Too many things that don't add up should be
The production numbers run in a consecutive order and, aside from a few oddities in the change over years
(1961-1962), it is fairly accurate to use them when identifying solid body instruments produced between
1953 and 1961. Examples of this system:
4 2205 = 1954
614562 = 1956
In 1961 Gibson started a new serial number system that covered all instrument lines. It consisted of
numbers that are impressed into the wood. It is also generally known to be the most frustrating and hard to
understand system that Gibson has employed. The numbers were used between the years 1961-1969. There
are several instances where batches of numbers are switched in order, duplicated, not just once, but up to
four times, and seem to be randomly assigned, throughout the decade. In general though, the numbers are
approximately as follows:
APPROXIMATE
YEAR
SERIAL RANGE
1961
100-42440
1962
42441-61180
1963
61450-64220
1964
64240-70500
1962
71180-96600
1963
96601-99999
1967
000001-008010
1967
010000-042900
1967
044000-044100
1967
050000-054400
1967
055000-063999
1967
064000-066010
1967
067000-070910
1967
090000-099999
1963, 1967
100000-106099
1963
106100-108900
1963, 1967
109000-109999
1963
110000-111549
1963, 1967
111550-115799
1963
115800-118299
1963, 1967
118300-120999
1963
121000-139999
1963, 1967
140000-140100
1963
140101-144304
1964
144305-144380
1963
144381-145000
1963
147009-149864
1964
149865-149891
1963
149892-152989
1964
152990-174222
1964, 1965
174223-176643
1964
176644-199999
1964
200000-250335
1965
250336-291000
1965
301755-302100
1965
302754-305983
1965, 1967
306000-306100
1965, 1967
307000-307985
1965, 1967
309848-310999
1965
311000-320149
1967
320150-320699
APPROXIMATE
YEAR
SERIAL RANGE
1965
320700-321100
1965
322000-326600
1965
328000-328500
1965
328700-329179
1965, 1967
329180-330199
1965, 1967, 1968330200-332240
1965
332241-347090
1965
348000-348092
1966
348093-349100
1965
349121-368638
1966
368640-369890
1967
370000-370999
1966
380000-385309
1967
390000-390998
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968
400001-400999
1966
401000-407985
1966
408000-408690
1966
408800-409250
1966
420000-426090
1966
427000-429180
1966
430005-438530
1966
438800-438925
1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
500000-500999
1965
501010-501600
1968
501601-501702
1965, 1968
501703-502706
1968
503010-503110
1965, 1968
503405-520955
1968
520956-530056
1966, 1968, 1969530061-530850
1968, 1969
530851-530993
1969
530994-539999
1966, 1969
540000-540795
1969
540796-545009
1966
550000-556910
1969
558012-567400
1966
570099-570755
1969
580000-580999
1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
600000-600999
1969
601000-601090
1969
605901-606090
The production numbers run in a consecutive order and, aside from a few oddities in the change over years
(1961-1962), it is fairly accurate to use them when identifying solid body instruments produced between
1953 and 1961. Examples of this system:
4 2205 = 1954
614562 = 1956
In 1961 Gibson started a new serial number system that covered all instrument lines. It consisted of
numbers that are impressed into the wood. It is also generally known to be the most frustrating and hard to
understand system that Gibson has employed. The numbers were used between the years 1961-1969. There
are several instances where batches of numbers are switched in order, duplicated, not just once, but up to
four times, and seem to be randomly assigned, throughout the decade. In general though, the numbers are
approximately as follows:
APPROXIMATE
YEAR
SERIAL RANGE
1961
100-42440
1962
42441-61180
1963
61450-64220
1964
64240-70500
1962
71180-96600
1963
96601-99999
1967
000001-008010
1967
010000-042900
1967
044000-044100
1967
050000-054400
1967
055000-063999
1967
064000-066010
1967
067000-070910
1967
090000-099999
1963, 1967
100000-106099
1963
106100-108900
1963, 1967
109000-109999
1963
110000-111549
1963, 1967
111550-115799
1963
115800-118299
1963, 1967
118300-120999
1963
121000-139999
1963, 1967
140000-140100
1963
140101-144304
1964
144305-144380
1963
144381-145000
1963
147009-149864
1964
149865-149891
1963
149892-152989
1964
152990-174222
1964, 1965
174223-176643
1964
176644-199999
1964
200000-250335
1965
250336-291000
1965
301755-302100
1965
302754-305983
1965, 1967
306000-306100
1965, 1967
307000-307985
1965, 1967
309848-310999
1965
311000-320149
1967
320150-320699
APPROXIMATE
YEAR
SERIAL RANGE
1965
320700-321100
1965
322000-326600
1965
328000-328500
1965
328700-329179
1965, 1967
329180-330199
1965, 1967, 1968330200-332240
1965
332241-347090
1965
348000-348092
1966
348093-349100
1965
349121-368638
1966
368640-369890
1967
370000-370999
1966
380000-385309
1967
390000-390998
1965, 1966, 1967, 1968
400001-400999
1966
401000-407985
1966
408000-408690
1966
408800-409250
1966
420000-426090
1966
427000-429180
1966
430005-438530
1966
438800-438925
1965, 1966, 1968, 1969
500000-500999
1965
501010-501600
1968
501601-501702
1965, 1968
501703-502706
1968
503010-503110
1965, 1968
503405-520955
1968
520956-530056
1966, 1968, 1969530061-530850
1968, 1969
530851-530993
1969
530994-539999
1966, 1969
540000-540795
1969
540796-545009
1966
550000-556910
1969
558012-567400
1966
570099-570755
1969
580000-580999
1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
600000-600999
1969
601000-601090
1969
605901-606090
