|
Bj-Bo |
made |
B-BC Rich |
Be-Bi
| Br-
updated 20/12/2009 |
|
Bjarton
 |
1946-1990 |
Bjarton
was a Swedish guitar company that existed between 1946-1990.
Bjärton was also the manufacturer of
acoustic guitars branded Hagström,
Tarrega and España.
[Source: Bjarton
Tribute site ]
Bjarton
guitar catalogs
http://www.bjarton.com/catalogues_and_articles.htm
http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Catalogues2/bjarton_catalogue1.htm
http://www.hagstrom.org.uk/Catalogues2/67Unicordbrochure.htm
see Hagstrom |
|
Adam Black |
|
Adam
Black Guitar Company, Braintree, Essex, UK
Adam Black at myspace
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Adam+Black+Guitars |
|
Blackbird
 |
2006 to present |
Since 2006 Blackbird guitars are
made in San Francisco, California USA . Joseph Luttwak,
Troy Stevens are the founders. All guitars feature carbon fiber,
hollow neck and head construction for increased resonance and
reduced weight.
Dating Blackbird guitars
Serial number starts with month
then year e.g. 0809 would be September 2009.
[Source: Joe Luttwak, email
30/8/2009]
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Blackbird+Guitars
|
|
Black Diamond
Strings |
1890 to present |
Black Diamond Strings have been
made in Florida USA since 1890. The idea for including
strings in this collection came from a request from antique
dealer who was seeking information about old instruments he had
come across. One guitar had these old strings in the case:

I referred them to Black Diamond
and they were kind enough to provide the following comment: "It
is hard to tell exactly the decade the vintage strings were made
because they used the red envelope package for many, many years.
My wild guess would be 30's or 40's." [Source: Black Diamond,
email 29/9/2008] |
|
Black Dog
 |
|
Black Dog Guitars.
Image Sue Blow, Ontario, Canada
 |
|
Black Jack |
1960s |
Violin body guitars and basses
made in Japan. [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide] |
|
Blackshear |
1958 to present |
Tom Blackshear, San Antonio Texas,
USA
Image courtesy
of Guitar Salon:
 |
|
Blade |
1987 to
present |
Gary Levinson
http://www.bladeguitars.com/bladehistory.html
Blade catalog 2004
http://www.messiah.it/eng/blade/blademain.html
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Blade+Guitars |
|
Blanchard Guitars |
1994 to date |
"The date is written
on the label.: [Source: Mark, Blanchard Guitars, email
20/3/2008]
Blanchard anatomy
lesson
http://stevewildey.com/Blanchard/welcome_to_the.htm
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Blanchard+Guitars |
|
David Bland |
|
see Siesta Keys |
|
Blazer & Henkes |
current |
Rudolph Blazer and Wilhelm
Henkes build guitars in their
Tuebingen workshop,
Germany. |
|
Edmund
Blochinger
 |
|
Edmund Blochinger bio at Guitar Salon
Image:
Guitar Salon
 |
|
Blount |
1985 to present |
Kenneth H Blount Jr, Sebring,
Florida USA. Acoustic flat top guitars. |
|
Blozen
 |
|
Steve Blozen,
classical guitarist and luthier.
He made stringed instruments
for Tamburitza music . There wasn't enough money in that
so he opened up a shop. [Source:
eBay].
His shop was in
Newark, NJ (Down Neck Section, Esther St).
He initially made Yugoslovian stringed folk instruments
in about the 1960s. He expanded to making guitars as the market
for his folk instruments was rather limited.
[Source:
Music Electronics Forum ]
Examples of his folk instruments
Images eBay:
 |
|
Blue Bell |
|
Blue Bell
catalog acoustic 1980
http://www.t-shiga.com/sub7-5-1.htm |
|
Blueberry |
current at 2009 |
Blueberry guitars, Bali,
Indonesia. Some have quite ornate carvings.
