Earl Scruggs Standard Banjo Serial Numbers
Banjo setup was easy as it came with a head signed by Earl Scruggs, so I changed it to a new Remo head, I was able to change the head, replace the bridge, change strings and still have an excellent sound. Setup Rating: 10. This is an absolutely beautiful banjo with highly flammed resonator and neck, with a high gloss finish. Nov 18, 2019.
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redwing46 - Posted - 06/30/2017: 11:45:30
There is what seems to be a puzzling array of factory numbers stamped in the rims of modern Gibson banjos. There are 4-digit #'s such as
'3640' and '3685' in the rims of various Earl Scruggs Standard models, then again there are #'s like '9702-5' stamped in a 1997 Granada,
for example. The latter # means the banjo was made in February of 1997. if someone can explain what the 4-digit #'s mean in the ESS
banjos, I'm all ears! (The ESS banjos are from the approximate year of 1999, give or take a couple of years).
Vapor - Posted - 06/30/2017: 15:22:11
Granada in that time frame is YY-MM-RR. (YEAR-MONTH-RANKING NUMBER STARTING AT 01) according to my information. The ESS standard is the sequential production number of the ESS models, again, according to my information
J.Albert - Posted - 06/30/2017: 15:37:59
From my archives (thanks to the BHO member who originally posted this):
Gibson Banjos 1988 to present
Earl Scruggs Models
Standard:
Sequential production number, starting at 001
'49 Classic:
YY-RR
YY = Year of manufacture
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
Golden Deluxe:
YY-RR
YY = Year of manufacture
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
Flint Hill Special:
FH-YY-RR
YY = Year of manufacture
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
Special:
ES-YY-RR
YY = Year of manufacture
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
Style 250
250-TT-RR
YY = Year of manufacture
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
Granada
YY-MM-RR
YY = Year
MM = Month
RR = ranking number (starts at 01)
RB
RB### = sequential production number
All other models
S(S)-YYMM-RR
S(S) = style (excluding style 250 - see above)
YY = Year
MM = Month
RR = ranking number
DHutchens - Posted - 06/30/2017: 15:41:57
The Earl Scruggs models were consecutively numbered 0001 to what ever they were when the ceased production in 09. The first 1984 of them sported hand signed labels that Earl personally signed. with instrument #1985 the label was changed to a printed signature with a place for the number of the banjo and I'm thinking the date of assembly...(Don't hold me to the date of assembly, its been along time) Nick assembled every banjo during the time he was employed by Gibson....at the end of December of 1996 he had assembled 3185 Earl Scruggs Models.
When we got there in 87 until August of 92 the RB 250's were numbered like all other 'Factory Instruments' ex:919552340. On August 4 1992 the RB250 numbers joined the a similar banjo sequence. 250-92-01 (simplified a little removing the month to eliminate a little stamping as the numbers were getting a bit long.)
When we started doing the Granada's numbers included the year followed by the month followed by a dash and the number of that particular instrument that year The first Granada Prototype went to Blake Williams working with Bill Monroe. 8707-1 followed by 8707-2 to Allen Shelton with Jim & Jesse....... Jan 1990 and the 3rd Granada that so far that year would be 9001-3. When we followed with the style 3 the number became the particular model Jan 1990 and the 3rd style 3 would be 3-9001-3 and this continued as models were added. Nick Kimmons assembled all the instruments at that point and kept good personal records. After Nick left the company there were some strange numbers on obviously Gibson instruments but I cannot address what they did after all of us had left.
Hope this helps some.
Edited by - DHutchens on 06/30/2017 15:56:41
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Page: 123 4
vertigho - Posted - 02/22/2008: 06:39:46
Thanks Bob,
I didn't see anything stamped on the tone ring - but I didn't disassemble the head/rim at all, just looked at what was visible after removing the resonator. Where is the stamp on yours? I read in the post from tonyT above that Kulesh rings would have a script 'Gibson' visible on the ring, but I didn't see that. Could this be one of the 'mystery' rings or did those come later than 1189 (early-mid 1988)?
If Rich Kulesh provides me with any info, I'll post it here. Also, I'll take a photo of the ring as visible from inside the head & post a link to that here as well.
Thanks again, Bob, and thanks to all for this discussion thread, it's been really interesting to learn about the history of the ESS.
Andrew
DHutchens - Posted - 02/22/2008: 09:10:18
The rings is stamped on bottom edge of the inside lip where it sits on the rim. Not visible unless ring is taken off banjo.
Doug
vertigho - Posted - 02/22/2008: 20:27:13
I heard back from Rich. Basically, he said that the tone ring for that model year would be Kulesh, and, as Doug indicated, if I want to see its identifying stamp, I would need to remove it from the head/rim assembly.
