Gibson B Guitars (B-15, B-25, B-45)
Gibson B-15 Guitar (1967-1971)
The Gibson b-15 was introduced in 1967 and ended productions in 1970, they called it the student model,
made of mahogany wood body, spruce top and natural finish color, they are not worth mega dollars but have a steady increase in value year after year. Gibson also released a B-20 guitar in 1971 but was discontinued shortly after several months.
Gibson B-25 Guitar (1962-1977)
The Gibson b-25 was introduced in 1962 had a flat top, made of mahogany wood body , bound body and ended production in 1977, these guitars were made in cherry sunburst color.
The picture above shows a 1968 rare black b-25 with a white pick guard , picture was given to us by one of our viewers .
Note : During the same years Gibson also produced the b-25 n which was the same guitar but stands for natural finish . The b-25 are worth a little more than the b-25 n because of their cherry sunburst color .
Gibson B-25 Short scale 3/4 (1962 - 1968)
In 1962 to 68 Gibson also came out with the Gibson b-25 short scale version , meaning they had the same features as the Gibson b-25 flat top , mahogany wood body ,but was smaller , they were also built for students and came in sunburst color.
If you come across one don't let the size fool you they sound great.
Note: In 1966 Gibson also introduced the Gibson b-25 n 3/4 short scale , same guitar but N stands for natural finish instead of sunburst. These guitars didn't last long on the market, ended in 1968.
Gibson B-25-12 (1962 - 1977)
In 1962 introduced the b-25 / 12 string and the b-25n /12 string these Gibson guitars had the same features like the b-25 6 string ,
(mahogany wood , bound body, flat top but 12 string . The Gibson b-25 12 string guitars were made in cherry sunburst color and the b-25n in natural) .
Note : Gibson stopped production on the b-25 - 12 string acoustic guitar in 1970 , however production of the b-25-12-N kept on till 1977 ( same acoustic guitars but natural finish )
Gibson B-45-12 (1961-1979)
The Gibson b-45-12 was also in production during these years ( 1961-79 ) it was a 12 string acoustic guitar , flat top , mahogany wood . The 61-62 models had round shoulders and from late 62 and on Gibson made them with square shoulders , and were made in sunburst colors .
In 1963 Gibson also introduced the B-45-12-N ( same guitars but in natural finish ) production ended in 1979 . Vintage Price values are more or less the same as the Gibson b-45-12 ( sunburst )
Gibson B-45-12 Limited Edition Reissue (1991 -1992)
Because of the high demand gibson in 1991 made a limited edition reissue of the b-45-12 ,same guitar but was built with rosewood wood on the back and sides of the body .
Because of the limited number of gibson b-45 reissues produced , they are also considered somewhat collectible.
Selling Or Buying Advice
Always consult with someone who knows vintage guitars before buying or selling. Otherwise, I strongly suggest you get a guitar price guide with detailed specs that can change the prices dramatically. Knowledge is everything when you are dealing with old and used music instruments.> View used and vintage Gibson B15, B25, B45 guitars for sale.
| Gibson B-15, B-25, B45 Price Guide (Updated April-16-2021) |
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Here is a photo of a 1968 rare all Black B-25. These were seconds in 1968 only with a white screwed in Pickguard.
ReplyDelete[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v713/jimlanderson/blackb-25.jpg[/IMG]
nice ,never seen a gibson b-25 in black , its definately a beauty and rare , if im not mistaken they were made all in sunburst finishes . Make sure you dont have it stolen ...(lol).
ReplyDeleteI love my B-25N, which originally had a plastic bridge, and I was wondering if anyone knows anything more about this failed experiment
ReplyDeletemine is a 64,its one year older than me. I love the adjustable bridge,allows me to get the action really comfortable.Its in great shape and sounds better than my new J160e.If it was stolen I would cry.
ReplyDeleteIhave one of those rare black 1968 B25 guitars,Great instrument.Doesanyone know how many were made or how the serial number coud help email rilz@msn.com
ReplyDeleteI have had my B-45-12 Deluxe ('74 or '75) for about two years now and I still love it. It has a feel all its own. These can be very good guitars (Gordon Lightfoot uses one...). I don't often read about them online.
ReplyDeletethe "rare" black b-25s were usually factory repairs or factory seconds. if you look at the serial number, some of them have a repair or 2nds designation on them. i know with many of the black guitars from gibson in the 60's- they were factory repair jobs that they sprayed black to cover over the repair jobs. many of them were originally 1st quality sunburst guitars in their original incarnation.
