• THIS IS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY YEAR FOR THE LES PAUL FORUM! PLEASE CELEBRATE WITH US AND SUPPORT US WITH A DONATION TO KEEP US GOING! We've made a large financial investment to convert the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and recently moved to a new hosting platform. We also have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!
  • WE HAVE MOVED THE LES PAUL FORUM TO A NEW HOSTING PROVIDER! Let us know how it is going! Many thanks, Mike Slubowski, Admin
  • Please support our Les Paul Forum Sponsors with your business - Gary's Classic Guitars, Wildwood Guitars, Chicago Music Exchange, Reverb.com, Throbak.com and True Vintage Guitar. From personal experience doing business with all of them, they are first class organizations. Thank you!

Serial number.

Big Phil

New member
Joined
Nov 28, 2024
Messages
4
Can anyone tell me the build date of this please. I think it's 68.
It's a deluxe, mini humbuckers, no volute.
 

fernieite

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
635
Welcome to the forum!

I don't see any serial number, but this link may help.


The date codes on the pots will be very helpful, as well.

Gibson used CTS pots in that era. 137 was the company code. The 3 or 4 digit numbers after that will tell you the date.
 
Last edited:

corpse

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2007
Messages
5,018
Phil
Welcome.
There’s no pic. On my iPad anyway.
 

Hricl

New member
Joined
Aug 16, 2023
Messages
14
But, the guitar has no volute to the back neck/headstock? I can see where he might think it was a 68 with the serial # 503xxx though. The post 70 “Made In USA “ stamp definitely puts it past the 68 range and beyond.
 

Bob Womack

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2002
Messages
2,253
But, the guitar has no volute to the back neck/headstock? I can see where he might think it was a 68 with the serial # 503xxx though. The post 70 “Made In USA “ stamp definitely puts it past the 68 range and beyond.
The further you get from 1972, the smaller the volute. By 1974 the K-zoo LPs had what I call a "vestigial volute," very small. But this looks like a stickered serial with gold lettering. The "Made in USA" looks like it may be peeling. However, given the size of the font and that it looks like the serial has been heavily oversprayed with clear coat, obliterating the indentation in the finish, this is an odd bird. Could be a break and refin where the luthier decided to highlight the serial and "Made in USA" so that it would stand out under the smooth finish.

Some of this could be reflections, but darn, it doesn't look like my '74 K-zoo Standard. Heavy indentation there.

Bob
 
Top