2=Model, 8=8year, 123 place in manufacturing sequence. 1958 saw a leap of faith with the first semi-hollow-bodied electric guitar. 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. 1990+ saw interest in vintage models reignite. Gibson L6-S (We have only seen block inlays used in first year) with ultra rare "script style" headstock logo. 2=Model, 8=8year, 123 place in manufacturing sequence. At this time we have scattered information regarding (CS) Custom Shop serial coding. Number of Frets: 24. [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. or maybe 76? Your previous content has been restored. GIBSON L6S or L6-S Electric Guitar (Natural) with no serial number Later, the guitar was modified by English luthier Tony Zemaitis and the black pickguard was changed with a handmade metal pickguard. Undercut Fret binding for quicker fingers. Lee has been playing guitar for over 25 years. ex 312345 is from the year 1953 and so on. Copyright 2021 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. light rain, clear sky, few clouds. 1957 Seth Lover, a Gibson engineer finalizes the Humbucker featuring a double single-coil. I played one of the brand new L6S Gibsons back in 74 when I was a poor student - didn't get to own one until a few years ago when I found one at Guitar Center and had it imported to the UK. This guitar is in good condition, and in perfect working order. Gibson L6-S. Reply #1 on: September 16, 2010, 03:14:00 AM . 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. 801000-812838. The extra digit slots in the 6th position and is responsible for the batch lot number of the guitar produced that day. This guitar has the serial number 00143450, and this dates it to 1976. The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. Your purchases help youth music programs get the gear they need to make music. From 1935 to 1942, the FON included a letter suffix. Read the rest of this article at the Bill Lawrence website. I'm a big fan of the L-6S Custom too - mine plays beautifully. Early L6-S examples were built at Gibson's famous Kalamazoo plant, though by the mid 1970s, the L6S was being produced at Gibson's second plant, the newly opened facility at Nashville. https://photos.app.goo.gl/r8nbMi8nFQFtcPog8. Gibson L6-S Custom 1973 - 1980 | Reverb Some serials were only 3 digits long. Replicas like the 59 and 60 flame top Les Paul send players into a buying frenzy. This website possesses NO DATABASE of guitars made by manufactures, 13 Affordable Made In America Guitars. How to Date a Gibson Using Serial Numbers, FONs and Logos, 1 to 7900 (some with letter, some without), 907, 910, 923, 2004, 2005, 7000s (all with banner logo), 1100s to 3700s (move from script to block logo). Haunted Gibson '76 L6-S Electric Guitar with Original Case. Unlike the majority of L6-Ss this instrument has a two-piece scratchplate, old-style headstock script, and block inlays. Please post any comments, particularly bugs in the user feedback Neck Material: Maple. 101,000-101,300s Byrdland. Tilt back body, anybody know ? That's the L6-S Custom you're talking about, not the Deluxe. What kind of guitar do you think this could be? The first number is the year. Guitar comes with non original theme matching case in very good condition, Here for sale 1976 Gibson L6-S Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst. The neck is straight with no issues and plays great. p.s. The first two digits are the year, and the next 7 digits are the serial number. February 2, 2010 in Gibson USA, Where could I find LS6-s # 963461 , thanks. The original logo featured the words "The Gibson" inlaid in pearl at a slant, with an almost hand-written cursive font. According to Gibson data available online the guitar in question was built from the famous Kalamazoo, Michigan. Acoustic & Electric Low Priced Options, The Fender CD 60SCE Electro/Acoustic Guitar Review, Best 1/2 Size Guitar: Acoustic/Nylon/Electric Guitars For 4-12 Year Olds. Specimens built before 1902 had a star inlay or crescent in place of a logo. Jeroena1990 are you sure that is your serial number.Without these first numbers this will narrow it down even more. Other notable variations from this time period are a 5 character serial number starting with a number, then a space, and 4 digits. or 75? FONs were Gibsons way of internally tracking batches of instruments throughout production. Its difficult to know without pics. Script logo was used on the original prototype that Carlos Santana used for his consultation with Gibson, but we've never seen it on a production version (the first prototype had no serial number, but this one does - Weird / Please . Ha. Got an opinion on the contents of this page? 12 Reliable Options, The Best Clip On Guitar Tuner & Top Pedal Tuner Reviews, Focusrite Scarlett VS Clarett Interface. 