D-50 Serial Number advice on Guild web site may be incorrect

G

Guest

Unregistered
User deleted by their request
The Guild web site, and information carried from it to other web sites, states that the D-50 model began using a model-specific serial system after 1964 and that serial numbers AL101-AL192 were used for D-50s built in 1965.

I own a D-50 purchased new in April, 1965 at Manny's Music in New York City. It is serial number 41447 (a serial number used in 1965 per the Guild web site, but one that shouldn't have been used for a D-50). Guess you can't trust everything you read. :idea:
 

FNG

Enlightened Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Messages
5,961
Reaction score
1,516
Location
Planet Earth
Guild Total
596
vbary said:
The Guild web site, and information carried from it to other web sites, states that the D-50 model began using a model-specific serial system after 1964 and that serial numbers AL101-AL192 were used for D-50s built in 1965.

I own a D-50 purchased new in April, 1965 at Manny's Music in New York City. It is serial number 41447 (a serial number used in 1965 per the Guild web site, but one that shouldn't have been used for a D-50). Guess you can't trust everything you read. :idea:

Hans has the whole Guild serial number history memorized, so he will be along shortly to give you the straight scoop.
 

GardMan

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2006
Messages
5,359
Reaction score
959
Location
Utah
Guild Total
5
I guess from the chart format on the site I use most commonly (I don't think this table is any different, or any more correct, that Guilds, it's just the first one I found when searching 4 years ago), I always assumed there was some overlap and confusion between the two numbering schemes. Another example, my cousins husband had a D-40 with SN 428XX, that Hans dated to mid-'65. Hans has often commented on the errors in all the on-line SN tables... also pointing out that SN is not an EXACT indicator of completion date or the date the guitar left the factory.
 

hansmoust

Enlightened Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2005
Messages
9,202
Reaction score
3,507
Location
Netherlands
vbary said:
The Guild web site, and information carried from it to other web sites, states that the D-50 model began using a model-specific serial system after 1964 and that serial numbers AL101-AL192 were used for D-50s built in 1965.

Hello vbary,

Welcome! While there are many mistakes, omissions and inconsistencies in the various published Guild serial number list, in your case there's not really anything wrong.

The Guild website is not very clear in pointing out that the serial number system with the two-letter prefix was not introduced at the beginning of 1965, but some time during 1965. So, during the first part of the year they were still using the old serial number system, which numbers at that time consisted out of 5 digits.
The last stamped number for the year 1964 was # 38636 and consequently the first one for 1965 was # 38637.
The series was continued during 1965 till they came to # 46606, which was the last one for 1965 of the 'old' system, before they changed to the system with the 2-letter prefix.

I own a D-50 purchased new in April, 1965 at Manny's Music in New York City. It is serial number 41447

Your D-50 with serial # 41447 falls within the range of # 38637 - # 46606, which were the numbers used during the first part of 1965.
Hope that clears it all up!


Sincerely,

Hans Moust
http://www.guitarsgalore.nl
 

fronobulax

Bassist, GAD and the Hot Mess Mods
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
24,708
Reaction score
8,836
Location
Central Virginia, USA
Guild Total
5
Welcome to LTG, vbary.

Hans has spoken so you now know that Guild serial numbers are not a science. You might be interested in "the Bible". It seems to be going out of print but with persistence there are still a few copies out there at prices under $30. I'm sure if there are plans to reprint it Hans will let us know. There are a few hardcovers available directly from Hans, and he is working on Volume II which we are anxiously awaiting.
 
Top