Vintage Guitar Essentials

The Fender Stratocaster Evolution

Fender Stratocaster 1959 Transition Model

Spring 1954

Ash body
Two-color sunburst
Spaghetti logo
No patent numbers
Round string tree
No-line Kluson 2356766 PAT. APPLD tuners
Truss rod adjusts @ butt
4 bolt metal neckplate
April to May serial # on tremolo plate
=> serial # on neck plate
One piece maple neck
Black dot markers
Walnut skunk stripe
8 screw single layer white vinyl PG
Small aluminum sheilding covers control cavity
White "bakelite" plastic knobs and pickup covers
2 piece steel tremolo
Straight trem arm
Nickel plated Fender Pat Pend. saddles
Hardtail model available
Serial # on tremolo plate. ~ 0100 - 0200
Serial # on neck plate -54. ~ 0001 - 8000
Serial # on neck plate -54-63. ~ 01000 - 08000
Serial # on neck plate -55. ~ 6000 - 10000 (some 0 prefix)
Shipping Tot. -54. ~ 250
Shipping Tot. -55. ~ 357 Trem. ~ 95 Non Trem
-54 Price 2020. ~ 500k / ~ 1000k
-55 Price 2020. ~ 400k

Fall 1956

Alder body replaces ash
Rectangle string tree replaces round string tree
Single-line Kluson 2356766 PAT. APPLD tuners
Serial #. ~ 09000 - 16000
Shipping Tot. ~ 1500
Price 2020. ~ 350k

Spring 1957

Vinyl plastic knobs and pickup covers replaces "bakelite"
Serial #. ~ 16000 - 25000 (some 0 or - prefix)
Shipping Tot. ~ 1500
Price 1957. ~ 30k
Price 2020. ~ 350k

1958

Sunburst finish changed to three colors
Single-line Kluson D-169400 PATENT NO tuners
Serial #. ~ 25000 - 33000 (some 0 or - prefix)
Shipping Tot. ~ 1500
Price 2020. ~ 330k

Mid 1959

Slab rosewood board with clay dots
Flat bottom board glued to maple neck
Mint green three layer celluloid PG, 11 screws
Some transitional models have 9/10 screws
Thin aluminum shield size of PG underneath
Serial # -59. ~ 30000 - 40000 (some stamp on low edge)
Serial # -60. ~ 40000 - 58000 (some stamp on low edge)
Shipping Tot. -59. ~ 1500
Shipping Tot. -60. ~ 1500
-59 Price 2020. ~ 310k
-60 Price 2020. ~ 230k

1961

Logo with 2 patent numbers:
2,573,254
2,741,146
Serial #. ~ 55000 - 72000
Shipping Tot. ~ 1500
Price 2020. ~ 210k

1962

Logo with 3 patent numbers:
2,573,254
2,741,146
2,960,900
Serial #. ~ 71000 - 93000

Mid 1962

Veneer rosewood board
Arched bottom board glued to maple neck
-63, last year for black bottom pickups
Serial # -63. ~ 93000 - 99999
Serial # -63. ~ L00001 - L20000
Shipping Tot. ~ 3000
-63 Price 2020. ~ 200k

Fall 1964

Thicker gold "transitional" logo
Logo with 4 patent numbers:
2,573,254
2,741,146
2,960,900
3,143,028
Doubble-line Kluson D-169400 PATENT NO tuners
Pearl board dots replaces clay dots
Transitions with smaller side dots becoming pearl after the top dots
Plastic white three layer PG replaces celluloid
Serial #. ~ L20000 - L59000
Shipping Tot. ~ 3000
Price 2020. ~ 180k

Late 1965

Large peghead
Maple board optional (2 piece neck, no skunk stripe)
Logo with 5 patent numbers:
2,573,254
2,741,146
2,960,900
3,143,028
2,817,261
Serial # -65. ~ L60000 - L99999
Serial # late -65. ~ F100000 - F110000
Shipping Tot. ~ 3000
Price 2020. ~ 150k

1966

Peghead with 3 patent numbers:
2,741,146
3,143,028
DES 169,062
Bent trem arm CBS period
Serial # -66. ~ F110000 - F200000
Serial # -67. ~ F180000 - F210000
Shipping Tot./year. ~ 5000+
Price 2020. ~ 110k

