Every Gibson solid body guitar has a serial number on the back of the headstock since mid 1953 and later. Just enter the number below, hit the 'Decode' button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from (sometimes even down the exact day), the country it was made in, and the manufacturing plant. Get the best deals for gibson firebird name plate at eBay.com. Gibson Serial Number Lookup Decoder. They're somewhat lacking in "girth", if you will. 6 Next, look at the bridge. It's supposedly fair game so long as you're not violating any copyright or trademarks. Join date: Aug 2006. On an electric guitar, you'll typically find the serial number on the back of the guitar body or headstock. - in a 48" brown Gibson USA case. The "G" in Gibson should be vertical, essentially parallel to the edge of the neck. The Gibson is also PLEK'd, and the action is about as perfect as an action can be. Additionally, the serial number can be decoded to tell the year and factory of origin, all of which effect the price. Check that Les Paul model script is always in cursive. A guide to selling quickly at the best possible price. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. Ace rarely uses anything other than the treble pickup in fact the neck pickup is a fake and hides a smoke bomb that he uses during his solo spot. . Sell on Reverb. Please post any comments, particularly bugs in the user . Through this link you will be able to find the guitar category sorted by number of sales. Before 1949 there were no labels and the serial numbers were written in pencil inside the guitar. I have major GAS for another Firebird in Heritage Cherry and against my better judgement, have been looking at Chibson "replicas" on Ebay from a seller called Customshopcenter, who assured me the guitar in the photo is the "same guitar you will get." I doubt that highly, as the guitar in the photo looks like a Gibson, with the hardshelll case behind it. Answer (1 of 2): Copies of respected brand models can be : * cheaply made, similar shape, but made with inferior parts and features - should be easy to spot * less cheaply made, similar shape, but made with slightly better parts and features - but place it side-by-side with a genuine model and. Seller Hub Reverb Payments FAQ. This is largely because they are manufactured overseas in China, Korea and Indonesia. "bumble bees" and "PIOs" The VII is a little busy/fussy for my tastes. The Gibson Serial Number Decoder currently supports 6 formats from 4 Factories. How to tell the difference. The guitar feels good, and plays nice, but I'm a little underwhelmed with the pickups. 2. To buy a guitar in that price range and not know the year is just plain dumb. Also, the Gibson logo only . The construction and specifications of the guitars varied over the period of production, but by 1961 it was a totally solid, double cutaway instrument, with a set neck, translucent cherry finish, six-in-a-row headstock, and Hofner Diamond logo pickups. #5. Step 3: Advertising your guitar for sale. It should be equal to or lower than the bridge or tail stop depending on the model. although if it was real I'd modify it anyway, it's only a Gibson. And the bellshaped truss rod covers of the knockoffs have three screws, while the Gibsons have two." Peter seemingly took satisfaction in "rubbing it in Gibson's face," a response I heard from others while prepping this piece. It did, however, retain its 'leaf-and-lyre'-engraved . Check the headstock logo and the binding on the neck. NOTE - Gibson USA goes to a 9 digit serial number in early July 2005.. Hofner Colorama was the name UK distributor Selmer gave to a series of solid and semi-solid guitars built by Hofner for distribution in the UK. Hofner Colorama was the name UK distributor Selmer gave to a series of solid and semi-solid guitars built by Hofner for distribution in the UK. Fak. And now you can modify it and not feel like your "ruining" an old Gibson. It's supposedly fair game so long as you're not violating any copyright or trademarks. Authority Guitar Top Tip: If you find your serial number doesn't yield any results, press 'crtl & f' and enter the beginning of your serial number. Scroll down to our 'Manual Checklist' and you . The real one is solid. Sell Yours. The Firebird debuted in 1963, so it would definitely have a number. Do Firebird studio have the bevel as well? Their numbering system is horrendous, with repeat numbers and somewhat illogical formula at times, but a number is . This page will then be highlighted in all the results starting with the numbers/letters you've entered. This can give you a narrower range of years. Where they come from In March 2007, a North Carolina man, Steve F. Sexton, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of criminal use of a counterfeit trademark, after selling fake Gibson guitars to unsuspecting victims, including a 15-yearold boy who had saved money to buy his first Les Paul. Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz revealed his new "revolutionary" $5,500.00USD Firebird X robot guitar guitar today in New York City and the sound of sweat flop dripping from his brow was overwhelming. to build a vintage style firebird pickup requires no fasteners. Gibson issued an Ace Frehley model Les Paul in the 90s. While the reverse Firebird V features a single-bound rosewood fretboard with trapezoid inlays, the non-reverse version was scaled back with an unbound rosewood 'board and dot inlays (as featured on all non-reverse Firebirds) and its price was reduced in '65 from $360 to $289.50. Fak. I went to look at a white Gibson Les Paul Studio from a craigslist ad. Gibson USA, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Memphis From 1975-1977 the number is typically found on a decal on the back of the headstock. #5. If the stamped number consists of 5 digits, there is a . Show More: Similar Products. If you want to know the production year of your Gretsch guitar, you can decipher it with the serial number decoder, or find it in the tables below. Brands like Gibson and Fender are well known household names because they are companies with a long history of producing exceptional guitars. Now the seller writes to the court, this might be the only original 1957 Gibson chambered, and I am in possession of a possible very valuable unique collector . The Gibson fakes are easy to spot. $6,799.00. Epiphone Les Paul guitars are mostly indistinguishable from the Gibson version, from their look and feel to their sounds. Depending on the maker of the guitar, your guitar's individual serial number may give you a better idea how old the guitar is. I had one on an SG 61, they actually aren't bad. 8 Next, look at the frets. The construction and specifications of the guitars varied over the period of production, but by 1961 it was a totally solid, double cutaway instrument, with a set neck, translucent cherry finish, six-in-a-row headstock, and Hofner Diamond logo pickups. Gibson Firebird; Right / Left Handed: Right Handed. There's currently a Gibson Explorer V on there that is obviously a fake because it has no serial number on the headstock. Gibson official page - PDF SPECS. 3. Dagan shows you how to decode the Gibson serial number and identi. The new colors Redolution and Blue-volution yes, that's really the names of the swirls, appears to replace the previously announced orange scheme. Gibson did not use serial numbers at that time but started in 1953. Id you don't know how to spot a fake, don't buy without expert advice. . #1. Epiphone makes its own version of the classic Les Paul, but they cost a whole lot less ( under $600 for a Classic or a Standard ). This new function will try to match the serial number against older formats, details required for an exact match are listed in yellow. Answer (1 of 9): 1. UPDATE: December 7, 2010 Gibson have done the Firebird brand even worse with the new "Flood Swirl" color scheme that looks like something you'd find at the bottom the Gibson factory floor or an unflushed toilet. If you pull the neck off a Strat and see a "4," it's converted Jazzmaster neck. Gibson serial numbers 1952 to 1961, solidbody model. The new 2019 line up for Gibson's Firebird guitar does list the "Custom Shop Firebird" pickup that's made to traditional Firebird specs and construction style as a option. Shop Gear. Gibson electric acoustic guitars. 130 IQ. Answer (1 of 9): 1. You can add any model of Gibson guitar, whether that's a Les Paul, a Flying V, or a Hummingbird. Feb 15, 2011. Decode Look for a serial number. Both the Epiphone and the Gibson get slim taper necks, fully bound necks and headstocks, and 22 medium jumbo frets on their ebony fretboards. evidence that the HTG runs on the Android operating system and has a long list of built in features borrowed from the Firebird X such as on-board . As of today it's up to $1200 with 4 days left. I wanted the guitar to use as a backup for gigs, etc and I like the white. - The headstock and headstock logo should match those of authentic Gibson guitars - Pearl should always be inlaid - Les Paul Model script is always in cursive - If the guitar has a 3 screw truss rod it is not authentic - Check the control and pick up cavities for sloppy routing or wiring - Real Gibson guitars use one piece necks Give me the Lyre taco shell vibrola too. (if hyphen or space in serial number, do not forget them) Enter . But for many guitar geeks, the video footage posted on YouTube of hundreds of these instruments being pulverised under the caterpillar tread of a heavy construction vehicle had a uniquely macabre quality. 