2017 Les Paul Missing "2017 Model" from Back of Headstock

[trapdoorspider]

I just bought a new Gibson Les Paul Voodoo, and everything about it looks legit. The pots and pickups clearly say Gibson, the printed circuitboard says Gibson, and it came with the warranty papers and Gibson inspection card.

But I noticed there is no "2017" or "2017 Model" stamped into the back of the headstock like most of my other Gibsons. Below the serial number (17001----) it says "MADE IN USA" but that's it.

Did Gibson stop stamping the year on the back of headstocks in 2017, or is there something fishy about my "new" Gibson?

The other question: I thought Gibson only made the Les Paul Voodoo in 2016. So what's this one doing with a 2017 serial number anyway?

 

[tzd]

The number font looks kind of strange too.

Here's one on Reverb:

https://reverb.com/item/3578583-201...o-juju-limited-edition-electric-guitar-w-ohsc

 

[Mowgli5555]

Hmmm... For some reason the serial number font looks off, and the tuners look odd.
Is it possible to see more pictures of the entire guitar? Josh

 

[Cjsinla]

Top of the headstock seems way off. We need more pics.

 

[NJDevil]

The font also has me guessing....more pics?

 

[trapdoorspider]

Here are more photos (there are duplicates for some reason -- sorry!). The pots, headstock

logo, bridge, knobs, and pickups look right to me. Even that crazy/ugly "ju-ju" finish looks correct. But the back of the headstock looks fishy to me.

 

[Skit]

Headstock looks off, Gibson logo is too low, serial number font looks wrong, nut looks wrong. I'm not saying it is or isn't a counterfeit. Those are just my observations.

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/USA/Les-Paul-Voodoo-2016.aspx

Send the pics to [email protected] ask them they should be able to tell you.

 

[Tim Plains]

That does not look fake to me.

 

[MSB]

it doesn't look fake, but that font and heackstock don't look right

 

[jc2000]

I don't think its fake either.

 

[drkato]

I'm curious about something. In the previous serial number scheme of YDDDYBxxx the DDD represented the day of year. In the new scheme is it now YYDDDBxxx? If so, a guitar produced on Jan. 1st of 2017 seems unlikely.

 

[gball]

Guitar is legit. My 2017 SG Standard doesn't have that model year nonsense either and I'm happy that it doesn't. Was a dumb addition to start with.

 

[Cjsinla]

What kind of wood is used for that body? It is light and has very prominent and parallel grain lines. Is that mahogany?

 

[Mowgli5555]

Interesting for sure... The body appears to be something like ash from the looks of it, so that is good.

The back of the headstock just looks a bit odd. It seems like it could have the correct Richlite fretboard from the pictures, also. Josh

 

[trapdoorspider]

Here's what I found out. Beginning in 2016, Gibson went with a new serial numbering system. The first TWO numbers now designate the year. So in this case, it's obviously a 2017 model.
Everything about the materials of this guitar checks out: richlite fretboard, swamp ash body with very prominent grain pattern, maple neck. The Gibson logo looks correct everywhere I can see it, and certainly the pots, controls, and wiring look correct. All the hardware -- tuners, bridge, pickups, tailpiece, toggle switch, knobs -- looks correct. The ONLY thing that looks funny is the way the numbers are stamped on the back of the headstock. If I were going to "fake" a guitar, this seems a hard model to do it, because it has so many difficult features -- especially the body, those dot inlays, etc.

 

[trapdoorspider]

Headstock looks off, Gibson logo is too low, serial number font looks wrong, nut looks wrong. I'm not saying it is or isn't a counterfeit. Those are just my observations.

http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2016/USA/Les-Paul-Voodoo-2016.aspx

Send the pics to [email protected] ask them they should be able to tell you.

I contact them, as you suggested. I have several SG Voodoos, and the position of the headstock logo (you said it's too low) is exactly the same as on those. The nut looks exactly the same. In fact, everything about this guitar -- the swamp ash body with very prominent woodgrain, maple neck, richlite fretboard, bridge, pickups, pots and wiring, knobs and switches, etc., looks correct. To me, anyway. It's just that funny serial number style/font that makes me wonder what's going on.

But I discovered Gibson isn't consistent with anything. I have several Les Paul BFGs. Two of them say "Made in USA" (no periods) on the headstock, and two of them say "Made in U.S.A." (WITH periods).

You said the headstock looks "wrong" but I'm compared it, with those BFGs (measuring every possible dimension) and they match. I don't know what to make of it, but maybe I need to stop obsessing about it.

 

[theroan]

Has Gibson's quality declined so much that even their own products can't immediately be authenticated?

 

[gball]

Has Gibson's quality declined so much that even their own products can't immediately be authenticated?

I've purchased 4 new Gibsons in the last year and a half and I would put the quality up against anything out there.

They have not been consistent with the model year imprint but that is not a quality issue. Here's a random Les Paul Traditional off the Sweetwater site. Same font, no model year.

 

[1allspub]

Here's what I found out. Beginning in 2016, Gibson went with a new serial numbering system. The first TWO numbers now designate the year. So in this case, it's obviously a 2017 model.
Everything about the materials of this guitar checks out: richlite fretboard, swamp ash body with very prominent grain pattern, maple neck. The Gibson logo looks correct everywhere I can see it, and certainly the pots, controls, and wiring look correct. All the hardware -- tuners, bridge, pickups, tailpiece, toggle switch, knobs -- looks correct. The ONLY thing that looks funny is the way the numbers are stamped on the back of the headstock. If I were going to "fake" a guitar, this seems a hard model to do it, because it has so many difficult features -- especially the body, those dot inlays, etc.

This new serial numbering system began in 2014, not 2016.

 

[1allspub]

I'm curious about something. In the previous serial number scheme of YDDDYBxxx the DDD represented the day of year. In the new scheme is it now YYDDDBxxx? If so, a guitar produced on Jan. 1st of 2017 seems unlikely.

The new scheme is not "YYDDDBxxx".

The first two numbers represent the year... all of the rest of the numbers are the sequential production number. There is no specific date (Julian or otherwise) imbedded in the serial numbering system anymore. Just a year and seuquential production number.