was still an excellent performer. For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. Example: 3 0602 = 1953. Gibson serial numbers that begin with an 'A' or "B' followed by a hyphen are from the ES collection Reissues, since 1995. The consistency around this stopped during WWII and resumed in the early 1950s. Before mid-1950, most Gibson headstocks were thinner at the top when looked at from a side profile. Number of Frets: 24. Gibson L6-S Gibson regularly produced lists of constituent components for each of their guitars; this first list (left) was produced in the 1977 Gibson replacement parts catalogue, at a time that the 'Custom' was used in other Gibson literature (the January 1977 price list for example) - although note that it is not used here. I need help: Identifying a mid 1960's Gibson/Kalamazoo. 1961 The Gibson solid-body designs continued to be a roaring success. Are you trying to locate one of your guitars ? (Ver. 1978 The First Re-Issues were produced featuring the F-SL, the Heritage Les Paul (1980), and the Heritage Korinas (1982). Tap this link. I don't know' date=' but here is a thread devoted to the L6S you might find interesting. Date Your Guitar. Starting in 1970, Made in USA was stamped on the headstock below the serial number. Lee is the founder of Authority Guitar, a site where he wants readers to enjoy every aspect of learning the guitar. TYVM, Hi Michael, I had a dig around concerning your question. Some documentation crosses over and some has been lost over the years causing gaps in our data. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. Compare this guitar to a later, 1976 L6-S Custom. Sold Out. Damn straight on the guitar. SFr. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice. The thickness of the headstock, however, is not as vulnerable to modification or replacement. There was a certain era in which Gibson made the L-6S, what was it? The stamp number (in silver below) starts at 500 and ends at 699. Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. All models were dropped from price lists in 1979. GIBSON L6S or L6-S Electric Guitar (Natural) with no serial number What are the differences? The L6S Deluxe had different pickups to the Custom and Midnight Special; black plastic-covered L6S Deluxe super humbuckers, part numbers 13654 and 13655. [1] The idea was to make a "multi-sound system" under a very tight budget. But he's got a point. ), All Original USA Made, 1978, 1977 Gibson L6-S Electric Solidbody Guitar Natural With Original Hardshell Case, 1978 Gibson L6-S Natural w / Block Inlays, Gibson L6-S Natural Wood Finish w / Bigsby Bridge - Clone, 1976 Gibson L6-S Custom paint / Relic / Di Marzio Super Distortion, 1976 Gibson L6-S Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst 7 3lbs, Find more Gibson L6S for sale at vintageguitarsforsale.co, http://www.flyguitars.com/gibson/serial_numbers/, 1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog, 1970 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns Celebrated Classics' catalog, 1971 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns' catalog, 1965 Gretsch 'For the Spectacular Sound of the Times' guitar and amp catalog, Guitar Repair: fixing fret buzz and sharp fret ends, 1966 Hagstrom 'worlds fastest playing neck' catalog (Merson USA), 1971 Gibson Les Paul Recording guitar owners manual, 1971 Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass owners manual. ok, haven't gotten around to taking pictures and uploading and all that jazz. He produced the very first instrument, which would eventually lead to becoming the largest guitar manufacturer in the world. A 6 digit serial number is solid-bodied guitars produced from the years: 1955, 1956, 1959, or 1960. The Deluxe is not listed in entirety in this catalogue, although it's pickup is. The year is indicated by the first letter in any series of letters for these years. Even though I've seen Paul Stanley, Robin Zander and Bob Mothersbaugh play these things, I say, "Gibson L6-S" and get nothing but blank looks. The serial number is 6 digits and starts with a 1. When the original serial system reached 999,999 in 1947, Gibson started over with an A prefix. The original thin script was replaced with a thicker font on higher-end models in the mid-30s, and across the entire lineup by the end of the decade. EBO Bass maybe 69 ? Determining exactly when your Gibson specimen was made can have high stakes attached to it. It was never advertised, or listed in the Gibson catalogs or the Gibson price listings. Comes with a hard case. Quote from: Guitarman@guitarsofheroes;14762. whats a 5 sided humbucker? According to Gibson data available online the guitar in question was built from the famous Kalamazoo, Michigan. 