|
Bj-Bo |
made |
updated 5/6/2010 |
|
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
 |
Current at 2009/10 |
Black Dog Guitars from Canada.
Image Sue Blow, Ontario, Canada
 |
|
Black Jack |
1960s |
Violin body guitars and basses
made in Japan. [Source: Vintage Guitar Price Guide] |
|
Black Machine |
|
Doug Campbell, London, UK |
|
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
 |
|
By Fuji Gen
Japan in the 1970s - copies of Martin etc.
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 |
The Bond Electraglide was a carbon
fiber electric guitar manufactured by Bond Guitars between 1984
and 1985. Mick Jagger bankrolled the company that made this
guitar and his brother ran the company. The guitar was
innovative, with a unique stepped fingerboard instead of frets,
but rather sterile sounding. It had LED indicators for volume
controls and a unique molded fingerboard. They allegedly spent
over $150.000 in tooling just to make the molded cases that came
with the guitar! Mick Jones of the Clash played one for a while
(photo).
The Bond Electraglide resembled a
matte-black, 3-pickup Gibson Melody Maker (although with the
1962 onwards double cut-away), with a unique stepped aluminum
fingerboard (anodized black) instead of traditional frets.
Pickup switching, volume and tone controls were completely
digital, powered by a large internal motherboard.
The player selected pickups via five pushbuttons; volume, treble
and bass were incremented numerically via digital rocker
switches, confirmed by a three-colour LED readout.
The guitar required an external power supply pack and given the
state of engineering at the time, was relatively bulky; it never
really caught on in the marketplace and only about 1400 units
were ever manufactured. [Source:
wikipedia]
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
Images eBay:
 |
|
Bond Guitars
 |
1987 to
present |
Hand made guitars since 1987 by
Mike Bond, Austin Texas, USA.
"1987 is the year I built my first
guitar.
I split my time each year between
my house in Austin Texas USA, and a cabin in the Rocky Mountains
just outside of Denver, Colorado USA. I build them with hand
tools so I can get all my shop into my Volvo wagon along with
any guitar bodies I am currently building. My work space is a 24
inch by 40 inch surface that also goes with me to both homes. As
the website shows, I try to most of the building process outside
as I like the open air more than an indoor shop setup. This is
allowed due to the Colorado June ? October and Austin TX October
thru May arrangements. I can also pick up and to Tennessee or
any
other location and do exactly the same thing.
My maternal grandfather built
violins in a small Appalachian mountain town in Virginia by the
name of Wise, VA.
Dating Bond guitars
Each guitar has a signed and dated
label inside that is visible from the sound hole. The first two
characters of the serial number (which is stamped in visible
spots on the neck block and tail block) indicate the model
(ie: DB ? dreadnaught bluegrass model
DF ? dreadnaught fingerpicker model
DC ? Dreadnaught cutaway
EL- electric six string
The numbers that follow these indicators are the serial numbers.
Example? DC ? 1024
[Source & images: Michael Bond, email
13/4/2010]
 |
|
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:
 |
|
Martyn Booth |
2002- |
Handcrafted guitars, Suffolk, UK |
|
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 |
From the
Boucher web site - There's a long tradition of quality behind
Boucher Guitars. Noted musician and Cabinetmaker Norman Boucher
founded Canada's first acoustic guitar manufacturing company
(Norman Guitars Inc.) in the tiny Quebec village of La Patrie in
1968.
Together
with his son Claude, Norman began to make and sell a guitar
inspired by the CF Martin design, featuring a Dreadnought-type
body and an X-shaped bracing under the soundboard.
In 1988,
the family closed its store, selling the company and its
trademarks; Claude continued to make some acoustic guitars, but
not commercially. In December 1997, Norman Boucher passed away,
leaving his son Claude the legacy of a master luthier.
In 2000,
after more than ten years of research and improvement, Claude
decided to craft high-quality acoustic guitars using only the
best components, such famed Adirondack red spruce. He began to
stock raw material and share is passion with his son Nicolas.
In 2005,
Robin Boucher the nephew of Norman Boucher, joined his cousin
Claude to start the (Boucher Guitar Products Inc.) & (Boucher
Adirondack Collection Inc.) companies. The tradition continues
"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
 |
|
Dominique Bouges
DB Guitars |
|
Dominique Bouges (DB Guitars) are
made in France. |
|
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. Made in Mayne, USA
Dana Bourgeois history
compiled by David Gansz of the Rockbridge Regional Library,
Lexington VA sourced from the Internet Archive
Dating
Bourgeois Guitars
http://www.pantheonguitars.com/faq/year.htm
Bourgeois
pricelist
2000 Bourgeois
pricelist and specifictions
2006 Bourgeois pricelist and specifications
2009 Bourgeois pricelist and specifications
Reviews
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Acoustic+Guitar/brand/Bourgeois
I'm a fan of
Bourgeois Guitars - here's the label from 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 |
|
Bruno Boutin makes guitars in Magog, Quebec, Canada |
|
Ralph Bown |
|
Ralph Bown makes guitars in
Walmgate, York, England. |
|
Boyce |
1967 to present |
James C Joyce
makes guitars in North Falmouth, MA, USA since 1967
Dating
Boyce guitars
Date is written on signed label of each instrument.
[Source:
Boyce ]
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next page |
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B-BC Rich |
Be-Bi
| Br-
|
