Arm-

made

A-Aj | Al-Am | An-Ari    updated 7/1/2012

Armstrong

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

a Harmony brand name  - see Harmony

Dan Armstrong (Ampeg)

1969-1971 then 2006 to present

http://www.ampeg.com/history.html

http://www.danarmstrong.org/

http://vintageguitarpro.com/armstrong.shtml

Dan Armstrong catalogs

http://vintage.catalogs.free.fr/Index.htm

Images 1969 Dan Armstrong guitar eBay:

Rob Armstrong

1971 to present

Coventry, England

http://coventrymusichistory.vox.com/library/post/rob-armstrong---builder-of-fine-guitars.html

Reviews are at Harmony Central

W.E. Armstrong

Little known about W.E. Armstrong Guitars except for one example (Telecaster body) made in Australia, 1997. Image courtesy of Winged Monkey:

Arpeggio Korina

1995 to present

Luthier Ron Kayfield, Pennsylvania, USA

Dating Arpegio Korina Guitars

The first 2 numbers (they will have a space between them) are the year of manufacture, then a 0, then the production number for that year.

http://www.arpkorina.com/Intro.html

Arrow

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Arrow

Arrow travel size guitar from Phil Kubicki

Art & Lutherie

early 1990s to present

Art & Lutherie acoustic guitars are made in Princeville, Québec, Canada. Owned by Godin – they use the same dating system.

Art and Lutherie dating and serial numbers

 " Here's how you can decode our serial numbers :
first 2 digits : production year, 3rd and 4th digits : production week, 5th digit : production day (1=monday, 2=tuesday, etc...), last 3 digits : weekly production rank. Our production year begins on August 1st.
As an example, a guitar with serial number 06053168 was built in september 2005, on a wednesday, and it was the 168th guitar built during that production week.
If your guitar's serial number has 7 digits, the guitar was built in the 90's and only the 1st digit indicates the production year.
If your guitar's serial number has less than 7 digits, you'll have to email me it's serial number so I can look it up in our serial number lists.
On post 1993 guitars, the serial number is engraved behind the headstock.
On pre 1993 guitars, the serial number is stamped on the sound hole label.

The same system goes for Godin, Seagull, Norman, Simon & Patrick, Art & Lutherie and La Patrie guitars. [source: Michel, Godin, email 23 Jan 2007]

Reviews are at Harmony Central

See Godin - Images top left and below eBay

Images bottom left and below courtesy of Susan Blow, Canada, email 7/11/2011. Square label below and A & L headstock logo from pre 1993 guitar.

Artesano Guitars

current

Artesano Classical Guitars by Juan Orozco. Handmade in Valencia, Spain

Reviews are at Harmony Central

see Orozco

http://orozcoguitars.blogspot.com/2008/08/mail-contact.html

Image eBay:

Artinger Guitars

1997 to present

Handmade solid, semi and hollowbody guitars

"I started Artinger Custom Guitars in 1997, and the company currently resides in Emmaus Pennsylvania (about an hour outside of Philadelphia).

Dating Artinger guitars

I have a fairly basic, yet concise serialisation. It goes as follows :
client's initials (or if it's uncommissioned, it's either my initials (MA, or UC for uncommissioned)/guitar # for that year/ actual year of guitar.

So for example, a fictitious guitar built for you today would be PC252K8
(2K8= 2008)
On semi hollows and hollows, there is a signature and date written in the bass side soundhole, and for most solids, the date and signature are in the control cavity....there are sporadic instruments along the way that don't have any interior markings, but if any client would have authenticity questions, I'd be glad to field them."  [Source: Matt Artinger, email 31/7/2008 ]

Artinger guitars at myspace

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Artist Ltd

There is one report that "Tokai Gakki" appears on truss rod cover. [Source: Tokia Forum]

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Image eBay:

The Asama

1970s-1980s

Vintage Guitar Price Guide says these are Japanese guitars, some with built in effects.

http://www.musictoyz.com/articles/tripasma.php

From wikipediia Asama  was the lead ship of an early class of armored cruisers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after Mount Asama, located north of Tokyo.

Asco

Japanese guitars made in 1960/70s for German market [Source: Harmony Central forum] Models mentioned on web include Gibson and Rickenbacker copies.

There is currently an ASCO music store in Utara, Indonesia - unsure if manufacturing under that brand name.

Image courtesy of Filip vi email 4/09

Ash Customworks

1992 to present

Ash Customworks (Adrian Hamilton) builds under two brands.
Ash guitars are built entirely by hand in Auckland, NZ since 1992. High quality instruments including custom made.

Radian brand (since) 2007 are simple, stripped down replicas of classic guitar designs with bodies made in New Zealand, Japanese made necks and Korean hardware to keep costs down for the working musician.

Dating Ash Customworks Guitars.