3 Go Head to Head, Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar in 2022. He's recently sung on radio and worked as a full-time guitarist/singer. [2] This provides more pleasant selections, but eliminates the previous more radical special-purpose settings of the original Bill Lawrence design. 2014 the world is introduced to Min-Etune. Demand was high in 1902, making it impractical to carry on as a one-man Luthier. Please check the fields highlighted in red. It is 8 digits and begins with 72. Unlike other brands of guitars, Gibson keeps it simple. It's serialnumber is stamped in the headstock (969062) According to bluebookinc.com it has to be a 1968 model, though Wikipedia says that the L6S Deluxe was build between 1974 and 1979. Finding the location of the serial number is easy enough on a Gibson. This guitar has the serial number 00143450, and this dates it to 1976. FONs were Gibsons way of internally tracking batches of instruments throughout production. Need the value of your guitar? Electrically it differed from the L-5S though, with its six-position phase switch, or "Q System" - two incredibly hot Super Humbucking pickups wired for series, parallel or single performance - with treble roll-off and midrange controls. I was in my 20s and played in a punk rock band when I bought this for $250. Replicas like the 59 and 60 flame top Les Paul send players into a buying frenzy. Gibson L6-S Made in USA in 1970-75 Serial Number: 108156 that's the . I found a Memphis Gibson ES Les Paul hollow body with the serial number 11036737 . Privacy Policy | Might be worth posting in the LP section also. Gibson Serial Number Lookup - Find Out When Your Guitar Was Made Electric guitars having the serial number on the back of the headstock and acoustics are punched inside the soundhole on a sticker. Other early L6-S users include Keith Richards of the Stones who . Examples -. It is unknown what type of L6-S it is. The capacitor serves to limit the low end response of the neck pickup, and also phase delays the signal from that pickup, resulting in a fuller tone, not too unlike the #2 and #4 switch positions on a Fender Stratocaster guitar. The first two digits are the year, the last digit specifies the type of guitar. Some models (LG-2, J-45, SJ, select L-50s) included an actual banner reading "Only a Gibson Is Good Enough" in the middle of the headstock. There are no cracks, repairs, or issues. Gibson decided to go into an agreement with five financers creating Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Company. Then youre in the right place. Once it reaches 699, the next guitar stamp goes back to 500. Controls include a pickup selector, master volume, and tone control, with a Schaller "Harmonica Bridge", it is strung through the body, with the back string furrels burrowed into the middle of the body. Beautiful flamed wood. Scroll down to our Manual Checklist and youll almost certainly find a serial number very close to your own. 1976 Gibson L-6S Deluxe >> Vintage Guitar and Bass The original frets are in 1973 Vintage Gibson Bill Lawrence L6-S Pickup 1970's, Gibson Vintage 1970s L6-S Bill Lawrence Pickup Untested, ** Vintage 1970's Gibson Harmonica Bridge Adjustment Studs 1970's *. ?s first ever! Gibson really is on a whole different level with the innovation of its instruments. By wmartin27 May 1, 2014 in Gibson USA. The new one has some differences, the pickups are different, but the character of the guitar comes mainly from the use of maple, so it's pretty close, and the necks on the 3 old ones are all a little different from each other anyway. Whether these features were exclusive to the prototype, or used in early production models is unclear. reply; Re: gibson L6-S s/n . My two were great guitars, I do recall the Deluxe later now that I've looked at some pictures. When only one variant of the L6-S existed, it was simply called the L6-S. Our data tells us its either 1962,67 or 73. Ive spoken to them a while back, theyre really helpful. This makes it especially important to first identify the general era during which your instrument was made before pinning down the exact date of manufacture with a serial number. Given a mere $25 more to work with, I could have made the guitar to my specs. What does that tell me? I have a Gibson L6S serial number 73258549. Above the serial The headstock was sanded and a metal pickguard was made to cover the logo. The first digit is the year and the other numbers are production numbers. The Hawaiian-styled guitar was named the EH-150. p.s. Instruments will generally have one or both of these numbers stamped or written either inside the body (generally the case on earlier models) or on the back of the headstock. [more], Gibson L6-S Custom - L6-S. Some out of necessity, or maybe we just fancy something fresh and new to play with. It has been said the CS ES models start off being built in Memphis. No ebony fretboard model is on sale. http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=109732[/quote']. