Good information on How old is my Gibson guitar? can sometimes be tough to find! I'm here to help you date a Gibson SG guitar. Gibson guitar dating is more than just researching the serial number! Knowing how to date a Gibson guitar is a set of skills that involves tracing Gibson guitar features through time.
Let me help you date your Gibson guitar, and if it falls within a certain age range, I may also able to help if you would like to sell it. You can contact me here to sell a Gibson guitar.
If you think your guitar might be a Gibson Les Paul then check out How to date Gibson Les Paul guitars.
Serial Numbers
Gibson serial numbers are just the starting place to find out how old is my Gibson guitar? Gibson's serial numbers weren't intended to be helpful to date Gibson guitars since they didn't know they would become so collectible. Gibson serial numbers mean different things depending on the style of stamp or font, the range, and the presence of other stamps on the guitar. Here's a quick reference serial number list to help you date your Gibson SG guitar.
3 to 6 digit serial number impressed with no "Made In USA" underneath. Contact me if you have a Gibson SG in this serial number range: sell a Gibson guitar.
100 ------ 42440 1961
42441---- 61180 1962
61450 --- 64222 1963
64240 --- 71040 1964
71041 --- 96600 1962, 1963, or 1964
96601 --- 99999 1963
000001 - 099999 1967
100000 - 106099 1963 or 1967
106100 - 106899 1963
109000 - 109999 1963 or 1967
110000 - 111549 1963
111550 - 115799 1963 or 1967
115800 - 118299 1963
118300 - 120999 1963 or 1967
121000 - 139999 1963
140000 - 140100 1963 or 1967
140101 - 144304 1963
144305 - 144380 1964
144381 - 149864 1963
149865 - 149891 1964
149892 - 152989 1963
152990 - 174222 1964
174223 - 176643 1964 or 1965
176644 - 250335 1964
250336 - 305983 1965
306000 - 310999 1965 or 1967
311000 - 320149 1965
320150 - 320699 1967
320700 - 329179 1965
329180 - 330199 1965 or 1967
330200 - 332240 1965, 1967 or 1968
332241 - 348092 1965
348093 - 349100 1966
349121 - 368638 1965
368640 - 369890 1966
370000 - 370999 1967
380000 - 385309 1966
390000 - 390998 1967
400001 - 406666 1966
406667 - 409670 1966 to 1968
409671 - 410900 1966
410901 - 419999 unknown
420000 - 429193 1966
500000 - 500999 1965, 1966, 1968, or 1969
501009 - 501600 1965
501601 - 501702 1968
501703 - 502706 1965 or 1968
503010 - 503109 1968
503405 - 520955 1965 or 1968
520956 - 530056 1968
530061 - 530850 1966, 1968, or 1969
530851 - 530993 1968 or 1969
530994 - 539999 1969
540000 - 540795 1966 or 1969
540796 - 545009 1969
555000 - 557999 1966
558000 - 567400 1969
570087 - 570643 1966
570645 - 570755 1966 or 1967
570857 - 570964 1966
580000 - 580080 1969
580086 - 580999 1966, 1967 or 1969
600000 - 600998 low end models, 1966, 1967, or 1968
600000 - 606090 high end models, 1969
700000 - 700799 1966, 1967 or 1969
750000 - 750999 1968 or 1969
800000 - 800999 1966, 1967, 1968 or 1969
801000 - 812838 1966 or 1969
812900 - 819999 1969
820000 - 820087 1966 or 1969
820088 - 823830 1966
824000 - 824999 1969
828002 - 847488 1966 or 1969
847499 - 858999 1966 or 1969
859001 - 895038 1967
895039 - 896999 1968
897000 - 898999 1967 or 1969
899000 - 899999 1968
900000 - 909999 1970
910000 - 999999 1968
Six digit serial numbers with "MADE IN USA" stamp underneath. please contact me if you have a Gibson Les Paul in this serial number range:
000000 1973 MADE IN USA stamp
100000 1970-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
200000 1973-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
300000 1974-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
400000 1974-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
500000 1974-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
600000 1970-1972, 1974-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
700000 1970-1972 MADE IN USA stamp
800000 1973-1975 MADE IN USA stamp
900000 1970-1972 MADE IN USA stamp
Sticker on back of the neck with two digit prefix, 8 digit total serial number:
99xxxxxx 1975
00xxxxxx 1976
06xxxxxx 1977
8 digit serial number impressed on the headstock: these guitars were made after 1977. The first and fifth digit will indicated the last two digits of the year it was made.
Example: 8xxx2xxx = 1982
Gibson Guitar Dating By Features
We can't know how old is my Gibson SG guitar by looking at the serial numbers alone since Gibson reused serial number ranges multiple times throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Gibson guitar experts can date a Gibson guitar by looking at its features alone since Gibson slowly updated different parts throughout time. Here are a few ways to date a Gibson SG guitar by its features.
Knob Styles
You can get a basic idea of how old is my Gibson SG guitar by looking at the style of knobs it uses. The initial style of the knob is what Gibson collectors call reflector knobs. Reflector knobs were in use from 1960 until 1967 when Gibson updated them to the skinnier witch hat style knobs.
Reflector knob (1960-1967) vs witch hat (1967-1970s)
