Help me date a vintage Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

[peterc52]

Hi guys,

I can't figure out how old my new guitar is.

Can you guys help me? The serial is 17411x and has "made in U.S.A." stamped under it

I was told it is a 1972.

Btw its a gold top with mini humbuckers.

 

[ibenhad]

Pretty sure back then it was first and fifth so what you have there is a "71". Send the serial to Gibson and they will tell you more about it.

 

[GOHOINC]

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

 

[JackBootedThug]

for god's sake do not take a router or chisel to it. I can't tell you how many lp deluxe's me and my buddies butchered back in the 80's.

 

[snowdog]

Call Gibson and let them sort it out.

 

[halebox]

Mahogany neck, made in USA 70-74, maple neck after that

 

[barnesjd]

for god's sake do not take a router or chisel to it. I can't tell you how many lp deluxe's me and my buddies butchered back in the 80's.

I don't know man... it's not like mini buckers are awesome. It was Gibson being cheap, trying to offload a bunch of them and using a fancy word like "Deluxe" to make you think it was a good thing.

But for what it's worth, I wouldn't do it either. I'd sell it and find a similar Standard. I wouldn't have routed my Deluxe had it not already been half routed (only the bridge was routed when I bought it)

 

[barnesjd]

Pretty sure back then it was first and fifth so what you have there is a "71". Send the serial to Gibson and they will tell you more about it.

That is not correct for this guitar. There aren't enough digits for that particular numbering scheme. If I recall correctly, 1977 or 78 was the first year they went to that system.

 

[BC Audio]

It is probably going to be impossible to date it exactly, given the overlap of serial numbers (per GOHOINC's post above, copied I assume from here: http://archive.gibson.com/Files/downloa ... UMBERS.pdf). Other features, such as the logo and construction might shed some light.

You could try checking the pot date codes. They will tell you that the guitar is no older than the year the pots were made, assuming they are the original pots. Try here: http://www.guitardaterproject.org/potcodereader.aspx

 

[peterc52]

Here are some pics:

1 pot are from 70 and 3 from 74. So it could be either a 70/71 that had 3 pots changed later on or an early 74 before they changed to maple necks.

It plays and sounds great. New frets also.

What do you think its worth?

 

[BC Audio]

NICE! You know... if it were mine, I would install P90s. I understand that you can do it without modding the guitar (tho I 've not done it myself). Keep the originals in the case for resale. That's a sweet guitar!

 

[barnesjd]

It plays and sounds great. New frets also.

What do you think its worth?

That looks beautiful! I payed around $1700 for my '80 gold top Deluxe with the bridge already routed out, new frets, and horrible looking gold plated hardware (lol). Mine has a maple neck, tho. I could see you getting $2000 for this unmolested specimen, but take that with a grain of salt. I've never shopped for Deluxes.

 

[skoora]

It's definitely 70 or later with the volute. If one of the pots is a 70 then you may be right with 70/71. Does it have the sandwich body?

 

[peterc52]

It does have the sandwich body

The only 2 things not original is the hard case and pick guard

 

[paulyc]

I'd keep it...I kick myself for not buying one just like it way back in the 80s because it had a headstock break (repaired nicely though) and a fucking Kahler on it (which I could have removed) for 400 bucks in hte days of LP values being in the dumper because the super strat craze was everywhere. It played and sounded great despite the Kahler...