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Serial numbers are not the only thing that will give you a year for your Gibson. See our Dating a USA Gibson page for more info. From 1975-1977 the number is typically found on a decal on the back of the headstock. This should be an 8 digit number that can be dated by the. Gibson Serial Numbers. General Gibson serial number information. Gibson serial numbers are usually on the back of the guitars headstock; either stamped, inked or as a decal. Instruments with f- holes often have the serial number repeated on a label inside the guitar body. A lack of a serial number usually implies an instrument has been refinished.

• Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers
• Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers Search
• Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers History

The Kalamazoo KG1 was Gibson's attempt to compete with the likes of Fender for the mid 1960s student guitar market. Previously Gibson had only offered students 3/4 size versions of relatively expensive hollow bodies, under the Gibson brand. But now, under the name Kalamazoo it was producing very simple guitars, but well-made, and with above average components.

There were no labour intensive nitrocellulose finishes, no expensive hardwood bodies, no glued-in neck joints requiring skilled woodworkers, and easily assembled electronics pre-wired on a scratchplate. Assembly was just a matter of screwing it all together; but the result was a cheap, popular and highly playable guitar.

The KG-1 had a December 1966 list price of $89.50 - compared to $149.50 for a single pickup Gibson Melody Maker, or $126 for a single pickup Fender Musicmaster.

The solid body Kalamazoo KG guitar range consisted of four models: the KG1 and KG2; equipped respectively with one or two pickups, and the KG1a / KG2a which had an added Maestro vibrola. This guitar, with one pickup and no vibrola is the KG1.

From the 1966 Kalamazoo catalogue

Distinctively styled, superb quality solid-body guitars of rugged, lightweight design. Available in brilliant Flame Red, Glacier White or Las Vegas Blue, one or two pickups, with or without Vibrola. Slim neck, streamline styling in an economically priced guitar for years of rugged use

This guitar is one of 1020 Kalamazoo KG1 guitars in Flame Red produced in 1966, and one of just 1908 KG1s produced in total - see the Kalamazoo KG shipping figures for more details.

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Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers

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Gibson serial numbers 1952 to 1961, solidbody model

A number stamped with ink on the back of the headstock.
Gibson's solid bodys were released in 1952. Gibson did not use serial numbers at that time but started in 1953.
The first digit of the series number is the last digit of the year. If the stamped number consists of 5 digits, there is a space between the first and second digit (a separation between the last digit of the year and the actual serial number).
If it concerns a 6-digit serial number, there is no space, because the highest 4-digit number (9999) has been exceeded and the space therefore fills up. This was the case in the years 1955, 1956, 1959 and 1960.
In 1955, Gibson forgot to reset the series of serial numbers to 0001.
So they had only set the year from 4 to 5. For this reason the series of 4 digit serial numbers was exceeded after 9999.
Hence 5 digits and no space between the year (5) and the serial number. (after 5 9999 came 510 000)
Apparently the production was high in 1956 because 6 9999 is exceeded. Also in 1959 and 1960 there was a high production, 9 9999 is exceeded to 932 000 or higher.
Thus, from the production in 1959, a 1, 2 or 3 may be the second digit.
Gibson stopped the stamped serial numbers at the end of 1960, although a few instruments were made in 1961 with a 1 as a prefix. Some lap steels and Les Paul's from 1961 have such a serial number.
Another exception to the above rules is in the fall of 1958, where some Les Paul Juniors and Specials had a four-digit serial number.

Gibson serial numbers, from February 1961 until 1970
Gibson started in 1961 with a new series numbering system.
They wanted to apply a more structured series of sequences, but in practice the opposite happened. Numbers were reused during this period, and in many cases the numbers were not strictly applied for successive years.
For all models, the serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock. A number of serial numbers were duplicated from 1963
to 1969.
From this period the 5-digit and 6-digit numbers are easy to confuse and give an incorrect year.

Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers Search

Gibson Kalamazoo Guitar Serial Numbers History