![]() ![]() It is probably worth more than the dollars you will sell it for. Guild made many unrecorded variations of their Guitars. My Guild has different specifications than the model listed on another website? Listed below is all the info we could collect before Westerly RI was closed by Fender. Anyone looking to date what they believe is a guitar of that age should seek expert advice as your guitar may well be quite valuable.įrequently asked questions about Guild Guitars I can't find my guitars serial number? Unfortunately, records for Guild guitars prior to 1960 are somewhat unreliable, where they exist at all, so we are unable to fully assure the accuracy of dating before that time but we have been able to ascertain some last serial numbers which may help. These will not only help confirm the year of production of your instrument but will also help identify the various specifications that define your guitar, explain where it sits on the evolutionary path and put it into a wider historical context. For those interested in knowing more of the backstory of their guitar there are some useful guides, the best of which are “The Guild Guitar Book” by Hans Moust and “ Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars” by Hans Gruhn. Over the years and due to various changes of ownership some of the necessary documentation has unfortunately been misplaced or destroyed and whilst this has led to a few anomalies and inconsistencies in the dating charts, the information presented here represents the most comprehensive data available for Guild guitar dating. If you are looking to buy or sell a Guild produced piece then the date is vital, this helps provide a provenance or authentic record for the guitar in question and that is one of the key factors which dictates its value.Īt the foot of this page, you will find a long and detailed list regarding the manufacture date of your guitar and it is as simple as looking for the serial number of your guitar on the list and from that, it will tell you the date. Even if you are not planning to sell your guitar knowing a bit about when it was made is a fun thing to do, from there you can read about the history of the company and work out just where your guitar fits into the story. The orange labels inside hollow bodied instruments were discontinued in 1970 and replaced by white and orange rectangle labels on the acoustics and small black, purple and white rectangle labels were used on electric models.Dating a guitar is not only a useful and interesting thing to be able to do, in financial and historical terms it is vital. There are many exceptions and sometimes letter prefixes were used. ![]() This would also explain why the occasional pre-1932 Martin guitar appears with a decal.įrom 1970-1975 all numbers were stamped into wood and assigned a six digit number. This implies that a number of ukuleles built in 1930 remained in the factory until being sold in 1932. Interestingly, the original order for Martin decals was placed in June of 1932. The Martin logo decal on the front of the headstock. The Martin brand stamped on the back of the headstock. Ukuleles did not carry serial numbers but can be roughly identified and dated by the headstock: 1895 to 1932 Fortunately, they are often signed by the builder. Many of these unique instruments pop-up today and don’t fit any clear category. ![]() Ukuleles, taropatches, tiples and Hawaiian guitars were introducedĪfter workers at the Nazareth factory had been employed for a period of years they were permitted to fashion an instrument for themselves at the plant. Some pre-1898 guitars have the date penciled on the top just inside the sound hole.īefore 1929, the model size and style designation was generally written on a paper label and glued inside the top of the instrument case. ![]() Model numbers were marked on the neck block, inside the body. Zoebisch & Sons” (Zoebisch was the sole distributor of Martin at the time). The original instruments had a paper label that read: “Martin and Coupa” 1833 to 1867 Prior to serial numbers, the different instruments were identified by the Martin brand which was stamped into the back of the headstock, the upper portion of the back or on the back binding strut visible through the soundhole (the eased blocking reinforcing the center joint between the 2 back pieces). Martin began producing instruments in 1833. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |