Gibson Lap Steel Guitar Serial Numbers

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Gibson Lap Steel Guitar Serial Numbers

NOTE - Gibson USA goes to a 9 digit serial number in early July 2005. The sixth number is now a batch number- batch 0 starts at the beginning of the day, and once we stamp 699, the batch number will change to 1. The first 5 numbers remain the same, the last 3 numbers will remain the same. Jun 05, 2019 Understanding how to read Gibson serial numbers is a little confusing at first, but it doesn't take long to identify when your guitar was made. 1935-1942 This is one of the easiest eras to identify. Offeredfor sale;Used1951 Rickenbacker Model B 8-String Lap Steel guitar serial number 2089171 This lapsteel is in very good condition. There are various nicks and marks about thebody. There is some bakelite repair on the back of the headstock at the 1sttuning gear. C = combo (guitar), B = bass, M = mandolin, V = 3/4 size The first digit after the letter is the last digit of the year of the fifties. The last three digits is the production number. Serial number 65C5281 is a combo 650, Serial number in 1955 with the production number 281. September 1959-October 1960 (Solidbodys).
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 Value of Gibson Lap Steel? 
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AuthorTopic: Value of Gibson Lap Steel?
Roy Ayres
Member From: Starke, Florida, USA
posted 19 October 2003 12:30 PM profilesend emaileditI have a non-musician friend who recently acquired an old Gibson Lap Steel and asked me if I could help him establish the value. As far as I know, he doesn't want to sell it – he just wants to know what it's worth. I researched it on the site located at 
Gibson Collectiblesbut could not determine the value. The serial number is pressed into the wood on the back near the point where the neck attaches and reads '501-?0' where the digit located where I showed a question mark could be a '2'. According to the above site, it is almost certainly be one of the pre-WWII models – possibly an EH-150 – and the list of serial numbers appears to place it at a manufacture date of 1936 to 1938. It has the typical guitar-shaped body, white binding on body and neck, the usual Gibson pickup bound in white, the same chrome-plated tailpiece/bridge as the Roy Smeck model, an almost-square but slightly rounded neck, and the same diamond-shaped mother-of-pearl inlay on the tuning head as the Roy Smeck model – but has only six strings where the Roy Smeck model had seven. It has a metal guard over the strings at the pickup that is made from a rectangular piece of heavy sheet metal and appears to have been added on by someone. It appears to have originally been a sunburst finish, but the body has been sanded down to the wood (which is a light color) and has been crudely painted with something clear that looks like varnish. I don't know if the pickup works or not, as I looked at it in his car at church where there was no amp to test it with. He doesn't need an exact value – just a ballpark to evaluate whether he got a good deal on it. He traded something for it, but didn't say what. Any help or tips you may be able to post or email me at royayres@earthlink.net would be appreciated. 
Mike Neer
Member From: NJ

posted 19 October 2003 03:45 PM profilesend emaileditIt would be tough to put a specific dollar value to the instrument since it's been refinished. Believe it or not, you could knock 1/2 of its value off right there. Assuming that it's an EH-150 and that it works well and has all original parts, it's probably in the vacinity of $300-400, although the pickup alone has been known to fetch more than that.
If he loves the instrument and plans on keeping it and he doesn't regret the trade, then who cares about the value. [This message was edited by Mike Neer on 19 October 2003 at 03:47 PM.]
CrowBear Schmitt
Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
posted 19 October 2003 11:32 PM profilesend emailediti have found EH150s to sell around 750$ on ebayRoy Ayres
Member From: Starke, Florida, USA
posted 20 October 2003 07:00 AM profilesend emaileditMike and Crowbear:Thanks for the info. I will pass it on to my friend.
Chuck Fisher
Member From: Santa Cruz, California, USA
posted 20 October 2003 02:01 PM profilesend emailedityup, its worth the pickup and keys, I'd refinish it right and play it .......maybe 250-300 bucks
Jody Carver
Member From: The Knight Of Fender Tweed. Dodger Blue Forever 
posted 20 October 2003 09:33 PM profileeditRoy
Crow has the clue on the app selling price.Thanks Crow. Thanks Roy.
Roy Ayres
Member From: Starke, Florida, USA
posted 21 October 2003 06:09 AM profilesend emaileditJody:You've been awfully quiet lately. That's not like you.
Hope you and Marilyn are OK.
Mike Neer
Member From: NJ
posted 21 October 2003 07:47 AM profilesend emailedit'It has a metal guard over the strings at the pickup that is made from a rectangular piece of heavy sheet metal and appears to have been added on by someone. It appears to have originally been a sunburst finish, but the body has been sanded down to the wood (which is a light color) and has been crudely painted with something clear that looks like varnish.'Perhaps $750 might be the selling price if the above were not so.
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posted 19 October 2003 03:45 PM profilesend emaileditIt would be tough to put a specific dollar value to the instrument since it's been refinished. Believe it or not, you could knock 1/2 of its value off right there. Assuming that it's an EH-150 and that it works well and has all original parts, it's probably in the vacinity of $300-400, although the pickup alone has been known to fetch more than that.
If he loves the instrument and plans on keeping it and he doesn't regret the trade, then who cares about the value. [This message was edited by Mike Neer on 19 October 2003 at 03:47 PM.]
CrowBear Schmitt
Member From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
posted 19 October 2003 11:32 PM profilesend emailediti have found EH150s to sell around 750$ on ebayRoy Ayres
Member From: Starke, Florida, USA
posted 20 October 2003 07:00 AM profilesend emaileditMike and Crowbear:Thanks for the info. I will pass it on to my friend.
Chuck Fisher
Member From: Santa Cruz, California, USA
posted 20 October 2003 02:01 PM profilesend emailedityup, its worth the pickup and keys, I'd refinish it right and play it .......maybe 250-300 bucks
Jody Carver
Member From: The Knight Of Fender Tweed. Dodger Blue Forever 
posted 20 October 2003 09:33 PM profileeditRoy
Crow has the clue on the app selling price.Thanks Crow. Thanks Roy.
Roy Ayres
Member From: Starke, Florida, USA
posted 21 October 2003 06:09 AM profilesend emaileditJody:You've been awfully quiet lately. That's not like you.
Hope you and Marilyn are OK.
Mike Neer
Member From: NJ
posted 21 October 2003 07:47 AM profilesend emailedit'It has a metal guard over the strings at the pickup that is made from a rectangular piece of heavy sheet metal and appears to have been added on by someone. It appears to have originally been a sunburst finish, but the body has been sanded down to the wood (which is a light color) and has been crudely painted with something clear that looks like varnish.'Perhaps $750 might be the selling price if the above were not so.
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