2. Authority Guitar Top Tip: If you find your serial number doesn't yield any results, press 'crtl & f' and enter the beginning of your serial number. All R2 - R0 Les Paul reissue discussions belong in this area. Scale Length: 24.75" Wood Top Style: Plain. It should be equal to or lower than the bridge or tail stop depending on the model. Counterfeits damage the credibility of famous brands. y'all know about passive pickup circuit tone pot caps? Posted November 28, 2009 You have to open an account on a hosting site like photobucket.com or flicker.com and upload your pictures there, then paste the link that your picture will have there and paste it here between the image brackets. The real one is thin and the fake one takes up over half of the headstock thickness. Fakes frequently place them too high. The main giveaway is frets going through the binding. Gibsons. The new colors Redolution and Blue-volution yes, that's really the names of the swirls, appears to replace the previously announced orange scheme. Seems like a lot of guitar to fake for 900 dollars but now I'm suspecting it might be. Find out how to date your Gibson guitar here. Recovery Resources provides assistance and information on how to get help for you or a loved one who suffers from substance abuse. 82765501 means the instrument was produced on Oct. 3, 1985, in Nashville and was the 1st instrument stamped that day. Look at the upper volume knob. Besides, fakes like this are more fun, always more of a story and when your playing the general audience will know no diffrerent. Dec 30, 2009. You can add any model of Gibson guitar, whether that's a Les Paul, a Flying V, or a Hummingbird. The Gibson Guitar App Hits The Top Spot Apple's number 1 top free app in the music category and 15th overall for top free apps In a world of Gibson bashers and cork sniffers who look at their new. Gibson. Click to copy post link. Just enter the number below, hit the 'Decode' button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from (sometimes even down the exact day), the country it was made in, and the manufacturing plant. The first digit of the series number is the last digit of the year. How To Spot A Fake Gibson Les Paul . . . a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half . guitar with a microscope to find flaws in it, here is the alternative: Chinese Gibsons made by forced labor or child labor, built in fear. GuitarTone said: The "Traditional Series" Tokai models are now made in China, not Korea. But the initial run was small: only 105 Gibson EBs were made in 1953. Especially the Firebird V, honest and basic enough with just two pickups. You'll not obtain a dime-on reproduction but again, possibly plenty good enough for occasional use, using what you already own guitar-wise. Originally Answered: How can you tell a fake Gibson? 2017/09 - Gibson Custom Slash FIREBIRD Trans White AGED & SIGNED Limited to: 25 pieces Gibson MSRP (in USD): 7699 Today Value (in EUR): 6699 - 7500 Model Name: FBSLASTWHNH1 Serial N.: "Slash #XX" (written by Slash himself) Firebird with Slash specs. I have always had a passing fascination with the Firebird. Examine headstock and headstock logo to determine that they match those of authentic Gibson guitars. Categories Brands Shops Deals and Steals Price Drops 0% Financing New and Popular Handpicked Collections. The fake has much more and is crudely cut. and for sale cheap. Step 2: Finding out what your guitar is worth. Author Posted November 29, 2009 Thanks for the help. The Advance (17" or wider) models from late 1934 onward are of the same construction used in today's archtops. I bought a black Gibson Firebird Studio on ebay about a year ago and recently noticed that mine does not have the bevel on the headstock like the others I've seen, its just totally flat to the edge. Scroll down to our 'Manual Checklist' and you . We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! Best of 2019: With its arcane switching system, robot tuners, Bluetooth accessories and clunky software, the Gibson Firebird X (opens in new tab) is a nigh-on impossible electric guitar to love. On Reverb and eBay, I. a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half . not an easy build and time is money to companies like gibson. Topic Area for the Historic line of Gibson Les Paul Reissues. But while the name Gibson isn't there, the guitars overall design being . Ace's tone is thicker and more overdriven; Paul is more midrangey and biting. For guitars made prior to 1977 use the extended search function. 1961 ES-335 Sixties Cherry Ultra Light Aged. Correct measurements can be found at Gibson's site . . Les Pauls, SGs, the odd Firebird, those I can tell at a quick glance but I would never have thought that they would have fake Blueshawks. Gibson's EB had fake f-holes painted onto its small body and had an extendible end-pin so you could play it horizontally like a standard electric bass or stand it upright like a double bass - good for that early '50s rockabilly vibe. I guess it makes sense, Gibson doesn't make them anymore and they enjoy a cult following, (and I mean that in an affectionate way). There have been numerous threads on these boards about Chinese fake. the guts of the pickup - bobbins and bar mags - are held together with potting wax, after the cover has been spot soldered to the frame. Gibson's solid bodys were released in 1952. Gibson quit making real Firebird pickups several years ago, they have been making minibuckers under Firebird covers. If the binding comes up over the fret ends, I believe it's usually a real custom. Japanese Tokais have the Made in Japan under the clearcoat on