 |
|
Bluebird |
1920s-1930s |
Built by Oscar Schmidt. Blue Bird
pained on headstock
http://www.solie.org/earlsguitars/bluebird1.html |
|
Blue Lion |
1977 to present |
"Labels include model
number, serial number and date of completion." [Source: Robert &
Janita Baker, Blue Lion Guitars & Dulcimers, email 23/3/2008] |
|
Blueridge
 |
1980s to
present |
|
|
Blue Star
Guitars |
1991 to present |
" Although I was building acoustic
guitars and various and sometimes odd stringed instruments since
1978, the first Blue Star electric instrument, the Travelcaster,
was designed in 1991 and went into production in 1992. All of
the Blue Star Guitar CO. guitars, mandolins, banjos and ukes are
stamped with a sequential serial number on the back of the
peghead. In addition, the neck pocket and butt-end have the date
(Mo/Yr) penciled on. Lapsteel guitars and dulcimers have the
serial number and date written in either the pickup or control
cavities on the body." [Source: Bruce Herron, Paw Paw, Michigan,
Blue Star Guitars, email 24/3/2008]
Main distributor
http://elderly.com/brand/BLUE%20STAR.html |
|
Blue Suede
 |
|
by Jackson-Guldan: Image and info
http://www.solie.org/earlsguitars/bluesuede1.html
|
|
Blues Guitar
Factory
 |
2000 ish |
Ong Corporation
- web site existed in 2001.
Pictures from internet archive:
Original Blues Model, Otis V, The Man
  |
|
Bluesouth |
1991 to present |
Ronnie Knight,
Muscle Shoals Alabama |
|
Blues
Tone |
current |
Custom electric guitars made in
Victoria, Australia by Stuart Eadie. |
|
Bluesville |
|
see JD
Bluesville |
|
BM Espana |
|
Made in Spain.
Image eBay:
 |
|
BMS Guitars |
1995 to present |
Made since 1995.I have a shop in Brussels since 1997.
No serial number, sometime the
date, if I don't forget!
[Source: BMS Guitars, email] |
|
Boaz Elkayam |
|
see E for Elkayam |
|
John Bogdanovich Guitars |
1996 to present |
"I began building guitars in 1996.
The early labels had the date and a serial number. I stopped
putting a serial number on the label after a few years but all
labels still have the year the guitar was built. At about the
same time I also began to burn my signature and the year into
the fingerboard patch under the top for authentication which can
be seen by inserting a small mirror in through the soundhole."
[Source: John, J.S. Bogdanovich Guitars, email 26/3/2008] |
|
Bohmann |
|
http://vintageguitarpro.com/bohmann.shtml
http://www.harpguitars.net/history/bohmann/bohmann2.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrabass_guitar
http://www.marksimonguitars.com/albumpg/Bohmann%20Harp%20Guitar%20Restoration/index.html
http://harpguitars.net/history/bohmann/bohmann1.htm
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Museum/museum.html
Bohmann
catalog
1899
http://www.harpguitars.net/history/bohmann/bohmann2.htm
Image 1900
Bohmann Parlor Guitar label
Vintage
Instruments:
 |
|
Boeing
 |
|
Chuan Yin Musical Instruments Co.
Ltd.
At least some guitars with the Boeing
Guitar label had another name on the headstock including
Clayborn.
According to an eBay auction for a
Marina brand guitar also made by this company -
THE CHUAN YIN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
CO LTD
IN TAIWAN THE FACTORY ONLY
PRODUCED GUITARS FROM 1971-1996.
Images ebay and Bruunari:
|
Bolin Guitars
 |
1978 - present |
John Bolin,
Boise, Idaho
http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A214697
http://www.audiomastermind.com/detail-bolin-663.html
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Bolin+Guitars |
|
Boluda |
1985 to
present |
Marc Boluda, France |
|
Bombshell Guitars
 |
|
John Mayes, builds acoustics,
ukuleles and electric guitars. John started building from
a book then worked with Dana Bourgeois for a while before
setting out on his own. [Source:
The Gear Page] |
|
Alberto Bonafini |
|
Italy |
|
Bond |
1984-85 |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_Electraglide
http://anstratdubh.tripod.com/id29.html
http://guitars.net/elgitgal.htm
http://www.organology.org/research_-_bond_guitars.htm
review
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Bond/Electraglide/10/1 |
|
Boogie Body Guitars |
|
Boogie Bodies was the original parts company
started by Warmoth and Ellsworth, who were responsible for
making the parts for the famous striped guitar EVH built for
himself out of maple.
[Source:
Harmony Central]
Boogie Body Guitars is a licensed
trademark of Lynn Ellsworth
Image
Used Guitar Sales:
 |
|
Boreal
Guitars |
|
Philip Ramer, luthier.
Custom-built guitars. Winnipeg
Canada |
|
Borges Guitars |
2001 to present |
"I think it was 2001 that I ended my partnership with Schoenberg
Guitars and started Borges Guitars. So lets call it 2001.
All of my guitars are signed and dated inside, just below the
bridge patch/ above the top tone bar.