Also, you can browse some photos of the banjo here (including what's visible of the tone ring with the resonator removed): http://picasaweb.google.com/vertighoSmith/ESS1189
scruggspiker - Posted - 02/22/2008: 21:18:43
What are the odds of two ESS having the same seial numbers .I have one that I bought new in January of 03 thats already listed ,The date in the rim is 12/18/02
bobtheuke - Posted - 02/23/2008: 05:27:56
If i see one for sale on the internet private or trade i ask the owner the number and add it.....that may be why Bob
God Save The Queen!
scruggspiker - Posted - 02/23/2008: 19:01:16
Earl Scruggs Standard Banjo Serial Numbers Lookup
My ESS has never been on the internet or traded .I bought it new in January of 03 .I bought it at the Music Barn in Greenesboro NC.
bobtheuke - Posted - 02/24/2008: 12:16:55
Put the number up and see if anyone out there has one with the same number or a similar number ...... i may have typed one incorrectly......i do not keep records of where the numbers came from or who gave them to me so i cannot help...I personally would doubt there are two with the same number....
Is yours 4468 or 4469? or another number Bob
God Save The Queen!
flake - Posted - 02/24/2008: 12:35:16
Johnathan-----I'm betting yours is 4468, correct?
mike
Fall not in love, therefore; it will stick to your face.
scruggspiker - Posted - 02/24/2008: 12:53:49
Yes my ESS is numbered 4468.
bobtheuke - Posted - 02/24/2008: 15:00:57
WHO HAS THE OTHER 4468???????
God Save The Queen!
scruggspiker - Posted - 02/24/2008: 15:11:20
It's on page 5 user III57.
flake - Posted - 02/24/2008: 22:08:27
Johnathan----I have the date for 4469 as 12-19-02, so the date you supplied for 4468 would seem right on the money.
mike
Fall not in love, therefore; it will stick to your face.
flake - Posted - 02/24/2008: 22:34:28
Here's what I think has happened. The poster from page 5 has probably misread the stamp inside the rim. Sometimes the impression made from the stamps is light or otherwise hard to read, and it's easy to mistake one number for another. I'm betting rather than 4468, it's actually 4488, 4498, or something akin to it.
The date he gives from the label on the rim, 3/20/03, would tend to support that theory more than the idea that two separate rims ended up stamped 4468, although with Gibson, the key, as always, is to never say never.
mike
Fall not in love, therefore; it will stick to your face.
scruggspiker - Posted - 02/24/2008: 22:59:00
That 's what I was thinking,
flake - Posted - 03/22/2008: 12:05:37
New serial number addition:
ESS #2556, born 4/12/94
mike
The Internet is the most important single development in the history of Human communication since call waiting.
bobtheuke - Posted - 03/22/2008: 12:13:23
Cheers Mike 2556 added to list on page 6 thank you bob
God Save The Queen!
NDJohn - Posted - 03/23/2008: 09:38:37
Bob,
You already have this one listed in the correct year, but without the 'born on' date:
2859, born July 27, 1995
Best,
John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Miller
ej.miller@ndsu.edu or ejmiller@ideaone.net
lll57 - Posted - 03/26/2008: 20:47:54
Look guys here is the deal. I ordered my ESS in January of 2003.
Recieved it the last week of April. The S/N is 4468. and the date on the logo inside of the rim is 3/20/03. I have posted pictures on my home page of my warranty papers with the S/N on it. A picture of the S/N on the inside of the rim and a picture of the LOGO.
bobtheuke - Posted - 03/27/2008: 05:12:31
Thank you both list on page 6 amended Bob
God Save The Queen!
alabamapicker - Posted - 03/27/2008: 18:18:51
I bought a new Earl Scruggs Golden Deluxe in early 1995. The number on mine is 94-15 according to the info I filled out on the warranty card. I don't take off the resonator unless I have to, so I am relying on the warranty card. By the way, it is a great banjo!
bobtheuke - Posted - 03/27/2008: 19:09:40
Ah! you have a great banjo....As it happens i have been compiling a list of Earl Scruggs Standard banjos probably due to the fact that i have one.There is an up to date list on page 6 of this topic.... I have no records of the fancier special ones...Perhaps someone who has an interest will start a list of the posher varieties as they have their own separate serial numbering system. Hope you enjoy reading and writing in these forums.The knowledge out there is phenominal......Welcome.....Bob in Staffordshire England
God Save The Queen!
NDJohn - Posted - 04/12/2008: 18:32:47
Hi Bob,
#3085 August 6, 1996
Best,
John
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John Miller
ej.miller@ndsu.edu or ejmiller@ideaone.net
bbeckner - Posted - 04/14/2008: 17:44:17
My 'honey' ES model has serial number 0101 printed on the back of the peg head. The Gibson label inside is signed by Scruggs with a blue marker. I have not found any dates or serial numbers inside the rim or tone ring. I haven't had it apart since a year or so after I bought it second hand from Chris Warner around 1988. I have no idea about what tone ring is in it. Judging by the serial number it may possibly be an early one. The Gibson warranty? card that came with it says purchased 4/27/1987 from a music store in Colorado.