1968

Black Fender peghead decal with 2 patent numbers:
2,741,146
3,143,028
Bold "With Synchronized Tremolo"
Patented "Orginal Contour Body" by 1969
F-style tuning gears replaces Klusons
Polyester thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer
Squared corner pickup routes 1969-1976
Serial # -68. ~ F210000 - F250000
Serial # -69. ~ F250000 - F280000
Shipping Tot./year. ~ 5000+
Price 1968. ~ 23k
Price 2020. ~ 110k

Fender Stratocaster 1966/1974 Parts Guitar

1970

Peghead decal has 1 patent number 2,741,146
Serial #. ~ F280000 - F300000
Shipping Tot./year. ~ 5000+
Price 2020. ~ 100k

Late 1971

3 bolt neck with micro-tilt replaces 4 bolt system
Die-cast 1 piece chrome Mazac tremolo replaces 2 piece steel unit
Bridge saddles, cast with no stampings
2:nd string tree added, hold G and D strings
Bullet truss rod adjusts @ peghead
Serial #. ~ F300000 - F330000
Shipping Tot./year. ~ 5000++
Price 2020. ~ 45k

1972-1974

Peghead decal patent number changed in 1972 from 2,741,146 to 3,143,028
Strap button placement pointing forward 1973-1976
Flush pole pickups replace staggered pole pickups in mid 1974
Price 2020. ~ 35k

1975

Black 3 layer PG, black knobs and black pickup covers
Transitions black pickguards with white knobs and covers are seen first, followed by black pickguards, knobs and covers
2:nd gen. Schaller made F-tuners
Price 2020. ~ 25k

1976

Serial number moves to peghead decal
Worm rout disappear
5-way pickup selector in -77
Price 2020. ~ 20k

1982

Last year for the large peghead

The Fender Telecaster

Inspired by the Paul Bigsby Merle Travis Guitar, Leo Fender built his first electric Spanish in the late 1940s. Leo built steel guitars and Amplifiers out of a small shop in Fullerton California, and the first Esquire prototype was the beginning of what came to be one of the most popular production electric guitars in music history, the Stratocaster.

Esquire Prototype 1949

First prototype "The Snakehead": Pine body, steel guitar like peghead, white, one pickup, no trussrod.
Second prototype: Six-on-a-side tuners Fender tele headstock. Stripped finnish, non trussrod, one pickup, precision bass like control plate.
Other prototypes: First Esquire one pickup butterscotch, two pickup, one red, one black known to exist. Pine body, no trussrod.

Esquire 1950

Esquire one pickup Butterscotch. Esquire two pickup Butterscotch.
Ash body
Spagetti logo low.
Serial #. ~ 0000 - 0250
Shipping Tot. ~ Small numbers
Price 2020. ~ 400k

Broadcaster 1950. Nocaster 1951. Telecaster 1951. Black Guard

Broadcaster, Nocaster then Telecaster and one pickup Esquire.
Maple neck, black dots.
Neck incorp. trussrod
Serial # on Bridge Plate:
~ 33 - 860 = 1950 to 1952
~ 0001 - 0999 = 1950 to 1952
~ 1000 - 5368 = 1952 to 1954
Shipping Tot.:
~250 Broadcasters
~868 Nocasters, ~250 Esquires in 1951
~700 Telecasters, ~250 Esquires in 1952
~6.000 BP's 1950-1954
Broadcaster Price 2020. ~ 700k
Nocaster Price 2020. ~ 560k
Telecaster Price 2020. ~ 450k - 350k

Telecaster White Guard 1954-55 =>

In 1954 the demand for changes from musicians and salespeople led to the design of the Stratocaster. The Telecaster continued production and change to a blond hue, white guard in -55.
Sunburst avail. -57
Squared off knobs -57
Spagetti logo high -57
Slab rosewood board, clay dots -59
Custom Esquire w binding -59
Serial # on Neck Plate:
~ 0001 - 8000 = 1954
~ 6000 - 10000 = 1955 (some 0 prefix)
~ 01000 - 08000 = 54-63
~ 09000 - 16000 = 1956
~ 16000 - 25000 = 1957 (some 0 or - prefix)
~ 25000 - 33000 = 1958 (some 0 or - prefix)
~ 30000 - 40000 = 1959 (some stamp on low edge)
~ 40000 - 58000 = 1960 (some stamp on low edge)
~ 55000 - 72000 = 1961
~ 71000 - 93000 = 1962
~ 93000 - 99999 = 1963
~ L00001 - L20000 = 1963
~ L20000 - L59000 = 1964
~ L60000 - L99999 = 1965
Shipping Tot. A lot!
Price 1957. ~ 22k
Price 2020. ~ 270k - 130k

