a

manufactured

info    updated 19/7/2008...please email corrections/info

HS Anderson

1970s

Made famous by Prince who played a HSA Telecaster.  HS Anderson guitars were made by Vestax and or Moridaira (not sure if these are the same) in Japan during the end of the '70s. HS Anderson later sold the rights to Hohner in Germany and continued to make them in Japan but with the Hohner Logo still in HS font. For a time they were available with wither HSA or Hohner logo. Hohner reissued the tele in the 80's with a tortoise red pick guard and Hohner Font logo. Then again in 94 they reissued it calling it the Prinz with a non Fender like headstock due to threats from Fender. [Sources: Telecaster.com,  Airline forum, Vintaxe ]

HS Anderson examples

http://www.sandroliva.com/Anderson175.html

http://www.photopix.ch/guitar/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=5

H.S. Anderson catalogs

http://ushigomepan.cool.ne.jp/darkend/catalogue.html

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_hsanderson.htm

see Hohner

Abel Axe

1992-1996

Aluminium body/wood neck guitars built in Wyoming, USA

http://people.cornell.edu/pages/aa17/AbelAxe.htm:  As most of the links on this site were dead at 25 Jan 2006 I have copied some text from pages including Google cache just in case it disappears.

"Abel Axe guitars were designed by Jeff Abel of Wyoming and manufactured between 1994 and c. 1996. The company, Abel Axe LLC, stopped production presumably because the guitars never caught on with the public. Only about 200 '94-'96 Abel Axe guitars exist. 

• Body Styles: Small Strat-type body with holes available with a trem or fixed bridge. You'll notice subtle differences in hole beveling, spacing, and drilling depth if you examine the pictures closely. There was a one-humbucker Abel Axe made with slots instead of holes. It appears to have come with a 21-fret Strat-head neck and a Kent Armstrong pickup. I don't know how many of these one-hums comprise the '94-'96 run.

• Pickups: Very early models used DiMarzio humbuckers: PAF Pro in the neck position and Tone Zone at the bridge position. Almost immediately, Kent Armstrong pickups (at one point manufactured by Sky pickups) were found to sound better and were installed instead: HRE-1 in the neck position and HSDE-1 in the bridge position. These awesome pickups are now called WPU10CLOSE|CLOSED COVER/BLACK and WPU11CLOSE|CLOSED COVER/BLACK respectively and are sold through www.wdmusicproducts.com. 

• Nut: At least three different materials were used. I've seen graphite, bone, and the locking nut that goes with the Kahler trem. Re: Kahler locking nut: Partially routed holes appear on the very earliest '94-'96 Abel Axes. My guess (judging from the brochure and what I've pieced together from serial numbers) is that only a few made in 1994 have the partially routed holes.

• Tuners are Sperzel Trimlok locking tuners.

• Frets: I've seen two different fret wire gauges used: Dunlop 6100 or Dunlop 6105 equivalent.

• Bridges: The vibrato bridge was a Kahler flatmount (also called Kahler pro) patent number 4457201 DS. The fixed bridge was either model WD101 sold by WD Music Supply or another one with more screws into the body.  Only the first dozen or so trem models made had recessed Kahlers and then they stopped recessing them

• Neck: Rosewood or maple fretboards on quartersawn hard rock maple. The necks on at least some were made by Musikraft, Inc. (Gidwani). The scale is 25.5 inches.

• Price: An entry in the Guitar Player 1995-96 Guitar and Bass Buyer's Guide indicates a list price of $1395 or $1495 with the trem. 

• Finish: The aluminum guitar bodies came anodized (electrochemical finishing process for aluminum) in many different colors. There were only three done in grass green and about twenty done clear (i.e. silver-looking). I've also seen red, black, blue, violet, teal and a cool rust/green multicolor.

Abel Axe guitars are not to be confused with the Rogue Aluminator. Rogue Aluminators,  had a radically different routing scheme for the body, a hum/single/single pickup configuration, three mini switches, tilt-back headstock, non-locking tuners and no trem option. The bodies are lighter than the Swiss-cheese-routed twin hum Abel Axe. The only connection between the two is that the Abel Axe made the bodies for Rogue.

Abel Axe used the Rogue body pattern of slots for their brief production in 2000-2001. By that time they had changed anodizing methods to a thicker coating with more vibrant colors and used Warmoth necks. The price was $2500 for single-color, $2700 multi-color.

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Abel+Axe

Abilene

Made in Korea by Samick

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Abilene

Abstract Guitars

 [Source, Scott, Ed Roman Guitars email 4 Mar 2008]

Abyss

1997 to present

Custom guitars built in Iowa, USA

"I don't have a "number system" that you could follow. Usually I put something like 0307 and that would mean the third guitar I made in '07. But there are times when I put 1305 or something, and that might have been the thirteenth guitar from a previous years sale that I "got to" or "finished" in '05 (point being as an example, I may not have made 13 guitars that year)."
So Kevin at Abyss recommends that you refer direct to him to date and authenticate the guitar. [source: KL Pedersen, Abyss, 23 Jan 2007

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Abyss

ACE Guitars

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/ACE+Guitars

2004 - present

Korean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Musical_Instruments

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Ace+Pro

Acoustic

early '70s

Japanese guitars distributed by Acoustic amp company USA.

