Painted-over Serial number

[Neonlite]

I have a 70's Gibson Flying V that had a broken headstock twice and was repaired by a Gibson tech twice. In the process, the serial number on the headstock was covered over and is not legible. All but the first number can be determined and this seems to be the most important one in figuring out the exact year it was made which is my goal.

Any suggestions on the best way to clear away the paint without ruining the serial number stamp?

I plan to refinish the entire neck and headstock due to a problem with the paint peeling and gumming up on me. So I'm not concerned about the appearence of the headstock at this point. Thanks in advance!

[john]

hi there,

in a book i have they give load sof info on gibson serial numbers , and boy are they messed up!

they went through a few different nembering systems!

from 1953 to 1960 it was a 5-digit number ink-stamped to the back of the headstock, in 1955 they added a digit,

in1961 ,they became stamped into the wood, and the serial numbers became very haphazard!

in `75 they implemented a simpler scheme, 8-digits the first two being the year code: , eg 99=1975, 00=1976, 06=1977 ... hmm i see the logic there! these numbers were now a decal including the writing"made in usa"

in`77 they changed it again... 8digits, stamped, 1st and 5th digit gave the year, eg; 93291369 = 1991

if you tell me the first digit i may be able to help because i have the listings in a book in front of me , i cant type it up here , because it would take years!. rock

[Neonlite]

Thanks for trying to help, John. The problem is, the first number is the only number I can't read. I have no hope of looking up the serial number without the first one. Why couldn't it be the last one! Perhaps you or someone else knows of a way to clean the paint out of the serial number so I could read it without destroying the serial number?

[Brian]

Is this a stamped in number thats been filled with paint, or a printed number thats flat to the surface?

[Neonlite]

Its a stamped in number. From the look of the guitar, I would say it is early to mid-seventies from photos I've seen of different Flying-V collector sites.