Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Can You Identify These Guitars?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Can You Identify These Guitars? - Page 2

post #16 of 28
7/28/11 at 7:25am
With the new serial number information I would guess that the number etched into the tailpiece is a PA drivers license number.

An ES-125 should have a sticker with a serial number inside the body that you can see through one of the F holes. If it isn't there, sometimes there was also a rubber stamp like number. Anything like that.

The cover on the P-90 pickup looks to be late 50's. The gold barrel knobs also look to be 50's. But because the guitar has changed parts (the tuners) these may have been replaced, especially the knobs. Without a clear Gibson serial number it will be very hard to give a specific year but I would say late 50's early 60's based upon your recent information.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 28
7/28/11 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy View Post

With the new serial number information I would guess that the number etched into the tailpiece is a PA drivers license number.

An ES-125 should have a sticker with a serial number inside the body that you can see through one of the F holes. If it isn't there, sometimes there was also a rubber stamp like number. Anything like that.

The cover on the P-90 pickup looks to be late 50's. The gold barrel knobs also look to be 50's. But because the guitar has changed parts (the tuners) these may have been replaced, especially the knobs. Without a clear Gibson serial number it will be very hard to give a specific year but I would say late 50's early 60's based upon your recent information.

It's definitely in that year range because that's around when it was purchased. It was purchased by my friend's (in his 60's) father (who's deceased).

He has the other guitars which all date around the same time, somewhere around the 1960's or 1970's, so it makes sense that this guitar is around the same age / year.

I've examined every inch of the outside of the guitar and there just seems to be nothing there. I've looked inside as well but maybe I'm going to have to take a flashlight to the inside of the guitar and really take a good look.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 28
8/2/11 at 7:32pm
Thread Starter 
I found a number!

It was inside the left f hole and it took me several minutes to find it (with a flashlight). It was stamped which, now that I know the number, makes sense.

The number is Y7116 15.

When I checked the number with the serial codes, it turns out that it's a 1953 (and I assume) an es125. It doesn't seem like an es140 or any other model. The FON numbers that year were only stamped on the inside of the guitars which is why I couldn't find anything on the outside. The lower models were apparently stamped for several years.

It's going on ebay if anyone's interested. I also have a les paul jr. on ebay and a couple of other guitars as well.

Any suggestions as to the value? I'm going to research that right now. I think it should sell for around $1k

Thanks for the help!
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 28
8/2/11 at 9:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tck13 View Post

I found a number!

It was inside the left f hole and it took me several minutes to find it (with a flashlight). It was stamped which, now that I know the number, makes sense.

The number is Y7116 15.

When I checked the number with the serial codes, it turns out that it's a 1953 (and I assume) an es125. It doesn't seem like an es140 or any other model. The FON numbers that year were only stamped on the inside of the guitars which is why I couldn't find anything on the outside. The lower models were apparently stamped for several years.

Having a Gibson from the early 50's is considered by many to be the "Golden Years". So the barrel knobs and P-90 cover are original. That is very cool. I think if you want to get top dollar on EBay I would suggest getting period correct replacement tuners. They are not very expensive and will remove any question about its authenticity. A ES-125 is not a popular guitar but it is an affordable vintage Gibson. Good luck with your sale.

Here is my mid-50's Gibson next to my computer right now. I picked this up in '89 from an old music store in Milwaulkee.

aes5.jpg
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 28
11/5/11 at 11:56am
Thread Starter 
So, I sold the bass on ebay ($150) and this is the (2nd) email I've gotten from the buyer.

Does what he's saying make any sense? I played the guitar and it seemed fine. I have no idea what he's talking about.
Quote:
THERE IS A BOW IN THE NECK WHICH MAKES IT A USELESS INSTRUMENT UNLESS U JUST WANT TO LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THE PICTURES WOULDN'T SHOW A WARPED NECK. IT IS ONLY REPAIRABLE (MAYBE) BY TAKING THE FRET BOARD OFF AND FREEING UP THE TRUSS ROD ETC. WHY WOULD I PAY 4 OR 5 HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIR ON A 150 DOLLAR GUITAR. IF IT PLAYED SO GOOD YOU SHOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT BACK THEN. I'LL GET IT READY TO SHIP.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 28
11/5/11 at 11:14pm
I suppose it's possible, especially if it was stored in the cold. Sometimes an adjustment to the Truss Rod will straighten it out - depends how bad it is.
Reply
Reply
post #22 of 28
11/6/11 at 6:29am
lol, i hate ebay. That ES125 for a thousand bucks seems like a good deal, I wish you luck with that sale. I wish I had a use for it, but i don't anymore... frown.gif
Reply
Reply
post #23 of 28
11/6/11 at 6:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tck13 View Post

So, I sold the bass on ebay ($150) and this is the (2nd) email I've gotten from the buyer.
Does what he's saying make any sense? I played the guitar and it seemed fine. I have no idea what he's talking about.
Quote:
THERE IS A BOW IN THE NECK WHICH MAKES IT A USELESS INSTRUMENT UNLESS U JUST WANT TO LOOK AT IT. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THE PICTURES WOULDN'T SHOW A WARPED NECK. IT IS ONLY REPAIRABLE (MAYBE) BY TAKING THE FRET BOARD OFF AND FREEING UP THE TRUSS ROD ETC. WHY WOULD I PAY 4 OR 5 HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIR ON A 150 DOLLAR GUITAR. IF IT PLAYED SO GOOD YOU SHOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT BACK THEN. I'LL GET IT READY TO SHIP.

