As one of the oldest and most widely recognized brands in music, Gibson has crafted some of the most cherished and valuable instruments of all time. Determining exactly when your Gibson specimen was made can have high stakes attached to it. A difference of only one year - sometimes even several months - can mean a four-figure difference in value.

The serial number font appeared larger than normal and the last digit appeared to have been double struck. On the subject rifle what looks most suspicious to me is the mount base. The top of the number appears to be partially covered by the base.

Our hope is to make the dating process and, in turn, the valuation as easy, accurate and transparent as possible. You should be able to use this guide to determine the year of your instrument and then consult the Reverb Price Guide to find its value, all for free.

For many vintage instruments, determining the date of manufacture involves little more than running the serial number through a reference guide.

Whereas Martin guitars have been using a single, consistent numbering system since the 19th century, Gibson has used several different serial number formats since its inception in 1902, meaning that some formats and numbers overlap across decades. This makes it especially important to first identify the general era during which your instrument was made before pinning down the exact date of manufacture with a serial number.

If you know the backstory around when the instrument was purchased, this can provide some rough clues about its era. The most general physical piece of evidence on the instrument, however, is going to be the logo on the headstock.

1902 to Late-1920s

The original logo featured the words 'The Gibson' inlaid in pearl at a slant, with an almost hand-written cursive font. This is sometimes referred to as the slanted script logo.

Some earlier specimens from 1903 to 1907 did not slant the logo, or went without a logo entirely. Specimens built before 1902 had a star inlay or crescent in place of a logo.

Late-1920s to 1933

The script logo continues without the slant. Some flattop guitars of this era started to omit the word 'The' from the inlay.

1933 to 1947

By 1933 Gibson had dropped the 'The' from all of their logos while retaining the script 'Gibson.' The original thin script was replaced with a thicker font on higher-end models in the mid-’30s, and across the entire lineup by the end of the decade.

From 1943 to 1947, the logo was a thick golden script, known as the banner logo. Some models (LG-2, J-45, SJ, select L-50s) included an actual banner reading 'Only a Gibson Is Good Enough' in the middle of the headstock.

1947 to Present

The block logo debuted after WWII and remains the face of the company. There were minute changes to which letters were connected in the font between 1961 to 1981, but the main logo had the same look.

1968 to 1972

Gibson stopped dotting the i in their logo on some of their instruments. Most models get a dotted i again in 1972, with the rest following suit from 1981 onward.

Aside from the logos, each era of manufacturing included certain identifying traits such as the hardware (tuners, knobs, plates, etc.), the pickups, the type of finish, and the electronics inside that can give clues as to when an instrument was made. But not a final verdict.

Many older instruments may have reproduction or other non-original parts, including a non-original finish. This makes relying entirely on the physical features of a guitar potentially misleading.

The thickness of the headstock, however, is not as vulnerable to modification or replacement. Before mid-1950, most Gibson headstocks were thinner at the top when looked at from a side profile. After 1950, headstocks had uniform thickness.

Dating a Gibson by Factory Order Number (FON)

Gibson has historically used two different alpha-numerical formats to catalog its instruments: serial numbers and FONs (Factory Order Numbers). Instruments will generally have one or both of these numbers stamped or written either inside the body (generally the case on earlier models) or on the back of the headstock.

FONs were Gibson’s way of internally tracking batches of instruments throughout production. These will generally date an instrument earlier than the serial number, as they were typically applied in the early stages of assembly.

Some earlier lower-end models had no serial number at all, making the FON the sole numerical identifier in those cases. A FON usually consisted of a 3-, 4-, or 5-digit batch number followed by one or two other numbers in most cases.

1902 to 1945 FON Overview

From 1935 to 1942, the FON included a letter suffix. The consistency around this stopped during WWII and resumed in the early 1950s.

To complicate matters further, there was sometimes a second letter from 1938 to 1941 indicating the brand (G for Gibson, K for Kalamazoo, W for Recording King) and sometimes even a third letter indicating 'Electric' (the letter E). The year is indicated by the first letter in any series of letters for these years.

1935 to 1942 FON Letter Suffixes

Old Serial Number Fonts

Throughout the war and even for some time after, each year had its own quirks around FON batch numbers and letters

1942 to 1951 FON Info

From 1952 to 1961, a consistent letter code resumed, with the letter appearing before the batch number.

1952 to 1961 FON Letter Prefixes

Acoustics and Electric Archtops 1902-1961

1902-1947

Gibson’s earliest serialization system was more or less sequential, where each new instrument was assigned the next highest available number. Below is a table of the the highest known number for each production year.

1947-1961

When the original serial system reached 999,999 in 1947, Gibson started over with an ‘A’ prefix

Solid Body Electrics 1952-1961

Early Gibson solidbody electrics received a serial stamp on the back of the headstock, with the first number indicating the year of production. The serial number on this Les Paul Junior indicates that it was made in 1956.

1961-1969

Starting in 1961, Gibson implemented a new serialization system designed to cover its entire lineup. However, while the intent was to maintain a more organized catalog, this system in practice achieved the exact opposite.

Numbers from this era were flipped, reused, and in many cases can date an instrument to several non-sequential years. The general system was as follows, though with instruments from this era it’s important to consult key features to get a more accurate age approximation.

Fortunately, Gibson was making more changes to its instruments during the ‘60s and ‘70s than any other period, so dating these instruments by features alone is relatively clear-cut in most cases.

1970-1975

Despite being purchased by the Norlin corporation in 1970, Gibson maintained the same confusing 6-digit serial system through 1975, meaning instruments with the same serial number could be from either the ‘60s or the ‘70s.