During the last couple of years I've made them easier to date,
as well as easier for me to keep track of. The four digit serial
# branded into the head block give the date and number guitar
for the year. I.E. 0704, 07 is the year (2007) and 04 is the 4th
guitar built that year." [Source: Julius, Borges Guitars, email
20/3/2008]
http://www.audiomastermind.com/detail-julius_borges_guitars-12467.html
See Schoenberg |
|
Born to Rock Guitars |
1992 to present |
Born to Rock aluminum guitars. "Born to Rock Guitars and basses
have serial numbers stamped on them. We have a data base of
serial numbers. You would have to make an inquiry about a
particular number." [Source: Rob,
www.BornToRock.com, email 20/3/2008] |
|
Boucher Guitars |
2005 to
present |
"Name :
Boucher Guitar Products Inc.
Address : 40 route St-Francois
City : Berthier-sur-Mer ( where the guitars
are built )
Quebec, Canada
Starting date : March, 2005
Identifying and dating
Boucher Guitars
Serial Number label Coding System:
It works with the 4 following steps:
Series, Prefix, Suffix &
Digits
The first thing to be determinate is the
series of the guitar.
4 Series are available:
Genuine, Studio, Artist & AVT
Will
follow
Prefix:
To determinate
the guitar model.
The first & last letters of the model name
are the S/N prefix.
Example:
WT for Walnut
Goose or CY for Cherry Goose (always 2
letters)
Suffix:
To determinate
the guitar size
Example:
D for Dreadnought, J
for Jumbo, OM for Orchestra Model &
000
Digits:
The first guitar built
of a series & a particular model begin by # 1001
Example
#1: (Studio) MY 1005-D
Is the fifth (Studio) Mahogany Goose model
built in Dreadnought size.
Example #2: ( AVT)
MY 1005-D
Is the fifth (AVT) Mahogany Goose model
built in Dreadnought size.
Example# 3: ( Studio)
MY 1005-OM
Is the
fifth (Studio) Mahogany Goose model built in Orchestra Model
size.
Finally, the month
and the year of making always appear on each guitar S/N label."
[Source: Robin Boucher, email 22/4/2008]
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Boucher |
|
Robert Bouchet
 |
|
Just over 150 guitars made.
Image:
Guitar
Salon
 |
|
Bourgeois

 |
1974-1999 & since then with Pantheon. |
Dana Bourgeois
produced more than 1,000 guitars in his own right and in October
2000 investors joined him to form Pantheon. Still made under
Bourgeois name.
Dana Bourgeois history
compiled by David Gansz of the Rockbridge Regional Library,
Lexington VA sourced from the Internet Archive
Dating
http://www.pantheonguitars.com/faq/year.htm
Bourgeois
pricelist
2000 Bourgeois
pricelist
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Bourgeois
I'm a fan of
Bourgeois Guitars - here's my Vintage D
2005:
 |
|
Bruno Boutin |
1976 to present |
Magog, Quebec, Canada |
|
Ralph Bown
 |
1981 to present |
Ralph Bown, Walmgate, England.
Images courtesy of Nicolas Dussart,
France 2008
 |
|
Box Guitars |
1991 to present |
Stu Box
developed prototypes in the late 1980s, with the first SR-648
production guitars made in LA in 1991. In mid 1992 Stu
returned to Australia and focussed on 12 strings which have
evolved into today's models. |
|
Bozo Podunavac
 |
1960s to ? current |
Bozo Podunavac is a Serbian born
master luthier raised in Belgrade, Yugoslavia and served his
apprenticeship with master luthier Milutin Mladenovic . He
emigrated to US in 1959, moved to Chicago in 1964 and began
building guitars with his name "Bozo" on the peg-head. [Source:
ebay]
Japanese production run for a year
or so in the 1970s by Kazuo Yairi.
http://guitars.net/Bozo.htm
Bozo guitars
pricelist
Bozo guitars price list
2000
Bozo Guitars price list
2004
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Bozo+Podunanvac
Image (1975)
eBay: From this image and the purported date the first 2 numbers
of serial = year of manufacture.

1979 label and head eBay:
 |
|
Bruno Boutin |
|
Magog, Quebec, Canada |
|
Ralph Bown |
|
|
|
Boyce |
1967 to present |
Date is written on signed label of each instrument.
http://www.schoonerflagpoles.com/jcboyceguitar.html |
|
next page |
|
B-BC Rich |
Be-Bi
| Br-
|