What Year is My Gibson Guitar?

Gibson Guitar Serial Number Look-Up

So you have a vintage Gibson guitar in your possession? Wonderful news: Gibson guitars from the 1920s through the 1970s are not only national treasures, they can sell for large sums of money due to high-demand by musicians and collectors alike. Here at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, TN, Music City U.S.A., we have established a reputation for transparency and ultimately helping vintage Gibson guitar owners sell their instruments for their maximum value; our consignment program is the most competitive in the industry! 

Your first question is probably: What year is my Gibson guitar? Gibson guitar serial numbersare either found stamped on the wooden neck block that is visible inside the soundhole (we call this the FON – factory order number), on an orange label inside, or on the back of the headstock.  We here at Carter Vintage Guitars are experts in vintage Gibson guitar authentication and offer hands-on and online vintage guitar appraisal packages. 

FON a.k.a. Factory Order Numbers

These numbers are found ink stamped to the neck block (when on acoustic guitars) or within the soundhole; it is not uncommon that they are near illegible due to faded ink.

FONs found on instruments made between 1902-1945:

• 1902 – 1916: 1 to 3650
• 1917 – 1923: 11000 to 12000
• 1924 – 1925: 11000A to 11250A (a suffix is not always present)
• 1925 – 1931: 8000 to 9999
• 1931 – 1933: 1 to 890
• 1934: 1 to 1500
• 1935: 1A to 1520A
• 1936: 1B to 1100B
• 1937: 1C to 1400C
• 1938: 1D to 1000D
• 1939: 1E to 980E
• 1940 – 1945: 1 to 7900 (Letters can be present in FONs from this period.)

Letter suffixes found on instruments made between 1935-1942:

• 1935: A
• 1936: B
• 1937: C
• 1938: D
• 1939: E
• 1940: F
• 1941: E
• 1941: G
• 1942: H

FONS found on instruments made between 1942-1951:

• 1942: 907, 910, 923, 2004, 2005, 7000s

• 1943: 900-2200
• 1944: 2200-2900
• 1945: 100-1000
• 1947: 700-1000 (FONs are not very reliable from 45′-47′)
• 1948: 1100-3700
• 1949: 2000-2999
• 1950: 3000-5999
• 1951: 6000-9999

FON found on instruments made between 1952-1961:

• 1952: Z
• 1953: Y
• 1954: X
• 1955: W
• 1956: V
• 1957: U
• 1958: T
• 1959: S
• 1960: R
• 1961: Q

If you own a Gibson guitar with one an ink stamp like described above, we would be interested in buying it or consigning it for you!

Gibson Serial Numbers

Not all Gibsons have serial numbers, some only have FONs like mentioned above, but if it does have a serial number, you will find it on the back of the headstock, or on an orange or white label inside the guitar. 

The following serial numbers are pertain to the last instruments made for each year. For instance, in 1903, the last instrument made was # 1150 and the first instrument made in 1904 was # 1151.

• 1903: 1150
• 1904: 1850
• 1905: 2550
• 1906: 3350
• 1907: 4250
• 1908: 5450
• 1909: 6950
• 1910: 8750
• 1911: 10850
• 1912: 13350
• 1913: 16100
• 1914: 20150
• 1915: 25150
• 1916: 32000
• 1917: 39500
• 1918: 47900
• 1919: 53800
• 1920: 62200
• 1921: 69300
• 1922: 71400
• 1923: 74900
• 1924: 80300
• 1925: 82700
• 1926: 83600
• 1927: 85400
• 1928: 87300
• 1929: 89750
• 1930: 90200
• 1931: 90450
• 1932: 90700
• 1933: 91400
• 1934: 92300
• 1935: 92800
• 1936: 94100
• 1937: 95200
• 1938: 96050
• 1940: 96600
• 1941: 97400
• 1942: 97700
• 1943: 97850
• 1944: 98250
• 1945: 98650
• 1946: 99300
• 1947: 999999

A-Prefix Serial numbers on Gibson guitars from 1947-1960:

• 1947: A 1305
• 1948: A 2665
• 1949: A 4410
• 1950: A 6596
• 1951: A 9420
• 1952: A 12460
• 1953: A 17435
• 1954: A 18665
• 1955: A 21910
• 1956: A 24755
• 1957: A 26820
• 1958: A 28880
• 1959: A 32285
• 1960: A 34645

Ink Stamps on Solid Body Electric Gibson Guitars

Gibson solid body electric guitars (like Les Pauls) made between 1952 and 1961 had ink stamped. These are some of the easiest to read, as the first number indicates the last digit of the year. For instance, if it starts with a “6”, it was made in 1956. Gibsons with ink stamped serial numbers are some of the most valuable guitars! Contact us if you have one! 