Telecaster CBS and beyond

Transitional logo -64
Pearl dots -65
Black Fender peghead decal -67
Telecaster Thinline -67
Serial # F-series:
~ 100000 - 110000 = late 1965
~ 110000 - 200000 = 1966
~ 180000 - 210000 = 1967
~ 210000 - 250000 = 1968
~ 250000 - 280000 = 1969
~ 280000 - 300000 = 1970
~ 300000 - 330000 = 1971
~ 330000 - 370000 = 1972
~ 370000 - 530000 = 1973
~ 500000 - 580000 = 1974
~ 590000 - 690000 = 1975
~ 690000 - 750000 = 1976
~ 670000 - 700000 = 71-76
~ 400000s 73-76
~ 500000s 73-76
~ 600000s 74-76
~ 700000s late -76
Shipping Tot. Masses!
Price 1968. ~ 17k
Price 2020. ~ 100k

Gibson Les Paul

In the mid-1940s, Les Paul experimented with mounting pickups on a solid piece of wood. This to reduce the feedback that traditional arch top guitars with microphones suffered from. He took his 'log' to Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI), that owned Gibson. The reaction was laughter, CMI was not interested in Les Paul’s 'broomstick'. Years later Leo Fender developed a solid body guitar that later became the telecaster, and Gibson president at the time Ted McCarty could not ignore its success. Gibson now developed a solid body guitar and made a deal with Les Paul to use his name as its trademark. Les Paul and Gibson decided on a gold finish instead of the traditional sunburst. The bridge-and-tailpiece unit was designed by Les himself.

The Les Paul Model

Introduced mid 1952
Carved 3 piece maple top
Mahogany back and neck
2 soapbar P-90 pickups with cream-colored covers
Trapeze bridge/tailpiece combination with strings looping under bridge
Chicago capacitors (very early trapeze era)
Grey Tiger capacitors (up to middle 50s)
SIngle-bound top, binding inside cutaway same depth as binding around rest of top
Single-bound rosewood fingerboard (earliest with unbound fingerboard)
Trapezoid inlay, pearl logo, silkscreen Les Paul signature and model on peghead
Kluson Deluxe tuners
Plastic keystone tuner buttons with single ring near tuner shaft
Yellow silkscreen model name
No serial number
17 degree headstock angle
Nickel-plated hardware
Gold top finish, some with gold back and sides
A few with red top
Serial #. None
Shipping Tot. 1716
Price 2020. ~ 150k

1953

Mid 1953 serial number on back of peghead
Late 1953 Stud bridge/tailpiece
Serial #. 3 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 2245
Price 2020. ~ 280k
Serial #-54. 4 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 1504
Price 2020. ~ 280k

1955

Mid to late 1955 Tune-o-matic bridge
1956 Bumble Bee (1gen) capacitors
Serial #. 5 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 862
Price 2020. ~ 380k
Serial #-56. 6 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 920
Price 2020. ~ 380k

1957

Mid 1957 Humbucking pickups
A few with all-mahogany body
Serial #. 7 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 598
Price 2020. ~ 1000k

1958

Mid 1958 Renamed Les Paul Standard
2-piece bookmatched maple top
Cherry sunburst finish
Serial #. 8 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 434
Price 2020. ~ 1500k +

1959-60

Mid 1959 Jumbo frets by #9 0348
Late 1959 Bumble Bee (2gen) capacitors
1960 Slimmer neck
Black Beauty Sprague (3gen) capacitors
Late 1960 Astron capacitors
Late 1960 Metal caps on tone and volume knobs
Plastic tuner buttons with double ring
Serial #. 9 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 643
Price 1959. ~ 28k
Price 2020. ~ 3000k ++
Serial # -60. 0 xxxx
Shipping Tot. 635
Price 2020. ~ 2000k +

Les Paul 'low position' logo 1954

P-90 'soapbar' pickup

Les Paul 1954 Sunburst refinish -56 specs

P.A.F pickup

P.A.F sticker

Les Paul Custom

(The Black Beauty) Introduced late 1953
Early examples have no serials
Later 1954 Yellow inked serials
1-piece mahogany body with carved top
Alnico V neck pickup
Black soapbar P-90 bridge pickup
Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece
Bigsby optional
Multiple bound top and back
Single bound ebony fingerboard
Pearl block inlays
Same size block inlays between the 16th & 17th, 18th & 19th & the 20th & 21st frets
Fretless wonder frets
Les Paul Custom truss rod cover
5 piece split diamond peghead inlay
Closed back Klusons with plastic tulip shaped tuner buttons
Gold plated hardware
Ebony finish