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. Deep & Dirty: 5 Dangerous Guitars, Best Short Scale Bass 2022: Essential Guide To 6 Of The Best, Best Acoustic Bass Guitar. Examples -. Sold Out. Gibson L6-S Rare Appointments | Reverb And there might be a number after the four it's hard to tell See the L6-S controls for a reminder of the function of the three potentiometers. Gibson has historically used two different alpha-numerical formats to catalog its instruments: serial numbers and FONs (Factory Order Numbers). Lee is the founder of Authority Guitar, a site where he wants readers to enjoy every aspect of learning the guitar. Unlike other brands of guitars, Gibson keeps it simple. 828002-847488. i'll put up some pics sometime this week. 5 Types of Strings We Love, Best Capo 2022: Everything You Need To Know, Most Comfortable Guitar Strap. The early pups were 5-sided humbuckers (1973-75) and the later pups were . Yet you may come across these serial numbers between 1970-75. [more], Gibson L6-S Custom - Santana Calls it His Rainbow (1974)Actually, it's the Gibson L6-S. Still to this day, all Gibson instruments are installed with the Ted McHugh design. However, while the intent was to maintain a more organized catalog, this system in practice achieved the exact opposite. Shame we didnt have this system back in 1935 eh! 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. Or I've used it as a spare for shows, and had people ask, "What IS that?". Each L6S is now setup on the Plek machine, resulting in consistently good action direct from the factory. Quote from: Guitarman@guitarsofheroes;14762. whats a 5 sided humbucker? The neck is straight with no issues and plays great. What Is The Difference? Potentiometer codes are always helpful. What does that tell me? This usually indicates there is an imperfection or blemish to the finish. Made in USA, serial number 921683. LS6-s Serial NUmbers - Gibson USA - Gibson Brands Forums The headstock was sanded and a metal pickguard was made to cover the logo. The dot inlay neck was produced between 1975-80 so I'm thinking you guitar was made in 1975. The closest most notable information is as follows. Dhangarwadi Pin code is 431703 and postal head office is . (Ver. Other finishes did exist (including a very fetching Cherry Sunburst) but were produced in vastly lower numbers. The adjustable truss rod and height-adjustable bridge. GOOD LUCK. The Best Fingerstyle Guitar: 5 Affordable Acoustic Guitars For You. Its simple enough with our Gibson Serial Number lookup decoder. It was designed in 1972 and first released in 1973. Just enter the number below, hit the 'Decode' button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from (sometimes even down the exact day), the country it was made in, and the manufacturing plant. There are no cracks, repairs, or issues. With an 8 digit serial number, the following applies: July 2005 saw the 8 digit serial system replaced by another digit. Number of Strings: 6-String. In 1974 a second model was released (the Midnight Special), and in 1975 a third, the Deluxe (see a 1976 L6-S Deluxe) was launched at the '75 Summer NAMM show. and, off course, it plays like butter. Gibson state that all 6 digit numbers starting with 0, are from 1967. Because the L6-S lets you color your sound any way you want with tone and mid-range control and a six-position sound switch. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Ive spoken to them a while back, theyre really helpful. My original prototype had a beautiful, elegantly-shaped pickguard, but somebody changed that too. Gibson L6-S Electric Guitar >> Vintage Guitar and Bass 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. You should be able to use this guide to determine the year of your instrument and then consult the Reverb Price Guide to find its value, all for free. 6 Digits in total. Anyway, I am not too bothered about that. On the rare occasion it isnt there, you can check the pots where youll find the date (unless the pots havent been swapped out at a later date, that is). http://forums.gibson.