1946-54 Gibson mastered the classic P-90 single-coil pickup and fits it to guitars such as the ES-5 and ES-175. Also, I had designed a beautiful three post lightweight bridge made of hardened stainless steel that could be converted into a trem and a two 3 position toggle switches for nine different sounds. Overall, I would rate the condition a solid 7 5 out of 10. Ha. What are the differences? 6 Go Head to Head, Best 12 String Guitar. The second list reproduced here (below) was included in the 1981 Gibson part list, towards the very end of the instruments production period. At this point it is still unclear what the CS10 number is. This guitar is in good condition, and in perfect working order. I have a couple of good references on Gibson serial numbers. Its simple enough with our Gibson Serial Number lookup decoder. Schecter Guitars Review. It does have the made in USA and serial numbers. Anyway, I am not too bothered about that. Oops, looks like you forgot something. section. Privacy Policy | Copyright 2021 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. There are crossovers to when it was produced. It has been fantastically taken care of if this is true. 8 Suitable Acoustics For All Skill Levels, The Best Martin Guitar. How can I authenticate its Gibson pedigree? Finishes; Natural Maple, Ebony, Wine Red & Purple Sparkle. It was designed in 1972 and first released in 1973. They purchase the company and fit the demand. Other Gibson pots were listed in Gibson literature throughout the course of production - summarised here. Fortunately, there were two notable changes to the entire lineup that occurred during the transition that make differentiating 60s and 70s Gibsons straightforward. One of them unusual Gibson from the 70s! He's recently sung on radio and worked as a full-time guitarist/singer. Everything You Need To Know, Acoustic Vs Electric Guitar: A Complete Beginners Guide, The Fascinating Benefits of Playing Guitar, 11 Original Artists Who Defined The History Of Delta Blues Guitar, The Guitars That Shaped The Best Selling Albums Of All Time, How To Benefit From The Circle Of Fifths and Fourths. The Super 400 Premier, the Southern Jumbo, J-45, and the L5-Premier. Clear editor. Yeah. Control wiring image - taken from a 1976 Gibson L6-S Custom. To gain the best results use our decoder above. Zing Instruments is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. An automatic tuning unit is fitted on the rear of the headstock. Undercut Fret binding for quicker fingers. Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar in 2023. Fortunately, Gibson was making more changes to its instruments during the 60s and 70s than any other period, so dating these instruments by features alone is relatively clear-cut in most cases. You should be able to use this guide to determine the year of your instrument and then consult the Reverb Price Guide to find its value, all for free. I'm a big fan of the L-6S Custom too - mine plays beautifully. The guitar was actually designated as an "L6 Midnight Special" by Gibson note; the absence of the "S". Potentiometer codes are always helpful. The serial number is 55620. 10 Essential Tips For Guitar Care: The Best Ways To Maintain Your Guitar: The Ultimate Acoustic Guitar Tonewoods Guide: How Does Wood Affect Your Tone? By clicking Subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on Reverb. Is this a real Fender Bass or a good copy? A Double Cutaway Model was also available in Ebony and Maple (used by Malcolm Young in 1975). I have owned four L6S Gibsons over the years and all had the clear decal with gold serial number applied to the back of the headstock that was used from 1975 - 77. A- & B- Serial Numbers. Early L6-S examples were built at Gibson's famous Kalamazoo plant, though by the mid 1970s, the L6S was being produced at Gibson's second plant, the newly opened facility at Nashville. The L6-S was the first cooperation between Bill Lawrence and Gibson. He's a multi-instrumentalist and loves researching, writing, and geeking out about music. i got the nuumbers tho. In 1974 a second model was released (the Midnight Special), and in 1975 a third, the Deluxe (see a 1976 L6-S Deluxe) was launched at the '75 Summer NAMM show. Please post any comments, particularly bugs in the user . ex 1234 A & 1234 A5. Lee. The vintage ad at the top of the main page reads, "The Gibson L6-S. Based on your location, we've changed your settings: Shipping Region: The Gibson ES-150 was endorsed by Charlie Christian. Most models get a dotted i again in 1972, with the rest following suit from 1981 onward. Part lists and schematics for the Gibson L6-S Custom and L6-S Deluxe. The L6-S (or the L6-S Custom, as it would ultimately be known) was launched in 1973 at the summer NAMM show in Chicago, very much as a more affordable version of the Gibson L-5S. If you end up with an error message, please scroll down and find your guitars credentials manually using our helpful number grids. Shipping calculated at checkout. