Gibson potentiometer dating
Reading Guitar Potentiometer Codes
In this regard, it is very important to notice that potentiometer codes can’t tell you exactly when the guitar was produced but a rough estimate. This way, you also learn a bit of Gibson history and, more importantly, about the history of your own Gibson instrument. We at Guitar Hunter only specialize in vintage Gibson guitars and basses built before the s. We are proud to say that we have had some of the most rare Gibson guitars in our inventory over the years, including an original all-gold Les Paul Goldtop, an original Les Paul Custom Mickey Baker, and multiple original Bursts from , , and This guide only covers Gibson instruments made before , since these are the instruments we work with and have expertise with. The first thing to note when dating a vintage Gibson guitar or bass is that you cannot look at one indicator isolated. 
Pot ID check Gibson
Dating with pot codes - dating a vintage guitar can be difficult, but deciphering the potentiometer codes can yield valuable information when determining the production date of a guitar. Since I primarily collect amps by Fender, and guitars by Gibson, Fender, Martin, National, Epiphone, Gretsch and Rickenbacker, I really can't help them with these other less popular brands. As you have probably noticed, there is plenty of information here to help date the brands that I am interested in. But where does that leave everyone else? Well I'm not one to leave you out in the informational cold, so here's something that I use quite often in dating amplifiers and electric guitars. It's called the "source-date code", and it can help determine the approximate age of an electric instrument by the date its components were manufactured. Source-Date Codes On American made vintage gear, the pots and speakers provide an excellent opportunity to date a piece of equipment by referencing their "source-date code". The source-date code found on pots and speakers gives the manufacturer and date roughly when the components were made. Pot Codes Can Help
Date vintage Fender and Gibson guitars with potentiometer codes, pot codes, how to read pot code. Did you know that the parts inside your vintage electric guitar will likely have manufacturing date codes? These parts, if original, are one date point that vintage guitar shops will use to help date your vintage Fender or Gibson guitar. The year of manufacture of a vintage Fender or Gibson electric guitar is a significant determining factor in its value. Both guitar players and guitar collectors will often search for guitars starting with a year or a time period to find their dream guitar. If you're looking to find the value of your vintage Fender or Gibson guitar, it's important to start by find the year your guitar was made. Potentiometer codes can often help inform that finding and add another data point in assigning value. How to date vintage Fender guitars. Vintage Guitars Info dating
On less popular Fender instruments, such as LapSteels, pots can be as much as two years earlier than the actual date of the instrument. Pot codes can help you determine the year your guitar or bass was manufactured, especially in cases where you can't find a serial number on the instrument, or the serial number still leaves room for interpretation. If you can find the serial number, go to our extensive Serial Number Database to help you find your baby's born on date. Keep in mind there are lots of cases where a manufacturer such as Fender may buy pots in bulk and use them over several years, so you can't always count on pot codes to be exact, but they can help narrow down the date when taking into account other factors. CTS Pots Let's start with one of the most common pot codes you'll see. That would be a number beginning with " The first two digits after will indicate the last two digits of the year, while the next two digits indicate the week.