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. The following letters would be found on Archtop models: Z,Y,X,W,V,U,T,S,R,Q followed by 5 or 6 digits. Discovering your guitars history can be a very rewarding thing to do. The Best Fingerstyle Guitar: 5 Affordable Acoustic Guitars For You. Also, I had designed a beautiful three post lightweight bridge made of hardened stainless steel that could be converted into a trem and a two 3 position toggle switches for nine different sounds. Other finishes did exist (including a very fetching Cherry Sunburst) but were produced in vastly lower numbers. The Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide 2023 is out now, vintageguitarandbass.com 2004-2023 | terms and conditions | donate. Pasted as rich text. Gibson L6-S Custom 1973 - 1980 | Reverb Unlike the majority of L6-Ss this instrument has a two-piece scratchplate, old-style headstock script, and block inlays. It can be heard from many live recordings around the Danish punkrock scene, especially around the late 90s. My 1st Gibson was a wine red L-6s Deluxe - I wish I still had it now, of course. 8 Essential Beginners Tips To Success, Building Your First Home Studio 6 Essential Items Youll Need, How Much Do Guitars Cost? This website uses cookies to personalise content and adverts, to provide social media features, and to analyse traffic. Its also essential to have the correct information if youre considering buying or selling a guitar. [citation needed] The pick-ups are not the original's ceramic sealed Bill Lawrence-designed "super humbuckers", but two humbucking pickups with four-conductor split-coil wiringa 490R in the neck and a hotter 498T in the bridge. The guitar shown below was in the 1973 Gibson Look Ahead to Gibson flyer. Loosely based around the archtop violin design. Potentiometer codes are always helpful. It does have the made in USA and serial numbers. 1994 the new Gibson Nighthawk wins the Most Innovative Guitar at NAMM. Note that all three potentiometers are Gibson part 70029 - 300kΩ in contrast to the 250kΩ parts described in the 1973. Gibson L6-S shipping statistics and pricing - Vintage guitar For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. Between 1975 and 1977, Gibson used a decal that had eight digit serial numbers and the model name, with the first two digits denoting the year - but not directly. Thanks for the link. *Authority Guitar Top Tip: Press ctrl & F then add the beginning of your serial number/guitar model in the search bar to find your details quicker on our extensive list below. The serial number on this Les Paul Junior indicates that it was made in 1956. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. The Gibson L6S (usually Gibson L6-S, or L6 solid) launched in 1973 as the companies first all-maple solid body electric guitar. Completely stock except for grover tuners which have been replaced. Strung through the body, with a "String Plate" mounted on back instead of string furrel holes. One of them unusual Gibson from the 70s! wmartin27. The neck is straight with no issues and plays great. . But not a final verdict. Now called the L6S rather than L6-S, this is basically a re-issue of the classic L6-S Custom model, not the Deluxe version. Hello, I encountered a problem while trieng to determine the age of my L6S Deluxe. The L6-S Custom remained in the catalog in 1980 and was still being made in the Nashville plant. it does sound kinda cool though. As one of the oldest and most widely recognized brands in music, Gibson has crafted some of the most cherished and valuable instruments of all time. The neck is straight with no issues and plays great. It's the Best Two Guitars Al DiMeola's Played (1977)Jazz guitarist Al DiMeola is pictured playing an ebony-finished L6-S Custom. Lee. Gibson state that all 6 digit numbers starting with 0, are from 1967. Hey! Read the rest of this article at the Bill Lawrence website. Initially the guitar was simply designated L6-S, though with the addition of two new models (1974s Midnight Special and 1975s L6-S Deluxe) the original L6-S became the L6-S Custom. These will generally date an instrument earlier than the serial number, as they were typically applied in the early stages of assembly. 