Gibson serial numbers 1952 to 1961, solidbody model

Gibson Mandolin Serial Number Lookup

Mandolin Identification Guide

The Gibson F-5L is essentially the top of the standard (lacquer finish) line, not including their Artist models. This is what Gibson itself has to say about it: “The F-5L, introduced in 1978, marked the beginning of a return to the specifications of Lloyd Loar's original F-5 Master Model mandolins of 1922-24. Today's F-5 sets the standard by which all other mandolins are judged.” Not too. Next, check for the serial number on the back of the headstock. It should have a serial number on top. Modern numbers are 9 digits but older/vintage Gibson guitars are much shorter. It should also have 'Made in USA' underneath the serial number. Only the newer ones have the year on them so it's not necessarily a fake if it's not there. The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Was founded by Orville Gibson in 1902. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Gibson founded the company to make mandolin-family instruments. By the 1930s, the company was also making flattop acoustic guitars, as well as one of the first commercially available hollow-body electric guitars, used and popularized.

GIBSON SERIALIZATION Identifying Gibson instruments by serial number is tricky at best and downright impossible in some cases. The best methods of identifying them is by using a combination of the serial number, the factory order number and any features that are particular to a specific time that changes may have occurred in instrument. Gibson Guitars and Basses For over a century, Gibson stringed instruments have set the standard for excellence. From masterpiece mandolins and the very first archtops to genre-defining solidbodies like the Les Paul, there is no limit to the innovations brought about by Gibson's luthiers.

A number stamped with ink on the back of the headstock.
Gibson's solid bodys were released in 1952. Gibson did not use serial numbers at that time but started in 1953.
The first digit of the series number is the last digit of the year. If the stamped number consists of 5 digits, there is a space between the first and second digit (a separation between the last digit of the year and the actual serial number).
If it concerns a 6-digit serial number, there is no space, because the highest 4-digit number (9999) has been exceeded and the space therefore fills up. This was the case in the years 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960.
In 1955, Gibson forgot to reset the series of serial numbers to 0001.
So they had only set the year from 4 to 5. For this reason the series of 4 digit serial numbers was exceeded after 9999.
Hence 5 digits and no space between the year (5) and the serial number. (after 5 9999 came 510 000)
Apparently the production was high in 1956 because 6 9999 is exceeded. Also in 1959 and 1960 there was a high production, 9 9999 is exceeded to 932 000 or higher.
Thus, from the production in 1959, a 1, 2 or 3 may be the second digit.
Gibson stopped the stamped serial numbers at the end of 1960, although a few instruments were made in 1961 with a 1 as a prefix. Some lap steels and Les Paul's from 1961 have such a serial number.
Another exception to the above rules is in the fall of 1958, where some Les Paul Juniors and Specials had a four-digit serial number.

1st digit	PRODUCTION YEAR
None	1952
3	1953
4	1954
5	1955
6	1956
7	1957
8 At the end of 1958, a number of LP Juniors/Specials had a four-digit serial number without a prior annual digit	1958
9	1959
0	1960
1 (rare)	1961

Gibson serial numbers, from February 1961 until 1970
Gibson started in 1961 with a new series numbering system.
They wanted to apply a more structured series of sequences, but in practice the opposite happened. Numbers were reused during this period, and in many cases the numbers were not strictly applied for successive years.
Free download tera copy pronewpride. For all models, the serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock. A number of serial numbers were duplicated from 1963
to 1969.
From this period the 5-digit and 6-digit numbers are easy to confuse and give an incorrect year.
Fan made fire emblem games.

0100 - 42440	1961
42441 - 61180	1962
61450 - 64222	1963
64240 - 71040	1964
71041 - 96600	1962 (some 1963 and 1964)
96601 - 99999	1963
000001 - 099999	1967 (all 6-digit numbers starting with 0. are 1967)
100000 - 106099	1963 or 1967
106100 - 106899	1963
109000 - 109999	1963 or 1967
110000 - 111549	1963
111550 - 115799	1963 or 1967
115800 - 118299	1963
118300 - 120999	1963 or 1967
121000 - 139999	1963
140000 - 140100	1963 or 1967
140101 - 144304	1963
144305 - 144380	1964
144381 - 149864	1963
149865 - 149891	1964
149892 - 152989	1963
152990 - 174222	1964
174223 - 176643	1964 or 1965
176644 - 250335	1964
250336 - 305983	1965
306000 - 310999	1965 or 1967
311000 - 320149	1965
320150 - 320699	1967
320700 - 329179	1965
329180 - 330199	1965 or 1967
330200 - 332240	1965, 1967 or 1968
332241 - 348092	1965
348093 - 349100	1966
349121 - 368638	1965
368640 - 369890	1966

Gibson Mandolin Serial Number Guide