SFIV1967
Venerated Member
O.k., it's not really a final decoder yet but I started to wonder what the new Westerly Collection serial numbers mean.
To better understand this I first researched Cordoba Guitars serial numbers.
The lower end Cordoba instruments do not even have a serial number. According to the Cordoba Guitars webpage, the following instruments are not serialized: CP110, C3M, C3M Cadete, Cadete, Dolce, C5, C5-CE, C5-CET, the La Playa Traveler and Ukulele, and all ukuleles except for the 25 series.
O.k, now I looked at Cordoba Guitars serial numbers:
Cordoba brand guitars Made in Spain: (4 real serial numbers posted below)
3110814, 3140591, 3150035, 3150159
It looks like: 7 digit serial number, always starts with 3 = Spain, 11 or 14 of 15 is manufacturing year, the last 4 digits are the running numbers for a max of 9,999 guitars per year from Spain.
Cordoba brand guitars Made in China: (4 real serial numbers posted below)
11101874, 11303220, 11508107, 11515267
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, always starts with 1 = China, 11 or 13 of 15 is manufacturing year, the last 5 digits are the running numbers for a max of 99,999 guitars per year from China.
I also found real serial numbers of an Oxnard made Cordoba Torres and a Hauser model: 81300055, 81500363
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, starts with 8 = Oxnard, 13 or 15 is manufacturing year, the last 5 digits are the running numbers for a max of 99,999 guitars per year. (thats a good goal for the custom shop!)
And now to compare: Guild Westerly Collection: (3 real 2015 serial numbers posted below)
G1150461, G1151487, G1155321
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, always starts with G1 = Guild China, 15 is manufacturing year, the last 4 digits are the running numbers for a max of 9,999 Guild Westerly Collection guitars per year from China.
(Update: In 2018 and 2019 the G2 numbers have 5 digits at the end allowing 99,999 per year.)
The "G1" guitars have GREE hangtags like the GAD guitars had.
The below left hangtag is a GREE hangtag (note the GR around) from a 2013 made GAD model when Guild was under FMIC.
Moritz and Big-Al confirmed that the same style hangtag with GR border was on G1 serial numbered Westerly Collection models from 2015.
The right hangtag is from an Westerly Collection OM-120 (G1) from 2016, even the same inspector number 50741 on both !!!
In 2017 it shortly got really confusing as a 2017 made D-120 and a F-1512E had no longer a 1 after the G ! They only had G and 6 numbers afterwards!
An example serial number is simply G170122 or the pictured G170693. In any case the 17 stands again for year 2017.
My theory regarding this was: The new California produced 2017 guitars have serial numbers like C170815 (a D-20 as example). Maybe CMG changed the serial number system also for GREE, hence GREE made Guild Acoustics from some point in 2017 onwards simply with G and 6 numbers behind, same as California made Guilds use C with 6 numbers.
But that last theory does not work as actual serial numbers in stores from 2018 and 2019 still (or again) have G1, G2 and G3 serial numbers.
So yes, we also got G2 and G3 numbers over time.
I have not yet figured out what the 1, 2 or 3 behind the G exactly means.
A M-120 as example and older models are still G1...,
Jumbo Juniors, M-240, D-240, M-240, OM-240, F2512 are G2...,
and OM-120, F-250, P-240,... for instance start with G3...
It might have to do with new factories or just new series, so it is not 100% clear if G2 and G3 Westerly Collection guitars still come from GREE or also from other factories in China now.
Only if a new buyer would get a hangtag (as shown above) with the guitar we might see this.
G3 got a new style label at least. Also note the interesting fact that only the G2 numbered guitars have an additional kind of former GAD style manufacturing factory number below the label! But only 8 numbers not 10. I show a 2018 and a 2019 example here.
Now looking at the round soundhole labels from left to right a G1 (100 and 1000 series), G2 (M-240E) and G3 (F-250E Deluxe) label.
G1 is still the old style label as of 2019 and G2 and G3 labels are a more modern design showing "Designed in California" on the soundhole labels similar to what Apple does...Also they don't longer show "Westerly Collection" on the labels.
The P-240 Memoir also has a G3 number but its own unique soundhole label:
Update 2019:
G2 models got "SINCE 1953" added:
Update 2020:
Since 2020 the "G3 models" (or at least some) also got a changed label in the "G1 style" but without "The Westerly Collection", here a OM-120 from 2021:
Update 2024:
"G3" is now confirmed to be "Cor Tek Musical Instruments Co. Ltd" and the address is "1 Hanzheng Rd, Jinzhou District, Dalian, Liaoning, China, 116113"
Ralf
To better understand this I first researched Cordoba Guitars serial numbers.
