Not an ideal situation, but many of the Guitars we see listed for sale as 1960s instruments, are actually newer. If you read through the charts for a hypothetical number, say 123456 - we see that it was shipped in 1963, 1970-72, and again in 74-75.
#Pre gibson tobias serial numbers serial number#
The reason being that Gibsons 6 digit serial number system reached 999999 several times each time they continued from 000001.
#Pre gibson tobias serial numbers serial numbers#
The serial numbers Gibson used, particularly from 1969-1979 are often very difficult to interpret. BEFORE you read the Gibson serial number charts, please read the rest of this page! 50s and early 1960s details are fairly straightforward, but later serial numbers (particularly around 65-75) can cause more confusion than clarity. Gibson used various systems of numbering their instruments, and some records exist that can give a clue to a shipping date. So for example, 8 092 1 089 tells us that this bass was stamped on the 2nd April 19 81 (day 092), at the Gibson Kalamazoo plant, and was the 089th instrument stamped that day Vintage Gibson serial numbers Numbers below 500 signify a Kalamazoo productio, above signifies Nashville. Where YY is the year, DDD is the day of the year, and it was the XXXth instrument stamped that day. These details are encoded unambiguosly into the serial number as follows. Not only can it tell the date, but also the place of production. There is no Gibson serial number decoder that can automatically date your pre-1977 Gibson, although after this time, the currently used eight digit system ha been used.
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A lack of a serial number usually implies an instrument has been refinished. Instruments with f-holes often have the serial number repeated on a label inside the guitar body. Gibson serial numbers are usually on the back of the guitars headstock either stamped, inked or as a decal. 1981 Victory Standard (Candy Apple Red).That said, if anyone out there can somehow help me locate these items - especially the Red Mike Lull 5-string and the Fender P-Bass - I would be very very thankful. So I get that these are just things, and no one got hurt, and life goes on. My first was in 1994, when someone stole my 1986 pre-Gibson Tobias out of my North Hollywood apartment. This is my second time around this particular rodeo. I will also gladly accept anonymous tips if that feels appropriate. If you don't feel comfortable making public comments, you can always message me. If you could be so kind as to share this post with anyone you think could help locate one of these instruments (even if you don't live in the United States it's possible that these are already headed overseas), I would be most grateful. The power of social media far exceeds anything I could do on my own. Obviously some of these instruments are very recognizable, but I'm just one person. I have done a quick search on eBay, Craig's List, and, but I don't see anything. They were stolen sometime between November 9 and December 27. (It's a long and winding story as to why there were there, involving international shipping snafus and forest fires and crazy touring schedules.) I don't have any pics of me playing that black 4-string Mike Lull jazz bass, but everything else has been around. I am including some pictures of me playing the instruments above. I also am missing an SWR Mo' Bass head, s/n ending in 0002 (the second ever made), and a couple of other items * Fender P-Bass, sunburst w/white pickguard, s/n unknown - it once belonged to my dear friend Wes Wehmiller * Taylor AB-4 acoustic/electric bass, sunburst, s/n 20010214201 * (edit - BB) Mike Lull prototype 5-string, translucent black finish, s/n TBA (will get soon) * Mike Lull jazz bass 4-string, passive, black w/white pick guard, s/n 513 * Mike Lull T-Bass 4-string (the Dethklok bass), black w/white pick guard and black "gear" sticker, no serial number (blank indent in headstock) * Mike Lull Modern 5-string, Brown, fretless, flame maple top, s/n 448 * Mike Lull Modern 5-string, Red (yes, THAT one, my #1 for 17 years), flame maple top, s/n 266 They include FIVE (edited-BB) Mike Lull basses: I'm hoping you can help me possibly recover them by sharing this post, in which I'll list every bit of info I have on the missing items.
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THEFT ALERT: I'm sorry to report that most of my basses were stolen from my storage unit while I was on tour in South America these past six weeks.