Rich, jackson, and guild as well as many independent luthiers and custom builders. Instruments previously produced in kalamazoo, michigan from 1896 to 1901. On this page, you will find questions and answers about the value of specific gibson guitars. Can anyone guide me to a site where i can check the current value of some vintage gibson guitars. Fjestad 2014, paperback, revised at the best online prices at ebay. The original collection the modern collection the artist collection gibson custom shop. We are the trusted guitar price guide for providing guitar blue book values. Gibson, paul reed smith, ibanez, gretsch, epiphone, washburn, b. Gibson electric serialization taken from the 11th edition blue book of electric guitars by zachary r. Enjoy the lowest prices and best selection of blue gibson guitars at guitar center.
New 14th editions of blue book of acoustic guitars and blue book. There have been 6 different serial number styles used to date on gibson instruments. Although several authors have made great works about the gibson company and their guitars, little has been devoted to their amplifiers. The company behind used price works in conjunction with orion bluebook, which makes this the largest website dedicated to pricing used musical instruments. It also has guitar reference information and values on over 900 guitar manufacturersdistributors including gibson, martin, ovation, taylor, alvarez, epiphone.
Once this is known, go directly to the section about that type listed in the blue table of contents text above, and look at the model pictures and descriptions that matches your guitar. The blue book of electric guitars features comprehensive information and uptodate pricing. Try varying the spelling to see if the word is spelled correctly. Ranking numbers 500999 continued to indicate nashville production through 1989. The blue book shows an average and an excellent price. This edition boasts 900 pages of content, including a color photo grading system and guitar reference information and values on over 900 guitar manufacturers.
How to find the value of a gibson acoustic guitar our pastimes. Vintage guitar collecting, like anything else is subject to fashion. The 59 oldsmobile colors were widely used by gibson, as seen in these charts listing silver mist, polaris white, frost blue, cardinal red and golden. To find a guitar, simply locate the manufacturers first initial az, then the manufacturers name fender, gibson, martin, etc. In the earlier years at gibson, guitars were normally built in batches of 40 instruments. Vintage guitars info gibson collecting vintage gibson guitars. Blue book of electric guitars sixth edition gibson. Since 1989, all gibson acoustics are built in bozeman. Blue book of acoustic guitars sixth edition gibson acoustic and acousticelectric guitars edited by s. Prior to 1984 when the kalamazoo, mi factory was closed, the numbers 001499 indicated kalamazoo production. The blue book of acoustic guitars and blue book of electric guitars are the two leading reference and value guides in the guitar industry, along with the blue. Nice to know so i can pick the right book first time, 2. Vintage guitars info gibson collecting vintage gibson. Mar 01, 2008 blue book of acoustic guitars fjestad, zachary r.
The original collection the modern collection the artist collection gibson custom. In 1998, gibson opened up a new dealer level for specialty guitars. Generally speaking, the b15 replaced the lg0, the b20 replaced the lg1, the b25 replaced the lg2, and the b25n replaced the lg3. Finding the value in a gibson acoustic guitar can be done in a number of common sense ways. Musical instruments blue book used musical instruments product. Whether you are looking for a fender guitar value, a gibson guitar value or a. These price ranges utilize a combination of expert research, external market data, and realtime reverb transactions to estimate the current value of items in used but original condition.
The f o n may indicate the year, batch number, and the ranking order of production. The voodoo series followed which included an sg as well as les paul studio. Its been so successful that its spawned a whole series of more specialist books, such as the paul reed smith pocket guide, and a special edition book on marshalls legendary bluesbreaker amp. Make every dollar count with the new 15th edition blue book of acoustic guitars. The company was formerly known as gibson guitar corporation and renamed gibson brands, inc. The collection includes dozens of 2019 gibson guitars, including two alltime favorite gibson guitar models, the les paul and sg.
Les paul models sg models esstyle models basses designer models gibson custom shop. The first serialization started in 1902 and ran until 1947. It also has guitar reference information and values on over 900 guitar. The official vintage guitar price guide vintage guitar. Blue book of electric guitars sixth edition gibson japan. Blue book of acoustic guitars 15th edition hal leonard. Tune in as we talk about the backstory on how gibson got into the jam they are in, with insight from a former gibson factory worker. Use the blue book of electric guitars, available for free at gibsons website, to date your instrument if it has a different type of serial number. Major trademarks including fender, gibson, martin, paul reed smith, ibanez, yamaha, ovation, taylor, alvarez, epiphone, takamine, washburn. However, a gibson guitar from the period covered by this edition i had was not treated. Translucent red,translucent blue, translucent amber, wine red, ebony, alpine white, etc. The gibson les paul studio is a solid body electric guitar produced by the gibson guitar corporation since 1983. Released by the gibson guitar corporation as part of its es electric spanish series in 1958, it is neither fully hollow nor fully solid.
Guitars other than the les paul studio in this series were the gibson sg, flying v, xplorer and nikki sixx blackbird bass. Dec 01, 2014 blue book of electric guitars fjestad, zachary r. During 20002002, gibson released a series of six guitars dubbed gothic models. Is there a site for guitars in the same vein as the kelley blue book. Received the blue book for electric guitars and the blue book for acoustic guitars today.
