revellfa - Posted - 01/15/2014:  17:25:18

Took the neck off of my 1926 Ball Bearing and found this.  Anybody know what it means?

mrphysics55 - Posted - 01/15/2014:  18:56:19

Why no, no I don't.  

eMike - Posted - 01/15/2014:  19:15:04

That's interesting.  I have the neck off mine right now and it has "50" stamped on it where the neck fits to the rim. I never paid any attention to that before.

lightgauge - Posted - 01/15/2014:  19:34:36

Any correlation to the serial number?

revellfa - Posted - 01/15/2014:  19:47:19

Serial number is 8527-20. Just happened to notice the "72" while changing heads.

Dave1climber - Posted - 01/15/2014:  20:12:47

I have a 1925 BB, and don't recall seeing a number in that location when I converted it from a TB3 to a 5 string.

eMike - Posted - 01/15/2014:  20:14:23

Mine is #8206-50.  "50" is stamped into the rim under the neck.  Probably some type of correlation.  Maybe a Gibson historian can tell us??  Inquiring minds want to know.

Greg Earnest - Posted - 01/16/2014:  05:48:18

It was standard practice in the tube-and-plate era to stamp the "bin number" (the digit or digits after the dash in the factory order number) on the outside of the rim at the neck junction.  Here are a couple of examples on my site:

earnestbanjo.com/gibson_banjo_...150-8.htm

earnestbanjo.com/gibson_banjo_...60-13.htm

Now as for why #8527-20 would have a "72" stamped there. . . well, remember this is Gibson we're talking about.

Edited by - Greg Earnest on 01/16/2014 05:48:54

southerndrifter - Posted - 01/16/2014:  06:44:26

quote:

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Originally posted by Greg Earnest

 

Now as for why #8527-20 would have a "72" stamped there. . . well, remember this is Gibson we're talking about.

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Dyslexic employee maybe??? 

The Old Timer - Posted - 01/16/2014:  08:33:31

That number, after the hyphen in the FON, is also often found stamped or penciled on the unfinished butt end of the original neck. Too keep the correct rim and neck "together" as they made their way through the Gibson factory departments.

I am also stumped why your "72" doesn't match the numbers in the end of the FON.

beegee - Posted - 01/16/2014:  13:46:20

My 28 Granada has a similar number but I don't recall what it is. I have a BB rim in the shed I'll check to see what it has.