Historic serial numbers

[leftyalex]

Hi,

Am I missing something here....

Apparently the way the serial number system works like this .

Serial number example - 6 6347

6 year being reissued
6 year of production, this is what confuses me, how do you work out if its 2006or 1996?

Cheers

 

[Barker]

6 = 1956 Reissue
6 = 1996, or 2006
347 = 347th R6 from the year.

You got that though. A picture and we could tell in a second the year. Do the inlays have rounded 'corners' at the top, and are really 'busy'??? If so it's a 1996.

BTW, are you a lefty player? If so I believe I know what R6 you are talking about, and it is a 1996.

 

[KenG]

I've always wondered whether or not the production number is really model related on CS guitars. Since bodies are marked in the cavities during production, it seems reasonable to assume that, barring special runs, the RIs are all mixed in the line. If that's true then the production numbers could simply indicate the order placement of the guitar period. IN other words, X X896 could mean the 896th RI produced and not the 896th RI of model X produced.
Can anyone point to a definitive answer in print somewhere?

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

I've always wondered whether or not the production number is really model related on CS guitars. Since bodies are marked in the cavities during production, it seems reasonable to assume that, barring special runs, the RIs are all mixed in the line. If that's true then the production numbers could simply indicate the order placement of the guitar period. IN other words, X X896 could mean the 896th RI produced and not the 896th RI of model X produced.
Can anyone point to a definitive answer in print somewhere?

I do not have a reference for you without doing more work than I in the mood for right now, but I know this to be true:

Each model has its own series number. So the following could exist:

2 3012 (available intermittantly since 1998, special anniversary run in 2002 and 2012, offered in the 2003 BRW catalog, but none made)
4 3012 (includes Goldtops and Customs)
5 3012
6 3012
7 3012 (includes Goldtops, Customs and Juniors)
8 3012 (includes Bursts and Juniors)
9 3012
0 3012 (includes bursts and Specials)

And the way to tell say a 1993, 2003 and 2013 you would have to know and understand basic production features that define each period. They are VERY obvious once you know what to look for.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

As for Les Paul SGs and the 68 Custom RI the SNs are like this:

Les Paul SG Custom and Special:
YYxxx1 (1 = 1961)
Les Paul SG Standard:
YYxxx2 (2 = 1962)
Les Paul Custom 68 RI:
YYxxx8 (8 = 1968)

Other solid body reissues, like the Firebird have the same SN fo13rmat.

What is silly, since Gibson uses TWO digits to show the year of manufacture, they (for example) use 02 for 2002 and 2012, rather than 12. I do not know why.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

Now the prehistoric reissuses of 1991-1993 share the SAME series as the Les Paul Classic. (in 1990 the early Classics had only 4 digits, the preHistoric still had 5) NON-reissue Les Paul Custom Shop Standards, Customs etc. In 1997 and 1998 the SN started with a Y 9xxx In 1999 they went to a CS Yxxx format.

 

[Mike60]

I've always wondered whether or not the production number is really model related on CS guitars. Since bodies are marked in the cavities during production, it seems reasonable to assume that, barring special runs, the RIs are all mixed in the line. If that's true then the production numbers could simply indicate the order placement of the guitar period. IN other words, X X896 could mean the 896th RI produced and not the 896th RI of model X produced.
Can anyone point to a definitive answer in print somewhere?

Currently..each year reissued has their own sequencing i.e. the last three (four digits on six digit numbers) digits refers to the number built to that year at the time it was stamped.