1957

Mid 1957 3 P.A.F pickups
A few with 2 P.A.Fs

1959

Grover Rotomatic tuners
Early 1961 Last examples of single cutaway Customs before SG body

First reissue Les Paul Standard 1968

14 degree headstock angle
2-piece top
Soapbar pickups
Tune-o-matic bridge
Deeper binding inside cutaway (a few early ones with 50s cutaway binding)
1950s style small peghead
Stamped serial number
Chrome parts
Long neck tennon
Control cavity route before maple top glued on
Gold top finish

1969

Early 1969 wider peghead
Control cavity routed 50s style
Early 1969 pancake body with thin maple layer close to top of body
Mid 1969 maple layer in the middle of the mahogany pieces
Dot in peghead logo disappears
Neck tenon shorter
Discontinued

1970

Les Paul Deluxe
Made in USA beneath serial number
Volute on the back of neck nut
Three piece laminate mahagony neck
Three and four piece maple top
Mini-Humbucker pickups

First reissue Les Paul Custom 1968

14 degree headstock angle
Long neck tennon
7-ply top binding
Two humbucking pickups
Amp style knobs
Control cavity route before maple top glued on
Black Beauty Sprague capacitors
Low frets
Les Paul on truss rod cover
Gold plated hardware
Black finish
Maple top
Shipping Tot. 433
Price 1968. ~ 42k
Price 2020. ~ 200k

1969

2 layer mahogany, thin maple layer in middle, maple top
Control cavity routed 50s style
Dot in peghead logo disappears
Neck tenon shorter
SG-era brown ceramic disc capacitors
Late 1969 Made in USA beneath serial number
Late 1969 Three piece laminate neck

1970

Neck volute

Les Paul Deluxe 1972, Mini-Humbuckers.

Shipping Tot. Masses!
Price 2020. ~ 35k

Les Paul Junior

LP Jr introduced Mid 1954
Slab mahogany body
Single cutaway
1 black P-90 pickup
Stud-mounted bridge/tailpiece
Pickup close to the bridge
Tortoiseshell plastic pickguard
Gold barrel 'speed' knobs
16 frets clear of body
Unbound rosewood fingerboard
Dot inlays
Yellow silkscreen logo
Serial number color yellow inkstamp
Nickel plated hardware
Sunburst
1955 TV model avail.
1955 Bonnet knobs
1956 Post inserts increased in length and pickup moved slightly towards neck
Mid 1956 'single line' Klusons
(1954) 1956 Les Paul Jr. ¾ size, same body, shorter 22¾ scale neck, 14 frets clear of body

Mid 1958

Double cutaway with rounded horns
Sharpe body edge, single cutaway style
22 frets clear of body
Cherry red finish
Slightly different pickguard shape, some ex. early 1958
Serial number color black inkstamp, some yellow
Single ply tortoise pickguard
Some ex. black pickguard until 1960
Black bonnet knobs
Early 1959 More rounded edges
Some cherry single cutaways (rare)
Spring 1959 larger frets
Mid 1960 Silver reflector bonnet knobs
Les Paul Jr. ¾ size, double cutaway with rounded horns, 15 frets clear of body

Early 1961

SG body
Laminated pickguard
Les Paul Junior on peghead
Early ex. had slant bridges. 2gen straight tailpiece comp. 'stairstep' 'lightning bolt' wrap around
Cherry and TV finish
1962 Maestro vibrato optional
Late 1963 Renamed SG Junior

Les Paul Junior 1960

SG TV White Junior 1965

SG/LP Standard

Very late 1960 SG body shape
Les Paul Model on peghead
Side pull Deluxe Gibson vibrato
Cherry finish
2 P.A.F. pickups
3 layer black beveled small pickguard
Nickel plated parts
Thin neck shape
Mid 1961 Les Paul on truss rod cover
Crown peghead inlay
1962 Some with pearl inlaid ebony tailblock (rare)
Late 1963 Renamed SG Standard

1963

Late 1963 Renamed SG Standard
Maestro vibrato with lyre + coverplate logo
Pat. # humbucking pickups
No Les Paul on truss rod cover
Neck shape slightly larger
Increased neck tenon size

1965

Transition period mixed specs
Chrome parts
14 degree neck angle
Larger pickguard, no pickup frames
Narrow nut width
1966 Indian rosewood fingerboard
1971 Replaced by SG Deluxe. Standard reintroduced 1972

