Please note I have found a number of errors in published works that conflict with information I have received direct from luthiers.If you are interested in owning a pre CBS Fender Stratocaster then knowing whether the guitar was built before or after 4 January 1965 is a very important issue.
Similarly for those seeking a pre CNC machine Paul Reed Smith you want to find one made before 1995. Finding the definitive date or year of manufacture is not always going to be possible but this guide will give you a few tips to help you narrow it down. This article examines the following scenarios: The date is onin the guitar The date is hidden inside a serial number on the guitar itself or on a component such as a potentiometer The date has to be inferred from other sources Scenario 1 The date is onin the guitar Seems a bit obvious, and in many cases it is. In the most straightforward of cases the luthier will write hisher name, the date of manufacture and even who the guitar was made for on a label smack in the middle of the sound hole like this: Other locations to find a date mark include: Back of the headstock: The neck block (you may need a mirror): Under the soundboard you will need a mirror (dentist mirrors are ideal) Manufacturers that do this include: Mike Doolin (photo) Worland Thomas J Wray Jens Towet J Triggs Jack Spira Runesson Melo Long In the pickup cavity like this Bergeron: The picks ups themselves may have dates on them like on this 1978 Gibson Les Paul The control cavity Under the control cavity plate such as on this Wilkat guitar.: Now we start getting into more serious surgery. On a number of brands such as Fender and Standel a date is written either on the base of the neck or on the guitar body where the neck joins. The neck heel such as on this Telecaster, Kubicki Factor Performance Other manufacturers which write the date of manufacture on the neck heel include Wal Basses and Standel Scenario 2 the date is hidden inside a serial number Assuming you cannot find a date on the guitar, the next step if to find a serial number. Fender Stratocaster S Guide Serial Numbers Have MeaningIt must be noted that not all serial numbers have meaning but in many cases the serial number includes date of manufacture and other information. Here are the common locations: Back of headstock: Gibson serial 800195. This guitar was made at the Kalamazoo Plant, USA approximately in: 1966 to 1969. Note the 10 indicates the quality of the guitar top it is not part of the serial number. Side or top of head headstock: The middle serial number is from a 1962 Gretsch Top brace underneath the sound hole: Unfortunately the serial number on this Lyle Guitar does not help with dating. But we know Lyle guitars were imported from Japan by L. D. Heater Co. of Portland Oregon in the 1960s and 70s. Jack plate 1967 Rickenbacker 4005 bass Neck plate (My Ovation Breadwinner) Serial number E 1411. This Ovation number translates to a guitar made between 1973 (Jan)-1975 (Feb). Fender Stratocaster S Guide Code The NumberlettersOnce you have found the serial number it is simply a matter of referring to a resource to decode the numberletters. Not all serial numbers have published information about decoding them and unfortunately some manufacturers have not kept records or arent around any more to ask. Reference books The guitar serial number book: For Martin, Guild, Fender, Gibson, Ovation Guitar Identification A Reference Guide to Serial Numbers for Dating Guitars Made By Gibson, Fender, Gretsch, Martin Scenario 3 Determining date of manufacture from other sources If you cannot find helpful information on the instrument itself do not despair. There are other ways: Manufacturing date range Some instruments are easy to date simply because historical records indicate that the manufacturer or brand was only made for a limited period. For example if you have a Bond branded guitar it was made either in 1984 or 1985 as that was the life of that brand. Jedistar attempts to publish manufacturing start and finish dates. These dates also appear in a number of other resource books which I list below.
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