Guitar Serial Number

thegummy

A friend of mine told his friend I'm selling my Les Paul and he asked me for the serial number.

Firstly, is there any reason not to give this? I wouldn't have thought so but it's such a bizarre request that I'm dubious.

Secondly, any idea what someone would want this for?

Funkfingers

Tell the friend of the friend that, if he wants to be taken seriously, he should

1. view the guitar in person 
2. arrive, clutching a wad of cash.

ICBM

To check the authenticity and age of it. You can date the guitar (or at least when the serial number was stamped) to the day on any Gibson made after 1976. If you contact Gibson with the number and the spec of the guitar, they can also check their records to see if the two match.

The problem is that the Chinese fakers may have copied a specific example for their fake serial numbers... so it all might still look genuine when it isn't. Not saying yours isn't, of course.

designerseye88

Probably to just check the general details of the guitar. That being said serial numbers will only give basic details and Gibson did recycle some numbers I believe. no substitute for seeing the guitar in person and actually playing it. 

thegummy

Cheers guys

thegummy

Decided to bypass this guy, if that's the first thing he asks I can imagine him coming back months later with weird technical reasons to get some money back or something, think I'll just sell it to someone who'll look at it in person

designerseye88

thegummy said:

Decided to bypass this guy, if that's the first thing he asks I can imagine him coming back months later with weird technical reasons to get some money back or something, think I'll just sell it to someone who'll look at it in person

If you sell privately their is no comeback for him. If you are selling it and you are being honest and genuine then that's all that is asked of you. If he comes back later on and say's something is not right then you are no longer responsible. Obviously through a retailer this is different and you have some protection. 

imalrightjack

I think not providing it is unusual and makes you appear a bit shady. Not that I think you are - but it's something I often look for and check out and usually try to include in my photographs (suddenly wonders if it's visible on the Jackson I have listed).

thegummy

imalrightjack said:

I think not providing it is unusual and makes you appear a bit shady. Not that I think you are - but it's something I often look for and check out and usually try to include in my photographs (suddenly wonders if it's visible on the Jackson I have listed).

I just wanted to check if it's safe to provide it. Doesn't seem to be any legit reason to ask for it. Unless you could suggest a reason?

Iamnobody

imalrightjack said:

I think not providing it is unusual and makes you appear a bit shady. Not that I think you are - but it's something I often look for and check out and usually try to include in my photographs (suddenly wonders if it's visible on the Jackson I have listed).

This. It’s the first thing I’d ask to establish what exactly was for sale. Different years have different specs that affect if not dictate the value of the guitar.

ICBM

thegummy said:

I just wanted to check if it's safe to provide it. Doesn't seem to be any legit reason to ask for it. Unless you could suggest a reason?

I think with all the problems of Chinese fakes and dodgy sellers misrepresenting guitars, some buyers just want reassurance - and many think that a serial number which agrees with the claimed model and age will do that if they check with Gibson.

Funkfingers

If you claim a specific year for your Gibson guitar, the serial number should confirm this. That is your arse covered.

The onus is on the would-be buyer to research the distinguishing features and the range of possible serial numbers for the claimed year before viewing the guitar. The number should check out. If the would-be buyer can get a cellular telephone signal, he or she could perform an Internet search on the spot.

Iamnobody

Funkfingers said:

If you claim a specific year for your Gibson guitar, the serial number should confirm this. That is your arse covered.

The onus is on the would-be buyer to research the distinguishing features and the range of possible serial numbers for the claimed year before viewing the guitar. The number should check out. If the would-be buyer can get a cellular telephone signal, he or she could perform an Internet search on the spot.

Or he could be provided with all the useful information beforehand so he can consider whether he wants to go and even look at the guitar? This potentially saving both parties time.

It’s neither an unreasonable or unusual request. The OP is overthinking this as far as I’m concerned.

Bridgehouse

I’d ask for the serial number in case it had been scrubbed off in an unfortunate label removal incident.

Boromedic

They would've gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky labels.....

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:

I’d ask for the serial number in case it had been scrubbed off in an unfortunate label removal incident.

Don’t be ridiculous - that’d never happen!

thegummy

Iamnobody said:

imalrightjack said:

I think not providing it is unusual and makes you appear a bit shady. Not that I think you are - but it's something I often look for and check out and usually try to include in my photographs (suddenly wonders if it's visible on the Jackson I have listed).

This. It’s the first thing I’d ask to establish what exactly was for sale. Different years have different specs that affect if not dictate the value of the guitar.

Is there anything he could get from the serial number that he couldn't get from "it's a 2018 Tribute"?

I'm guessing it's to do with the fake thing and he doesn't know that the fakes have the right numbers.

Iamnobody

thegummy said:

Iamnobody said:

imalrightjack said:

I think not providing it is unusual and makes you appear a bit shady. Not that I think you are - but it's something I often look for and check out and usually try to include in my photographs (suddenly wonders if it's visible on the Jackson I have listed).

This. It’s the first thing I’d ask to establish what exactly was for sale. Different years have different specs that affect if not dictate the value of the guitar.

Is there anything he could get from the serial number that he couldn't get from "it's a 2018 Tribute"?

I'm guessing it's to do with the fake thing and he doesn't know that the fakes have the right numbers.

Not really - except for verifying it’s in the right format etc. Apologies I didn’t realise we were discussing an almost new guitar - or that you’d previously advised him about the specific model and year. 

Still it’s a standard request though - and I wouldn’t hesitate to give him the info if he’s asked.

p90fool

It's not a motor vehicle, he's not going to clone your serial number, stamp it on a ringer and blast up and down the bypass past the speed cameras. 

The question is not "Why does the buyer want the serial number?", it's "Why is the seller so secretive?"

I'm not blaming you btw, we live in paranoia-inducing times and it's wise to check out reasons for caution we may not have thought of ourselves, but if I were the buyer I'd walk away. 

thegummy

p90fool said:

It's not a motor vehicle, he's not going to clone your serial number, stamp it on a ringer and blast up and down the bypass past the speed cameras. 

The question is not "Why does the buyer want the serial number?", it's "Why is the seller so secretive?"

I'm not blaming you btw, we live in paranoia-inducing times and it's wise to check out reasons for caution we may not have thought of ourselves, but if I were the buyer I'd walk away. 

Well I don't know whether the guy is asking that second question or not but I am asking that first question.

Once it was confirmed safe to do so I sent him close up of the back of the headstock but the question of why he wanted it remains.

As previously mentioned, I was the one that walked away but feel free to mention any actual reason you'd ask for the serial number.

Snags

There are a couple of reasons I might ask for the serial number.

The main reason would be that it's a quick and easy way to look up some information on the guitar. It would help me form a better idea of the spec of the guitar, and cross-reference that against the description as part of the whole "does this sound about right" process.

Secondary reason would be that the answer to the question is quite revealing. If the guitar is legit then there shouldn't be any problem giving out the serial number.  If the answer isn't a straight forward "here you go" then it would indicate something worth further consideration. Particular if the answer is "no" or "I can't, it's damaged/missing/somesuch". If the answer was "no" without any reason, I'd be fairly wary of continuing, although at that point it would be 50:50 as to whether I thought it was because there was an issue with the guitar, or an issue with the seller being overly paranoid.

Whilst fakes may well have equally fake serial numbers, generally speaking the serial number is going to be a good place to start with validating authenticity. If it doesn't match up, you don't have to waste the journey. If it does, you might go have a look and check things out further etc.

If I were selling then chances are I'd put the serial number in the advert from the off, for the above reasons.