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=109732[/quote']. . Schecter Guitars Review. Each had its own unique scratchplate. This is the serial number: 94046571. thanks. Does anyone know anything about the lack of serial . By wmartin27 May 1, 2014 in Gibson USA. Privacy Policy | So naturally, Gibson added to the family with the double-cutaway SG models and the classy Firebirds from 1963. 1921 saw the introduction of one of the most important developments in guitar history. Early Gibson solidbody electrics received a serial stamp on the back of the headstock, with the first number indicating the year of production. In 1969 Gibson began carving volutes-- small bumps of additional wood where the neck transitions to the headstock-- to cut down on warranty repair work. 750000-750999. The guitar shown below was in the 1973 Gibson Look Ahead to Gibson flyer. Tap this link. wmartin27. This page will then be highlighted in all the results starting with the numbers/letters youve entered. The 6-position switch in the original L6-S previously provided all possible connections of two pickups. It's serialnumber is stamped in the headstock (969062). 14 KM from Sengaon. Nationa High Way :NH752K;NH361F in Distance 93.7 KM ( Ahmedpur - Gangakhed Road ) Nationa High Way :NH161E;NH753C in Distance 96.3 KM ( Karanja Bypass ) Nationa High Way :NH161A in Distance 93.9 KM ( Nagpur-Mumbai Highway ) It is unknown what type of L6-S it is. There were minute changes to which letters were connected in the font between 1961 to 1981, but the main logo had the same look. The serial number is 6 digits and starts with a 1. Click on the images for larger copies. The Serial process from 1952 was clearer. Numbers from this era were flipped, reused, and in many cases can date an instrument to several non-sequential years. 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. By Year=2017 Serial=1234567. Gibson L6-S. Model Sub-Family: Gibson L-6 S Custom. The Official Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide 2023 is out now, vintageguitarandbass.com 2004-2023 | terms and conditions | donate. 25.1C to 31.8C. It was like this when I bought it. Gibson flexes its muscles by producing the worlds first digital guitar. Some out of necessity, or maybe we just fancy something fresh and new to play with. National Highways Reachable To Sengaon. 2=ES-295, 3=1963 ES-335 (block inlays), 4=ES-330, 5=ES-345 & 9=1959 ES-335 (dot inlays). ex 1234 A & 1234 A5. Some instruments may have been alder-bodied too. 1978 The First Re-Issues were produced featuring the F-SL, the Heritage Les Paul (1980), and the Heritage Korinas (1982). The Gibson ES-150 was endorsed by Charlie Christian. Deciphering the serial number is another job entirely, and made more complicated because they chopped and changed the naming convention so much over the years. The pickups are pretty hot. Please, Gibson L6 "Midnight Special" in Champagne / TV Sparkle, Here for sale 1976 Gibson L6-S Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst. Fortunately, there were two notable changes to the entire lineup that occurred during the transition that make differentiating 60s and 70s Gibsons straightforward. I need help: Identifying a mid 1960's Gibson/Kalamazoo. According to bluebookinc.com it has to be a 1968 model, though Wikipedia says that the L6S Deluxe was build between 1974 and 1979. Three more outrageous designs were brought to the forefront with the Flying V, the Explorer, and the Moderne. Gibson Determining exactly when your Gibson specimen was made can have high stakes attached to it. Gibson stopped dotting the i in their logo on some of their instruments. Gibson Guitar Serial Dating - Guitar Nucleus 7 Of The Very Best, Best Epiphone Acoustic Guitar: You Can Own One For Less Than You Realize, Best Fender Acoustic Guitar. ex A-28123. Our hope is to make the dating process and, in turn, the valuation as easy, accurate and transparent as possible. Strung through the body, with a "String Plate" mounted on back instead of string furrel holes. Well, the 6 digit serial number indicates a guitar produced between 1970-75 so your memory is still holding strong. 