- The fretboard binding on a genuine Gibson should hide exposed fret ends.
- If the price seems too good to be true, it almost certainly is.
- If the potentiometers are unbranded, it's almost certainly fake.
- The truss rod cover on a fake will usually have too many screws.
How can I tell how old my Gibson guitar is?
The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we've been using since 2000. Those beginning with "94": In 1994, Gibson's Centennial year, many instruments have a serial number that begins with "94" for the year, with the remaining 6 digits indicating the ranking number.
How do you read a guitar serial number?
- S9 means 1979.
- E4 means 1984.
- N8 means 1998.
- Z5 means 2005.
- US11 means 2011.
How do you tell what year a Gibson Les Paul was made?
Gibson used 5 or 6 digit ink stamped serial numbers on Les Paul guitars from 1952 until 1960. The first digit of this style serial number indicates the last digit of the year it was manufactured. For example, this Les Paul's serial number is "7_6227" so it was made in 1957.20 may 2021
How do you decode a Gibson serial number?
Serial number PRODUCTION YEAR
--------------- ---------------
121000 - 139999 1963
140000 - 140100 1963 or 1967
140101 - 144304 1963
144305 - 144380 1964