Help In Identifying This Gibson Guitar?

[John Abbett]

It's up for auction locally this week. Thinking about leaving a bid..

http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/photopan...p;zip=&kwd=

It's toward the bottom.

Any idea which model it is?

-John

[RAI6]

Got this info:

"Serial # 7471H:

Your guitar was made at the

Kalamazoo Plant, USA

approximately in: 1961"

[erikbojerik]

If the headstock logo is original (a big "if"), it is pre-1948. The pickup is non-original and was added - electric Gibsons from that era had pickups only in the neck position (traditional for archtops of that vintage).

I'm guessing either an L-50 acoustic archtop (f-hole model), or an ES-125 where the cutout for the neck pickup was patched up.

Pre-war Gibson sunbursts are also 2-color not 3-color like this one, so it has probably been refinished - if the finish is original, then the headstock logo may not be - and the guitar could be much younger. Tuners are non-original, pickguards (two!) are non-original. Trapeze tailpiece *might* be original.

You may also date it from the serial number but it depends on whether the number is on the back of the headstock, on the neck block, or on a label inside the body. See here: http://www.provide.net/~cfh/gibson.html#serial

Not terribly collectible, so you should be able to get it for a good price.

[Crusader]

I've got "Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars" but I can't find much on that serial number, especially the "H". It would help if they showed the serial number on the back of the headstock

Not terribly collectible, so you should be able to get it for a good price.

Would still be pretty nice to have though!

Edited June 15, 2009 by Crusader

[westhemann]

I played one of those once...a friend's dad has it under his bed...nice guitar,but probably not as great as you think...a bit tough to play...