1937-45 Saw the birth of the superb J-200 acoustic guitars. There are many accessories and extras guitarists need from time to time. 8 Beautiful Acoustics You Need In Your Life, Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar in 2022. The L-6S Custom was finally promoted (as a close out line) in the 1981 Gibson Specials pre owners manual in June 1981. A GREAT guitar - you can download the serial numbers off the Gibson site and match your serial number into the range. Hey Kathie. When only one variant of the L6-S existed, it was simply called the L6-S. As always, to receive the best possible information available, be sure to type your serial info into our decoder above. either way i'm wondering if mine has the real deal bill lawrence super humbuckers or not. Most models get a dotted i again in 1972, with the rest following suit from 1981 onward. gibson L6-S (Guitarsite) CAD Shipping figures do not split by finish in 1973/74, but early examples were often shipped with very attractive burst finishes, often mostly red (Cherry Sunburst) or mostly brown (Tobacco Sunburst). There are some scratches, dings and wear on the back. Might be worth posting in the LP section also. [more], Gibson L6-S Custom - L6-S. 5 Packs That Are Perfect For Your Guitar, 7 Best Guitar Strings for Metal: Reviews and Comparison. Overall, I would rate the condition a solid 7 5 out of 10. 121964. EBO Bass maybe 69 ? The companys first solid-body guitar was released under the name Gibson Les Paul. Here is a summary of the serial number, model, and year. On rare occasions, some dates can be found on the electric guitar pots. 2. The L6-S was the first cooperation between Bill Lawrence and Gibson. A-28123 = Gibson ES-295 1998 123rd in the sequence. A-28123 = Gibson ES-295 1998 123rd in the sequence. It was designed in 1972 and first released in 1973. This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats, Gibson L6 "Midnight Special" Rare Vintage "Secret" Guitar, 1974-76, 1976 Gibson L6-S Deluxe in Tobacco Sunburst 7 3lbs, 1976 Gibson L6-S Custom paint / Relic / Di Marzio Super Distortion, Haunted Gibson '76 L6-S Electric Guitar with Original Case, RARE Vintage 1980s Gibson L-6S Custom Silverburst 24 Fret Electric Guitar + Case, 1977 Gibson L6-S Electric Solidbody Guitar Natural With Original Hardshell Case, Gibson L6-S Natural Wood Finish w / Bigsby Bridge - Clone, Gibson L6-S DELUXE Natural HH Maple Body Vintage W / OHSC, Gibson L6-S Custom, 24 Frets (Gibson? Any thoughts? I think I got it all right more of a process of ilimination figuring this one out. This didn't make any sense to me, and after several meetings with marketing, I convinced them to introduce a completely new solid-body that offered a wide variety of different sounds. *Weve tirelessly searched the internet for every record, the information gathered is the most accurate we could find. Punkrocker 'Claus Danger' from the Scandinavian garage-rock scene, has been using an all black 1978 version since 1996 for both concerts and recording sessions around the world. I have owned four L6S Gibsons over the years and all had the clear decal with gold serial number applied to the back of the headstock that was used . This page was last edited on 25 December 2022, at 17:46. 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. GIBSON GARAGE FIND A DEALER GIBSON APP. Gibson L6-S - famous users >> Vintage Guitar and Bass In 1970, Gibson started stamping "Made In U.S.A" on the back of headstock, below the six digit serial number. Gibson Guitars have an email address you can contact to confirm any details they have, but im guessing we have the same information as them. The general system was as follows, though with instruments from this era its important to consult key features to get a more accurate age approximation. Its also essential to have the correct information if youre considering buying or selling a guitar. The decoder says 1961, Kalamazoo, Mi. It also featured a 24 fret two-octave neck. But, Im a member on a blog where the guys are very helpful. Further amazing releases saw the worlds first robotic technology-based guitar. Scroll down to our Manual Checklist and youll almost certainly find a serial number very close to your own. Discovering your guitars history can be a very rewarding thing to do. Certainly some early L6-S guitars had the block inlay seen here rather than the more usual dot inlays. Or 121984. instead simple serial code patterns that are available on this site and in the wider guitar community are used. All Rights Reserved. Date Your Guitar. These particular models do not have serial numbers on the back of the headstock. One of them unusual Gibson from the 70s! This guitar is 100% original and comes with the original Gibson hardshell case. [more], Need the value of your guitar? Completely stock except for grover tuners which have been replaced, Gibson L6-S Custom, 24 Frets (Gibson? The serial number is 6 digits