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year. Since the six-digit numbers from the 60's & 70's are such a mess, you'll need to provide more data to get any accurate information. I have tried using the serial numbers to find out where it came from but I can't find anything. Copyright 2023 The Guitar Dater Project | All rights reserved. How can I tell what type of Les Paul I have. Hey! Instruments will generally have one or both of these numbers stamped or written either inside the body (generally the case on earlier models) or on the back of the headstock. This guitar has the serial number 00143450, and this dates it to 1976. Unlike other brands of guitars, Gibson keeps it simple. Controls include a six position pickup selector, master volume, mid-range and treble roll-off controls. ), All Original, Made in USA in 1978, Gibson Vintage 1970s L6-S Bill Lawrence Pickup Untested, Vintage original 1977 Gibson L6-S in original Natural finish. Last edited on 25 December 2022, at 17:46, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gibson_L6-S&oldid=1129490388, Natural, ebony, tobacco brown sunburst, wine red. The 1st and 2nd indicate the year of manufacture for the 6 digit serial numbers which we've been using since 2000. Because the L6-S lets you color your sound any way you want with tone and mid-range control and a six-position sound switch. If you have any doubts as to a guitars authenticity please contact the guitar manufacturer before your purchase. The batch number, day number were completely done away with leaving a very simple method. 25.1C to 31.8C. they must've been kids or high or both because it's really amateurish. Or I've used it as a spare for shows, and had people ask, "What IS that?". Just enter the number below, hit the 'Decode' button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from (sometimes even down the exact day), the country it was made in, and the manufacturing plant. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Potentiometer codes are always helpful. If you feel like your guitar could be highly valuable or just want as much information as possible, we recommend finding an official appraiser or reach out to a Gibson representative. On the rare occasion it isnt there, you can check the pots where youll find the date (unless the pots havent been swapped out at a later date, that is). Punkrocker 'Claus Danger' from the Scandinavian garage-rock scene, has been using an all black 1978 version since 1996 for both concerts and recording sessions around the world. That's the L6-S Custom you're talking about, not the Deluxe. It was never advertised, or listed in the Gibson catalogs or the Gibson price listings. Though bluebookinc.com says that guitars from the 70's have " Made in USA" stamped. 7 of the Very Best For Every Skill Level, Ibanez Acoustic Guitar Review. There are some scratches, dings and wear on the back. Might be worth posting in the LP section also. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.Company address: Dramatik Ltd, 5 Champion Way, Tiverton, EX16 4FH, UK | Phone: +44 1884 906198 2023 - Zing Instruments. As with most models, production tended to continue somewhat after the model's official withdrawal. I have owned four L6S Gibsons over the years and all had the clear decal with gold serial number applied to the back of the headstock that was used . As always, to receive the best possible information available, be sure to type your serial info into our decoder above. Still to this day, all Gibson instruments are installed with the Ted McHugh design. No ebony fretboard model is on sale. When the new ownership took over, there were even more changes, and by 1976, the L6-S had become just another Les Paul-style Gibson solid-body. Gibson L6-S Natural Wood Finish w / Bigsby Bridge - Clone. Original Bill Lawrence pickups are warm and thick with classic vintage tones. Now, instead, according to the Gibson literature, the series in-phase, series out of phase, and parallel out of phase positions have been deleted in favor of 3 new split-coil positions utilizing "four-conductor split-coil wiring" resulting in these selections: bridge humbucker, bridge single coil, both single, both humbucking, neck single and neck humbucking. Youd have to check the guitar has the correct measurements, which can be found on Gibson.com. I need help: Identifying a mid 1960's Gibson/Kalamazoo. I've got 3 L6-S Customs from the 70s and 1 of the new ones. It was the same shape, very much like a wide Gibson Les Paul, but with a 24-fret two-octave neck, the first Gibson guitar to have this. 1990+ saw interest in vintage models reignite. Contact Gibson, and their Customer Service people can tell you what model of Les Paul you have by their serial number registry. Note some minor changes in part numbers, from the 1977 list above: specifically control assembly components, but the two lists are generally similar. That Hummingbird sounds beautiful! Disagree with something written above? 