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Before leaving Gibson’s factory, a unique serial number was inked on the back of the headstock of each one of these guitars. In the nearly 50 years since then, these Bursts have travelled far and wide from Kalamazoo, played concerts, recorded hit records, become prized collectables, and changed hands many times. The goal of burstserial.com is to "collect" these guitars and bring them back together by compiling serial numbers and photographs into one convenient reference document. That document is published on this site, using publicly available information. The process is a cooperative one, and guitar collectors and enthusiasts worldwide are invited to contribute information and participate in building the most complete serial number log possible.

Entries are divided by year, and logged sequentially by serial number. Images are available in the "Album" section of this site. Comparing the number of guitars logged with the estimated shipping totals for Les Pauls in those years reveals that this serial number log is far from complete (the total number of Bursts is believed to be around 1,400 total):

YearShippedLoggedPercentage
1958 some Goldtops, some Bursts43418342%
1959 all Bursts64344770%
1960 some Bursts, some SG/LP’s at the end not logged63521834%

Anomalies
Some early 1958 Sunburst examples have off-center seam maple tops. They are serial numbers 8 1070, 8 1641, 8 1810, and 8 3322. Some of these may be goldtops refinished to sunburst, because adjacent serial numbers are original goldtops. More than half of the ’58 Les Pauls are goldtops, since the sunburst finish began in July of that year. The earliest Les Pauls with original yellow-to-red sunburst finish could be 8 3087. Later on 8 3096 (with no visible center seam) and 8 3087 are both marked in the Gibson ledger books as "2 LP Spec. finish.". Or maybe the later 8 4869 with center seam and today refinished in sunburst. The earliest use of the word sunburst on a Les Paul Standard in the Gibson ledger books are serial numbers 8 1641 and 8 1782, both with a shaded red finish on the back as well as the top, and listed as "LP (cherry red sunburst)". 8 1641 is an opaque sunburst which has faded to reveal a non-center seam.

Notes
The serial numbers logged here come from two main sources. Thanks are due to The Les Paul Forum, a useful source of information and photographic documentation of Bursts serial numbers. Some photo books, Burst Believers, The Beauty Of The Burst, Sunburst Alley and Burst Gang, have likewise provided serial number information for many guitars. The authenticity of some Bursts has been disputed, as fakes and forgeries do exist. Please do not consider the appearance of a serial number in this log as a strict verification of originality or correctness.

