Vintage Guitars Info - Gibson collecting vintage gibson guitars
A late "P. A mid's "Patent No. One row of 6 adjustable slot-head poles off-center: Cover was gold, nickel or after chrome plated. Prior to about mid, have small decal on bottom stating "Patent Applied For". These are known as "P.
DATING GIBSON GUITARS BY REFERENCE OF SERIAL NUMBERS
Starting in about mid to early , a "Patent No. Most humbucking pickups first year have no decal, and a more squarish stainless steel cover. Also to early P. The internal plastic coil bobbins are usually black plastic, but sometimes they are white this happened mostly in or early You can see the color of the wire bobbins by removing the small underside mounting screw instead of removing the pickup cover. More information and pictures of PAF pickups can be seen here. The pointed pickguard used on most Gibson flattops from to the 's.
Note this Southern Jumbo's "double parallelagram" fingerboard inlays and the "belly up" style bridge opposed to Martin's bridges which had a belly down towards the endpin. Most Gibson pickguards prior to the mid's were made from celluloid. This material can deteriote with time the tortoise colored pickguards especially exhibit this trait. But in early , most models changed to a "pointed" pickguard that followed the shape of the guitar except for the point.
The J was an exception to this rule; it's pickguard stayed the same shape, but the material and the designed changed. Prior to , the J has an engraved celluloid pickguard. Starting in , this changed to an injection molded styrene pickguard that was cheaper to make. The edges were cut beveled to make them look like they had binding. In , the bevel changed from being very wide and flat, to a narrow and steeper cut.
Next to it is the ugliest pre Gibson knob, known as the "amp" knob, used from late to the mid's but not on all models. Middle row, left to right: Tall numbered gold knob, used from to , "speed" knob as used from to , "bonnet" knob as used from to , "metal top bonnet" knob or "reflector" knob as used from mid to mids on many, but not all models.
Bottom row, left to right: The left switch tip was used on multiple pickup models from after WW2 to about This knob is bakelite and very amber in color. Next to it is the version where the switch tip changed to a plastic material that stayed white, and had a visible seam. Bottom row black knobs, left to right: These correspond to the same years as the above gold versions. Smooth rounded top, bumps around top edge, some with arrow across top, 1 black and 1 brown: Looks like a hat box, flared base, back painted gold or black, clear with numbers 1 to 10 visible thru knob: Used from mid to mids.
Similar to bonnet knob but now has metal cap with "Volume" or "Tone" printed in black on the metal cap.
There are two styles of this knob. First was used from mid to the end of , and have a shallow post hole as viewed from the side. The and later relector knob has a deeper post hole the bottom of the post hole comes much closer to the metal cap. Also the reflector on these knobs can be silver or gold. Guitars with nickel or chrome hardware should have silver caps. Guitars with gold hardware should have gold caps though often the gold does wear off. Back painted gold or black, clear with numbers 1 to 10 visible thru knob: Note this knob was used primarily on Les Paul Custom models till the mid 's, when most other models got these knobs.
Black knobs with white numbers 1 to Looks like "blackface" Fender amp knobs: Some models never got these knobs such as the and later Les Pauls. Used mostly on the hollowbody and semi-hollow models, such as the ES series. Starting in mid, they switched to a much whiter and slightly rounder tip plastic switch tip. Phillips head screws started to be used at Gibson in the phillips head screw was original patented in Prior to , all screws should be slot style.
Prior to , all metal hardware is either nickel or gold plated. Starting in , all hardware is either chrome or gold plated. Kluson Deluxe "tulip" tuners on a Les Paul.
Note this is the "single ring, single line" variety used from to The "single ring" refers to the single ring around the plastic button. The "single line" refers to the single line of vertical text saying "Kluson Deluxe". Note the "inked on" serial number. During the 's and 's, Gibson used Kluson tuners almost exclusively. There were some exceptions; starting in you could special order Grover tuners instead of Klusons on many mid to upper line models including the Les Paul Custom and J models.
By , Gibson starting using tuners with the "Gibson Deluxe" name on them, but these were actually made by Kluson. More info on Kluson tuners can be found here.
Gibson Serial Numbers
Again Phillips head screws started to be used at Gibson in the phillips head screw was original patented in Kluson Deluxe Tuner specs models including 3-on-a-plate and "tulip" designs: NO outside hole on the metal cover for the tuner worm shaft. On the bottom side of the tuners stamped into the metal it says " PAT. Tulip plastic tuners knobs have a single ring around them.
Still no outside hole in the metal tuner cover for the tuner worm shaft. The exterior lubrication holes can be either small or large. There is still now an outside hole in the metal tuner cover for the tuner worm shaft. These tuners are often called "No Line, Single Ring".
Single line "Kluson Deluxe" in a single vertical line on the ribbed metal tuner cover. The exterior lubrication holes can be either small or large though most are large hole. Two plastic rings on the plastic "tulip" tuner knob. These tuners are often called "Single Line, Double Ring". On keystone tuners, the buttons become have a slight green tint to them. These tuners are often called "Double Line, Double Ring".
Now a double lined "Gibson Deluxe" replaces the double line "Kluson Deluxe". The base plate for the tuners also has a more rounded look to it with the edges less defined. This happened because the dies that stamped out this part were wearing out. The original Kluson tuners company went out of business in so this style of tuner was not made again until the s when WD Guitar Products bought the Kluson name and reissued these tuners.
dating vintage gibson guitar pots
PegHead Markings other than Serial Numbers "seconds" Gibson often marked inferior quality guitars as "seconds", and sold them at a discount to dealers or employees. These markings were stamped into the wood on the back of the peghead. A "2" stamp is sometimes seen, designating a "second", which had some cosmetic flaw. If there is a serial number on the back of the peghead, the "2" is usually seen centered above or below it.
Also sometimes stamped was "CULL", which is another designation of a second. Again, this stamp is seen on the back of the peghead. The worse Gibson reject is the "BGN" stamp, designating that instrument as a "bargin" guitar.