Tr-

made

info    updated 1/12/2011

Tradition

1998-

Tradition Guitars was founded in 1998 by music industry veteran Jim Matthews in a horse barn in Indiana. Tradition Guitars was formed to offer the highest quality instrument for an affordable price to the independent dealer.

Tragedy struck in 2004 when Tradition lost its founder. Jim Matthews’ family and partners continue the story.

Tradition guitars catalogs

Tradition 2010 catalog

Tradition 2011 catalog [Source: Rusty Bickford, Tradition Guitars, Inc email 2/12/2011]

Traphagen Guitars

1972 to present

Dake Traphagen, Bellingham, Washington, USA

Traudt Guitars

1985 to present

"I started building guitars in 1985 to present.  The date of manufacture, year and number, of my handmade guitars are written on the label visible through the sound hole." [Source: M.A. Cornelia Traudt, email 3/4/2008]

Traugott Guitars

1991 to present

"I started making guitars in 1982, I only made about 10-12  instruments between 82 and 1989 as I was doing mostly guitar repair  and was co- owner of a music store called Sylvan Music which is still  in business and is owned by my ex- partner Albert Markasky. I started  working for Santa Cruz Guitar Company in 1989 and left there in June  of 1991. In July of 1991 I started Jeff Traugott Guitars as it  remains today.

I make my guitars in a industrial complex that includes many other woodworkers and artists, my shop is 1500 square feet.
Dating Traugott guitars

I have a label inside my guitars visible through the sound-hole that has the Serial number which incorporates the model, the number of the guitar and the date it was put together. Here are 2 examples:  

1)R-009-19-115, the R stands for my Model R named for my wife, Riku,  the 9 and the last number 5 tells you it is the year 1995, the 19 refers to the 19th guitar that I made and the11 refers to the month,  November in this case. ****

2) BK-000-159-018, this is the Model BK named for my nephew Brady and my niece Kendall, Brady is now a professional guitar player. The 000 tell you we are now in the 2000's from the standpoint of the year and  everything else is the same. So this would be built in 2008 and is  the 159th guitar made in the month of January.

**** All instruments made between 1982 and 1993 do not incorporate  this same Serial Number system." [Source: Jeff Traugott, email 25/6/2008 ]

http://www.frets.com/FRETSpages/Features/JT2000/jt2k01.html

Bruno Traverso

Electric guitars and basses

Travis

current at 2010

Travis Williams, of Ardmore, OK

Travis Bean

See under B for Bean

Tregan

2007 to present

" To make it real easy, the serial number on the guitar will give you the information you need. The first two digits of the serial number is the year the guitar was manufactured. Since T.G., Inc. and Tregan Guitars was formed in 2007 all the guitars with serial numbers that begin with "07" are first edition & first run guitars (we only did one run in 2007)." [Source: Tony Guarriello, President, T.G., Inc. email 17/32008]

http://www.guitarnoize.com/index.php/blog/comments/tregan_guitars/

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

Tregan guitars forum http://www.treganguitars.com/forum/

Martin Tremblay

2002 to present

Made since "2002, in Montréal, Canada.  Date of manufacture is on ticket inside." [Source: Martin Tremblay, email 16/0/2008]

Tremblett Archtops

2006 to present

Mark Tremblett, custom archtops. Pouch Cove, Newfoundland, Canada.

From the internet archive:

About Tremblett 2006

Trem King

The only fixed bridge vibrato. Stays in tune. Joe Perry among many others uses it.

Tremo Twenty

Teisco built and sold in the States as the Teisco MJ-2 (Starway MJ-2L), marketed by Rose Morris in the UK briefly in the mid-60s as part of their Twenty range. [Source: The Guitar Collection]

Images eBay:

Trenier Guitars

1998 to present

"I made my first guitar in 1998.
The number and date of manufacture of my guitars is written on the inside of the back of the instrument." [Source: Trenier guitars, email 31/3/2008]

Seattle, Washington, USA

Tres Pinos

Tres Pino, (Three Pines) Made in Mexico)

Reviews are at Harmony Central

Image eBay:

Oscar Trezzini

1982 to present

Started as a classical guitar maker in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1982, inspired by the luthier Pedro Malossetti

Now makes guitars in Lausanne,  Switzerland

J Triggs

1992 to present

Jim Triggs and son make guitars in Kansas City, Kansas since 1998. Before this they were made in Nashville, Tennessee.

http://triggsguitars.com/bio.shtml

Dating Triggs Guitars

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/jtriggs.html

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

Image eBay

Trinity College

Trinity College guitars are a brand of Saga Music. Made in China

Images ebay:

Trinity

Found this Trinity branded guitar on a Japanese website:

Made in China

Trinity River Guitars - 2003 - named after the Trinity River that runs through Fort Worth and near our headquarters here in Ft. Worth. High quality acoustic guitars.

Dating Trinity River Guitars

Our serial number has the date made in it: K0612t0516 - this one was built in the 12th month of 2006." [Source: Mark W. Jabben, M&M Merchandisers, Inc, email 6/1/2009]

Trinity River Guitars Catalog 2006

Images eBay:

Triumph

European brand from the 1960-80s?  [Image of Triumph headstock from a Strat copy: Ian Laliberte, email]

Troubador

This Troubador branded guitar was found on ebay and was reputedly made in Japan around 1970s. 