Well if it's just a bow, that's normal, but if it's warped, yes it does make the instrument pretty much useless. The neck is warped if it bows in two different directions in one location or if one part of the neck is bowed toward the strings and another is bowed away from them. I believe that this issue is a lot more common with basses than it is with guitars. I would think you would have noticed it before you sold it, but if you didn't play the bass much and/or don't play bass regularly, I supposed it's possible that you missed it.

If it were me and I sold a bass that was advertised as having zero neck issues and it in fact had a warped neck, I'd feel obliged to accept the return. You might want to ask him to verify with a luthier, since if he's just deducing this on his own, he could be wrong.

Best of luck.
Reply
Reply
post #24 of 28
11/6/11 at 8:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by bassmanpatsfan18 View Post

Well if it's just a bow, that's normal, but if it's warped, yes it does make the instrument pretty much useless. The neck is warped if it bows in two different directions in one location or if one part of the neck is bowed toward the strings and another is bowed away from them. I believe that this issue is a lot more common with basses than it is with guitars. I would think you would have noticed it before you sold it, but if you didn't play the bass much and/or don't play bass regularly, I supposed it's possible that you missed it.
If it were me and I sold a bass that was advertised as having zero neck issues and it in fact had a warped neck, I'd feel obliged to accept the return. You might want to ask him to verify with a luthier, since if he's just deducing this on his own, he could be wrong.
Best of luck.

I have no problems taking the guitar back, I just didn't know if what he's saying might be true. Would it be possible to tell from pictures whatever this buyer's talking about?

Here's the auction fwiw: Link
Reply
Reply
post #25 of 28
11/23/11 at 1:45pm
Hmm the easiest way to tell is to stand the bass up on the floor and look straight down the neck from the headstock. If you have pictures of that kind of an angle, I might be able to tell you, otherwise, it's hard to say.
Reply
Reply
post #26 of 28
12/10/11 at 8:35pm
Thread Starter 
Well, got the guitar back and got a negative feedback. The asshole that bought it said that it's beyond repair and would be too expensive to fix (frozen truss rod). I just took it to a music store and the guitar tech said that it was playable as is and he would fix it up for about $40. He said something about adjusting the truss rod (the guitar's slightly bowed). I think the guy that sent it back (he was a real jackass) had a good case of buyer's remorse.
Reply
Reply
post #27 of 28
12/19/11 at 1:47pm
When selling anything music related you have to deal with the crazies. For a bow in the neck the best way to assess it is to hold down each string on the first fret and where the neck meets the body of the guitar (usually somewhere around the 15th fret) then look at the fifth or sixth fret to see how far the string is floating above the fret. It should be barely touching, not touching, but the teeniest tiniest bit of space. If there is too much space, or no space at all a truss rod adjustment is needed. Note that if this space is very different for each string when doing this you have a twisted neck and you're screwed.
Reply
Reply
post #28 of 28
1/1/12 at 9:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tck13 View Post

Well, got the guitar back and got a negative feedback. The asshole that bought it said that it's beyond repair and would be too expensive to fix (frozen truss rod). I just took it to a music store and the guitar tech said that it was playable as is and he would fix it up for about $40. He said something about adjusting the truss rod (the guitar's slightly bowed). I think the guy that sent it back (he was a real jackass) had a good case of buyer's remorse.


I know people that have had this problem and it happens offen. People regret and use that as an excuse. I mean its a $150 vintage guitar you should expect to have to adjust a truss rod. How did the sales go for the other guitars?

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by patrickBOOTH View Post

When selling anything music related you have to deal with the crazies. For a bow in the neck the best way to assess it is to hold down each string on the first fret and where the neck meets the body of the guitar (usually somewhere around the 15th fret) then look at the fifth or sixth fret to see how far the string is floating above the fret. It should be barely touching, not touching, but the teeniest tiniest bit of space. If there is too much space, or no space at all a truss rod adjustment is needed. Note that if this space is very different for each string when doing this you have a twisted neck and you're screwed.


Great advise! I have feeler gages form an auto store to get a precise measurement between the stings and fret.

 

There are some good videos on adjusting truss rods too and you could do it yourself Tck13.

 

Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
Styleforum › Forums › Lifestyle › Fine Living, Home, Design & Auto › Can You Identify These Guitars?