ReplyDeleteMy question to you is, shall I broaded my search for potential byers....
ReplyDeleteI am selling a Gibson 12 string B 25 12 on ebay in 45 minutes. I wanted to post a phot but if you are interested they are on ebay.
I have been disapointed by the bidding, as it is a beautiful sweet sounding guitar. The stamp inside the guitar says B2512, it is not the 3/4 size, The Serial number is 868564.
Serial #'s say '62-'70. Excellent guitar with vibrant tone and ringing sound. A few chips around the headstock and surface age cracks on the finish. There is a scratch on the pickguard and a few small nicks on the box. I've had this guitar since 1970, bought from a family friend. It has been well cared for.
Gibson introduced the B-25 in 1962 which featured a mahogany body, spruce top, and rosewood fingerboard like the B-45. Most B-25's had a cherry sunburst finish, Two 12-string editions of the B-25 were also available starting in 1962. The B-25-12 had a cherry sunburst finish and was available through 1970.
My name is rebecca bush. I am from Shreveport La. I was and am a prof. musician. Now I am a chef.
ReplyDeleteI had an opportunity to play music around a hotel circuit in New Zealand. In 1982 I found my b-25 in a second-hand record shop in Auckland, NZ! I spied it in the dark walking to a party with friends (we had to park by some old shops) and whether it was the street-lite or the moon-lite it spoke to me.
The next morning at 9 am I was back at that shop negotiating with the owner how I could buy it. I was a starving artist and put 20 dollars down on it. He wanted 500 bucks, fine. The reason he was selling it was that he was in a band/group that wanted purity of sound (pre-unplugged) and wanted a bigger-bodied instrument to deliver that larger sound.
It took me about 4 months to pay off that guitar and when I got it it was pure joy!! Not because it was made on a good day by a good guitar maker; but because it has a life and soul of it's own.
I bettcha I went through 10 guitars before finding this one.
My first guitar was an inexpensive yamaha classical and it suited my purposes well and I wore it out.
I tyried Ibenez and others; they looked pretty but I was always trading them in for another. It's like finding a life-partner.
This 1962 b-25 (I didn'n know that was the first year of production) is as precious to me as my dog and cats and family members. It has a life of its own and a history I will never know. Everyone who plays it says wow! I will never need another guitar, I can't tell you how special this guitar is; however;
I bought it with the original case, and original condition. The tuning pegs were bakalite and the bridge was dodgy. My good friend Peter Madill in NZ is a luthier and because I wanted to use this guitar daily and professionally he replaced the bridge and put in a "pickup" and replaced the tuning pegs with German precision tuning pegs. I don't regret it. 26 years later the guitar guitar is still one of my loves.
Bex
i bought my b 25 natural back in 1979 in gainsvill flordia for eighty bucks,from some little shop with money from selling oranges on a campas..everyone has always said how great it sounds; so i'm surprised by the bad reviews i've been reading about,also i thought it was older,oh well who cares i;m not planing to sell it..i still love to play my little guitar and write songs when i can, jeff-rue../3cornerboys
ReplyDeleteI am the proud owner of a nearly mint condition B45-12 and I love it. Unfortunately, like any old lady, she broke a bone, in this case, part of the tailpiece. The metal U-shaped rod that connects the butt plate to the string retainer just snapped. Metal fatigue, I assume. I need to replace it and have looked everywhere from Ebay to Googling "vintage Gibson guitar parts", then going to, or calling, five pages worth of vendors. Can anyone lend a hand? You can email me at theflash52@live.com. thanks.
ReplyDeletehey my grandpa has a 1964 B45 12 string. how much you think.Its still in real nice condition
ReplyDeletewere there ever any b-15's produced in a sunburst? i was thinking about bidding on a 1968 gibson with a #840468 serial number, but with no product number so i'm trying to figure out what model it is. it sounds like a b-15 because the seller said that it's a student model and it looks like your pictures, but it's a sunburst.
ReplyDeleteany thoughts?
heres my dilemma I have a Gibson Guitar with the following serial number stamped on the inside of the F hole: U9034 25 The Gibson website states that the U is FON code letter that Gibson used. The U is the code letter for the year 1957, ,but the Guitar is Identical to a B-25 in every way i can see? It is the Natural Finish...Any IDeas if there was some B-25's that snuck out of the factories in 1957. My grandpa claimed to have bought the guitar in 1959 or 60?