and starts . Currency: Canada, 9 xxx = 1989 (4 digit number beginning with "9" used only in 1989) I have owned four L6S Gibsons over the years and all had the clear decal with gold serial number applied to the back of the headstock that was used from 1975 - 77. . There are no cracks, repairs, or issues. Purchased from the original owner. stormcharger You can join a Gibson or Vintage based guitar blog and send pictures of your acoustic online. Gibson L6-S shipping statistics and pricing - Vintage guitar 530994-539999. Is this a real Fender Bass or a good copy? Zing Instruments is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. The Gibson L6-S is a solid body electric guitar. Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar in 2023. Once it reaches 699, the next guitar stamp goes back to 500. In the 1990's he made a few TV appearances in London and supported a few big bands at festivals. Enter your full serial details into our decoder to get a much closer idea of the production year: Unfortunately, this is where we start to cross over. 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. Disagree with something written above? No ebony fretboard model is on sale. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. An ink stamp on the back of the headstock which included either 5 or 6 digits. Starting in 1961, Gibson implemented a new serialization system designed to cover its entire lineup. Our decoder will give you all of the information in both cases. Even with these changes, the early production L6-S was still an excellent performer. Who Does it Better? This is similar to what is on offer in some current Les Pauls. The King Of Affordable Guitars. Gibson serial numbers that begin with an A or B followed by a hyphen are from the ES collection Reissues, since 1995. It is located 29 KM towards west from District head quarters Hingoli. please do not give me **** about the stickers. All models were dropped from price lists in 1979. Gibsons earliest serialization system was more or less sequential, where each new instrument was assigned the next highest available number. Now, instead, according to the Gibson literature, the series in-phase, series out of phase, and parallel out of phase positions have been deleted in favor of 3 new split-coil positions utilizing "four-conductor split-coil wiring" resulting in these selections: bridge humbucker, bridge single coil, both single, both humbucking, neck single and neck humbucking. I bought this new back in 74? Ernie Ball vs DAddario String Comparison 2022, What Are Best Acoustic Guitar Strings For Beginners? The current L6S neck does not feature the unique "narrow at the nut and wider near the body" taper of the 1970s guitar, but a conventional Gibson shape. As seen in the video is a 1978 Gibson L6-S in Natural with Block Inlays with the original case. or are those just regular gibson LP style humbuckers? Nashville Manufacturing Plant opens in 1974. 2014 the world is introduced to Min-Etune. ), the pickups, the type of finish, and the electronics inside that can give clues as to when an instrument was made. Humbucker vs P90 guitar pickups. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. Based on the serial number the guitar appears to have been manufactured November 21, 1978 in Nashville, TN. I was in my 20s and played in a punk rock band when I bought this for $250. Decode. Gibson L6-S shipping statistics are available from 1973-1979, with the final inclusion in a Gibson US price . Gibson L6-S schematics & parts lists >> Vintage Guitar and Bass Here is the elaborate list of serial number ranges derived from existing 1976 Gibsons, based on a little over 1,000 instruments. The neck uses Gibson construction: a maple fingerboard over the trussrod and maple neck, rather than an insert in the back of the neck like Fender maple fingerboard/necks. ex 3 1234. The seven-digit number that probably starts with 137 is found on the back of the pot can. 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. Neck is straight and plays great all the way up and down. I have an ES 135, Serial Number 00002305. The serial number on this Les Paul Junior indicates that it was made in 1956. There are 4 comments on this article so far. Hello, I encountered a problem while trieng to determine the age of my L6S Deluxe. There are some scratches, dings and wear on the back. Please check the fields highlighted in red. reply; Re: gibson L6-S. Posted by Peter O on Wed, 11/27/2002 - 12:24. . ?s first ever!