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

Black Widow http://www.allthetransients.com/subdomains/blackwidow/

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Acoustic+Control+Corporation

Adamas

High end Ovation

http://www.adamasguitars.com/?fa=faq

http://www.ovationtribute.com/index.php

http://www.ovationguitars.com/?fa=codeadamas

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Adamas
see Ovation

Aelita

'70s

Russian built guitars

http://meatexz.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=820

http://meatexz.com/cheesyguitars/aelita2.html

http://www.cheesyguitars.com/aelita1.html

http://www.cheesyguitars.com/rostov_manual.html

http://www.junkguitars.com/stories/vintage_guitars_rus.html

http://www.cumpiano.com/Home/Articles/Transcriptions/Yuri/yuri.html

http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/ussr/info/brigadniypodryad_inter.html

Aerostar

1986-1989

Made in Korea for Kramer

http://www.vintagekramer.com/company43.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Aerostar

see Kramer

Agile is a brand of Rondo Music

Agile Forum http://www.agileguitarforum.com/

AI Guitars

see I for Inteso

Aircraft

http://toguitars.com/gallery-japan/aircraft-guitars.html

Airline Guitars

1958 - present

Montgomery Wards brand instrument made by Kay, Harmony and Valco.

Made famous by Jack White of the White Stripes manufactured by Valco in Chicago from 1958 to 1968.  Recently reissued by Eastwood Guitars.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-649/Airline-Guitar-serial-numbers.htm

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/national.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JB_Hutto_Montgomery_Airline

http://harmony.demont.net/brands.php?id_brand=2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_White

Airline guitar catalog 1954 http://harmony.demont.net/catalogs.php

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Airline

see Valco, Supro, Harmony

Alamo was founded by Charles Eilenberg as Southern Music of San Antonio, Texas around 1947. Alamo made many different guitars and amplifiers. Solid body guitars appeared around 1960. [Source: Brad’s Page of Steel ] 
Great history (2 part) - Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

http://www.myrareguitars.com/ealamofiesta.html

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alamo

Alberico

Fabrizio Alberico, British Columbia, Canada

Albert & Muller

1984 to present

Franz-Ulrich Albert and Antonius Mueller. Since 1989 from an old railway station in Aarbergen Kettenbach (Germany).

Alden

Korea, ? Catalog distributor - not a brand

http://harmony.demont.net/brands.php?id_brand=3

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alden

see Harmony, Holiday

Alembic

1972 to present

Made in Santa Rosa, California USA

http://alembic.com/support/reference.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alembic_Inc

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

http://www.edromanguitars.com/guitar/alembic/sernum_ale.htm

http://www.palmguitars.nl/archives/arch-git.html

http://vintageguitarpro.com/alembic.shtml

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alembic

Alembic Forum http://alembic.com/cgi-bin/alembic-club/discus.cgi?pg=topics

1965 to present

Made in Spain.  Dating information is in FAQ

http://www.alhambrasl.com/faqs_i/respuestas.asp?id=10

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alhambra

Alhambra forum http://www.alhambrasl.com/foro_i/normas

Allen Guitars (Randy)

1980 to present

"I started building instruments in 1980. From about 1980 to about 1985 I built acoustic guitars along with a few electric basses. (probably a total of 15 instruments are from this period.)   I took a break from building between 1986 through 1991. From 1992 through 2005 there was about 55 instruments built including resonator guitars and about 4 mandolins.    I currently have 5 in my personal collection. Several  were sold in Japan from that period.  The last numbered instrument was 000170; meaning total output to date is 70 instruments. All instruments from this period have my Allen logo (full name). 

2006 to present, taking a break again from building instruments. I supply woods and parts such as slotted fretboards to people in the industry. I have also been making Allen cast tailpieces for mandolin and resonator guitar since 1997.
Instruments are made in Colfax California.
[Source: Randy Allen, Allen Guitars & Luthier Supplies, email 17/7/2008]

Rob Allen Guitars

1997 to present

"serial # on back of headstock, early basses also have it in the control cavity. They would have to contact me for the date, the serial numbers are not based on the year, they are simply consecutive numbers." [source: Rob Allen, email 24/3/2008]

Aloha

http://harmony.demont.net/brands.php

see Harmony

Alosa

1947 - 1958

Alosa guitars were built by Alois Sandner (brother of Ignaz Sandner who made Isana) between 1947 and 1958. [Source: Scotty Moore ]

http://jazzgitarren.k-server.org/otherswg.html

http://www.archtop-germany.de/-Hersteller/-hersteller.html

Alvarez

This is going to be hard.

http://mewzik.com/serial/index2.html

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Guitar-General-649/Alvarez.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarez_Guitars

"staff at either St. Louis or Woodinville offices of Loud Technologies can determine a manufacture date for a particular serial #" [source: Alvarez message board May 2006,link no longer viable]

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alvarez-Yairi

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Alvarez

see Westone

Simon Ambridge

1989 to present

The numbering of my guitars is consecutive and they date back to the late '70s. I began building full time in '89 and to date I have made 196 instruments.