ReplyDelete...message to bex...howdy rebecca. i related to your b-25 story, and also treasure mine for the comfortable feel and 'barky' sound. enjoy...davetp
ReplyDeleteMy parents bought me a black sunburst B25 in, I believe, 1967 for about $500, after it became clear that I was serious and my $40 Kent wasn't going to cut it (couldn't do bar chords on it). I haven't seen any mention of the black sunburst colour here. Does anyone know anything about them or whether or not they were rare? Alas, it is no longer with me and I would like to find another one like it. .
ReplyDeleteAnne
How do you tell a 62 B45 from a 63? Any different features aside from the serial #? Were they all tailpiece models? I just got one that is natural finish with a 5 digit #. It is a tailpiece model, but lots of scratches. What year did the inside bracing change? Thanks, Kris
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I've noticed on B45's is up to about 1963/4 the headstock triangles have rounded points - then they get to be sharp - the change seems to correspond with the swap from pin to tailpiece bridges. Anyone know for certain/seen any tailpiece ones with rounded traingles???
ReplyDeleteI think ebay thought is old is gold policy.
ReplyDeleteeBay is the number one international market place for all types of products over the Internet. eBay is an online retailer or ‘e-tailer’ that offers people the opportunity to sell and buy goods online. http://www.infyecommercesolution.com/
I have a 2007 Les Paul Studio in worn cherry and just fitted Seymour Duncan pick ups I love it to death!
ReplyDeleteI Have a 1965 B25 3/4 and I love it! it is in great condition and it has a really good sound. I have had it since Christmas 1990. It was a great gift!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat about a B20. Looks like a cowboy guitar. In fine shape. 1000 bucks. Its mint. Only 500 made from what I can tell. 1965. Sounds great.
ReplyDeleteWhere were the Gibson B-25's made?
ReplyDeleteI have a 1965 Gigson SG bass teal in color.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell me what it is worth?
My parents gave me a Gibson B25 for graduation in 1968. I still have it. It is solid cherry...wonder how many were made in that finish.
ReplyDeleteI have a B-25N, serial number 965883 with Made in USA stamped on back (USA is under Made in). This dates it to 1972. I have the original receipt. It has Gibson Delexe (Kluson) tuners and B-25N inscribed on the truss rod cover. The dot over the letter "i" in the Gibson peghead logo is missing. Does this mean it's a fake? Any help is appreciated. wizard423@aol.com
ReplyDeletewhat is a B-45-12 deluxe?
ReplyDeletehi this is vrodpilot@aol.com I have a gibson B-45-12 deluxe and want to know if it is real or a knockoff? thank you
ReplyDeleteI recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I think I will leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
ReplyDeleteMy 91yr old grandmother recently gave me her late husbands Gibson acoustic guitar that she bought for him sometime back in the 1960's. It is in mint condition with Gibson branded case. I was able to get the following information off of the guitar itself.
ReplyDeleteModel B-25-D
Serial Number 633164
Made In USA
Are you able to provide any information in terms of when it was purchased, where it was purchased, what the guitar cost at the time and what it may be worth at the current time?
I have a 1966 B-25 3/4 in Natural finish. It sounds very good! It has been living in my Dad's friend's basement since the seventies, and he bought it from some guy in a bar way back when! I'm glad the plastic bridge has survived. It definitely seems to have a soul of its own!
ReplyDeleteI have a B-25n that my Dad bought back in the 60's serial# 89983. I think that makes it a 1962. I love the guitar and am so proud to have and perform with it.
ReplyDeleteHello, I have cleaned out my grandfathers condo and found his old gibson guitar the only number was inside the body and was R-6869-25 (he alwasy mentioned it was from the early 60's). Any idea how much this is worth I'd hate to be a fool and sell it for pennies on the dollar. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI just purchased a gorgeous 1991 B-45 12N in incredible condition. I will be holding on to this one.
ReplyDeleteanyone help with serial number 892915 on natural finished acoustic 12 string
ReplyDeleteYou really did a good job keep it up. Nice site. I make sure to visit this website regularly..
ReplyDeleteI have a Gibson 12 string. The number on the headstock reads: 572092. Any and all information on this guitar would be appreciated. It was givin to me after my had passed.
ReplyDeleteThanks
I have a B25Natural in blonde finish s/n 804598 . How can I tell what year it was made?
ReplyDelete