What year is my pre 1978 LP?

[Chicago John]

Hi guys, this is my first post. I have been playing for over 30 years and I have 2 LPs, my main guitar being an old tobacco sunburst standard which I bought used about 25 years ago and the "baby" of the family, a 1999 honeyburst standard that plays wonderfully. I usually play through a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket, but I'm eyeing a Mesa Lonestar Special . My question is about the old LP. Its serial number is 109623, and I can't pin it down. If anyone could identify its year or place of origin (Kalamazoo or otherwise) I'd appreciate the help.

[b-squared]

A pic or two would be awesome.

Is the serial inked or stamped, and is it stamped "Made in USA?"

Oh--Welcome to the forum!

BB

[Chicago John]

Thanks! The serial number is stamped, and below is stamped "MADE IN USA." Here's a quick picture of it.
old_lp.jpg

[blakem]

Look at the serial #'s on the pots..they will have the date

[Chicago John]

Thanks, I will take a look and tell you what I see...

[Mike60]

circa 1971-72 I believe...

although you are saying it is a Standard,so it could be a '74.

[Chicago John]

Thanks, Mike. Standards weren't produced in 1971 and 1972?

[Boleskinehouse]

To my knowledge, Standards were not a regular model until '76. It has either been routed for full sized humbuckers or someone ordered it that way. Either way, it's a Deluxe. I'm pretty sure that finish wasn't available until '73. So I'm guessing '73 or '74. '75 and later have easily decoded serial numbers.

[blakem]

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

To my knowledge, Standards were not a regular model until '76. It has either been routed for full sized humbuckers or someone ordered it that way. Either way, it's a Deluxe. I'm pretty sure that finish wasn't available until '73. So I'm guessing '73 or '74. '75 and later have easily decoded serial numbers.

Hey Vlad! Whats up?! Impale anyone lately?

[Boleskinehouse]

hi hi hiiiiiiii

[Chicago John]

Thanks for the info. I always assumed it was a Standard because it said "Standard" on the truss rod cover, but those are very easy to change

[blakem]

What are the #'s on the pots? Let us know and we can tell you the year..

[Chicago John]

OK, the only one I can make out is: 1348048 DiMarzio 500k. I would have to take them out to inspect the others because there's solder and wires blocking the view.

[Boleskinehouse]

The one you can read at least is not original. I was afraid of that. You can be pretty sure it is a '72-'74.

[Chicago John]

Thanks, you narrowed down the possible years for me compared to what I had before.

[blakem]

Originally Posted by Chicago John

OK, the only one I can make out is: 1348048 DiMarzio 500k. I would have to take them out to inspect the others because there's solder and wires blocking the view.

bummer...A great axe none the less!! Norlins Rule...Great guitars!

[Chicago John]

Thanks, it plays great, and weighs a ton

[Boleskinehouse]

The bridge alone probably weighs 5 pounds. I haven't seen many LPs with that bridge. I've seen a lot of SGs with it. I wonder if it's original?

[slowhand0461]

From The Guitar Dater Project....with the info that is here anyway's

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Kalamazoo or Nashville Plant , USA
approximately in: 1970, 1971 or 1972


The Guitar Dater Project - Gibson Serial Number Decoder

[Chicago John]

I wish I knew! I bought it used many years ago and it came with the guitar. The tailpiece is a replacement which I put in after the original (extremely light- probably aluminum, but with a cheap chrome paintjob) had gotten quite pitted, although I kept it.

[Boleskinehouse]

Originally Posted by slowhand0461

From The Guitar Dater Project....with the info that is here anyway's

Guitar Info
Your guitar was made at the
Kalamazoo or Nashville Plant , USA
approximately in: 1970, 1971 or 1972


The Guitar Dater Project - Gibson Serial Number Decoder

There was no Nashville plant yet. And I know that finish wasn't available in '70 or '71. '72, possibly. You can't trust the guitar dater thing until the serial numbers went to the first and fifth numbers for the year in '77. It HAD to be made in Kalamazoo.

[Chicago John]

.

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by Chicago John

Thanks! The serial number is stamped, and below is stamped "MADE IN USA." Here's a quick picture of it.
Attachment 9253

Does it have a pancake body? (my guess is yes) Is the neck made out of maple or mahogany? Standards were discontinued in mid 1969. If I remember correctly from the shipping totals, they made some Standards in 1974 again, but began regular production again in 1976. A 1974 model would have a mahogany neck. A 1976 model would have a maple neck. Just a guess, but with that serial number, I would think it is a 74 just because they phased out that serial number system in mid 1975. However, some guitars that were made in Kalamazoo (as opposed to the Nashville plant that opened in 1974) continued using that serial number system through 1978-79. But most likely I think it is a 74 model with a mahogany neck.

Sounds like you could be a little unsure as to whether the truss rod cover is original; if not, it could be a Deluxe model. Does it say Deluxe above the serial number on the back of the head? That color did not come out until 1972 on Deluxes / Customs. Did it come with full sized humbuckers or did it come with mini humbuckers & get routed for the larger ones that are in it? It would be helpful to see a pic of the back of the head and the back of the neck and the inside of the neck pickup cavity.

If it is a 1974 Standard, it is sort of rare, looks nice.

[Boleskinehouse]

Nashville plant didn't open until '75.

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

There was no Nashville plant yet. And I know that finish wasn't available in '70 or '71. '72, possibly. You can't trust the guitar dater thing until the serial numbers went to the first and fifth numbers for the year in '77. It HAD to be made in Kalamazoo.

That guitar dater is way wrong on a lot of early 70s Gibsons. You just can't use it for that time period & even Gibson admits on their web site that you have to look at the serial, pots, and when certain landmark features were changed on the guitars over time.

[Boleskinehouse]

Pretty cool. I had no idea they made Standards in '74.

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

Nashville plant didn't open until '75.

It was 1974. This is an excerpt from Gibson's web site:

However, it has come to light recently that the Kalamazoo plant did not directly switch over to the “new” 8
digit serialization method in 1977. When the Nashville Gibson plant was opened in 1974, it was decided
that the bulk of the production of products would be run in the South; the Kalamazoo plant would produce
the higher end (fancier) models in the North. Of course, many of the older guitar builders and craftsmen
were still in Kalamazoo; and if they weren't ready to change how they built guitars, then they may not have
been ready to change how they numbered them! Certain guitar models built in the late 1970s can be used
to demonstrate the old-style 6 digit serial numbers. It is estimated that Gibson's Kalamazoo plant
continued to use the 6 digit serial numbers through 1978 and 1979.

[Boleskinehouse]

Interesting. All my books say '75. June of '75 to be exact. Work on the plant definitely began in '74.

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by Boleskinehouse

Interesting. All my books say '75.

I would trust Gibson's web site more than any book. I have never heard 1975. I have only heard 1974. And since they posted it on their site, I have always used that year in discussions.

[Boleskinehouse]

Originally Posted by JimmyAce2006

I would trust Gibson's web site more than any book. I have never heard 1975. I have only heard 1974. And since they posted it on their site, I have always used that year in discussions.

I'm the opposite. I don't trust anything Gibson says about themselves. Google hits say '74 too. It doesn't really matter.