the back of the headstock. From the Price Guide. How to spot a fake Gibson: Measure the guitar to check if it's undersized. For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. Featuring 70,000 hematite crystals, the guitar successfully reflected the dazzling and vibrant celebration of Latin music and showmanship. Gibson Serial Number Lookup Decoder. The Lloyd Loar signed L-5's, the pre-war Super 400, and Advanced L-5 archtops are highly collectible. they may not. If a bunch of questionable fakes are floating around under their name, this is only going to cause damage to the brand's reputation. The fake one has a screw slot where the bridge recesses on it. DucRyder, Platypus, lostpick and 3 others Oinkus Member Messages 6,885 Nov 1, 2021 Gibson Firebird hard shell case handle Just got a Gibson Firebird - living the dream! Gibson specialised in expensive electric acoustics; high end jazz archtop models like the L5-CES, Super 400, ES-300, ES-350, ES-5, and the very well-known ES-175.These were all large hollow-body guitars with superb clean tones for jazz soloing. Look at the upper volume knob. Click to copy post link. Decode. 715 IQ. 715 IQ. The new Hyper Touch Gibson is CEO Henry Juszkiewicz's vision for where the guitar is ultimately destined, and continues their technological lead that began with the Robot Guitar and Firebird X . The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. Fakes frequently place them too high. Anyway, I'll be swapping out the pickups and installing some RS pots and caps (a mod I've done before and have been very happy with). The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number will change to 1. The fake Gibson guitar blog, don't fall for the fakes, don't fall for a . Sep 6, 2009. But while the name Gibson isn't there, the guitars overall design being . #6. Notice the logo on the headstock. Step 1: How to sell a vintage guitar online. A few years ago I bought a Chinese Les Paul out of curiosity and in the process I started up an email conversation with the builder. It's a fake, I mean I don't like gibson but even they wouldn't be this sloppy. Paul frequently used a Gibson Firebird or an Ibanez . The most collectible Gibson archtops are the larger models made from the early 1930's to 1959. NOTE - Gibson USA goes to a 9 digit serial number in early July 2005.. This is my first post on here. 27. #1. 7 Next, look at the binding on the headstock. I was sold a fake 57 GT in 2016- Here are the X- rays. 2. Id you don't know how to spot a fake, don't buy without expert advice. The guitar is beautiful but the handle came off the case before I could get it into the music room - the brass rivets had pulled out at some point in the past and weren't securely fastened any more. 82765501 means the instrument was produced on Oct. 3, 1985, in Nashville and was the 1st instrument stamped that day. Nice of them to offer now, but with the high cost of the . #6. The Gibson is further upgraded over the Epiphone on the fretboard, where you'll find genuine mother pearl inlay. 1 Finish Options. I thought I would relay the story of what happened to me today - it's a little interesting. Gibson announce Firebird X launch date of May 1st and put more details online . Usually, on the decent and somewhat accurate Chinese knock off Les Pauls, the tailpiece is also mounted slightly further away from the bridge. To check for this, unscrew the neck and look at the stamp under the truss rod. But this was a time of big change in the guitar market. Check to see that all pearl is inlaid. Notice the logo on the headstock. 4. I recently picked up a 2009 Firebird. Gretsch serial number date decoder. Reaction score. This should be an 8 digit number that can be dated by the 1st and 2nd digits as follows: 99 = 1975 00= 1976 06 = 1977 The fact that they have thousands of sales . The "G" in Gibson should be vertical, essentially parallel to the edge of the neck. As you can see, Chinese Les Paul / Gibson inspired guitars sell very well, even better than Fender style guitars, the best selling ones having thousands of sales. The first number is the model code: Strats have a "2," Jazzmasters have a "4.". But perhaps the biggest star of the show for us guitarists, was the Swarovski crystal-encrusted Gibson Firebird electric guitar that the multi-Grammy award-winning Colombian star played during the set. What does your Gibson serial number tell you? Gibson doesn't do that. A longer scale such as 25 1/2" will have a faster rise-time acoustically that will present a less authentic Firebird fake-job. The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number will change to 1. A number stamped with ink on the back of the headstock. It will consist of a number, followed by a month, a year and a letter designating the neck width. 1- Looking at the AliExpress guitar category. This page will then be highlighted in all the results starting with the numbers/letters you've entered. Korea/Chinese models have 3 screws on the trussrod cover, Japanese Tokais have 2. The ad seemed normal, and I talked to the guy on the phone .