Chris installed the Kieth tuners before I bought it.
This is a very interresting and informative thread.
Thank ya'll
Bill
wfawley - Posted - 04/14/2008: 21:38:59
G-656.....will be a modern 'Gower Scruggs' conversion of a modern tenor....with hand signed label, signature truss rod cover.....and.....a neck in mahogany based on the GW Gower neck and with a fingerboard cut from an old brazilian board from the Davis Kennedy collection..(the gower inlay makes the 'G' designation meaningful). It's the one Gibson never built but should have. Even eithout the pedigree, I think it's worth mentioning....because someday, it will undoubtably be represented as original. Not by me, mind you...but I am not going to live forever. Maybe I can be on the list too....with an asterisk like Pete Rose and Barry Bonds.
I know it's not pedigreed.....but it's sure gonna be cool. Birth date of the pot is January 18-23 1989......rebirth of the whole banjo......to be announced.
Wyatt
If your friends criticize the car you drive, or the banjo you play. Get new ones.
DHutchens - Posted - 04/15/2008: 04:36:06
Bill
Glad to see that you found the thread. Your banjo as we talked earlier is the 100th built or close to that(at least 100th neck that had the number stamped on it). {they don't always do things in numerical order, its more which one is picked up first} But the tone ring is stew-mac (assuming that it hasn't been changed)
If you look at page 6 Bob has put together a pretty good listing of what this thread had accumilated so far.
Glad that you enjoy the instrument.
Doug
bbeckner - Posted - 04/15/2008: 16:55:00
Thank you for the response. Do you know how many prototypes there were? Do you know where the first one or two went? Or who got them?
bbeckner - Posted - 04/15/2008: 17:00:13
I should have added, it has the original tone ring. I must like Stew-Mac tone rings.
DHutchens - Posted - 04/16/2008: 04:31:51
I was not working for Gibson at the time, but I would assume that Earl probaly got some of the first ones. Seems like I'm not sure about prototypes, I remember a couple of the early serial number instruments for sale in the late 80's but I don't remember who and where they went.
Yep, the stu mac ring properly seated is still a mighty good value in my book as well.
Doug
DHoffmeyer - Posted - 04/16/2008: 10:24:27
From Greg Rich
grich - Posted - 04/16/2008: 10:39:45
Those are the original press photos from the protoypes 001 , 002 and 003 I have no idea who's playing them ...... have a nice day !
flake - Posted - 04/16/2008: 11:59:40
Thanks Greg!
And thanks once again Dean, for posting these great
photos and scans that Greg comes up with. They're
priceless.
mike
The problem with self-improvement is knowing when to quit.
DHutchens - Posted - 04/16/2008: 12:10:35
The one on the right is his son Randy and I only met him once but the one on the left might be Stevie.
Doug
grich - Posted - 04/16/2008: 12:35:28
DOUG
I think that's Gary & Randy .....
carteru93 - Posted - 04/16/2008: 12:53:44
quote:Originally posted by grichDefinitely Randy, but that sure doesn't look like Gary.
DOUG
I think that's Gary & Randy .....
____________________________________
Pick till yer fingers bleed!!
Gold Star GF-200/Hatfield
bobtheuke - Posted - 04/17/2008: 12:52:54
Hi all just got back from Southern Spain......updated numbers on page 6 with 2859 and 3085 ....thanks John(MiIler) and all....Like those pictures! Bob
God Save The Queen!
Edited by - bobtheuke on 04/17/2008 12:58:24
bobtheuke - Posted - 04/17/2008: 12:57:35
List updated 17th April 2008......
Hello again...This is the updated list as of 17/04/2008.... of ESS serial numbers which have been collated to date.
1984 0003 009 093 298
1985 330 433 467 520 532 703 740 (783may be from 1986 time will tell)
1986 871 910 928 929
1987 1027Aug 1092last one of this year
1988 1093first of this year (1142first of the new model) 1229 1349last of this year
1989 1350first of this year 1575last of this year
1990 1576first of this year 1609 1792last of this year
1991 1793first of this year 1812 1912 1970 1974last of this year
1992 1975first of this year (1984last of the signed Scruggs
models) 1912 1986Jan 1990 2257dec 2259last of this year
1993 2260first of this year 2278 Jan 28, 2338may7th 2373july 2396sept
1994 2473 jan 5 2504jan 2556 april4 2707nov (2772 dec not confirmed)
1995 2859 27thjuly 2895 2924
1996 2999feb 3055 3085aug6th
1997 3204feb 3292july 3409 3477 3490
1998 3562aug
1999 3593 3618 feb 3622
2000 3959sept 3972oct 3979oct 3994nov
2001 4089feb 4099 4211july
2002 4333april 4374june 4387
2003 4468march 4469
2004 4582jan 4579feb 17th 4610feb 4613feb
2005 4781 4817nov 4822 4830
2006
2007
Kind regards Bob
God Save The Queen!