195819591960
8 1005
8 1008
8 1010
8 1014
8 1020
8 1024
8 1028
8 1030
8 1070
8 1076
8 10xx
8 1109
8 1111
8 1113
8 1117
8 1119
8 1144
8 1151
8 1154
8 1181
8 1534
8 1641
8 1689
8 1788
8 1790
8 1792
8 1793
8 1794
8 1795
8 1796
8 1810
8 1945
8 2023
8 2074
8 2453
8 2700
8 2785
8 2793
8 2794
8 2795
8 2803
8 2810
8 3087
8 3096
8 3102
8 3111
8 3119
8 3123
8 3127
8 3130
8 3134
8 3138
8 3141
8 3305
8 3309
8 331x
8 3318
8 3322
8 3324
8 3325
8 3688
8 3823
8 3833
8 396x
8 4549
8 4869
8 5053
8 5148
8 5149
8 5288
8 5325
8 5346
8 5382
8 5384
8 5385
8 5386
8 5388
8 5393
8 5394
8 5395
8 5397
8 5403
8 5404
8 5411
8 5413
8 5416
8 5418
8 5419
8 5425
8 5430
8 5432
8 5434
8 5435
8 5436
8 5438
8 5489
8 5492
8 5493
8 5495
8 5496
8 5500
8 5501
8 5502
8 5503
8 5504
8 5506
8 5512
8 5515
8 5521
8 5625
8 5660
8 5673
8 5737
8 5803
8 5813
8 6098
8 6192
8 6322
8 6342
8 6397
8 6727
8 6728
8 6730
8 6732
8 6735
8 6736
8 6738
8 6739
8 6740
8 6742
8 6743
8 6744
8 6747
8 6749
8 6750
8 6752
8 6753
8 6754
8 6756
8 6758
8 6761
8 6762
8 6774
8 6775
8 6782
8 6784
8 6785
8 6787
8 6789
8 6792
8 6799
8 6801
8 6802
8 6805
8 6811
8 6893
8 6894
8 6895
8 6897
8 6898
8 6900
8 6901
8 6906
8 6907
8 6910
8 6912
8 6914
8 6915
8 6917
8 6922
8 6924
8 6927
8 6929
8 6931
8 6997
8 6998
8 7010
8 7042
8 7045
8 7049
8 7094
9 0133
9 0136
9 0183
9 0194
9 0225
9 0233
9 0268
9 0269
9 0274
9 0279
9 0280
9 0284
9 0286
9 0288
9 0289
9 0291
9 0296
9 0297
9 0298
9 0306
9 0307
9 0310
9 0311
9 0313
9 0314
9 0318
9 0319
9 0324
9 0326
9 0327
9 0328
9 0331
9 0336
9 0337
9 0340
9 0341
9 0344
9 0345
9 0346
9 0347
9 0348
9 0349
9 0351
9 0352
9 0356
9 0357
9 0360
9 0363
9 0365
9 0366
9 0367
9 0368
9 0370
9 0373
9 0374
9 0375
9 0378
9 0381
9 0382
9 0385
9 0393
9 0402
9 0403
9 0404
9 0405
9 0418
9 0420
9 0421
9 0422
9 0423
9 0424
9 0425
9 0426
9 0427
9 0428
9 042X
9 0433
9 0435
9 0484
9 0494
9 0533
9 0535
9 0537
9 0583
9 0584
9 0591
9 0592
9 0593
9 0596
9 0597
9 0598
9 0600
9 0605
9 0606
9 0608
9 0609
9 0611
9 0612
9 0614
9 0617
9 0618
9 0627
9 0628
9 0629
9 0631
9 0632
9 0633
9 0635
9 0636
9 0637
9 0639
9 0640
9 0643
9 0644
9 0645
9 0646
9 0647
9 0652
9 0653
9 0655
9 0656
9 0657
9 0662
9 0663
9 0668
9 0669
9 0672
9 0674
9 0676
9 0677
9 0679
9 0681
9 0684
9 0686
9 0691
9 0692
9 0694
9 0695
9 0696
9 0697
9 0700
9 0710
9 0735
9 074x
9 0769
9 0790
9 0799
9 0812
9 0821
9 0823
9 0826
9 0827
9 0829
9 0830
9 0833
9 0834
9 0835
9 0836
9 0837
9 0839
9 0842
9 0844
9 0847
9 0848
9 0850
9 0853
9 0855
9 0856
9 0871
9 0875
9 0878
9 0879
9 0881
9 0883
9 0889
9 0890
9 0891
9 0893
9 0895
9 0897
9 0901
9 0902
9 0903
9 0904
9 0905
9 0908
9 0910
9 0911
9 0912
9 0913
9 0914
9 0917
9 0918
9 0919
9 0922
9 0923
9 0924
9 0925
9 0926
9 0927
9 0929
9 0930
9 0933
9 0934
9 0937
9 0938
9 0939
9 0941
9 0943
9 0944
9 0945
9 0946
9 0955
9 0986
9 0xxx
9 1001
9 1055
9 1061
9 1062
9 1067
9 1073
9 1080
9 1081
9 1083
9 1085
9 1086
9 1088
9 1089
9 1091
9 1094
9 1095
9 1097
9 1098
9 1100
9 1102
9 1104
9 1105
9 1106