I now make them in Dartington, Devon UK. Before that my shop was in Loddiswell, Devon (1989-1995/6).

I always number my instruments on the top left corner of the labels, and I sign and date them inside near the soundholes as well as on the labels." [Source: Simon Ambridge, email 13/7/2008 ]

Image courtesy of Simon Ambridge:

American Archtops

Digits after dash in serial number are year of manufacture.

http://www.melbay.com/guitarsessions/jul05/luthier/luthier-jul05.pdf

Ampeg +  Scroll Bass

1966-1969

"Ampeg never marked the date of manufacture, or even the model number on these instruments.

The serial numbers are stamped on the underside of the tailpiece (AEB-1, AUB-1, ASB-1, AUSB-1) or on the bridge base plate (AMB-1, AMUB-1, SSB, SSUB).

There are no confirmed factory records or lists of quantities, serial numbers, or manufacturing dates. From many years of research, here is what I believe to be true:

AEB-1, AUB-1, ASB-1, AUSB-1:

Total made of all four models: about 1260, all between June 1966 and late 1968. Some of the prototypes were made in the summer of '65. The serial numbers of these four models are all mixed together, running from 0 to about 1260. Some have an "M-" prefix, which seems to indicate prototypes or specials. The approximate quantities made of each model are: (750) AEB-1, (410) AUB-1, (75) ASB-1, (25) AUSB-1.

AMB-1 & AMUB-1:

Total made of both models: about 600, all between late 1967 and late 1969. I estimate that total includes 350 AMB-1's and 250 AMUB-1's.

Serial numbers run from 0 to 000600; most instruments have "000" at the front. A few have the "M-" prefix instead.

SSB & SSUB:

The serial numbers indicate that about 240 total were made, however a large number of them were never completed and the components were scrapped by Ampeg in 1969. I estimate that only 40 of them were completed and sold, all in late 1967 and early 1968. Most of the instruments in existence today have serial numbers between 0185 and 0233." [source: Bruce Johnson, Johnson's Extremely Strange Musical Instrument Co., Burbank, California www.xstrange.com, email: 26/1/2007]

http://xstrange.com/vintagemain.html

Ampeg built by Burns http://users.aol.com/bluemuse/instruments.html#burns

Anahola Stringed Instruments

Mickey Sussman, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

Andersen

Tom Anderson

 current

Neck plate has date of manufacture and letters A (morning) N (noon), P (afternoon)

Detailed production specs via this data base: http://www.andersonguitars.com/serial.html

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

http://www.andersonalley.com/

Anderson guitar forum http://www.andersonforum.com/

Anderson Catalogs 1987-1998  http://audiozone.dk/cm/jackson-charvel-guitar-catalog-scans.php?cat=11

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Tom+Anderson

Antares

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_antares.htm

http://vintageibanez.tripod.com/antares_iceman_copies.html

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Antares+Guitars

Japan

http://groups.msn.com/antoria/history.msnw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoria

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Antoria

2001 to present

"Mr. Aparicio start making guitars since he was 14 years, he start his business before with partners.  The Aparicio Guitars start on 2001

 Manufacture date- by serial number which you can find on the guarantee certified.

The first number are the year the second is the month and the last is the number of each guitar

 All guitars are hand made in Valencia Spain and we use the best wood. All our tops are solid.." [Source: Maria Rose, Aparicio Guitars, email 2/4/2008]

Apollo

mid 70s

Japan

Search at http://www.vintageguitar.com

http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_japanese_apollo.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Apollo+Guitars

Apollo

current

No relation to above currently made in Canada

http://www.guitarsite.com/database/Guitars/rec/7844/

Applegate

2001 to present

USA

1978 to present

audio samples http://www.guitarw.com/music.asp

David Argent

Black Forest, South Australia

Aria

Aria Pro II

1958 to present

In 1954 guitar teacher  Shiro Arai began importing guitars, sheet music etc from Europe to Japan. He founded Arai & Co on 2 August 1956 in Nagoya, Japan.  The  first Japanese made guitars with brand name Arai (not Aria) appeared in 1958.  In 1958 Aria imported Fenders to Japan and in 1963 they offered their own electric guitars with the Aria brand.  They then found that the Aria brand was being used by Kawai, so went back to Arai.  Guyatone manufactured the first Aria electrics but from 1964 Matsumoku was used.   [Source:  Paul Alcantara, Guitar Buyer, November 2006 ]

Dating Aria Guitars

http://www.ariaguitars.com/int/00int_main/archives_main.html

http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/aria.html

https://store.bluebookinc.com/Info/PDF/EGuitar/ElectricSerialization.pdf

http://www.ariausa.com/archives/intro.html

http://www.instrumentpro.com/blog/archives/2005/07/23/aria-guitars-now-at-instrumentpro/

http://www.therathole.org/guitar/here/my_guitars.html

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina9a.html

http://vintageguitarpro.com/aria.shtml

Aria guitar catalogs http://www.matsumoku.org/models/aria/aria_cata