Les Paul Special

Introduced 1955
Flat top slab single cut
2 black soapbar P-90s
Neck pickup wery close to fingerboard
Stud bridge/tailpiece
Laminate beveled edge PG
Switch on upper bout
Single bound rosewood board
Dot inlays
Pearl logo + yellow silkscreen model name
Nickel plated hardware
Limed mahogany finish
A few early ex. with natural finish (rare)
1956 Post inserts increased in length
1958 Larger switch hole with rubber washers on some ex.
1959 Les Paul Special ¾ size, same body as double cutaway Les Paul Special, shorter scale, 15 frets clear of body, cherry finish

Mid 1958-1959

Double cutaway with rounded horns
Switch away from bridge
22 frets clear of body
Cherry red finish, 'TV' beige finish optional
Mid 1959 Neck pickup space to fingerboard
Switch moves near bridge
Late 1959 Renamed SG Special (some ex. Les Paul Special on head into -60)
Late 1959 Les Paul Special ¾ size renamed SG Special ¾
Late 1959/1960 'Les Paul Special' removed from peghead and left blank on some ex.

1961

Some 1961 double cutaway/rounded horns and 1961 serial (1 xxxx) (rare)
Some 1961 double cutaway/rounded horns and 1961 new serial scheme (early numbers) (rare)
Transition to SG body
Les Paul Special reissued in 1976 'Caveat Emptor'

Gibson ES-335 (345, 355, 330)

With the ES-335 Gibson surely took inspiration from ’The Log’ Les Paul’s early attempts to produce a solid body guitar. In 1958 Gibson under Ted McCarty came up with a guitar that was different from other ES models. The 335 was the first semi-solid guitar that had a central wooden block hidden beneath what looked like an ordinary ES arch top thin line guitar.

ES-335TD

Introduced spring 1958
Semi-hollowbody electric arch top
2 humbucking pickups
Tune-o-matic bridge, stop tailpiece
Bigsby vibrato optional
Laminated beveled-edge pickguard extends below bridge
Single-bound top and back
Neck-body joint at 19th fret
Single-bound rosewood fingerboard
Dot inlays
Crown peghead inlay (early with unbound fingerboard and no peghead ornament)
Sunburst or natural finish
Plastic strap buttons
17 degree headstock angle
Serial #. A 26820 (Jan 6) A 27816 (Jul 1) A 28576 (Dec 1) A 28880
Shipping Tot. 267 TD
Shipping Tot. 50 TDN
Price 2020. ~380k

1959

Late 1959 Cherry finish optional
Serial #. A 28881 (Jan 9) A 30569 (Jul 13) A 31844 (Dec 2) A 32284
Shipping Tot. 521 TD
Shipping Tot. 71 TDN
Price 2020. ~470k

1960

Slimmer neck
Metal caps on tone and volume knobs (shallow post hole)
Mid 1961 and later knobs has deeper post hole
Plastic tuner buttons with double ring
Early 1961 Shorter pickguard does not extend below bridge
1961 White switch tip
1961 Metal strap buttons
1961 Serial number pressed on peghead and on orange label
Mid-late 1961 A cut in the block for 345 Varitone is seen on 335s, by 1965 most bodies do
Serial # -60. A 32285 (Jan 4) A 34068 (Jul 1) A 35252 (Dec 1) A 35645
Serial # -61. A 35646 (Jan 3) A 35943 (Feb 1) A 36147 (Feb 21, Last A number)
Serial # -61. 1 xxxx (very rare). 100-41199 (42440)
Shipping Tot. -60. 405 TD
Shipping Tot. -60. 88 TDN
Shipping Tot. -60. 21 TDC
Shipping Tot. -61. 466 TD
Shipping Tot. -61. 420 TDC
Price 1960. ~ 28k
Price 2020. -60. ~370k
Price 2020. -61. ~300k

ES-335 Blockneck

Mid 1962 Small pearloid block inlays
Late 1962 Neck shape starts to increase in size
Late1962 Patent number sticker pickups
~1963 'Mickey Mouse' ears shifts to a slightly pointier shape
Serial # -62. (42441) 41200-61180, 71041-96600
Price 2020. ~270k

1965

Late 1964 Trapeze tailpiece (some with stop tailpiece in 1965)
Lover position of the crown inlay post 1965
335-12 string in sunburst and cherry avail. 1965-70
1966 14 degree headstock angle
1966 Small nut width
1966 Indian rosewood replaces Brazilian rosewood
1966 Bevel on pickguard less noticible
Some with single-parallelogram inlay: 1963, 1967, 1969
Price 2020. ~90k

