Official Epiphone site: Buy electric or acoustic guitars, Les Paul electric guitars, or bass guitars. Artist and Music News and Features. Most gear has a serial number, either printed on a label inside it or stamped into the headstock or neck plate. Use our dating guides below to figure out when your instrument was made and where it came from. I have a Takamine guitar with serial number 78020976, and model f307s-f. I was just curious what it is worth. This guitar is smaller than a normal size guitar. Buy, Sell, Auction, Value & Consign rare and collectible musical instruments; including guitars from Fender and Gibson, stringed instruments, wind instruments and more. 10-Digit Serial Numbers. Our current 10-digit serial numbering format that started in November of 2009 identifies where the guitar was built, the start date, and the assigned number of the guitar on that day's production schedule.
Instrument Appraisals
While Fret Not does not offer written appraisals I do have some pointers for those who are trying to find out what their instrument is worth. A little directed research on the internet may help to yield a good picture of an instruments value. If you need a written appraisal for insurance or replacement purposes I highly recommend contacting a reputable instrument dealer for an appraisal. My first recommendation would be to go straight to the source, George Gruhn of Gruhn Guitars. He is the author of several vintage guitar guides and is a vintage instrument dealer in Nashville TN.
Instrument value will be based not only on the model and year of an instrument but also it's condition. Have there been modifications? Are the parts original? Is there any damage?
All of these factors affect the bottom line, there is a vast difference in value between a player and a collectors item.
All of these factors affect the bottom line, there is a vast difference in value between a player and a collectors item.
Blue Books
A lot of us turn to Blue Book / Price Guides for instrument valuation. I believe this is a good resource for arriving at an estimate of an instruments current value. One should bare in mind that Blue Books can't predict changing economic times and regardless of an estimated value, it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, as they say. That being said I use the Vintage Guitar pricing guide.
Internet Searches
Obviously the internet is a tremendous resource but some still find it difficult to locate information. Gbase® Gear Mall is a large collection of dealers who have placed their inventory online, into a common database. Here you can perform a search for a particular instrument and, when available, be shown pictures and prices of those being offered for sale. If you can find an instrument similar to your own you are likely to get a good idea of the current price range.
Reverb is another source that will allow you to see prices for used instruments.
Enclosing the instruments date, manufacturer and model in quotations can help you locate exact matches. An instance is, '1948 Martin D-18'. The use of quotations instructs the search engine to find the term exactly as it is typed. Exclude them and the search engine may yield results containing those words but not necessarily in that particular order.
There are quite a few brands that very little is written about. When information is scarce, pricing and value is often impossible to find documented. When a brand is not mentioned in Blue Books or on the internet there's little more that I can offer. This indeed follows the theory that it is worth 'what someone is willing to pay for it.' If the instrument appears well made with high quality tonewoods and appointments you may still wish to consult an appraiser to verify it's origin if possible.
Fret Not is not a retailer of used or new instruments and therefore I am personally not equipped to give people estimates on what their instruments are worth. I recommend contacting dealers who regularly buy and sell instruments for their knowledge and experience in the sales market.
Gibson serial numbers 1952 to 1961, solidbody model.
An ink-stamped number from the back of the headstock.
Gibson released solidbodies in 1952. No serial numbers were used, Gibson just started therewith in 1953.
The first digit of the serial number is the last digit of the year. If the stamped number consists 5 digits, there is a space between the first and second digit (a separation between the last digit of the year and the actual serial number).
When a six-digit serial number is concerned, there is no space, because the highest number in four digits (9999) has been exceeded and so fills the space. This was the case in the years 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960.
In 1955, Gibson forgot to put back the serial number range to 0001.
So they had just put the year from 4 to 5. For this reason, the array of four-digit serial number was exceeded after 9999.
Thence 5 digits and no space between the year (5) and the serial number. (After 5 9999 came 510 000)
Evidently the production was high in 1956 because '6 9999' is exceeded. Also in 1959 and 1960 there was a high production, '9 9999' is exceeded for '932 000' or higher.
Therefore, the production in 1959 may be a '1', '2' or '3' in the second digit.
Gibson stopped the stamped serial numbers at the end in 1960, although there are a few guitars made in 1961 with a '1' as a prefix. Some lap steels and Les Paul's from 1961 have such a serial number.
Another exception to the above rules is in the autumn from 1958, where a some Les Paul Juniors and Specials had a four-digit serial number.
Gibson released solidbodies in 1952. No serial numbers were used, Gibson just started therewith in 1953.
The first digit of the serial number is the last digit of the year. If the stamped number consists 5 digits, there is a space between the first and second digit (a separation between the last digit of the year and the actual serial number).
When a six-digit serial number is concerned, there is no space, because the highest number in four digits (9999) has been exceeded and so fills the space. This was the case in the years 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960.