Serial numbers are engraved. Serial number coding: Last 3 digits are the sequential number. First 4digits area the month and year. For example 1203234 would mean December 2003, instrument number 234." [Source: Adrian Hamilton, email 3/8/2008 ]

Ash Customworks at myspace

NZ Guitars Forum

Ashborn

1848-1864

James Ashborn, (born England ca 1816 and moved to New England, US in 1830s. Wolcottville, Connecticut operated one of the largest guitar making factories of the middle 1800s.

http://www.vguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=2625

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/Banjo/Antique/Ashborn/1852ashborn.html

James Ashborn reference book

Manufacturing guitars for the American parlor: James Ashborn's Wolcottville, Connecticut, factory, 1851-56

Buy a reproduction: http://www.hanalei-moon.com/id2.html

Asher

1982 to present

Bill Asher, Guitars and lap steels. Venice, California, USA.

"established 1982. All crafted in Los Angeles, California, excluding the Electro Hawaiian Junior that is made in Asia.

You cant really tell the date of manufacture from the serial number. Each guitar is sold with a hang tag with offers details and dates. Other than that, they would have to contact us and supply us with the serial number (located on the tip of the headstock, or in some cases in the pickup cavity) and we would look it up in our data base. Each guitar is numbered according to the order it was made. If the guitar has serial number #211, it was the 211th guitar that I made. That is generally how it is done." [Source: Bill Asher, email 1/10/2008]
Asher at myspace

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Ashland

? a brand of Crafter

Images Yahoo

Ashton

current

Guitars, amps and lots of other musical equipment designed in Australia.

Aslin Dane

late 1990s to present

David Burns, founder. (Codel Enterprises).

Reviews are at Harmony Central

http://www.electric-guitar-review.com/2006/11/13/review-aslin-danes-bohemian/

Aspe Guitars

1998 to present

Jasper Boerma, founded Aspe Guitars in the Netherlands in 1998. Now based in Extremadura, Spain.

Electric guitars and basses.

Aspen

Aspen was a brand name of a distributor, the International Music Corporation (IMC), of Fort Worth, Texas [Source: Blue Book] . Guitars were initially produced in Japan and later China. [Source: Vintaxe]

Aspen guitar catalog

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

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Images eBay:

Assom

Guitars made Masanasa Valencia, Spain

Image courtesy of Ernest Healy:

Astoria

Astoria guitars, made in Japan.

Images eBay:

Astro (Germany)

1963-1964

German luthier Arthur Strohmer. Archtops. 

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

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina5.html

http://www.musikkeller.com/d/astro.html

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

Not USA like this: http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_american_astro.htm

Images Astro gutiar - ebay:

Astro

1984-

Astro Guitars USA.

Astro Guitars, Inc. was incorporated on Thursday, December 27, 1984 in the State of Florida USA L and is currently not active. [Source: Corporationwiki]

Astro guitar catalog at Vintaxe  (paid)

Image Astro guitar found ebay Jan 2010.  It has a Kahler bridge Made in USA.

Astrotone

Astrotone or Super Astrotone guitar made in Japan ? 1960/70s

Images ebay

Asturias

1962 to present

Handcrafted guitars made in Kurume city of Kyushu island. Asturias is a subsidiary company of Rokkomann Inc (Kobe,Japan) [Source: Asturias web site]

Asturias guitar fansite

Image courtesy of Guitar Salon International:

Atkin Guitars

1993 to present

Luthier Alister Atkin. Steel and nylon flat tops and mandolins. Canterbury, UK

Atlas

Built in East Germany

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

Atlas

?1970s-1980s

I became aware of this Atlas brand courtesy of Tomas who bought the Atlas Guitars Blog to my attention. This blog has photos of Atlas acoustic guitar models Zeus and F211 (image of headstock left) which are Made in Japan. A thread at Harmony Central reported a T470 12 string and T469 "Made in USA". Also that guitars bearing "Sterling" on the headstock had similar labels.  Came across a model D459 Neptune mentioned at another forum.  Anyone who can help with this one pls pass it on.

A German guitar shop posted an Atlas electric guitar (f hole Les paul copy) at Vintaxe - had the following on the label "Atlas Musical Instruments/Accordions, 319W John St.-Hicksville L.I.N.Y.11801, Mo ALP-25 33473" see photos below.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

The photos of the Atlas guitar below are from eBay and it looks a bit older than the 1970s.  It has no label but Made in USA is faintly stamped inside sound hole and a serial number is stamped on the back of the headstock.

Images Atlas Les Paul Thinline Wutzdog Guitars

Atlas

current

Atlas Custom Guitars are handmade guitars from Thailand. Rinton Music Products.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Atomic Custom Shop

East Tennessee, USA

Gerard Audirac

current as as 2009

Gerrard Audirac is a French luthier.

http://www.myspace.com/gerardaudirac

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Audition

1960s

Audition guitars were made in Japan.  Woolworth was at least one reseller through Woolco stores in 1962.

http://www.wietsesguitars.nl/pagina5.html

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

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Image eBay.

