Anyone in the know with Gibson serial numbers?

[Sixstring]

I have a friend that came over this evening and brought his Les Paul Custom and LC Mr.335. I was looking at the Paul and noticed the serial numbers only had 6 digits 551543. I tried to find the info online and couldn't make sense of anything I found. The neck is slim so I'm guessing a sixties model or maybe a 50's reissue? It has a push/push coil tap on one of the tone knobs (Bridge) any insight would be appreciated.

 

[musicmishka]

Your guitar was made at the Kalamazoo or Nashville Plant , USA
approximately in: 1974 or 1975...
several things support this: the waffle back tuners, the burgundy color, the made in the USA Stamped into the back of the headstock along with the stamped serial number...the coil tap and the cream pickup surrounds were added later...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Sixstring]

Your guitar was made at the Kalamazoo or Nashville Plant , USA
approximately in: 1974 or 1975...
several things support this: the waffle back tuners, the burgundy color, the made in the USA Stamped into the back of the headstock along with the stamped serial number...the coil tap and the cream pickup surrounds were added later...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the reply, is there a way to confirm this ?

 

[musicmishka]

Guitardaterproject.org.
Use the Gibson vintage panel
I've been playing and collecting Gibson's since 1972... I have owned well over 40 Les Paul's since then. I know these guitars (and also others as well).

The imprinted made in the USA stamp, the tuners, and ESP the Burgundy color nail the guitar as coming from this era...also the tops were not as deeply contoured as those from the 50's and the early '68 reissues...and Gibson went back to the deep top contours in the mid 1980's...they also used a decal on the back of the headstock starting in 1976...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Sixstring]

Guitardaterproject.org.
Use the Gibson vintage panel
I've been playing and collecting Gibson's since 1972... I have owned well over 40 Les Paul's since then. I know these guitars (and also others as well).

The imprinted made in the USA stamp, the tuners, and ESP the Burgundy color nail the guitar as coming from this era...also the tops were not as deeply contoured as those from the 50's and the early '68 reissues...and Gibson went back to the deep top contours in the mid 1980's...they also used a decal on the back of the headstock starting in 1976...

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info man! I will check out the website.

 

[Zwiebelchen]

Wow, what's with this horrible, horrible string job on this 40 year old vintage beauty?

 

[Sixstring]

Wow, what's with this horrible, horrible string job on this 40 year old vintage beauty?

Yup, I know and I let him know believe me. The fret wire is in bad shape as well, almost worn down the the wood. I found out yesterday that another one of his friends had the guitar appraised, in it's current condition was said to be worth in the neighborhood of $5,500 not too bad for a $900 buy 25 years ago from a pawn shop!

 

[Rotti]

I'm sure you can tell the difference in person vs me trying to see in these pics, but wasn't that about the same time as "fretless wonders" we're being made (Norlin)? Maybe the frets aren't as bad as they look?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Sixstring]

I'm sure you can tell the difference in person vs me trying to see in these pics, but wasn't that about the same time as "fretless wonders" we're being made (Norlin)? Maybe the frets aren't as bad as they look?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Oh no, you can't really see it in the pic's that I took as I was focusing more on the headstock and the guitar as a whole. When you look close up at the frets it is painfully obvious they are toast. He's an older gentleman that bought an Xl after he saw my II a few years ago. He came over from the west side for a visit and had me show him how to do some programing. He has been playing on factory presets for the past 9 months .