3 Go Head to Head. If it;s a bolt on neck its a 1974 midnight special and if its a neck through its a deluxe. I think that the yellow,aged finish looks better now than they did when new. At this point it is still unclear what the CS10 number is. The Gibson L6S and the Gibson L5S. This was the model Paul Stanley of Kiss used from December 1974 to June 1975. You can post now and register later. i got the nuumbers tho. Gibson L6-S schematics & parts lists >> Vintage Guitar and Bass Great, I will new photos on Mon as my camera is not working. Gibson L6-S Natural Wood Finish w / Bigsby Bridge - Clone. Though bluebookinc.com says that guitars from the 70's have " Made in USA . Two versions of the L6-S guitar, the Custom (top) and the Deluxe (bottom). best website for serial number search - Gibson Brands Forums Solid bodies had traditionally been mahogany up to this point, but for reasons of economics, and fashion, the seventies saw a range of maple Gibsons, and L6-S was one of them. However, this model became the L6-S Custom as other models were added to the line in the mid 1970s. Its simple enough with our Gibson Serial Number lookup decoder. Whereas Martin guitars have been using a single, consistent numbering system since the 19th century, Gibson has used several different serial number formats since its inception in 1902, meaning that some formats and numbers overlap across decades. Additionally, 490T/498R Alnico split-coil humbuckers are now used, a six- position switch, a standard Tune-o-matic bridge and stop tailpiece. ?s first ever! The number of digits was changed to 9 in total. The guitar was actually designated as an "L6 Midnight Special" by Gibson note; the absence of the "S". With a re-designed angled cut-away pick-guard. I have tried using the serial numbers to find out where it came from but I can't find anything. The L6-S Custom was designed by Bill Lawrence with 'Q-system' electronics (short for EQ), somewhat similar to those in the Gibson Ripper. Made in USA, serial number 921683. Gibson Headstock Logos Through The Decades. How can I tell what type of Les Paul I have. I don't recall mine being stamped, but then, it was never an issue in those days that anyone cared about, so I'd have no reason to remember that. Deep & Dirty: 5 Dangerous Guitars, Best Short Scale Bass 2022: Essential Guide To 6 Of The Best, Best Acoustic Bass Guitar. The Junior, Special, Standard, and the Custom hit the stores shortly after 1952. Gibson Serial Numbers - All Good Vintage Guitars Gibson L6-S. Reply #1 on: September 16, 2010, 03:14:00 AM . Its important to point out Nashville and Memphis Custom Shop models are unique, even one off serial numbers. After 1950, headstocks had uniform thickness. With an 8 digit serial number, the following applies: July 2005 saw the 8 digit serial system replaced by another digit. Authority Guitar Top Tip: If you find your serial number doesnt yield any results, press crtl & f and enter the beginning of your serial number. There were minute changes to which letters were connected in the font between 1961 to 1981, but the main logo had the same look. This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats, details required for an exact match are listed in yellow. They have very hot ceramic pickups and Carlos Santana endorsed them for awhile in the 70s. Some 2,000 L6-S Midnight Special instruments were produced, with maple body, and bolt-on 3 piece maple neck with a maple fingerboard and a maple face on the head-stock, these Colors were available; Natural Maple, Wine Red & Ebony. During this time Gibson acquired the recording talents of a ceratin Les Paul. Later, the guitar was modified by English luthier Tony Zemaitis and the black pickguard was changed with a handmade metal pickguard. What kind of guitar do you think this could be? Three more outrageous designs were brought to the forefront with the Flying V, the Explorer, and the Moderne. Pickup Configuration: HH. That's the L6-S Custom you're talking about, not the Deluxe. It was like this when I bought it. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. As seen in the video is a 1978 Gibson L6-S in Natural with Block Inlays with the original case. The script logo continues without the slant. People on these sites are worth theyre weight in gold, and somebody may spot something unknown to us. The closest most notable information is as follows. Louis, That serial number can only reveal that it is a Gibson made in Nashville, TN on February 7th of 1996. You can join a Gibson or Vintage based guitar blog and send pictures of your acoustic online. It was designed in 1972 and first released in 1973. The remit was to create a guitar with as varied an array of sounds as possible, without overly-complicated electronics, and something that could compete with Fenders six string range. According to what I've read online it should be either 6 digits (for pre-75) or something along the lines of 00, 99, 06, etc. Mike Oldfield used this model around 1979 for the recording of Incantations and for the tour. For 1975, the first two digits were 99. It shipped throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s, with a little over 18000 instruments produced in total; certainly one of the most successful of Gibson's seventies guitars. 1968, 1969. 101,000-101,300s Byrdland. The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. Zing Instruments is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. Privacy Policy | Part lists and schematics for the Gibson L6-S Custom and L6-S Deluxe.
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