9 1108
9 1109
9 1112
9 1152
9 1154
9 1156
9 1160
9 1163
9 1164
9 1165
9 1167
9 1171
9 1175
9 1176
9 1181
9 1203
9 1226
9 1227
9 1228
9 1234
9 1237
9 1238
9 1242
9 1250
9 1251
9 1253
9 1256
9 1259
9 1280
9 1378
9 1427
9 1428
9 1683
9 1688
9 1703
9 1727
9 1785
9 1823
9 1838
9 1839
9 1843
9 1846
9 1850
9 1852
9 1854
9 1856
9 1857
9 1860
9 1864
9 1865
9 1866
9 1867
9 1868
9 1869
9 1870
9 1872
9 1873
9 1876
9 1878
9 1879
9 1880
9 1881
9 1882
9 1884
9 1885
9 1886
9 1887
9 1891
9 1892
9 1893
9 1895
9 1896
9 1897
9 1898
9 1899
9 1901
9 1907
9 1908
9 1909
9 1910
9 1913
9 1914
9 1918
9 1921
9 1923
9 1924
9 1925
9 1927
9 1928
9 1936
9 1942
9 1943
9 1945
9 1946
9 1947
9 1948
9 1950
9 1951
9 1952
9 1953
9 1954
9 1955
9 1960
9 1961
9 1962
9 1964
9 1966
9 1968
9 1970
9 1972
9 1974
9 1978
9 1980
9 1981
9 1982
9 1983
9 1984
9 1985
9 1986
9 1987
9 1992
9 1993
9 1994
9 1997
9 1998
9 1999
9 2xxx
9 2xx6
9 2002
9 2003
9 2010
9 2011
9 2012
9 2013
9 2014
9 2015
9 2019
9 2020
9 2023
9 2024
9 2033
9 2035
9 2036
9 2037
9 2039
9 2044
9 2070
9 2072
9 2074
9 2077
9 2146
9 2148
9 2163
9 2173
9 2174
9 2177
9 2178
9 2179
9 2180
9 2181
9 2185
9 2188
9 2192
9 2193
9 2195
9 2196
9 2198
9 2204
9 2205
9 2207
9 2208
9 2212
9 2213
9 2214
9 2215
9 2216
9 2217
9 2218
9 2220
9 2222
9 2225
9 2227
9 2229
9 2312
9 2314
9 2317
9 2318
9 2319
9 2324
9 2338
9 2340
9 2342
9 2347
9 2445
9 2498
9 24xx
9 2794
9 3012
9 3017
9 3182
9 x128
9 x84x
[1959]
[9 0299]
[9 0658]
[9 1727]
0 0108
0 0117
0 0119
0 0122
0 0133
0 0137
0 0154
0 0157
0 0162
0 0195
0 02xx
0 0200
0 0201
0 0205
0 0208
0 0210
0 0221
0 0231
0 0233
0 0234
0 0237
0 0238
0 0247
0 0252
0 0253
0 0254
0 0256
0 0258
0 0260
0 0264
0 0266
0 0268
0 0271
0 0273
0 0274
0 0285
0 0288
0 0289
0 0290
0 0295
0 0297
0 0299
0 0302
0 0303
0 0304
0 0306
0 0307
0 0308
0 0313
0 0378
0 0385
0 0436
0 0599
0 0600
0 0608
0 0677
0 0700
0 0x62
0 0919
0 1065
0 1182
0 1224
0 1247
0 1274
0 1333
0 1374
0 1475
0 1477
0 1479
0 1483
0 1484
0 1485
0 1486
0 1488
0 1490
0 1491
0 1494
0 1495
0 1498
0 1499
0 1500
0 1503
0 1504
0 1505
0 1602
0 1922
0 1923
0 1926
0 1928
0 1930
0 1935
0 1937
0 1939
0 1942
0 1943
0 1956
0 2036
0 2039
0 2163
0 2164
0 2165
0 2166
0 2167
0 2169
0 2170
0 2171
0 2179
0 2181
0 2183
0 2188
0 2190
0 2192
0 2196
0 2211
0 3187
0 3191
0 5863
0 7070
0 7157
0 7158
0 7166
0 7167
0 7168
0 7169
0 7170
0 7171
0 7172
0 7183
0 7185
0 7275
0 7436
0 7440
0 7441
0 7442
0 7444
0 7445
0 7446
0 7448
0 7449
0 7450
0 7451
0 7452
0 7453
0 7458
0 7461
0 7495
0 7498
0 7548
0 7587
0 7589
0 7590
0 7591
0 7592
0 7595
0 7598
0 7600
0 7601
0 7604
0 7605
0 7606
0 7611
0 7613
0 7614
0 7615
0 7617
0 7828
0 8004
0 8039
0 8065
0 8067
0 8070
0 8071
0 8080
0 8081
0 8087
0 8088
0 8089
0 8091
0 8093
0 8095
0 8097
0 8098
0 8138
0 8140
0 8141
0 8143
0 8144
0 8145
0 8146
0 8148
0 8149
0 8150
0 8154
0 8155
0 8156
0 8160
0 8162
0 8165
0 8166
0 8185
0 8291
0 8334
0 8353
0 8354
0 8600
0 9259
0 9350
0 9434
010180
010838
011021
011167
011188
011495