Fortunately, there were two notable changes to the entire lineup that occurred during the transition that make differentiating ‘60s and ‘70s Gibsons straightforward.

The Volute: c. 1969-c.1981

In 1969 Gibson began carving volutes-- small bumps of additional wood where the neck transitions to the headstock-- to cut down on warranty repair work.

'Made in USA' Stamp: 1970-current

Starting in 1970, ‘Made in USA’ was stamped on the headstock below the serial number.

The serial numbers from this period are generally as follows:

1975-1977

1977-Current

Starting in 1977, Gibson adopted the current date-based serial system which codes for the year and day of production. The first number of the sequence indicates the decade of production, followed by the three digit day of the year, and finally the year.

For example, the serial number 90237XXX corresponds to a production date of 1/23/97. The last three (or four as of 2005) digits signify the location of production and batch number, respectively, but this information isn’t necessary to accurately dating your instrument.

Working with a potentially very valuable old Gibson can be intimidating, particularly for someone who doesn’t have experience with vintage instruments.

If at any point you feel confused or just want a second set of eyes on your instrument, you can always chat live with a Reverb employee during normal business hours.

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Typewriter fonts make a gorgeously retro statement in vintage designs. Although Courier is the most well-known font of this kind, there are loads of other typewriter-inspired fonts around that are a more unusual choice for your design.

The selection we have made here are all paid-for options, for times when you need something a bit more unique or special. But if you are on a budget (and have no budget!) we have a brilliant list of the top free typewriter fonts out there. We also have a great collection of retro fonts, if you realise you would like the vintage vibe but without the typewriter.

We've scoured the internet to find the very best paid-for typewriter fonts that are worth shelling out for to ensure your retro designs have that cutting edge. So let's get started.

01. Detective

This classic, mechanical font was constructed by hand. Not all of the characters are uniformly straight which gives it a jaunty feel, whilst remaining classic enough to evoke feelings of Agatha Christie novels.

02. Traveling typewriter font

This font is based on an old Danish typewriter called 'olympia traveller de luxe'. The portable typewriter was manufactured in the post-war period in Western Germany and had line setting and spacing features that were usually available only on larger full-sized machines.

03. FF Trixie

If a grungy typewriter feel is what you're after, you can't go wrong with Trixie – one of the oldest FontFont typefaces. Until recently, its origin was unknown. It was raised in The Hague by 'foster father' Erik van Blokland. But who conceived it? The book 'Made with FontFont' finally provided the answer. Trixie's 'mother font' was called Triumph Durabel, and was born in Nuremberg in around 1930.

04. Letter Gothic

Roger Roberson designed Letter Gothic for IBM around the early '60s. The flat lettering is clean and beautiful. This monospaced sans serif typeface is available in a variety of different weights.

05. Olivetti Typewriter

Created by designer Iza W, this classic typewriter font is great for mimicking the sloppy ink effect of older machines. Available in five different weights, Olivetti offers a traditional typewriter style.

Font Typer Free

06. Courier M

A version of the classic Courier font, Courier M is a typewriter typeface, designed by Howard Kettler in 1956. Released by font foundry URW++, Courier M is a clean, classical lightweight typewriter font.

07. Colón Mono

A monospaced slab serif type family, Colón Mono was influenced by the aesthetic of a typewriter. Created by architect and graphic designer Ramiz Guseynov, Colón Mono consists of two weights of roman and alternative styles and matching italics respectably.

08. Erased Typewriter

Paulo W is the type designer behind Erased Typewriter 2, a distressed font, great for creating authentic feel. Customise your designs with a choice of four weights; regular, bold, italic and underscore.

09. LTC Remington Typewriter Pro Set

A beautiful and classical lightweight typewriter font, with a hint of class and unconventional characteristics throughout the letterforms. Far removed from the traditional bulky ink spilt typewriter style, this clean alternative is a great way to combine traditional design with much more technological visuals.

10. IHOF Typewriter

The P22 typewriter font was based on a typeface originally used within a 20th century German document. This is a classical and authentic style that will appeal to all design needs.

11. Intimo Two

A creative and unique alternative typewriter font, this beautiful design combines the simplicity of dots with the bulks of typewriting stains. It gives you a different and effective readablity and visual effect when using it in various sizes.

12. Aminta Regular

The Aminta Regular is a beautiful cross between the originality and depth of the typewriter courier classic and a sophisticated Helvetica touch added to create a modern balance. Designed and inspired by a series of drawing and handwriting experiments, it offers creatives an alternative lightweight serif font.

13. Aminta Black

Following the Aminta Regular, typography designer Gareth Hague offers Aminta Black. Displaying the same influences, this bold and dominant variation comes closer to the classical typeface used within traditional typewriter, giving it yet a cleaner and more modern finish.

14. EF Mono

Designed by Ilko Höppin for the Elsner + Flake design studio, this is another playful alternative to the courier typeface classics. The cutout effect and distorted lettering offers an interesting visual dynamic.

Different Number Fonts

15. EF Techno Script

Another example brought to us by the Elsner + Flake design studios. Techno script combines digital clean-cut elements of typography design with the typewriter visual astheatic.

16. Firenza

Based on a design used at the turn of the 19th century, the Firenza font family has character shapes that resemble those which became common on typewriters throughout the second half of the 20th century. Each weight has a full character set of 232+ letterforms, with all characters designed in the style of the font.

Receipt Serial Number Fonts

17. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 is the perfect font when looking for that authentic and original typewriter feel to your designs. Giving the feel of official or government related documents, it was designed by Canadian typographer Rebecca Alaccari. It's also a great typeface to use when wanting to get creative with a more organic and original typewriter style.

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