For example:

• 44356 – 1953
• 82743 -1958
• 01985 – 1960

1961-1970 Gibson Serial Numbers 

The 1960s were a strange time for Gibson serial numbers: namely, they repeat/ are reused a certain points. Therefore, for complete accuracy, we recommend you contact us if you need help determining the year and value!

• 0100   to  42440      1961
  42441  to 61180      1962
  61450  to 64222      1963
  64240  to 71040      1964
  71041  to 96600      1962, 1963, or 1964
  96601  to 99999      1963
  
  
  000001 to 099999   1967
  100000 to 106099   1963  or 1967
  106100 to 106899   1963
  109000 to 109999   1963  or 1967
  110000 to 111549   1963
  111550 to 115799   1963  or 1967
  115800 to 118299   1963
  118300 to 120999   1963  or 1967
  121000 to 139999   1963
  140000 to 140100   1963 or 1967
  140101 to 144304   1963
  144305 to 144380   1964
  144381 to 149864   1963
  149865 to 149891   1964
  149892 to 152989   1963
  152990 to 174222   1964
  174223 to 176643   1964 or 1965
  176644 to 250335   1964
  250336 to 305983   1965
  306000 to 310999   1965  or 1967
  311000 to 320149   1965
  320150 to 320699   1967
  320700 to 329179   1965
  329180 to 330199   1965  or 1967
  330200 to 332240   1965  1967 or 1968
  332241 to 348092   1965
  348093 to 349100   1966
  349121 to 368638   1965
  368640 to 369890   1966
  370000 to 370999   1967
  380000 to 385309   1966
  390000 to 390998   1967
  400001 to 406666   1966
  406667 to 409670   1966, 1967, or 1968
  409671 to 410900   1966
  410901 to 419999   1966
  420000 to 429193   1966
  500000 to 500999   1965, 1966, 1968, or 1969
  501009 to 501600   1965
  501601 to 501702   1968
  501703 to 502706   1965 , 1968
  503010 to 503109   1968
  503405 to 520955   1965 , 1968
  520956 to 530056   1968
  530061 to 530850   1966, 1968, 1969
  530851 to 530993   1968 or 1969
  530994 to 539999   1969
  540000 to 540795   1966 or 1969 
  540796 to 545009   1969
  555000 to 557999   1966
  558000 to 567400   1969
  570087 to 570643   1966
  570645 to 570755   1966 or 1967
  570857 to 570964   1966
  580000 to 580080   1969
  580086 to 580999   1966, 1967, 1969 
  600000 to 600998   1966, 1967, or 1968
  600000 to 606090   1969
  700000 to 700799   1966, 1967 or 1969
  750000 to 750999   1968 or 1969
  800000 to 800999   1966, 1967, 1968 or 1969
  801000 to 812838   1966 or 1969 
  812900 to 819999   1969
  820000 to 820087   1966 or 1969 
  820088 to 823830   1966
  824000 to 824999   1969
  828002 to 847488   1966 or 1969 
  847499 to 858999   1966 or 1969
  859001 to 895038   1967
  895039 to 896999   1968
  897000 to 898999   1967 or 1969
  899000 to 899999   1968
  900000 to 909999   1970
  910000 to 999999   1968

1970-1975 Gibson Serial Numbers

If you see a “Made in the USA” stamp below your serial number, then you can be assured that it was made between 1970 and 1975 (even if your serial number seems to also fall in the range for guitars in the 1960s). As we mentioned before, Gibson serial numbers can be a bit tricky!

Number	Year
000000-100000	1973
100000-200000	1970-1975
200000-300000	1973-1975
300000-400000	1974-1975
400000-500000	1974-1975
500000-600000	1974-1975
600000-700000	1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975
700000-800000	1970, 1971, 1972
800000-900000	1973, 1974, 1975
900000-999999	1970, 1971, 1972

1975-1977 Gibson Serial Numbers

Number	Year
99XXXXXX	1975
00XXXXXX	1976
06XXXXXX	1977

1977 to Present Day Gibson Serial Numbers

Thankfully, Gibson serial numbers became much easier to read starting in 1977. The First and Fifth are used to determine the serial number. For example:

• 81117379 – 1987 
• 93251072 – 1991
• 07316242 – 2006

We love vintage Gibson Guitars and regularly sell them for record prices. Our consignment program is the fairest in the industry and is truly a win-win for both parties. Here in Nashville., old guitars find loving homes with talented songwriters. Contact Carter Vintage Guitars if you have a vintage Gibson guitar you would like to sell!