In 1955, Gibson forgot to put back the serial number range to 0001.
So they had just put the year from 4 to 5. For this reason, the array of four-digit serial number was exceeded after 9999.
Thence 5 digits and no space between the year (5) and the serial number. (After 5 9999 came 510 000)
Evidently the production was high in 1956 because '6 9999' is exceeded. Also in 1959 and 1960 there was a high production, '9 9999' is exceeded for '932 000' or higher.
Therefore, the production in 1959 may be a '1', '2' or '3' in the second digit.
Gibson stopped the stamped serial numbers at the end in 1960, although there are a few guitars made in 1961 with a '1' as a prefix. Some lap steels and Les Paul's from 1961 have such a serial number.
Another exception to the above rules is in the autumn from 1958, where a some Les Paul Juniors and Specials had a four-digit serial number.
1st digit | PRODUCTION YEAR |
None | 1952 |
3 | 1953 |
4 | 1954 |
5 | 1955 |
6 | 1956 |
7 | 1957 |
8 At the end of 1958 had some LP Juniors/Specials a four-digit serial number without prior year digit. | 1958 |
9 | 1959 |
0 | 1960 |
1 (rare) | 1961 |
Gibson serial numbers, early to mid seventies.
From 1970 to 1975, the 6-digit serial numbers randomly generated.
In a random sequence numbers were stamped on the back of the headstock. For some instruments, preceded by a letter.
From 1970 to 1975, the 6-digit serial numbers randomly generated.
In a random sequence numbers were stamped on the back of the headstock. For some instruments, preceded by a letter.
Fender Guitar Appraisal By Serial Number
It was also from 1970 'MADE IN USA' stamped on the back of the headstock. Some instruments from the fifties also had been such a stamp.Gibson serial numbers, 1970-1975.
The same confusing six-digit serial system of the sixties was maintained until 1975. This means that instruments with the same serial number can be from the 60s or 70s.
Guitars got six digits in any order, and in some cases they were preceded by a letter that none seemed to have no smeaningful sense.
Note that the series of between 1970 and 1975, may be an overlap from production in 1964 and 1965.
The table below shows the years in which the numbers could relate.
The same confusing six-digit serial system of the sixties was maintained until 1975. This means that instruments with the same serial number can be from the 60s or 70s.
Guitars got six digits in any order, and in some cases they were preceded by a letter that none seemed to have no smeaningful sense.
Note that the series of between 1970 and 1975, may be an overlap from production in 1964 and 1965.
The table below shows the years in which the numbers could relate.
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Seral number range | PRODUCTION YEAR |
000000 - 099999 | 1973 |
100000 - 199999 | 1970 - 1975 |
200000 - 299999 | 1973 - 1975 |
300000 - 399999 | 1974 - 1975 |
400000 - 499999 | 1974 - 1975 |
500000 - 599999 | 1974 - 1975 |
600000 - 699999 | 1970 - 1972 and 1974 - 1975 |
Serials 1977-2013.
The most sustainable numbering system Gibson was launched in 1977, an eight-digit number. The first and fifth digit representing the year of manufacture. The three intermediate digits, the day of that year. The digits to six to eight gave the serial number.
After opening of the new factory in Nashville, in the sequence numbers were also included the production site. 001 to 499 appeared on the instruments built in Kalamazoo, 500 to 999 built in Nashville.
Even after the closing of the factory in Kalamazoo in 1984, this process was continued until 1989 in Nashville.
In 2005 the system was upgraded to first digit at the end of the batch number was inserted. The sequence numbers were 500 to 699, after which the batch number 1 was increased, and the number returned 500.
The most sustainable numbering system Gibson was launched in 1977, an eight-digit number. The first and fifth digit representing the year of manufacture. The three intermediate digits, the day of that year. The digits to six to eight gave the serial number.
After opening of the new factory in Nashville, in the sequence numbers were also included the production site. 001 to 499 appeared on the instruments built in Kalamazoo, 500 to 999 built in Nashville.
Even after the closing of the factory in Kalamazoo in 1984, this process was continued until 1989 in Nashville.
In 2005 the system was upgraded to first digit at the end of the batch number was inserted. The sequence numbers were 500 to 699, after which the batch number 1 was increased, and the number returned 500.
Gibson closed the Memphis plant in April 2019.
The production of the 'USA made' solid body guitars is now only produced in Nashville.
The production of the 'USA made' solid body guitars is now only produced in Nashville.
Serial numbers 2014 to present.
Gibson's most simplest system was introduced in 2014. A nine-digit serial number stamped. The first two digits indicate the year, the rest is the serial number for all guitars produced that year.
Every year starts with serial 0000001.
Gibson's most simplest system was introduced in 2014. A nine-digit serial number stamped. The first two digits indicate the year, the rest is the serial number for all guitars produced that year.
Every year starts with serial 0000001.