

However, this is also one of the easiest ways to get ripped off. It’s a great way to get a good deal on an otherwise hard-to-find-guitar. If you love guitars as much as I do, the cost of collecting these instruments can take a toll on the checkbook, so one of my favorite pastimes is spelunking in the local pawn shops or perusing the local Craigslist ads.

I don’t want some cheap knock-off or counterfeit like the infamous “Chibson” guitar.

There you have it! There are many exceptions, and of course many other brands out there, but now you can tell how old most Fenders or Gibsons are within seconds.As a guitar player, when I drop money on a Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, PRS or any other top-of-the-line axe, I want to know that I am getting exactly that. A serial number ending in 501 could be the first instrument made at factory #5 that day, or it could be the 501 st instrument of the day.The remaining characters (RRR) can indicate the order of instruments created that day, as well as which factory the instrument was made in.00027xxx for the 2 nd day of the year of 2007 (January 2, 2007).Gibsons have this pattern stamped onto the back of their headstocks: YDDDYRRR.Gibson serial numbers are even more interesting, because you can find out the specific date that your instrument was completed! Here's how:.Shop our selection of Fender Guitars Gibson Serial Dating Serial number coding for Mexican-made instruments is largely the same, except they will start with an M.The remaining digits are important for product identification, but the first few characters are all you need to determine the instruments age.The second character will usually be a number.For US instruments, the serial number will start with a letter.

Serial dating is easiest for instruments made in the USA or Mexico, but is also possible for those made in Japan, Korea, China, and Indonesia.
