# Dating gibson les paul guitars

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The three intermediate digits, the day of that year. Since 1989, all Gibson acoustics are built in Bozeman, MT and all Gibson electrics are built in Nashville or Memphis. The thickness of the headstock, however, is not as vulnerable to modification or replacement.\
&#x20;![dating gibson les paul guitars](https://reverb-res.cloudinary.com/image/upload/s--on5FAejw--/a_exif,c_limit,e_unsharp_mask:80,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_south,h_620,q_90,w_620/v1479253145/zq0ragaipuipbcyxs71b.jpg)\\

Gibson Guitars: 100 Years of an American Ring. LOL CB BTW, in 76, Gibson start numbering the serial numbers different. Does it have that. The first 5 numbers remain the same, the last 3 numbers will remain the same. The reason for this is that there is no reliable documentation from this time period. This design continued as a separate guitar when the traditional single cutaway, carved top bodystyle was re-introduced in 1968. I would give the first three 's followed by X's. I have a real soft spot for a Pancake bodied Goldtop, that soft gold paint topping all those pieces of hogony, and the way the custodes seem to flaot right on the frets. On July 24, 1952, at a special musicians clinic at the hotel, it was previewed by prominent guitarists such as, and. Austin, TX: GH Books. Acoustic Guitars and Other Fretted Instruments: A Photographic History. In glad, without any other information about the guitar, the serial number is essentially worthless.

If you don't see the brand you're looking for, check back soon - we're adding more all the time. Gibson remained under the control of CMI until 1974 when it became a subsidiary of Norlin Musical Instruments.\
&#x20;![dating gibson les paul guitars](http://i.imgur.com/jp8JEHZ.jpg)\\

**Dating les paul guitars** - Gibson, these fully-authorized Japanese guitars came into existence through partnerships between Gibson USA and various Japanese manufacturers and dealers such as Aria, Matsumoku and Yamano Music that extend back into the 1970s.\
&#x20;![dating gibson les paul guitars](http://www.maartinallcock.com/Gear/Les%20Paul%20serial%20number.JPG)\\

Gibson Les Paul Classic Premium Plus c. Its design typically comprises a solid mahogany body with a carved maple top and a single , a mahogany with a rosewood fretboard, two pickups with independent volume and tone controls, and a , although variants exist. The Les Paul was originally offered with a gold finish and two pickups. In 1957, pickups were added, along with sunburst finishes in 1958. The sunburst 1958—1960 Les Paul — today one of the best-known electric guitar types in the world — was considered a failure, with low production and sales. For 1961, the Les Paul was redesigned into what is now known as the. This design continued as a separate guitar when the traditional single cutaway, carved top bodystyle was re-introduced in 1968. The Les Paul has been continually produced in countless versions and editions since. Along with and , it was one of the first mass-produced electric solid-body guitars. Due to their versatility, Les Paul electric guitars have been used in a wide range of music genres, including , , , , , , , , , and. In 1950, the ancestors of and were introduced to the musical market and solid-body electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction to market demand, Gibson Guitar president brought guitarist Les Paul into the company as a consultant. Les Paul was a respected innovator who had been experimenting with guitar design for years. In 1951, Paul, McCarty, and his team at the Gibson Guitar Corporation began work on what would eventually become the Les Paul Model. Early prototypes are very similar to the final version. The new Les Paul guitar was to be an expensive, well-made instrument in accordance with Gibson's reputation at the time. Although recollections differ regarding who contributed what to the Les Paul design, it was far from a replica of rival guitar manufacturer 's models. Additionally, Gibson's president Ted McCarty stated that the Gibson Guitar Corporation approached Les Paul for the right to imprint the musician's name on the with the intention of increasing sales; in 1951, Gibson presented Paul a nearly finished instrument for approval. Subsequently, McCarty claimed that design discussions with Les Paul were limited to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body for increased density and sustain, which Les Paul had requested reversed. However, this reversal would have caused the guitar to become too heavy, and Paul's request was refused. Paul states that the original should have had the maple cap and the Goldtop was to be all mahogany. The Custom did not appear on the market for another two years following the introduction of the Goldtop; it is possible that Gibson had planned a full model range of guitars with a roll-out over the course of several years at the time when initial specifications