There is a link between the Troubador brand and Lectrolab amps. [Source: George Alexander ]

see Lectrolab amps

True North

1994 to present

Dennis Scannell, Waterbury, Vermont, USA

True Tone

Truetone guitars were sold by Western Auto and manufactured by Chicago makers such as Kay. [Source: Vintage Guitar Magazine Price Guide]

Example Tru Tone Speed Demon

True Tone catalogs

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

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

Image Yotatech:

Trujo

1930

Gibson made guitars for the Trujo Banjo Co of San Francisco. [Source: Gruhn's Guide To Vintage Guitars ]

Images of 1930 Trujo courtesy of Jeff Davis Nov 2009. This guitar has been confirmed by Gibson as an authentic Gibson made guitar. Note the banjo style tuners.

Trump

A Bruno brand - student grade from Japan [Source: Vintaxe]

Image Trump guitar from eBay:

James Trussart
 

1980 to present

http://www.jamestrussart.com/Newsite/About.htm

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/James+Trussart+Custom+Guitars

Dating James Trussart guitars

This image of a neck plate from a 2009 made James Trussart telecaster suggests that the serial number system for Trussart guitars is that the first 2 digits are the year of manufacture.

I have pinched this image from the James Trussart website - for obvious reasons this is a Jedistar recommended product.

Truxa

Related to Horugel. Acoustics were made by Samick in Korea in 1970s. [Source: Guitarsite ]    

Wataru Tsuji
 

Image courtesy of Guitar Salon:

see Asturias

TTM Guitars

2006 to present

TTM Guitars was founded by Lance Benedict, 2006 in his garage.

Today, located in Palm Desert, CA we are the fastest growing guitar company in America with 5 proprietary models, worldwide distribution and a state of the art production facility. To keep up with the ever changing demand for our guitars, we now offer 3 versions of TTM Guitars. We have our new import models which are built to our design specifications at our major facility abroad. Due to stricter OSHA and AQMD regulations we also have TTM models that are lacquered at our overseas facility with all of the building, setup and assembly performed here in California. And of course we have our 100% USA guitars for you purists that don't want the wood to ever leave the USA!" [Source: TTM web]

Images eBay. Black 2009, Strat logo 2007.

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/TTM+Supershop

Tucker

2000 to present

John N "Jack" Tucker, John Morrall and David Kilingsworth founded Tucker guitars in 2000. Hanalei, Hawaii.

Tune Guitar Maniac

Japan Wikipedia

Reviews  http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/brand/Tune+Guitar+Maniac

Tune Guitar Technology

1983 to present

According to Talk Bass Forum  Tune Guitar Maniac and Tune Guitar Technology are different brands and have nothing to do with each other - supported by communication from Tune Guitar Maniac. Looking at the Tune Guitar Technology web site the fonts of the brand name are identical, headstock logos are the same, the model designations are also similar and they claim to originate in Osaka Japan in 1983 with the following model history:

Bass Maniac series introduced 1984

Hatson’s TWB 1985

Hot slapping SWB series 1986

Casiopea TWX series 1987

Supernova ZI series and Modern Acoustic Bass 1989

WB series in 1993

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Electric+Bass/brand/Tune+Guitar+Technology

Peter Tsiorba

Peter Tsiorba makes classical and flamenco guitars. Originally made in Keene, New Hampshire now in  Portland, Oregon USA..

Kevin Turner

Canada

Rick Turner (Renaissance)

1969 to present

Dating Rick Turner guitars

http://www.ducksdeluxe.com/rcturner.html

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Rick+Turner

Images courtesy of Distortion, The Gear Page Forum 2008: Note gold dust inlay.

Images 1999 Rick Turner Model T ebay:

Jay Turser

1997 to present

"We have 3 main lines, Jay Turser, Walden and Hagstrom. In answer to your questions-----When did you start making? Varies: Jay Turser, 12 years, Hagstrom 40 years, Walden 10 years.  We don't have manufacturing dates on our guitars. We engrave a mark to show a second grade unit." [Source: Ernie Briefel, Ernie Ball email 17/3/2008]

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

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Jay+Turser

Prepal prices for Jay Turser guitars

Image eBay

Michael Tuttle

2003 to present

Michael Tuttle builds premium and custom solid and hollow guitars in Saugus, California.  Prior to this he worked with Valley Arts for around 10 years with Don Grosh [Source: Gear Page]

Reviews http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/brand/Michael+Tuttle

Tye

current

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

James Tyler

1972-

Tyler guitars. Van Nuys, California. Some made in Japan.

In the 1970s Jim started as a repairer/restorer with Norman's Rare Guitars in the San Fernando Valley, California. In 1980 he established his own repair shop at Reseda, California. See timeline

You can see from the 2007 35th anniversary guitar that James Tyler started making guitars in 1972. Image eBay:

Tym Guitars

1997 to present

Custom made guitars, basses and effects pedals. Mosrite specialist. Buranda, Queensland, Australia

http://www.ravemagazine.com.au/content/view/9503/191/

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

Tyyster

Tyyster guitars, Finland