The lower end Cordoba instruments do not even have a serial number. According to the Cordoba Guitars webpage, the following instruments are not serialized: CP110, C3M, C3M Cadete, Cadete, Dolce, C5, C5-CE, C5-CET, the La Playa Traveler and Ukulele, and all ukuleles except for the 25 series.
O.k, now I looked at Cordoba Guitars serial numbers:
Cordoba brand guitars Made in Spain: (4 real serial numbers posted below)
3110814, 3140591, 3150035, 3150159
It looks like: 7 digit serial number, always starts with 3 = Spain, 11 or 14 of 15 is manufacturing year, the last 4 digits are the running numbers for a max of 9,999 guitars per year from Spain.
Cordoba brand guitars Made in China: (4 real serial numbers posted below)
11101874, 11303220, 11508107, 11515267
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, always starts with 1 = China, 11 or 13 of 15 is manufacturing year, the last 5 digits are the running numbers for a max of 99,999 guitars per year from China.
I also found real serial numbers of an Oxnard made Cordoba Torres and a Hauser model: 81300055, 81500363
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, starts with 8 = Oxnard, 13 or 15 is manufacturing year, the last 5 digits are the running numbers for a max of 99,999 guitars per year. (thats a good goal for the custom shop!)
And now to compare: Guild Westerly Collection: (3 real 2015 serial numbers posted below)
G1150461, G1151487, G1155321
It looks like: 8 digit serial number, always starts with G1 = Guild China, 15 is manufacturing year, the last 4 digits are the running numbers for a max of 9,999 Guild Westerly Collection guitars per year from China.
(Update: In 2018 and 2019 the G2 numbers have 5 digits at the end allowing 99,999 per year.)
The "G1" guitars have GREE hangtags like the GAD guitars had.
The below left hangtag is a GREE hangtag (note the GR around) from a 2013 made GAD model when Guild was under FMIC.
Moritz and Big-Al confirmed that the same style hangtag with GR border was on G1 serial numbered Westerly Collection models from 2015.
The right hangtag is from an Westerly Collection OM-120 (G1) from 2016, even the same inspector number 50741 on both !!!
In 2017 it shortly got really confusing as a 2017 made D-120 and a F-1512E had no longer a 1 after the G ! They only had G and 6 numbers afterwards!
An example serial number is simply G170122 or the pictured G170693. In any case the 17 stands again for year 2017.
My theory regarding this was: The new California produced 2017 guitars have serial numbers like C170815 (a D-20 as example). Maybe CMG changed the serial number system also for GREE, hence GREE made Guild Acoustics from some point in 2017 onwards simply with G and 6 numbers behind, same as California made Guilds use C with 6 numbers.
But that last theory does not work as actual serial numbers in stores from 2018 and 2019 still (or again) have G1, G2 and G3 serial numbers.
So yes, we also got G2 and G3 numbers over time.
I have not yet figured out what the 1, 2 or 3 behind the G exactly means.
A M-120 as example and older models are still G1...,
Jumbo Juniors, M-240, D-240, M-240, OM-240, F2512 are G2...,
and OM-120, F-250, P-240,... for instance start with G3...
It might have to do with new factories or just new series, so it is not 100% clear if G2 and G3 Westerly Collection guitars still come from GREE or also from other factories in China now.
Only if a new buyer would get a hangtag (as shown above) with the guitar we might see this.
G3 got a new style label at least. Also note the interesting fact that only the G2 numbered guitars have an additional kind of former GAD style manufacturing factory number below the label! But only 8 numbers not 10. I show a 2018 and a 2019 example here.
Now looking at the round soundhole labels from left to right a G1 (100 and 1000 series), G2 (M-240E) and G3 (F-250E Deluxe) label.
G1 is still the old style label as of 2019 and G2 and G3 labels are a more modern design showing "Designed in California" on the soundhole labels similar to what Apple does...Also they don't longer show "Westerly Collection" on the labels.
The P-240 Memoir also has a G3 number but its own unique soundhole label:
Update 2019:
G2 models got "SINCE 1953" added:
Update 2020:
Since 2020 the "G3 models" (or at least some) also got a changed label in the "G1 style" but without "The Westerly Collection", here a OM-120 from 2021:
Update 2024:
"G3" is now confirmed to be "Cor Tek Musical Instruments Co. Ltd" and the address is "1 Hanzheng Rd, Jinzhou District, Dalian, Liaoning, China, 116113"
Ralf
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