A friend of mine just picked up a BR4 with no serial stamped in the back of the headstock.
Does anyone know if that was a common practice?
Thanks
Gibson BR4 serial # question
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- Tim McKane
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- Stephen Cowell
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I have a '61 SG/Junior that has the finish so thick (white) that the serial number is obscured completely. I've been to several guitar shows and found that almost *all* of these guitars had hard-to-read serial numbers... evidently the finish (or second try) obscured the number. Perhaps this is what happened... what color/type is the finish?
- Tim McKane
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- Peter Huggins
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Gibson did not put serial numbers on post-war lap steels until 1953, when they started stamping numbers on the back of the headstock in ink like on the Les Paul guitars.
This means none of the BR-3, BR-4, early BR-6, or early Ultratone or Century models have serial numbers.
The BR-4 was only produced in 1947.
This means none of the BR-3, BR-4, early BR-6, or early Ultratone or Century models have serial numbers.
The BR-4 was only produced in 1947.
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- Tim McKane
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- Peter Huggins
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Right, those were both pre-war models. After WWII ended, many Gibson guitars were shipped without any serial numbers up thru the early '50s.
There were exceptions, but for example my 1949 ES-150 has no numbers anywhere (Please note I said ES, not EH, its a big body non cutaway Spanish electric guitar with one P-90 and two unmarked, un-numbered knobs). We figured out 1949 by the plain knobs (numbers on the knobs by '50) and dot neck.
There were exceptions, but for example my 1949 ES-150 has no numbers anywhere (Please note I said ES, not EH, its a big body non cutaway Spanish electric guitar with one P-90 and two unmarked, un-numbered knobs). We figured out 1949 by the plain knobs (numbers on the knobs by '50) and dot neck.
A big THANKS to all my friends, here and everywhere !