Edited by - bobtheuke on 04/28/2008 05:51:48
banjoshoe - Posted - 04/27/2008: 10:46:44
It looks like your collecting serial #'s on ESS's. I own #4579, dated 2/17/04. I enjoy reading all the comments. Thanks.
bobtheuke - Posted - 04/27/2008: 11:35:04
thank you ...your banjo is now listed...bob
God Save The Queen!
farley - Posted - 04/27/2008: 20:43:38
If you're colecting serial numbers, I had serial #0003 from back in 1984 I believe. I bought it new from Midwest Music, in Cincinnati, Ohio. They bought it at the NAMM show when Gibson first came out with the Scruggs banjo, ordered it right then for me.
I also think my friend Randy Escabedo beat me by one number, I think his Scruggs is #0002.
As far as the Scruggs with the 75 tonering. That was maybe mine also, I don't remember the serial number. But at the time I had been aggravating George Cox at the factory and he told me about this new banjo part they were making. He made me guess forever what it was, then I had to guess the differences, that way he wasn't telling me (He was probably just pulling my leg, aggravating me!!), anyway he told me how great this new tonering sounded so I wanted to try it out. At that time Bill would pretty much let me call the guys at the factory to tell them what I specifically wanted, then he would handle the sale, so he did order one for me.
I didn't keep this banjo very long. I do like the different tonering, but pretty much only in the mahogany banjo. The Scruggs is a maple banjo and that 75 tonering made it sound kinda sharp sounding to me. So I just ordered another stock Kulesh ringes Scruggs, and traded the one back to Bill with the 75 ring in it. Of course like I said I don't really remember the serial number on that banjo, but I hadn't heard of anymore of that combination being sent out. Farley
jethrobodine - Posted - 04/28/2008: 03:36:34
#0783 1985 or 86? I'm not the first owner and find no date anywhere.
jethro
bobtheuke - Posted - 04/28/2008: 05:52:38
0003 and 0783 added Bob
God Save The Queen!
JSabastian147 - Posted - 04/28/2008: 15:32:38
when i get mine, ill tell you the number, and its a 97.
*********************************************
'Always go for the happy endings, because life doesn't have any sequels.'
-unknown
'With the proper attitude, the whole world becomes a toybox.'
- Mike Gregory
Jordan R.
f5loar - Posted - 04/29/2008: 14:27:33
That's Randy for sure on the right. Stevie I think was dead by this time.
For sure not Gary either.
My guess is the other guy was the one putting the banjos together at Gibson during this time frame. I remember being at factory shortly after the Scruggs models came out and the guy putting them together showed me the roll of Scruggs stickers already signed. So much for Earl approving everyone with his name on it. He also told me how he knew which were the hot ones and which were not. He held up a tone ring and struck it saying this one was hot and he put a little red mark on the serial number lists to keep up with the hot ones. I asked what did he do about the ones not so hot and he said by this stage they had to go in.
I'd say this is true about any acoustic instrument. Some are hot , some are not.
Tom Isenhour
grich - Posted - 04/29/2008: 14:36:46
Nick Kimmons put every banjo together for years ....
Earl did approve of the checks he got in the mail !
grich - Posted - 05/07/2008: 12:17:28
Here are the changes made by Doug Hutchens to the inlay patterns
Edited by - grich on 05/07/2008 12:36:06
grich - Posted - 05/07/2008: 12:35:14
wfawley - Posted - 05/07/2008: 18:40:24
Imteresting.......some of the changes....were made to make it look less like the couple pre-war examples I have copies of. That's the trouble with hand cut sets.....determining what's 'right'. Obviously Doug was referencing a specific example whm he suggested the changes, but they all differ just a bit. The 2 leafy vines in the headstock that are marked OK....don't even resemble the originals.
Wyatt
If your friends criticize the car you drive, or the banjo you play. Get new ones.
keithm - Posted - 05/09/2008: 19:07:54
Might as well add mine: 2937 11-8-95. If I recall correctly from the one time I had the tone ring off, it's a Kulesh with the same number.
banjodad1 - Posted - 05/09/2008: 20:24:26
For what it's worth, I have Earl Scruggs Custom 1987-002. I believe the label was signed
and dated by Mr. Kimmons in Sept 87.
Allan
Earl Scruggs Standard Banjo Serial Numbers List
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