Late 60's and beyond

Walnut finish optional: 1969
1968 increased nut width
Center block extends only from tailpiece to endpin: Dec. 1972–Aug. 1975
Coil-tap switch on upper treble bout: 1977
Price 2020. 1970 ~40k

ES-330

Introduced 1959
Full hollow body
Double rounded cutaways 'Mickey Mouse'
Neck/body joint at 17th
2 black plastic-cover P-90s
Tune o matic bridge
Trapeze tailpiece
Single bound top + back
Bound fingerboard
Dot inlays
Pearl logo, no peghead ornament
Sunburst or natural
ES-330T Single P-90 in middle position (naturals very low in shipment totals)

1962

Sunburst or Cherry finish, natural discontinued
Nickel plated plastics pickup covers (rare) then nickle plated metal covers
Block inlays
Ears become more pointy
ES-330T Single P-90 in middle position, sunburst or cherry (cherrys low in shipment totals)

1963

ES-330T Single P-90 version discontinued (still with 'Mickey Mouse' ears)
1965 Chrome parts (including pickup covers)
1967-69 Sparkling burgundy optional
1968 Walnut optional
1968 Neck/body joint at 19th
ES-330TD discontinued 1972

ES-345TD

Introduced 1959
Stereo electronics Y-chord
Black ring varitone selector
Pickguard extends below bridge
Triple bound top + bound back
Neck body joint at 19th
Double parallelogram inlays
Crown peghead inlay
Gold plated hardware
Sunburst or natural
Late 1959 Cherry finish optional

1960

Gold ring varitone
Natural discontinued
Mid 1960 Shorter PG

1965

Late 1964 Trapeze tailpiece
1969 Walnut optional
Late -60s Gibson Deluxe style tuners

ES-355TD

Introduced 1958 (10 ex.)
Mono circuitry
Bigsby vibrato. Some ex. without vibrato (rare)
Sidways vibrato optional
PG extends below bridge
Multiple bound top + triple bound back
Unbound f-holes, some with bound f-holes
Neck body joint at 19th
Ebony fingerboard
Large block inlays
Multiple bound peghead
Split diamond peghead inlay
Grovers
Cherry finish

1959

Stereo electronics (ES-355TDSV) optional
1960 Shorter PG
Sunburst and natural available
1961 Sideways vibrato standard
Mono electronics (rare)
1961 Kluson tuners
Some ex. with round varitone knob (rare)

1963

Gibson vibrato with lyre on coverplate
1967 Grover tuners
1969 Walnut finish optional
1969 Bigsby
1970 Non-stereo, non-Vari-tone (ES-355TD) version discontinued

Other

Super-400CES

Introduced 1951
Electric version of the Super 400C archtop
Rounded venitian cutaway
Solid carved spruce top, carved maple back, maple sides
2 P-90 pickups
Multiple bound top, back, f-holes, peghead, fingerboard (ebony)
Split block fingerboard inlays
5 piece split diamond inlay on peghead
Sunburst or natural

1954

Alnico V pickups
Late 1957 Humbucking pickups

1961

Pointed florentine cutaway
1-piece laminated maple back, some ex. 2 piece laminated back
1969 Back to rounded venitian cutaway
Solid 2 piece back
Only 200 florentine cutaway sunbursts was produced from 1961 to 1968 according to A.R Duchossoir, naturals less than 100

Melody Maker

Introduced 1959
Slab body
Single rounded cutaway (LP Jr. shape but thinner)
Oblong pickup black plastic cover no visible poles
Wraparound bridge/tailpiece
Knobs mounted on PG
Unbound rosewood board
Dot inlays
Narrow peghead
Decal logo
Sunburst

1960

Narrow pickup width
Melody Maker-D 2 pickups available 1960–70
1961 Symmetrical double cutaway with rounded horns, slightly rounded body edges
1962 Maestro vibrato optional
1963 Cherry finish body with horns point farther away

1966

SG body
White pickup covers
Enlarged white PG
Knobs mounted on top
Gibson vibrato standard
Fire engine red or pelham blue
1967 Melody Maker-D Sparkling burgundy optional
Fire engine red color discontinued replaced with sparkling burgundy
1967 Melody Maker-12 string avail. 2 pickups, no vibrato
Melody Maker-3 avail. 3 pickups
1968 Walnut optional
1969 Walnut finish only, wider peghead