What year is this???

[UKyank]

OK, I've consulted "The Gibson Les Paul Book, A complete history of Les Paul guitars" and I'm more confused then ever. The mystery? Gibson Les Paul Gold Top Deluxe. Headstock has Les Paul model, Gibson with the "dot" over the i all letters connected, truss rod cover with Deluxe. Neck has Made in USA stamped under stamped 6 digit serial number 7344XX. Is it the first and 5th numbers? I didn't think that started until they used 8 digits. Any help would be appreciated. Cheers

[diceman]

I'm not sure on the Serial Number - but could you say a little more about the construction? Is it a pancake or 1 piece body? 1 or 3 piece neck? Short or Transitional length neck tenon (is there a small tongue from the tenon in the neck pickup cavity?)? Volute?

I could help you a little more if I knew that info.

[UKyank]

3 piece neck, Volute and I'm thinking 3 piece body...you can see the seem on the side.

[b-squared]

Does it have the headstock volute?



If yes, then it's a '70-'72 model.

Here's a link to the info:

Gibson Guitar Dating

BB

[diceman]

Thats a good year! Mine is a '69 - only difference is the volute and mine is a 1 piece body.

If yours is a 70-72, it has the "pancake" body (layered), and the neck joint is the "transitional long tenon" - same as the revered "long tenon" only the tongue is cut off.

[diceman]

A pancake body:

[UKyank]

Thanks guys. My wife bought it thinking it was a 78, I thought it was a 76, but after your insights I now believe it to be a 70-72. I just had some work done on it and it is now my favorite. Cheers. Oh and before you ask you can see pics on the introduce yourself section thread titled Chinese > American Les Pauls. lol

[diceman]

If it is a 70-72, it'll have to have the trans tenon, which will look like mine in that neck pup cavity:

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Thanks guys. My wife bought it thinking it was a 78, I thought it was a 76, but after your insights I now believe it to be a 70-72. I just had some work done on it and it is now my favorite. Cheers. Oh and before you ask you can see pics on the introduce yourself section thread titled Chinese > American Les Pauls. lol

You should look at the numbers on the pots inside the control cavity on the back to get a more exact time that the guitar was made. The pots are the round metal back parts of the volume and tone controls (in case you didn't klow). You have to take the larger back plate off to see them. if the pots are original, they will give you a good indication of the year it was made. They could have dust or oxidation on them; if so, you can gently wipe it off. Some of the numbers on the pots could be covered with solder; but with 4 pots, it is likely that at least one of them will give you the info you need. There are 2 sets of dumbers on the pots; one is like this: 70-028. That one means nothing in dating the guitar. The other set will be like this: 1377210. The last 4 digits indicate the year and week the pots were made. In this case, 72 = 1972 and 10 = 10th week of 1972. So the pots would have been made in the 10th week of 1972. The guitar would have been made shortly after than, maybe a few days or weeks. In some rare cases, a few months or more than a year. But in most cases, only a few weeks. By looking at the pots, certain "landmark" changes in the guitar (one piece / 3 piece neck, logo has a dot / no dot, logo letters open / closed, volute / no volute, type of pickups, bridge, knobs, coloring, size of head, long / short / transitional tenon, type of frets, heavy / light tail piece, etc., etc., etc.), and the serial number, you should be able to narrow down when it was made.

[UKyank]

7251. So 1972 51st week.

[b-squared]

A New Year's guitar.

BB

[diceman]

That is a cool guitar.

Congrats - 72/73 is generally a more desirable year than 76 or 78 - you done good!

[shotgunlew]

Good year, sweet guitar!

[JimmyAce2006]

Originally Posted by UKyank

7251. So 1972 51st week.

I would say it is a 73 because traditionally the Gibson factory has shut down for the holidays on December 15. Plus it would be real hard to get those pots into a guitar that fast & have it stamped & completed & inspected in a week. Besides, if it was a 1972 model, it would probably have the Gibson logo embossed on the pickup covers.

[dwagar]

and it'll have a mahogany neck and have been made in Kalamazoo.

nice find.

[dennistruckdriver]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Any help would be appreciated. Cheers

It is 2008 here, where I am.

[djwilbanks]

Originally Posted by dennistruckdriver

It is 2008 here, where I am.

beat me to it!

[UKyank]

It is 2008 here, where I am.

I forgot this site has an above average population of smart asses.

[Ziggy Stardust]

Hi, I'm sorry to hijack your thread. As I said in the other thread, I got a hand of a 73 Les Paul. At least I got told it was a 73.

The serial number is 1305xx

When I tried the serial number calculator I got this:

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

some info about the guitar:
Les Paul Goldtop, no headstock volute (It doesn't lookt that way from the pictures,
but it has had a headstock repair so the pictures may lie?) I don't think it's a sandwich
body, it looks like a 1 piece back, and one piece neck.. it might be a 3 piece neck.. hard to tell. And the p-90 was standard, it's no holes after the mini-humbuckers.

The serial number is stamped into the back of the headstock, together with Made in USA.