Image Audition bass - Guitar Center Vintage

Audiovox

1935-1950

Paul Tutmarc (1896-1972) Pioneer of the electric guitar.

http://tutmarc.tripod.com/paultutmarc.html

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=7479

http://www.theguitarhistory.com/first-electric-guitar.html

http://www.stratcollector.com/newsdesk/archives/000103.html

http://www.vintageguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=1060

Image eBay:

Auerswald Instruments

Augustino Guitars

see Lo Prinzi

Images Bernunzio:

Austin

1999 to present

Budget line imported to USA by St Louis Music

Catalog

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

Austin

Budget line - assume different history to above.  This Korean made line of Austin guitars includes models from 1980s.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Avalon

1920s

According to Vintage Guitar Price Guide Avalon instruments were built by the Oscar Schmidt Co and possibly others and most likely a brand name for a distributor.

Avalon

1960s to ?

Avalon was a brand of Henry Stadlmair, New York from 1924.  [Source: Music Trade Review]

More recent Avalon guitars made in Japan.

Shaggs http://www.myrareguitars.com/shaggs.html click thumb

see Wandre

Images eBay

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

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Avalon guitars forum http://www.avalonguitars.co.uk/phpBB/

see Lowden

1997 to present

Designed by Joe Veillette and Michael Tobias of “The Luthiers Collaborative,” the Avante (originally licensed to Alvarez) is a Korean-made guitar.

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

Avanti

1964-late 1960s

Italian made brand imported to US by European Crafts of Los Angeles.

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

Greg Avanti

This example of a Greg Avanti Mosrite copy made in the USA provided by DeMont Guitars. Please send any info on this brand.

Avila

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Avon

A Rose Morris brand. Made in Japan. Some info at this Weston forum

AW Custom Guitars

1996-

Andrew Wright, Made since "1996 , USA

All AW Custom Guitars are handcrafted using the finest materials available. Andrew Wright built his first guitar in 1996 with no intent of starting a business. The resulting guitar was an overwhelming success and within a few weeks of its completion he was asked to build a second one for a friend. Shortly after beginning his second instrument, he received an order for a third and AW Custom Guitars was born.

Andrew personally consults with each of his customers in order to ascertain their conception of the "perfect instrument.�

Dating AW Custom guitars
The last two digits of the serial# which is stamped inside the electronics cavity. " [Source: Andrew Wright, email 230/10/2010]

AWE Guitars

AWE are hand made electric  guitars.
Newton Abbott, England

Axiom

1970s

Axiom guitars are Japanese made in the early 1970s. ? an Australian brand

Images eBay:

Axstar

by Ibanez 1980s

Axstar by Ibanez models AX40, AX45, AX48, AXB50, AXB60, AXB65, AX70, AX75 were made by Chushin Gakki. The Ibanez Axstar AXB1000 model was made by FujiGen Gakki. [Source: wikipedia]

Excellent tribute site to Axstar including catalogs http://extinguishedscholar.com/axstar.html

http://www.ibanezregister.com/Gallery/AxStar/gal-ax60.htm

Catalogs

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

Ayers Guitars

1996 to present

Ayers guitars are an Australian brand by Gerard Gilet, made in Vietnam.

"Up until late 2007, manufacturing date was listed on the label of all instruments. Currently dating is done by serial number, with reference via us until such time as we publish a reference chart. The Ayers factory has been manufacturing since the late 1980's, with the change to Ayers branding in 1996." [Source: John Browning, Ayers Guitars, email 24/3/2008]

RJ Aylward Guitars

Scotland

Azola Basses

Ramona, California USA

Catalog and 1997 pricelist http://www.vintaxe.com/catalogs_american_azolla.htm

1999 pricelists upright custom

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Aztec

1970s

Aztec guitars - Japanese made copies imported into Germany by Hopf.

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Azumi Guitars

1980s?

Azumi brand guitars are made in Japan guitars. Not much known.

First guitar - images courtesy of Stephen G. Likely that this Azumi at least was produced at the Chushin Gakki factory in Japan.  The clue to this is that "Chushin" is stamped under the lead input socket.

Jedistar's 24 fret Azumi. I purchased this guitar for $90AUD around 2003 from a Cash Converters. Body comprises 3 pieces of wood pretty well bookmatched. Bolt on neck and the neck plate makes it pretty clear that the guitar was made in Japan.  Nice pearl inlay on headstock. 

Comparing the two guitars it is obvious that while the headstock shape is different the truss rod covers and bridges are identical.

This third example is from eBay 2009. Azumi is on the headstock as per the others but also the word Nanyo on the truss rod cover.

Azumi bass guitar Source: Ozbass Forum

Azumi Nanyo bought new in 1980 from store in Sunnybank for $280 including hardcase, Australia. [Source: John Gudgeon, email 7/1/2011]

Azumi reviews are at Harmony Central