were being set. Les Paul's contributions to the guitar line bearing his name were more than cosmetic, but certainly included them. For example, Paul specified that the guitar be offered in a gold finish, not only for flashiness, but to emphasize the high quality of the Gibson Les Paul instrument. The later-issue Les Paul models included tiger stripe and tops, again in contrast to the competing Fender line's range of car-like custom color finishes. The guitar made its public debut when Paul used it onstage in June, 1952, at the in New York. On July 24, 1952, at a special musicians clinic at the hotel, it was previewed by prominent guitarists such as , , , , and. The clinic preceded the annual held at the starting July 27, where the guitar was first received by the general public at Gibson's exhibit in rooms 611 through 615. Mid-1950s 1953—1957 A second Les Paul model was introduced in 1953. Various bridge and tailpiece designs were added in 1953 and 1954, including the popular bridge. The Goldtop and Custom models continued without significant changes until 1957. In 1957, P-90 pickups were no longer offered on Les Pauls. New pickups designed by in 1955 debuted on Les Pauls in 1957. This innovation in pickups became the flagship pickup design most associated with Gibson. Many other guitar companies followed suit, outfitting their electrics with versions of the humbucking pickup. Sunburst failure and resurgence 1958—1968 In 1958, the Les Paul saw its first major design change. A new model, called the Standard, retained most features of the 1957 Goldtop. However, Standards featured a cherry-red sunburst finish. These guitars were priced higher than the Goldtop models, but lower than the Customs. At this time, Gibson instruments were marketed toward an older, jazz-oriented audience rather than young burgeoning guitarists. As a result, over the three-year period of production, only c. These Les Pauls were considered to be too heavy and old-fashioned, and they initially did not find favor amongst guitarists. In 1961, Gibson stopped producing the traditional Les Paul in favor of a lighter redesign which was later called the. The mid-1960s, however, brought a resurgence of interest in the Les Paul Standard. The guitar, outfitted with a Bigsby tailpiece, served as one of the guitarist's prominent instruments and provided the first impetus to the use of Les Pauls during the British blues boom. In 1965, began using Les Pauls because of the influence of and , and played a 1960 Standard on the groundbreaking album. In America, began using a 1954 Les Paul goldtop while touring with the Blues Band, and recorded most of his work on the band's East-West album with that guitar. A year later, he traded it for a 1959 Standard with which he became most identified. By 1967, of the was using mid-1950's, P-90 pickup-equipped goldtops or black custom models, which he used through 1968. Concurrently, artists such as , , , and began using sunburst Les Paul Standards in the late 1960s. Responding to this influence and increased pressure from the public, Gibson reintroduced the Les Paul single-cutaway guitar in July 1968, and the guitar remains in production today. Les Paul designs were altered and a reinforced upper neck volute to decrease headstock breaks was added. Neck woods were changed from one-piece mahogany to a three-piece maple design. The body was also changed from one-piece mahogany with a maple top to multiple slabs of mahogany with multiple pieced maple tops. The grain of the maple was placed at 90 degrees to that of the mahogany. Crossbanding was phased out by 1977. In this era, Gibson began experimenting with new models, such as the Les Paul Recording. This guitar was generally unpopular with guitarists because of its complex electronics. During the 1970s, the Les Paul body shape was incorporated into other Gibson models, including the , the , the , and other models that did not follow the classic Les Paul layout. In January 1986, Gibson again changed ownership and began manufacturing a range of varied Les Paul models. The 1980s also saw the end to several design characteristics, including the volute and maple neck. However, because of consumer demand, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is available today in a wide array of choices, ranging from guitars equipped with modern digital electronics to classic re-issue models built to match the look and specifications of the guitar's earliest production runs from 1952 to 1960. As of 2017, Gibson offers several variations of the Les Paul guitar with differences in features, electronics and finishes. For example, the modern Standard offers split- coil pickups which offer a wider range of sounds. The 'Traditional' model offers more the more basic features of guitars available during the period 1950s to 1980s and the 'Classic' model offers yet other features. These models are marketed as 'Gibson USA' guitars, capitalising on their American heritage. In 1986, to respond to the high demand for vintage