GIBSON EBO BASS WITH NO SERIAL #

IRISHMUTT · « **on:** August 24, 2009, 06:59:42 PM »

HELP! I'm new to vintage bass guitars. But I have a confirmed 67-69 Gibson EBO Cherry finish. But it has no serial number on the outside. I had it appraised for $1600, but they added the fact that no serial number was on the peghead. Has anyone seen this before. It's the original neck, why would it not have a serial number? Thanks in advance, I am flying blind here without any help.[attachment=1:1hcsg2vt]SANY2621.JPG[/attachment:1hcsg2vt]

eb2 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2009, 07:30:53 PM »

I am afraid most of us will be flying blind without a pic ( posted or linked ) so we can make an educated guess. Why there would be no serial number on the back of the headstock is usually an indication of a refinish. While anything is possible with Gibson basses years back, a bass would NEVER leave the factory without a serial number. Another explanation is that your appraiser is ill-informed, and you have a 70s bass from the period when Gibson used a plastic sticker for the serial number. That is possible to some degree because at this point only an excellent condition original finish EB0 from the late 60s would be appraised that high, and I think every alarm bell possible would be going off if someone presented me a 60s EB0 with no serial number. And most of us floating around here or the other boards have seen more than a few Japanese copies being sold, parted out, or even appraised as Gibsons, which would also not have a Gibson serial number on the back of the headstock. That is my 2 cents worth without a pic. Get one up here and we can all weigh in.

IRISHMUTT · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2009, 07:49:16 PM »

photos are on the way now, well the vintage shop owner said that there had been some custom parts fitted to the guitar. The peg heads had been chaged from banjo to clover, the volume knobs have been changed, and the pick guard had been changed from black to white. What detail shots of the guitar would be helpful? Also would the japanese copies have the same silkprinting on the peg head? The guitar was passed down from my grandfather. I have photos of hime playing on stage with it in 1970. I know that means little in proof of manufacture date, but it tells me that it places it in that timeframe. Thanks for all the help so far. How do I add the photos to my post?

Dave W · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2009, 10:30:46 PM »

I can't really tell much from those two photos. An original late 60s EB-0 would have had an inlaid logo and crown, not screened. The original tuners were not banjo pegs, but those still aren't originals.

At best, it's an obviously refinished Gibson EB-0 with a new headstock overlay, a serial number sanded off during refinishing, and non-original tuners, knobs and pickguard. At worst, it's a copy.

A completely unaltered all original EB-0 from that period with no headstock or neck breaks would have brought $1600 in some markets a year or two ago. I really doubt that now. Unfortunately what you have is nothing remotely near that. Even if it can be established as a Gibson and you replaced the changed parts with originals and a period-correct headstock overlay, a refin with no serial number wouldn't fetch anything near $1600.

eb2 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2009, 07:31:04 PM »

I would say it is a 67 to 69 EB-0 and feel fairly comfortable that it is a real Gibson. The late 60s bridge and cover is a pretty nice way to narrow it down. The knobs are changed obviously, as is the guard. You would have to open up the cover and check out the codes on the pots (see info here on date codes) to see if they are possibly original. The dates could be off by a few years earlier than 69 depending on what bin they pulled them from but obviously a 70s or later code means they were altered. Dave notes the pegs are not original (and banjo pegs never were on this - get to a vintage appraiser who knows something) , if the truss rod cover hanging over the grommet didn't give that away to begin with. The logo looks like it is riding a bit high on the face, almost at the top edge, which could be the fuzzy pic too. This should not be silkscreened but an inlay - which it looks like. But an overlay replacement could be had on ebay over the years for short money and would not be unheard of if the headstock had an amateur refin. The body pic makes me think this is not a pro-level refin anyway. But it is hard to say without a clearer pic. I tend to agree with Dave's at best assesment, with a suspicion the headstock face is maybe original.

Your appraisal is way overboard on the value. I wouldn't think half of that. Again, the place you have been getting appraisals from do not seem to know basic vintage values or features. Depending on your location, you should go somewhere else. But the positive side to that is if that is good enough for an insurance company, and you think your house may be hit by bass-destroying lightning, get it on your policy. If you don't do that, and you didn't throw a lot of money into it, you have a fun player with the best original parts intact. That is a good thing, and you should have fun with it.

ezra1 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 27, 2009, 04:51:04 AM »

Once I sold a friend a 68 Les Paul Custom and he had a BAD headstock break and terrible,terrible repair,sent it to an "authorized" shop in the 80's and a new neck was fabbed by Gibson ,installed and NO SERIAL NUMBER on the headstock.....now,was that dumb or what?