Gibson Serial Numbers >> FlyGuitars

General Gibson serial number information

Gibson serial numbers are usually on the back of the guitars headstock; either stamped, inked or as a decal. Instruments with f-holes often have the serial number repeated on a label inside the guitar body. A lack of a serial number usually implies an instrument has been refinished.

The current Gibson serial number system

There is no Gibson serial number decoder that can automatically date your pre-1977 Gibson, although after this time, the currently used eight digit system ha been used. Not only can it tell the date, but also the place of production. These details are encoded unambiguosly into the serial number as follows.

YDDDYXXX
where YY is the year, DDD is the day of the year, and it was the XXXth instrument stamped that day. Numbers below 500 signify a Kalamazoo productio, above signifies Nashville.

So for example, 80921089 tells us that this bass was stamped on the 2nd April 1981 (day 092), at the Gibson Kalamazoo plant, and was the 089th instrument stamped that day

Vintage Gibson serial numbers

Gibson used various systems of numbering their instruments, and some records exist that can give a clue to a shipping date. 50s and early 1960s details are fairly straightforward, but later serial numbers (particularly around 65-75) can cause more confusion than clarity. BEFORE you read the Gibson serial number charts, please read the rest of this page!

The serial numbers Gibson used, particularly from 1969-1979 are often very difficult to interpret. The reason being that Gibsons 6 digit serial number system reached 999999 several times; each time they continued from 000001.

So Gibson re-used serial numbers. If you read through the charts for a hypothetical number, say 123456 - we see that it was shipped in 1963, 1970-72, and again in 74-75. Not an ideal situation, but many of the Guitars we see listed for sale as 1960s instruments, are actually newer. It is often not the sellers fault, as they will have looked through the numbers, found it was 1963, and would see no reason to look further in the document.

Dating Gibson guitars without serial numbers

Seeing as the Gibson serial numbers can be ambiguous, and that guitar serial numbers are sometimes removed, how can you be sure of a Gibson guitars vintage?. There are subtle changes in most Gibson guitars over the course of their production runs, and, you can usually date a guitar by physical features. Also, with a little knowledge of potentiometer codes, another approximate date can be read. Most instruments can be dated to within 1-2 years without a serial number.

See the list of serial numbers on the Gibson website

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Epiphone By Gibson EB-0 Electric Bass

Hagerstown, Maryland, 217**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$225

THIS AUCTION IS FOR : GIBSON EPIPHONE SG BASS 4 STRING
SERIAL # MC22081172
BASS HAS SOME DINGS ON SIDES AND BACK, VIEW PICS. NEEDS OSME TOUCH UP, CHIP ON BOTTOM FRET SIDE
NEEDS SOME CLEAN UP FROM STORAGE. GOOD RESTO OR PARTS. SELLING USED AS IS CONDITION.
ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE ASK, THANKS FOR LOOKING. NO CASE... more

1976 Gibson Grabber G3 Bass Ebony Black ?? Original Case ?? Vintage 70s ?? Bill Law

Salt Lake City, Utah, 841**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2499

1976 Gibson Grabber G3 Bass ?? Ebony Black | Original Case | Vintage 70s Classic
Up for sale is a 1976 Gibson Grabber G3 Bass in classic Ebony Black, complete with its original Gibson hard-shell case. This is a great example of a mid-??70s Gibson bass, featuring the distinctive Bill Lawrence-designed electronics and the bold tone and style that have made the Grabber series a favorite among vintage players and collectors
The original case shows some cosmetic wear from age and use but ... more

Epiphone By Gibson EB-0 Electric Bass

Columbus, Ohio, 432**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$200

Looking at used Epiphone EB-O SG Bass, good working condition , plus hardshell rectangle case, 4 string bass guitar, red wine color, short scale .. Payment is due immediately after the item is sold. Item will ship within 24 hours of cleared payment Mon-Fri only no Saturday shipping. Payment is only ... more

1964 Gibson EB-2 Bass Guitar with Hard Shell Vintage Flight Case

Chantilly, Virginia, 201**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$5200

1964 Gibson EB-2 Bass with Hard Shell Vintage Flight Case.

The Gibson comes with a stellar silver and gold very early flight case you could ship it overseas in that thing and I wouldn't be afraid. It came from a very high end Collection and is in extremely good condition and will not find one in better shape. Plays and sounds amazing, has the stock bass boost switch that gets super deep tones and a very very cool bass!!!! It is so clean you can eat off of it!!! Jimmy page... more

Vintage Gibson EB-2 Modified Bass EB2 ES bass Electric Bass 1960??s

Brisbane, California, 940**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1900

A really cool bass that was always in this shape. Owned for about 5 years and planned to redo it. Im more of a guitarist so Im thinning the heard. Looks great. I think the bridge is a dimarzio and there have been other pots once installed. The switches seem to be boosts for the pickups. And Volume for each pickup. No tone option. Another routes on the back. Gibson sticker gone. Some screws missing on the back and rusty input screws but everything stays together. Was also like that

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Vintage Gibson EB-0 Electric Bass Guitar, Mfg. 1970-72

Sacramento, California, 958**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1350

Vintage Gibson EB-0 Electric Bass Guitar, Mfg. 1970-72This Vintage 1970-72 Gibson EB-0 Electric Bass Guitar is in excellent playable condition. It has been very well cared for by its original owner and shows some play wear, with some dings and scratches and small paint loss (please examine photos). Bass is all intact and original. Plays great, the neck is straight, the action is low and comfortable, and the frets are in excellent condition. This bass will come complete with the original ... more

1960 Gibson EBO a stunning rare all original example from Gibson's best era !

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 333**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6495

This is a very rare late production 1960 Gibson EB-0 Bass the original slab-bodied EB-0 bass weighs just 9 lbs. 6oz. and has a nice, fat nut width of just under 1 11 / 16 inches and a scale length of 30 1 / 2 inches. Solid mahogany body, one-piece mahogany neck, and unbound Brazil rosewood fretboard with 20 original jumbo frets and inlaid pearl dot position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl ??Gibson?? logo and pearl crown inlay. Two-layer black over white plastic ?bell-shaped?? truss-rod ... more

1973 Gibson EB-3 Bass Walnut

Carbondale, Illinois, 629**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2190

Add Me to Your Favorite Sellers
Olivia's Vintage would like to present this 1973 Gibson EB-3 in its original Walnut finish. It has a great playing neck with great frets. It's all original and 100% complete along with its original bridge cover and original purple lined hardshell case. It's in very good condition with some nicks + dings, light belt buckle wear on the back of the body and other cosmetic wear including one misaligned extra screw hole concealed by the bass side of the bridge ... more