models, Gibson formed a Custom Shop division. Originally, the Custom Shop began producing accurate reproductions of early Les Pauls, as well as one-offs. Goldtops, the first Les Paul model, were produced from 1952—1957. However, later 1952 Les Pauls were issued serial numbers and also came with bound fingerboards. The design scheme of some of these early models varied. For instance, some early Les Pauls were fitted with black covered P-90 pickups instead of the cream-colored plastic covers that are associated with this guitar. The weight and the tonal characteristics of the Goldtop Les Paul were largely due to the and construction. In 1953, the trapeze tailpiece was dropped, and a new stopbar design was added. This design combined a pre-intonated bridge and tailpiece with two studs just behind the bridge pickup. This increased the sustain of the Goldtop noticeably; however, the intonation and string height adjustability were limited. A new design, the Tune-o-matic, replaced the stopbar in 1955. It consisted of a separate bridge and tailpiece attached directly to the top of the guitar, combining an easily adjustable bridge with a sustain-carrying tailpiece. This design has been used on most Les Pauls ever since. The tuners were produced by. Custom 1954—60, 1968—present Main article: The Les Paul Custom features gold hardware, multilayer binding including the headstock, ebony fingerboard, real mother-of-pearl inlays and two or three-pickup layout. In 1957, the Custom was fitted with Gibson's new humbucker pickups, and later became available with three pickups instead of the usual two. The traditional Les Paul Custom was discontinued in 1961 and its name transferred to the custom version of the then-new. In 1968, Gibson reintroduced the Les Paul Custom as a two-pickup-only model. The headstock angle was changed from 17 degrees to 14, and a wider headstock and a maple top in lieu of the original 1953-1961 mahogany top construction were added. White and two sunburst finish options were added to the color palette in 1974. Also new in 1974 was the optional TP-6 fine-tuner tailpiece, allowing for micro-adjustment of string tuning from the bridge. The mahogany neck was replaced with a three-piece maple neck in 1975 though mahogany still saw limited use with this change lasting till around 1982. Gibson currently produces several Custom models with various finishes and pickups. Standard 1958—60, 1968—present Gibson Custom 50th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard 2009 In 1958, new Standard model retained most specifications of the 1957 Goldtop, including humbucker pickups, a maple top, and a bridge with a stop tailpiece or. The gold color used since 1952 was replaced by a cherry-red version of the Sunburst finish long used on Gibson's flat-top and archtop acoustic and hollow electric guitars. To differentiate from the earlier Goldtop model, the new Les Paul was referred to as The Les Paul Standard. Specifications during 1958—60 varied from year to year and also from guitar to guitar. Typical 1958 Les Paul Standard necks had a thicker neck, thinner frets and lower fret height, which changed during the course of 1959 to develop into typical 1960 necks with a thinner cross-section and wider, higher frets. Only about 1,700 of these early models were made and have subsequently become highly valuable. Because of high demand, Gibson resumed production of Les Paul Standards in 1968. In 1954, the Les Paul Junior debuted, targeted the beginning or student guitarist. Gibson made a radical design change to their Junior and TV models in 1958: to accommodate player requests for more access to the top frets than the previous designs allowed, these electric guitar models were revamped with a new double-cutaway body shape. In addition, Juniors were now available with a cherry red finish, while the re-shaped TV adopted a more yellow-tinged finish. Special 1955—60 Main articles: and The Les Paul Special was released in 1955, featuring a slab body, two soapbar P-90 single coil pickups, and was finished in a color similar to TV Yellow but not called a TV model. In 1959, the Special was given the same new double-cutaway body shape as the Junior and the TV received in 1958. However, when the new design was applied to the two-pickup Special, the cavity for the neck pickup overlapped the neck-to-body joint. This weakened the joint to the point that the neck could break after only moderate handling. The problem was soon resolved when Gibson designers moved the neck pickup farther down the body, producing a stronger joint and eliminating the breakage problem. The Paul 1978—1982 See also: A single sharp cutaway Les Paul-style walnut body, set walnut neck, 22-fret ebony fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, walnut overlay with gold Gibson logo 1978-1981 or Gibson logo branded into the headstock Firebrand, 1981-1982 , three-per-side tuners, tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece, two exposed humbucker pickups, four knobs two