4/26/2021 0 Comments Sigma Guitar Serial Number Dating
When acoustic production began at the plant built in Bozeman, Montana (in 1989), the series numbers were reorganized.The best methods of identifying them is by using a combination of the serial number, the factory order number and any features that are particular to a specific time that changes may have occurred in instrument design (i.e.There have been 6 different serial number styles used to date on Gibson instruments.
Sigma Guitar Dating Series Numbers WereIn most cases, only the upper end instruments were assigned identification numbers. YEAR LAST 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 YEAR LAST 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 95750 1939 96050 1940 96600 1941 97400 1942 97700 1943 97850 1944 98250 1945 98650 1946 99300 1947 99999 White oval labels were used on instruments from 1902 to 1954, at which time the oval label was changed to an orange color. On instruments with round soundholes, this label is visible directly below it. On f-hole instruments, it is visible through the upper f-hole. Sigma Guitar Dating Serial Numbers Used StartedThe second type of serial numbers used started with an A prefix and ran from 1947 to 1961. YEAR LAST 1947 A 1305 1948 A 2665 1949 A 4410 1950 A 6595 1951 A 9420 1952 A 12460 1953 A 17435 1954 A 18665 YEAR LAST 1955 A 21910 1956 A 24755 1957 A 26820 1958 A 28880 1959 A 32285 1960 A 35645 1961 A 36150 When production of solid body guitars began, an entirely new serial number system was developed. Some time in 1953, instruments were ink stamped on the headstock back with 5 or 6 digit numbers, the first indicating the year, the following numbers are production numbers. The production numbers run in a consecutive order and, aside from a few oddities in the change over years (1961-1962), it is fairly accurate to use them when identifying solid body instruments produced between 1953 and 1961. Examples of this system: 4 2205 1954 614562 1956 In 1961 Gibson started a new serial number system that covered all instrument lines. It is also generally known to be the most frustrating and hard to understand system that Gibson has employed. There are several instances where batches of numbers are switched in order, duplicated, not just once, but up to four times, and seem to be randomly assigned, throughout the decade. All numbers were impressed into the wood and a six digit number assigned, though no particular order was given and some instruments had a letter prefix. The orange labels inside hollow bodied instruments was discontinued in 1970 and were replaced by white and orange rectangle labels on the acoustics, and small black, purple and white rectangle labels were placed on electric models. In 1970, the words MADE IN USA was impressed into the back of instrument headstocks (though a few instruments from the 1950s also had MADE IN USA impressed into their headstocks as well). Year(s) Approximate Series Manufacture 1970, 1971, and 1972 100000s, 600000s, 700000s, 900000s 1973 000001s, 100000s, 200000s, 800000s and a few A 6 digit numbers 1974 and 1975 100000s, 200000s, 300000s, 400000s,500000s, 600000s, 800000s and a few A-B-C-D-E-F 6 digit numbers During the period from 1975-1977 Gibson used a transfer that had eight digit numbers, the first two indicate the year, 991975, 001976 and 061977, the following six digits are in the 100000 to 200000 range. MADE IN USA were also included on the transfer and some models had LIMITED EDITION also applied. In 1977, Gibson first introduced the serialization method that is in practice today. This updated system utilizes an impressed eight digit numbering scheme that covers both serializing and dating functions. The pattern is as follows: YDDDYPPP YY is the production year DDD is the day of the year PPP is the plant designation andor instrument rank. The numbers 001-499 show Kalamazoo production, 500-999 show Nashville production.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |