Impressed serial numbers on the heels of '50s Les Pauls?

[VonPrikler]

I've seen this now a few times on '50s Les Pauls. Check these out.

What is the significance of an impressed serial number into the heel?

Hendrix's '50s Les Paul Custom:

Another '50s Les Paul Custom:

A '50s Les Paul Junior:

 

[VonPrikler]

A better shot of the heel on Hendrix's Les Paul Custom.

It's a '55, and apparently Hendrix got it in '62 or '63.

So, whatever caused that impressed number to be there, I am guessing it has been there at least since '62 or earlier.

I think the knee-jerk reaction would be "factory refin" - and that was my initial thought as well, but now I am wondering if the heel-impressed number could mean something else?

 

[CutieJones]

They look like they were stamped after the finish was applied, so I say not done at the factory.

 

[VonPrikler]

But it's got to be something Gibson did, no? I mean, it was impressed into the heel after the finish was applied, but the impressing itself was done by Gibson for some purpose, as opposed to somebody other than Gibson doing the impressing?

 

[ourmaninthenorth]

The ones on the body of the Junior look like engineer punch stamps to me.

 

[VonPrikler]

Anyone have any other photos of impressed numbers into the heels of a '50s Les Paul?

Any ideas on how or why they got there, and what they mean?

 

[VonPrikler]

Check out the link for the Junior with the heel stamp (one of my original photos posted) - supposedly a possible prototype (although refinished, so who knows... so maybe not the best example for us...)?

https://reverb.com/item/19498-gibson-les-paul-jr-1953-burst

However, the Hendrix '55 Custom seems like a pretty controlled example.

 

[scottknouse]

My '54 Junior...
Not on the heel, but oddly enough on the butt.

 

[GuitarMikey]

So, on these guitars....are they JUST on the heels (or butt) or are they on the heels AND the normal spot on the back of the headstock?

 

[VonPrikler]

Good question. I am not even sure that the impressed-heel number on the Hendrix '55 Custom matches with the regular (back of headstock inked) serial number.

The regular (back of headstock inked) serial number for the Hendrix '55 Custom appears to be: 5 6043:

I can't seem to make out the heel-impressed number on the guitar, but it looks like 5 digits, with no space between the first and second number (?).

 

[mingus]

Those may be inventory numbers used by an institution such as a music school, military, etc.

 

[chuckNC]

That would make sense. Especially in the event that the impressed # is different that the SN on the headstock.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Those may be inventory numbers used by an institution such as a music school, military, etc.

This is my thought also.

However, that 54 Junior seems to have a 54 serial number for the indent stamp, while the others do not mimic the serial number [as far as I know].
But, the idea of an inventory marking makes sense.

 

[JDPS150]

Those may be inventory numbers used by an institution such as a music school, military, etc.

That's my thought too
I seem to remember the AF doing that, but it was a long time ago