How to date gibson guitars using serial numbers our pastimes. Product registration customer service repair and restoration report counterfeits serial number faq gibson guitar specs 20152019 dealer resource center locate a. Gibson custom colors in the 1960s vintage guitar magazine. Both the 2019 gibson les paul guitars family and the doublehorn 2019 gibson sg guitars family include traditional, standard, studio, classic models and more. The blue book of electric guitars 14th edition is now expanded to nearly 1,400 pages including a revised 16page color photo grading system. For updates on what gibson is doing about covid19, click here. Do you have a gibson guitar and would like to know how much it is worth. The gibson guitar corporation in nashville, tennessee, was founded in 1902 in kalamazoo, michigan by orville gibson. Instead of using the search box, find your gear by clicking the product category tabs and other navigation links.
To a lesser extent, gibson also makes banjos, dobro resonator guitars, electronics, and basses. It also has guitar reference information and values on over 1,250 guitar. Nov 08, 2018 tune in as we talk about the backstory on how gibson got into the jam they are in, with insight from a former gibson factory worker. Make every dollar count with the new blue book of acoustic guitars 14th edition. The blue book for guitar amplifiers is expected within the next couple of weeks. Gibson s factory order numbers were an internal coding that followed the group of instruments through the factory. Over the years, gibson has gone through several different serialnumber changes, sometimes resulting in multiple guitars with the same number. New 14th editions of blue book of acoustic guitars and. How to find the value of a gibson acoustic guitar our. Read about guitar history and find out how much your guitar is worth at the reverb price guide.
Gibson electric guitar descriptions from the blue book of guitars. If you already own an older edition of this book, you can not get a current price, simply by adjusting for inflation. These were the guitars that got gibson off the ground in 1902, and they really came into their own in the golden age of the 1930s, which is the decade that introduced guitars as iconic as the sj200, as well as the hand scalloped bracing pattern thats still in use in models like the j35. Use this site for a pricing guide and source of information on all guitars. Each model offers its own combination of tonewoods. The blue book of acoustic guitars 14th edition is now expanded to nearly 900 pages including a revised 16page color photo grading system.
The f o n may indicate the year, batch number, and the ranking order of production within the batch of. The blue book of guitars, aka the guitar blue book, is an indispensable guide to the second hand value of whole range of guitars. Make every dollar count with the new blue book of electric guitars 14th edition. Find the current blue book value and worth of your new and used guitars, both acoustic, electric and amplifier. Gibson made the first electric guitar in 1935 and has pioneered famous guitars such as the les paul, the flying v, the explorer, the firebird, and sg. Blue book of electric guitars 15th edition hal leonard online. The new 14th editions of the blue book of acoustic guitars and blue book of electric guitars provide detailed information and current realworld values on guitars and basses with more than a combined 2,200 pages and thousands of guitars listed, these books are. New old guitar page 2 the gibson lounge gibson brands. Youll be sure to make every dollar count when buying or.
The fall and rise of gibson guitars from a former employee. Gibson guitars have been played by rock n roll and blues legends that include jimmy page and b. Blue book of electric guitars sixth edition gibson serialization edited by s. Kbb is a list of different cars and what theyre worth under different conditio. According to the blue book of acoustic guitars, the gibson b series of acoustic guitars was the successor to the lg series largely phased out in the early 1960s. Welcome to the reverb price guide, the ultimate resource for music gear pricing and information. Fjestads blue book of electric guitars 11th edition to give away to three lucky readers on june 6, 2008. I agree that there isnt much information about gibson amps out there. Players liked having color options but the dealers didnt because if a dealer had a green and a. The classic years, these were not popular with dealers.
May 09, 2008 modern guitars has soft cover copies of zachary r. Zachary fjestad is the author of the blue book of acoustic guitars, the blue book of electric guitars, and the blue book of guitar amplifiers. Les paul models sg models esstyle models basses designer models. Thus, the older gibson guitars may have a serial number and a f o n.
The gibson es335 is the worlds first commercial semihollowbody electric guitar, sometimes known as thinline hollowbody or semiacoustic. The gibson mandolinguitar manufacturing company, limited which evolved into the gibson guitar corporation produced instruments in kalamazoo, michigan from 1902 to 1984. Gibson released a series of six guitars dubbed gothic models. Collectors who grew up in the 1950s often want different guitars to those that grew up in the 1980s. I could tell it needed work, but needed to know how much and how soon. These are several different types of gibson guitars made. In september 2018, gibson released the entire lineup of 2019 gibson instruments. The bozeman, montana operation was reopened during late 1997, and most acoustic guitars with the exception of the chet atkins series are now made in their expanded and redesigned facility. The vendors explained to me that the blue book of acoustic guitars 12th edition is a good guide for getting an estimate of what used martin should sell for, particularly between folks like us who arent dealers. Buy blue book of guitar values by s p fjestad editor online at alibris.
However, check out the third edition of the blue book of guitar amplifiers for some additional information and current values. Gibson is a wellknown musical instrument company in the united states, with origins dating back to the 1890s. Gibson has been building guitars since 1894 and the name is generally synonymous with a quality, valuable, and greatplaying guitar. The blue book of acoustic guitars and blue book of electric guitars are the two leading reference and value. Blue book of acoustic guitars 15th edition hal leonard online. Blue book of guitar values by s p fjestad editor alibris. Rrr is the factory rankingplant designation number.
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