DATING YOUR GIBSON

Gibson Serial Number Configuration and Placement

1902 to 1908: Rectangular label, no serial number or model name on label, photo of Orville Gibson and lyre-mandolin on label, date sometimes penciled under top.

1904 to 1909: Oval label with serial number, no model name, photo of Orville Gibson and lyre-mandolin: 1904 to 1909.

1902 to April 1947: Number and model name on white paper label, number range 1000 to 99999:

• 1908 to 1932: Hand ink or penciled (some overlap with previous style).
• 1932 to 1947: Ink stamped, not penciled.
• 1927 and later: Low end models with no serial number.

"Artist" serial numbers used on mid to upper line guitars. No serial number used on lower line instruments (date by Factory Order Number).

Instruments with an "Artist" serial number should also have a Factory Order Number by which a date can be cross-referenced.

Number preceded by an "A-" on white oval label: 4/28/47 to 1/12/55.
The first number, A-100, was assigned to an L-7 on 4/28/47. The last white label number was A-18750, used 1/12/55. Note white label numbers A-18751 to A-20000 were not used.

Number preceded by an "A" on orange oval label: 1/13/55 to 2/21/61.
The first orange label number, A20001, was used on a F-5 mandolin 01/13/55. The last orange label "A" number was A36147, used 2/21/61. Note the "-" after the "A" was dropped for the orange labels.

Ink stamped numbers in back top of peghead (1952 to early 1953):
First number denotes last digit of year, followed by a space and 4 digits, or no space and 5 digits. No space and 5 digits following the year only occurred in 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960.

In 1955 Gibson forgot to reset their serial number back to #5 0001. Instead they continued the 1954 series, just changing the first digit to a "5" for 1955. For this reason the serial numbers exceeded "5 9999", hence 5 digits and no space following the year had to be used.

Apparently production was high enough in 1956 to exceed "6 9999". 1959 and 1960 production was also very high, exceeding "9 9999" and going to "932000" or higher.

• 4 or 5 digits impressed in back top of peghead: 1961 to 1964.
• 6 digits impressed in back top of peghead: 1963 to 1969.
• 6 digits impressed in back top of peghead: 1970 to 1975.
• Letter followed by 3 digits, custom shop or limited edition models only: 1971 to present.
• Number on decal: 1975 to 1977.
• 8 digits impressed in back top of peghead: 1977 to present.

Gibson Solidbody instruments 1952 to 1960

All models, NO "made in U.S.A." stamped on peghead, 1961 to 1969: 4 or 5 digits impressed in back top of peghead: 1961 to 1964.

All models, "made in U.S.A." stamped on the peghead, 1970 to present. Stamped on the back of the peghead. The "U.S.A." is below the "Made in", which is below the stamped-on serial number. All stamps in the same size type.

Gibson Non-Hyphen Serial Numbers, 1902 to 1947

Series starts with 1000. Note the format of these serial numbers has NO HYPHEN and NO LETTERS.