Gibson Sam Bush Serial Number

[markdmoski]

Does anyone know what year a Sam Bush F-5 Master Model with a serial number of 10719010 was made ?

I thought it was from 2001, but it does not seem to fit the serial number descriptions (YDDDYRRR) that I have found on-line, Gibson or otherwise.

Thanks,

Mark

[J.Albert]

"Does anyone know what year a Sam Bush F-5 Master Model with a serial number of 10719010 was made ?"

July 19, 2001, 1st one completed that day.

Doesn't it have a label inside that's signed and dated as such?

- John

[mandomania7923]

mark, look in the other sound hole

[Big Joe]

Mandolins are first and last number for year. Guitars are first and fifth for year. This is an 01 mandolin.

[f5loar]

First and last on this number would be 10. How do you get 01 out of that? Looks like this mandolin has not been made yet since it would be 2010 or else it's really old being made in 1910. Confusing?

[Big Joe]

You put them in reverse order. The last number for the decade, the first for the year in that decade. Hence, 1xxxxxxxxxx0 would be made in 2001. Clear as mud??? :) .

[BobbyMaynard]

The breakdown for serial 10719010 would be:

1 = single year
07 = Month
19 = Day of the Month
01 = Number in the production that day
0 = Decade

So, it was made on July 19, 2001 and was the first one in production that day.

Another example: 80123039 would be made on January 23, 1998 and was the 3rd one in the days production. Hope this helps.

[Jordan Ramsey]

So I have August, 28 2007 #7082801, only seven numbers. Does this mean the decade is dropped, or the production number for that day?

[Bernie Daniel]

Big Joe:1xxxxxxxxxx0 would be made in 2001. Clear as mud???

Thanks Joe! Has Gibson given any thought to what they will do in 3001?

Just wondering.......has everyone forgotten Y2K already?

[Bernie Daniel]

jramsey:So I have August, 28 2007 #7082801, only seven numbers. Does this mean the decade is dropped, or the production number for that day?

Jordon, do you have an MM or DMM?

[Jordan Ramsey]

Jordon, do you have an MM or DMM?

Hey Bernie it's a Sam Bush.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Looks like you need a degree in higher math to figure out when your Gibson Mando.was made - thanks for the enlightenment Joe,
Ivan:grin:

[Bernie Daniel]

Hey Bernie it's a Sam Bush.

Yup thanks for reminding me I think I should have known that from earlier strings. OK well then I wonder if the signature models use a different numbering format?

I know that the master models have their own sequence not related to the date.

You have to wonder what the reason for that could be -- but at least Gibson is consistently inconsistent!

They must have used at least a dozen different numbering formats over the years. Then of course after all that they never kept records on most of them so its pretty weird -- even for a Gibson fan to understand! :)

[Gary Hedrick]

A Gibson weakness has always been their record keeping and indentification systems.....

Martin is the gold standard in terms of record keeping, numbering and indentification.

[AlanN]

Early Flatiron had a workable format: YYMMnnnn

85100106 = October, 1985; 106th one made

and seemingly easy to go to YYYY for the year.

[Bernie Daniel]

Gary Hendrick: A Gibson weakness has always been their record keeping and indentification systems.....


So true! However, Joe Vest reminded me yesterday one factor in Gibson's defense is the fire at the Kalamazoo facility that reportedly destroyed a lot of records -- this would have been long long before back-up electronic records were even imagined.

I think in addition -- and it's hard to call fault them too much for this -- the Gibson factory was willing to put togather just about any combination of style, wood, inlay and etc. that a person could dream up in a special order.

For this reason so many Gibson insturments that fit no pattern continue to surface and confuse everyone. In a way I think it is very interesting.

[f5loar]

the fire was in the mid 30's. Didn't have a thing to do with the screw ups in the serial nos. of the 60's and 70's.
Blame that on management problems.

[markdmoski]

Thanks for everyone's replies and the explanation:

The breakdown for serial 10719010 would be:

1 = single year
07 = Month
19 = Day of the Month
01 = Number in the production that day
0 = Decade

That certainly makes more sense than what I was finding or trying to apply !

There is only one Gibson Nashville label that I can see inside with the Bush MM ID and the serial number on it.

I am going to take an inspection mirror and flashlight to see if I can find any other maker's marks on the top.

Mark

[allenhopkins]

If I ever go into the mandolin building business (and I won't), I'll try to come up with an even more confusing way of recording the date of manufacture, so Cafe-ers of the future will have something to post about.

You'd think the purpose of recording date of manufacture on each instrument, would be to inform people, not bewilder them. But I'm not in the mandolin building business, nor will I ever be...