Production numbers of Gibson Guitars

[deacon Mark]

Does anyone know a way to find out how many Gibson L5's and Super 400 were made each year from say about 1992 to present. I cannot seem to find much and figure this information is probably out somewhere. I am not interested in the others just in Gibson's custom heavy hitter carved tops.

[jads57]

Try Danny W for info, he's owned a good deal of them.

[wintermoon]

The Super 400 book only goes up to the late 80s.
Can't think of anyone that would know outside of maybe Walter Carter or Gibson themselves.

[deacon Mark]

Well I would really like to know just for comparison to boutique builders and their output. I know that a single builder concentrating on carved tops with no help probably 20-25 guitar a year is absolute max and more likely 10-15. Sure Gibson is a factory but even they cannot probably turn out a large number even if they went all out.

Funny one would think this information is available to public but confirms I could not find it. My guess is they made less than 30 each year of L5 s and Super400s.

[wintermoon]

Well I would really like to know just for comparison to boutique builders and their output. I know that a single builder concentrating on carved tops with no help probably 20-25 guitar a year is absolute max and more likely 10-15. Sure Gibson is a factory but even they cannot probably turn out a large number even if they went all out.

Funny one would think this information is available to public but confirms I could not find it. My guess is they made less than 30 each year of L5 s and Super400s.

Not really relevant to how many they've been making in the last 25 yrs, but in the 50s to mid 60s electric Supers and L-5's were usually around 25-40 for each model, sunburst/blonde combined w a few yrs less or more.
The late 60s saw an increase to around 50-60, spiking @ 165 in '69, then dipping to 50-100 during the 70s w another spike of 247 in '79.

When production resumed on the newer models in the late 80's production was very small, in the single digits for each model. No info available aftetward.

But if I had to guess I'd say 30-50 each model annually from the 90s onward.

[vinnyv1k]

I tried to get that answer from Gibson about 5 years ago. They wouldn’t say.

[Stringswinger]

Contact Joe V. of archtop.com or George Gruhn. One of those guys might might have a source for that info.

[vinlander]

I inquired similarly with Gibson 2 years ago for the Tal Farlow model numbers and got no answers

[JazzNote]

I tried to get that answer from Gibson about 5 years ago. They wouldn’t say.

My 2003 L5, a Hutch signed CES which i bought brand in the same year from the official Gibson importer in Switzerland can not be found in the database of the online serial number app. I suspect Gibson didn't really keep efficient track of the serial numbers earlier in this century.

[Danny W.]

Does anyone know a way to find out how many Gibson L5's and Super 400 were made each year from say about 1992 to present. I cannot seem to find much and figure this information is probably out somewhere. I am not interested in the others just in Gibson's custom heavy hitter carved tops.

It's much easier to find this info for earlier periods.

Try Danny W for info, he's owned a good deal of them.

I'm pretty sure Gibson has made a few that got past me, but I'm confident that it's at least 20 of them over that time period. Maybe even 25.


Danny W.