v, two tone , three-way pickup switch, chrome hardware, available in Natural Walnut finish, 24. It included such high end items as the Grover tuning keys and the bridge. Les Paul SG 1961—1963 1962 Les Paul Standard In 1960, Gibson experienced a decline in electric guitar sales due to strong competition from Fender's comparable but much lighter double-cutaway design, the. In response, Gibson modified the Les Paul line. For 1961, the Les Paul was thinner and much lighter than earlier models, with two sharply pointed cutaways and a vibrato system. However, the redesign was done without Les Paul's knowledge, and he hated the design, so he asked Gibson to remove his name. The mini-humbucker pickup fit into the pre-carved P-90 pickup cavity using an adaptor ring developed by Gibson in order to use a surplus supply of mini-humbuckers. The Deluxe was introduced in late 1968 and helped to standardize production among Gibson's U. The first incarnation of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and slim three-piece neck. The multipiece body a thin layer of maple on top of two layers of Honduran mahogany arrived in 1969. In late 1969, a reinforcing neck volute was added. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the construction was returned to mahogany. The body changed back to solid mahogany from the pancake design in late 1976 or early 1977. Interest in this particular Les Paul model was so low that in 1985, Gibson canceled it. In 2005, the Deluxe was re-introduced. It came in ebony, cherry sunburst, tobacco sunburst or gold finish. It was discontinued in 1983. Dark Fire Manufacturer Period 2008—2010 Body type Solid, Single Cut Neck joint Scale 24. Exclusive finish consisting of dark red on the Maple body top; glossy finish on body top and headstock face, satin finish everywhere else. The Gibson Dark Fire, is a variant of the Les Paul. It was a second generation , using an updated version of the Powertune self-tuning system produced by. The Dark Fire also introduced Gibson's Chameleon Tone Technology, a system consisting of onboard electronics designed to simulate various guitar tones. Additionally, the guitar included an called the Robot Interface Pack or RIP. Pickups The Dark Fire had one Burstbucker 3 humbucker in the bridge position, a H at the neck, and a special Tronical-designed piezoelectric tune-o-matic sat in the place of the bridge. The Burstbucker 3 and P-90H were selected via the three-way selector switch. Gibson supplied a TRS stereo cable that allowed the piezo signal and the magnetic signal to be split between two different amps. Studio 1983—present 2001 Studio headstock The Studio model was introduced in 1983, and is still in production. This model retains only the elements of the Gibson Les Paul that contribute to tone and playability, including the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. The current Studios come with a chambered mahogany body with either a maple or mahogany cap. This variant was adorned with neck and body binding, ebony fretboard and sunburst paint job. All Studios at the time had dot fretboard markers and a thinner body. Semi-acoustic model Gibson released the ES-Les Paul in 2015. It is a semi-acoustic model with f-holes and two Alnico humbuckers. The neck is mahogany, but the sides and back are laminated maple and poplar. A mahogany block runs throughout the body to increase sustain. Les Paul's personal guitar playing his customized guitar Until his death in August 2009, Les Paul himself played his personal Les Paul Guitar onstage weekly in New York City. Epiphone Les Pauls The Gibson-owned Company makes around 20 models of the Les Paul, most are similar copies of Gibson-made models. Made in places outside the U. Main article: Gibson has produced three. The first was issued in the mid-1990s. It is based on a stock sunburst Les Paul Standard. Several years later, Gibson issued its third Jimmy Page Signature guitar, this one based on Jimmy Page's 2, issued in a production run of 325 guitars. Slash Slash with one of his signatures in 2007 has collaborated with Gibson on seventeen signature Les Paul models. An version was released as well. Production was limited to 100. In 2008, Gibson USA released the Slash Signature Les Paul Standard Plus Top, an authentic replica of one of two Les Pauls Slash received from Gibson in 1988. It has an Antique Vintage Sunburst finish over a solid mahogany body with a maple top. An Epiphone version was released as well. This guitar is a replica of his 1987 Les Paul Standard. Production was limited to 400, with 100 aged guitars signed by Slash, and another 300 finished with the Custom Shop's VOS process. An Epiphone version was simultaneously released as well. An Epiphone version of the guitar was released as well. In 2017, Gibson Custom Shop released the Slash Firebird, a guitar which is a radical departure from the Les Paul style association he is well known for. The finish was produced in only two separate colors, which is Trans Black and Trans White. Only 50 copies of each color was produced. The first was developed in 1996 and was customized with an active mid-boost control, black chrome hardware, and a translucent black finish. Gary Moore Les Paul created his own signature Les Paul in the early 2000s, characterised by a yellow flame top, no binding and signature truss rod cover. In 2009, Gibson released another Gary Moore signature guitar, the Gibson Gary Moore BFG Les Paul. The Gary Moore BFG is much like their previous Les Paul BFG series, with the added styling of Moore's various 1950s Les Paul Standards. Peter Frampton Michael Bloomfield Gibson used hundreds of photographs of the late blues guitarist's instrument to produce the limited-edition Bloomfield signature. The company produced one hundred Bloomfield models with custom-aged finishes and two hundred more with the company's VOS finishing in 2009. The headstock was characterized by the kidney-shaped installed on the guitar before Bloomfield traded for it. These guitars were modified by Alan Rogan and used extensively on stage and in the studio with. In addition to the two mini-humbuckers the guitar carried, Rogan modified Townshend's originals with a DiMarzio humbucker in the middle. Toggle switches located behind the guitar's tailpiece turned the pickup on and off and added volume boost. The control knobs were wired for volume, one for each pickup and a master volume. The reissues differed from Townshend's originals in that the reissues had an inlay at the first fret while the originals did not. Ace Frehley The signature model released in 1997 and re-released in 2012 has three double-white DiMarzio pickups, a cherry sunburst finish AAAA , a color image of Frehley's face in his Kiss make-up on the headstock, mother-of-pearl lightning bolt inlays, and Ace's simulated signature on the 12th fret. A Custom Shop run of only 300 guitars were built with DiMarzio PAF, Super Distortion, and Dual Sound pickups. The production run model was only built with DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. This was one of Gibson's best selling artist runs. Eric Clapton Eric Clapton playing a Les Paul in 1987, on the right of Clapton played a 1960 often presumed to be 1959 and according to Joe Bonamassa it may be true Standard as a member of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers as well as in the early days of. The guitar was said to have been stolen while Clapton was preparing for the first Cream tour in 1966, following the recording of , and was long considered an iconic instrument by Clapton's fans. Mark Knopfler has a signature model of his famous 1958 Les Paul Standard. Paul Kossoff , of and , favored a 1959 Les Paul Standard. Although early Les Paul imitations in the 1960s and 1970s, such as those made by , , , and differed from Gibson's designs, with different electronics and even bolt-on necks, in the late 1970s some Japanese companies came very close to perfecting copies of the original 1958-1960 Standards. However, the suit was based on an Ibanez headstock design that had been discontinued by 1976. The case was officially closed on February 2, 1978. The Edwards and Navigator lines are made in Japan in the vein of the late 1970s and 1980s guitars from , , and Greco, complete with Gibson style headstocks. In 2006, Gibson lost a lawsuit against , Gibson claiming PRS was infringing on the Les Paul shape and design. The court's decision allowed PRS to reintroduce single cutaway versions of its instruments. In 2008, Gibson the trademark for the Les Paul in. The lawsuit began when Gibson sued Musamaailma, which produces Tokai guitars, for trademark violation. The court also found it aggravating that Gibson had used Les Paul in the plural form and that the importer of Gibson guitars had used Les Paul as a common noun. The court decision will become effective, as Gibson is not going to appeal. The Gibson Guitar from 1950 2nd ed. Education — Inside the Classroom. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from on January 19, 2012. Les Paul — In His Own Words. The Illustrated Directory of Guitars. The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy: 1915—1963. Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years. Retrieved 16 January 2015. Electric Guitars:The Illustrated Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 18, 2017. Fender: The Inside Story. The Illustrated Directory of Guitars. Gibson Electrics: The Classic Years: An Illustrated History of the Electric Guitars Produced by Gibson Up to the Mid-1960s. Musical Instruments Series revised ed. Retrieved February 24, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2012. Retrieved April 30, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2011. Archived from on August 13, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018. Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Enslow Elementary April 2008. Backbeat Books 1st edition April 26, 2002. Jawbone Press 1st edition 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
