Best Source for a Build Year of a Vintage SG

[lawrev]

Hi All,

I am in the process of possibly purchasing my first vintage Gibson guitar. The dealer has it tagged as a 62 SG Junior. Serial Number 99986. It has the Les Paul name on the headstock, no breaks, respraying, etc. A little shrinkage on the pickguard but that is not unusual for something this old. With the serial number of 99986, on one site it would be a 63 model.

Is there one site (short of emailing Gibson) that is definitive about production years? Thanks.

 

[Decadent Dan]

.

 

[Les’s Nemisis]

The neck heel joint would be different on a '63. '62 is a split year with the '61 style in the first half and the '62 style in the second half, but '63 is different again.

Take a look at this:

Dating

The first step in dating your Gibson SG is buying it a nice bouquet of flowers... Seriously though, the best way to date a vintage SG is often not the serial number, but rather by the potentiometer codes and other features it has. Only in 1977 did Gibson switch to a reliable serial number system...

solidguitar.fandom.com

 

[fernieite]

The neck heel joint would be different on a '63. '62 is a split year with the '61 style in the first half and the '62 style in the second half, but '63 is different again.

Take a look at this:

Dating

The first step in dating your Gibson SG is buying it a nice bouquet of flowers... Seriously though, the best way to date a vintage SG is often not the serial number, but rather by the potentiometer codes and other features it has. Only in 1977 did Gibson switch to a reliable serial number system...

solidguitar.fandom.com

As quoted above, the SG Wiki is a great source of information!

It's likely a 62 Junior from that serial number. The Centralab pots will help with the date, as well.

You could also email Gibson Customer service, and they could tell you when the guitar was shipped from Kalamazoo.

Did you buy it yet?

 

[PermissionToLand]

The neck heel joint would be different on a '63. '62 is a split year with the '61 style in the first half and the '62 style in the second half, but '63 is different again.

Take a look at this:

Dating

The first step in dating your Gibson SG is buying it a nice bouquet of flowers... Seriously though, the best way to date a vintage SG is often not the serial number, but rather by the potentiometer codes and other features it has. Only in 1977 did Gibson switch to a reliable serial number system...

solidguitar.fandom.com

I should state that the heel joints aren't a super reliable way to date, especially in the early '60s because there seem to be a lot of exceptions.

@lawrev Pot codes are your best indicator by far. If you can't get a peek at them, or they were replaced, you want to look at the totality of all other features. There's no one feature that is the be-all-end-all. Serial numbers are very unreliable for dating in the '60s.

In addition to the page linked above, this one will help you as well:

SG Junior

Introduced in 1961, the Junior slotted above the Melody Maker and below the Special. It was produced continuously for a decade, until both the Junior and Melody Maker were effectively replaced in mid-1971 by the SG-100. However, there was a limited run of SG-100 Junior models in 1972. Since...

solidguitar.fandom.com

The Les Paul script on the HS at least means it's built prior to mid-1963. If the bridge is compensated, it's most likely not a 1962.

 

[lawrev]

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't bought it yet - it is collecting dust at the dealer. :)
I emailed Gibson 10 days ago about this guitar and never heard from them.
I will update the group when I have some good news. Thanks again.

 

[Roger Phillips]

I would think that by 1963 the SG Junior would have lost the 'Les Paul' transfers; when I get home I'll check my John Bulli's book (which I've just seen is commanding big money on an on-line sale site, and it was all in black and white).
Roger in the S. Lakes

 

[fernieite]

I would think that by 1963 the SG Junior would have lost the 'Les Paul' transfers; when I get home I'll check my John Bulli's book (which I've just seen is commanding big money on an on-line sale site, and it was all in black and white).
Roger in the S. Lakes

No. There are lots of 1963 "Les Paul Juniors". (SG) This was the last year that had that silk screening on the headstock. It appears to have lost the silk screening later in 1963. The earlier '63s had it.