• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we 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!

guitar birthday

BrianGWN

BrianGWN

Great 'Double White' North ~ Electronics Specialis
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,401
I don't know if anyone else with a regular productin LP Standard/Custom has ever noticed the day portion indicated in the eight digit serial number... and realized the guitar was having a birthday. I have a 1985 LP Custom cherry burst with the funky Protector case (blue insides), the s/n is 80565xxx indicating that it was "born" 17 years ago today on Feb. 25th.
It is another one of those stories, near mint, originally bought new by some lady as a gift to her husband to see if he would get interested in guitar (I kid you not, that is the story), he tried playing it maybe for a few days, stuck it back in the case maybe under the bed, and I picked it up a few years ago like it was out of a time capsule, still has peel off protection on the pickguard and control cavity cover.
Maybe I'll light a candle in a piece of cake in honour of it tonight, hee hee... ;\
 
Tom Wittrock

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
Keep in mind, those numbers go on the guitar in the middle of the building process, long before they are completed [or finished].
So, it might be more like the day it was conceived.:lol1
 
D

Davepaf

Davius J. Pufficus
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
4,250
TW59 said:
Keep in mind, those numbers go on the guitar in the middle of the building process, long before they are completed [or finished].
So, it might be more like the day it was conceived.:lol1
Click to expand...

I dont think the exact date matters. Its like having a birthday party for your dog.
The dog dont know its its birthday! Its just a good excuse to have a party.:lol2
 
S

Spose

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2001
Messages
3,994
homo harness...cable direction...input jack aging... now guitar birthday parties....

I think RICH's head just exploded!:lolspin :lol2
 
D

Davepaf

Davius J. Pufficus
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
4,250
:lolspin :lolspin :lolspin
Is that what that was? I thought it was a sonic boom.:lolspin :lolspin :lolspin
 
PhilcoFord

PhilcoFord

New member
Joined
Feb 23, 2002
Messages
640
Help me out here. I know the first and fifth numbers are the last two years of the date, but how do you interpret the rest of the numbers in the serial number?
 
BrianGWN

BrianGWN

Great 'Double White' North ~ Electronics Specialis
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,401
I thought I might get some kind of reaction, but I certainly didn't think I might cause some heads to explode! :pow

>>TW59: So, it might be more like the day it was conceived<<
Yeah actually that is probably closer to the truth. :)spin

So do the Gibson workers maybe leave the more mature guitars sitting around somewhere and before they know it they have little LPs crawling around? :dude

Hey Spose/Lily, what year was the LilyBurst from?, thought it was sometime in the mid 80s...
 
Last edited:
DOSE!

DOSE!

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2001
Messages
382
Homo Harness? I guess I missed that one.

I just had a party cuz I found some cups left over from the previous party and it was my dogs birthday. I figure he gets 7 a year.:f1: :! :fatty :jaw :bday
 
sunburst

sunburst

New member
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
370
BrianGWN said:
I thought I might get some kind of reaction, but I certainly didn't think I might cause some heads to explode! :pow

>>TW59: So, it might be more like the day it was conceived<<
Yeah actually that is probably closer to the truth. :)spin

So do the Gibson workers maybe leave the more mature guitars sitting around somewhere and before they know it they have little LPs crawling around? :dude

Hey Spose/Lily, what year was the LilyBurst from?, thought it was sometime in the mid 80s...
Click to expand...

of course.. my standard can trace its bloodline directly to one of the most famous 59 bursts...

and those R8s and R9s... freaking clones.. so unethical.
 
S

Sean

Goldie's Man in London
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
2,021
Funny you mention that, it was my Marshall's 30th last week! :dude
 
S

Spose

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2001
Messages
3,994
BrianGWN said:
Hey Spose/Lily, what year was the LilyBurst from?, thought it was sometime in the mid 80s...
Click to expand...


Brian,
The Lilyburst was born April 30th 1985
 
BrianGWN

BrianGWN

Great 'Double White' North ~ Electronics Specialis
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,401
>>The Lilyburst was born April 30th 1985<<
So it looks like 1985 had it's share of good moments. :)spin

Regarding TW59's comment, it may be debateable whether it was born versus conceived on that date. ;\
Actually I was wondering a little more about that issue, about the true significance of the day portion of the modern eight digit serial number. TW indicated he was aware the number was applied in the middle of the guitar's production, maybe when the neck and body are first joined, quite some time (weeks?) before the guitar is actually complete and done and ready for shipping. However I was wondering whether the day information reflects the day the s/n impression was actually performed versus it was an estimation of some future date when the guitar was expected to actually be completed. In the large scheme of things it might be a trivial detail but it might be cool to know the truth for sure.
 
S

Spose

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2001
Messages
3,994
hmmm

"to know the truth for sure" - Gibson cloak of darkness..

Truth & Gibson

Gibson and the truth....

Gibson serial numbers and truth...hmmm
Gibson Serial numbers and complete accuracy....


nope, I don't think so.


nice thought anyway:lol2
 
Tom Wittrock

Tom Wittrock

Les Paul Forum Co-Owner
Joined
Aug 2, 2001
Messages
42,567
I don't have the details. It obviously goes on before the guitar is finished, which is before it is assembled. Since it is a "date" it is fair to call it the birthdate, but, in reality, it must be "born" later. I don't think Gibson could accurately pre-date their guitars.
 
E

Ed Rafalko

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
6,287
It's stamped with a number the day it hits the QC station right outside the finishing area. IT takes about a week ( or it did back then anyway) to get out of the finishing area and into final assembly and inspection.

Custom/Historics are a little different.
 
Bobby Lee

Bobby Lee

Southern Sage
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,107
Its a unique serial number, to build in meaning will always cause problems or inconsistancies down the road...
 
BrianGWN

BrianGWN

Great 'Double White' North ~ Electronics Specialis
Joined
Jul 15, 2001
Messages
1,401
I just got a message back from someone. He said from what he's seen the serial number goes on the headstock as the neck itself is completed, not even when it meets up with a body. If they have the necks happening somewhat ahead of the body production then there can be an amount of time before the dated neck actually gets joined with a body and a guitar is "conceived".
Depending on the queue for finishing, hardware, and whatever else, there can be some time before it is finally born...
Okay so about the only thing for sure is that the eight digit s/n sort of indicates the earlier stage in the proceedings, the day that "foreplay" occurred... hee hee

...I imagine this all does not apply to Epi's and certain others as they are more likely hatched from an egg in a reptilian manner... :)spin
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top