7 Options For The Home Player, 6 Best Headphones For Guitar Amp: Theres More To It Than You Think, The 8 Best Guitar Accessories And Gift Ideas, Best Tablet For Musicians 2022. Between 1975 and 1977, Gibson used a decal that had eight digit serial numbers and the model name, with the first two digits denoting the year - but not directly. People on these sites are worth theyre weight in gold, and somebody may spot something unknown to us. This system is fairly reliable for guitars made from 1953 to 1961. I don't know, but here is a thread devoted to the L6S you might find interesting. ), the pickups, the type of finish, and the electronics inside that can give clues as to when an instrument was made. Solid bodies had traditionally been mahogany up to this point, but for reasons of economics, and fashion, the seventies saw a range of maple Gibsons, and L6-S was one of them. I had no interest in them by then, mine had long been traded for something else. Just enter the number below, hit the Decode button and our lookup tool will tell you the year your guitar is from (sometimes even down the exact day), the country it was made in, and the manufacturing plant. At the time of its introduction, the L6-S Custom was simply called the L6-S, not gaining the "Custom" badge until later, when the simpler L6-S Deluxe was introduced. 1958 saw a leap of faith with the first semi-hollow-bodied electric guitar. Tap this link. The extra digit slots in the 6th position and is responsible for the batch lot number of the guitar produced that day. 7 Stunning Guitars For You, Martin Vs Taylor Acoustic Guitar. You can add any model of Gibson guitar, whether that's a Les Paul, a Flying V, or a Hummingbird. By wmartin27 May 1, 2014 in Gibson USA. 1961 The Gibson solid-body designs continued to be a roaring success. Canada, Gibson L6-S Made in USA in 1970-75 Serial Number: 108156 that's the . Prices exclude shipping and tax/VAT/GST. This didn't make any sense to me, and after several meetings with marketing, I convinced them to introduce a completely new solid-body that offered a wide variety of different sounds. It belongs to Aurangabad Division . The year is indicated by the first letter in any series of letters for these years. When only one variant of the L6-S existed, it was simply called the L6-S. Researching a guitars serial number can also stop you from being the victim of fraud. 1975 Gibson L6-S, natural. Orville Gibson remains on the workforce until 1904. Haunted Gibson '76 L6-S Electric Guitar with Original Case. Both new models were a cheaper instruments with simpler electronics, strung through the body, bolt-on neck for the Midnight Specials and a rosewood fingerboard for the Deluxe. It has been said the CS ES models start off being built in Memphis. It can be heard from many live recordings around the Danish punkrock scene, especially around the late 90s. 101,000-101,300s Byrdland. The new one has some differences, the pickups are different, but the character of the guitar comes mainly from the use of maple, so it's pretty close, and the necks on the 3 old ones are all a little different from each other anyway. Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. L6-S production started at the Kalamazoo plant in Michigan, however it moved to Nashville, certainly by the end of 1977, perhaps earlier. Gibson serial numbers that begin with an 'A' or "B' followed by a hyphen are from the ES collection Reissues, since 1995. I was shocked at how awesome it is, and it looks so basic. Some important information will be printed or embossed as usual on the rear of the headstock or inside the body on a label. But not a final verdict. [citation needed] The pick-ups are not the original's ceramic sealed Bill Lawrence-designed "super humbuckers", but two humbucking pickups with four-conductor split-coil wiringa 490R in the neck and a hotter 498T in the bridge. Guild Guitars Serial Numbers. Now called the L6S rather than L6-S, this is basically a re-issue of the classic L6-S Custom model, not the Deluxe version.