[RG3120]

hi now this is a big problem my lp classic have a 6 digit s/n but acrording to the gibson website it doesnt match, but i went on **** and found a classic with 6 digits. so can anyone tell me why? and give me a website on how to date the les paul cause i know its a really les paul...

 

[sniperfrommars1]

How do you know its not a fake? Second youll get better help at the lespaulforum. I would assume its a reissue by the serial number but you said its a classic so why not.

 

[jemke]

can youpost pics of the guitar and s/n?

 

[eelblack2]

Classics are patterned after 1960's. Although not truly a reissue, they may very well be using slightly wacky serial numbers like on thier reissues. I have 2 at home from different years - Ill see if I can find a rhyme or reason between the two different years when I get home later today.

Lee

 

[Progdude]

Email this guy he works at Gibson and can date it for you.

[email protected]

 

[red5]

For many many years the last digit in the serial has been then 10s digit of the year, and the first one the ones if I remember it correctly.... ie 123579 would be a 91!

 

[moore5150]

Hey RG, take a peek at this link.

http://www.gibson.com/Service/Serial Numbers Search/

It is a page from Gibson's site that explains how the serial number system is set up. Hope this is helpful to you.

 

[Rotti]

Gibson serial numbers can be hard to decifer. Especialy old ones.

 

[lhrocker]

Les Paul Classics have 5 and 6 digit serial numbers. The last 4 will be the "serial number" while the first or first 2 will be the year made. All 6 digits start with a 0 so 00 is 2000, 01 is 2001, etc... All 5 digits will start with the last digit of the year (1992 will be 2 and so forth).

Hope this helps.
Pete

 

[jemaholic]

Those damn Gibson people....I think they sit around with the bong until they figure out another way to screw with the serial numbers (and our heads).

 

[AlexBLA]

throw the guitar in the garbage... i hate gibson expecially les pauls

 

[red5]

Les Paul Classics have 5 and 6 digit serial numbers. The last 4 will be the "serial number" while the first or first 2 will be the year made. All 6 digits start with a 0 so 00 is 2000, 01 is 2001, etc... All 5 digits will start with the last digit of the year (1992 will be 2 and so forth).

Hope this helps.
Pete

They changed it again. For many years it was the last digit was the 10s place of the year and the first is the ones place or the other way around (I honestly can't remember which way for sure!)

My Les Paul Classic is a '95. I got it used for about 3 days and on hold after that in '96. The serial is like 5xxxxx 9 meaning '95.

 

[Scott Smith]

I like Gibsons current serial number scheme, sans Classics which are pretty screwy. What other manufacturer uses a serial number that lets you date it to the DAY the guitar was made? None of the big ones do, that I know of. So if you know how to read them you can tell if the guitar was made on a Monday or Friday or which ever day of the week. Kinda nice really...

Don't get me started on Gibsons Quality Control...

 

[JTM45]

The 8 digit Gibson SN's even tell you which particular Gibson factory the guitar was made at as well as the Year and which day of that year and which number of guitar made on that day that yours is.
It's not so relevant these days as they don't have so many factories but it's handy for the pre '85 (ish) models.

 

[red5]

Don't get me started on Gibsons Quality Control...

If you want to buy a Les Paul and be sure to get a good one, you better get a custom shop, or play every non custom shop model in town until you find one you like!

 

[Scott Smith]

Custom Shop models don't even guarentee quality these days. I've seen some R9's that I wouldn't pay 1500 for, and they were charging over 4500 for it. Extremely streaky rosewood, I'm talking a streak about 2 and a half inches in width. Fretwork which groved out the fretboard around the fret. Poor finishes, more orange peel that you would expect. All kinds of stuff. Sad really, because I love Gibsons. Just older ones. I'll keep my '80 Heritage 80 Reissue and my '82 ES 335. What Norlin did do Gibson doesn't even compare to whats going on now...

 

[red5]

^^ That's not true at all. I have played numerous custom shop models recently (at least 10 in the past month!) and there was not a single bad one in the bunch. An Albany-area player and collector and vintage guitar guro was there and played 2 of them and swears they are as nice as his '59.

But I am not going to pay $4000+ for a '59 reissue with a little bit of flame in the top and an extra $1800 for the '59 in the name. But the '58 RI is for $2300 (which actually happened to be my favorite of the bunch ever so slightly!) is worth every penny!

The late 70s and 80s Gibsons... now they were crap! If you got a good one you are lucky, like me. My 95 Classic is one of the best non-custom shop Gibsons they have made in years, but it's not quite that '58 (but close). I put the BurstbuckerT's in it and filed down the frets (which were sized for low action for jazz players who play lighter than I do (VERY lightly!) and it's all good now. The advantage of my Classic though is the slim-taper neck vs the fat chunk neck. And I only paid $1150 for it, used and returned 3 days later, so it was a brand new guitar!

A lot of people tell me to go PRS or ESP. I can spend $5000 on a PRS or buy the ESP LP and they just don't have the same tone, even unplugged.

 

[Scott Smith]

Red,
You must be in a geographical oddity then, only good Gibsons get to your area I guess. That is the case now sadly. I'm in the market for a R9 and have been looking at new ones all over my area, KC, Chicago, Minneapolis ect... and what I've noticed is the nice CS Gibson are becoming more and more rare. Add that to the rumors of Chinese Gibson Necks stamped Made in USA, and the whole internet policy thing and the overdone quotas that small shops have to pay and Gibson is in the worst era of it's existance...

Now for Norlin era Gibsons, I have owned 17 Norlin era Gibsons in my time and all of them have been good. Even the dreaded "Pancake" bodied LP. One of the best LP's I've ever owned was a beat to crap '82 Standard with a pancake body. Monster tone and sustain for days. Maybe I am lucky, or just know what a good Gibson is, I think it's the latter...

I've never been a fan of Classics. I've only owned 1, a '97 Cinnamon Burst. Hated it. I don't like the '60's neck at all. I just got rid of a '03 Standard in Light Burst because it had a '60's neck. Too small for my hands. Not really "correct" for a LP to have that small of a neck either, but that's not really important. And the inlays... UGH!!! I can't take that snot green or piss yellow look to them. Yikes... Those gotta go... I've heard if you put them in the sun for a couple of days they lighten, saw one on the Les Paul Forum. I would try that if I had a Classic...