Q: I have a relatively high-end Gibson guitar that I bought from a friend, and it plays and looks great. However, there is a rather large numeral “2” actually pressed into the wood on the back of the headstock. At first, I thought it was part of the serial number, but recently someone told me it meant I had a factory second! I assume that means there is a flaw in the instrument, and I’m concerned because I don’t know what it might be!
A: You can relax! Gibson only let “cosmetic 2” (a.k.a. “second” or “factory second”) guitars leave the factory. Any instrument with a structural flaw was either destroyed or used for parts. In most cases, players never do figure out exactly what the cosmetic flaw is. It may be as simple as a Sunburst finish that’s not perfectly symmetrical; a slightly crooked tuner; or a small spot where the guitar’s binding does not perfectly line up with the top, back, or sides. We’ve personally inspected about a dozen of these “cosmetic 2” instruments and could never judge exactly what the issue was.