Last Hoboken Flat Top?

jedzep

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,017
Reaction score
691
Location
Cooperstown
With my F20 numbered AG 3036, I wondered why a 1970 model would have a Hoboken label inside when Westerly came on line a few years earlier. I know this is the laziest way to learn about this but when did the last acoustic roll out of NJ?
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
With my F20 numbered AG 3036, I wondered why a 1970 model would have a Hoboken label inside when Westerly came on line a few years earlier. I know this is the laziest way to learn about this but when did the last acoustic roll out of NJ?
Hans' book says all production had moved to Westerly "by 1969", but I seem to recall reading about 12ers still being built there in that year? (not sure)
Anyway, the real answer to the question is that yes Westerly did use Hoboken labels for a while even into 1970.
I'm guessing because of Al Dronge's reported refusal to ever let usable parts go to waste, no joke intended.
 

jedzep

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,017
Reaction score
691
Location
Cooperstown
Yeah, the very last Hoboken build would probably have great vintage value, but whoever owns that guitar probably wouldn't know it.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,466
Reaction score
7,129
Location
Central Massachusetts
It's compounded by the fact that the labels Guild used were not clear.

Hans is the only one (possibly) I know who could possibly identify what the last Hoboken guitar was.
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,128
Reaction score
2,637
Location
New York
unofficial opinion only but it appears to me that 1967 was the last big push in Hoboken, although the very very last guitar ever buit there could have been several years later. repairs also continued in Hoboken for some time.

I believe there are serial numbers that go as far back as 1966 and are without any question whatsoever automatically considered Hobokens, that may have been -completed- as late as 1970, in Westerly. (i mostly refer to electrics in this regard)
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Yeah, the very last Hoboken build would probably have great vintage value, but whoever owns that guitar probably wouldn't know it.

Yes, given that both plants were up at the same time for a year at least and headquarters were in yet a 3rd location ("Elizabeth"), I can see it's possible that over the years the records of what happened where might well have been lost if not discarded outright.
 

dapmdave

Enlightened Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
7,612
Reaction score
24
Intentionally left blank.
 
Last edited:

davismanLV

Venerated Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2011
Messages
19,198
Reaction score
11,822
Location
U.S.A. : Nevada : Las Vegas
Guild Total
2
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that period of time when they were making guitars in both places at the same time is when the "Made In U.S.A." labels came about. Not specifying a specific location they could be used in either factory. Then when they ran out and made the new labels, that's when the "Made in Westerly, R.I." labels happened after Hoboken was closed for good. At least, I think that's how it happened.....
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that period of time when they were making guitars in both places at the same time is when the "Made In U.S.A." labels came about. Not specifying a specific location they could be used in either factory. Then when they ran out and made the new labels, that's when the "Made in Westerly, R.I." labels happened after Hoboken was closed for good. At least, I think that's how it happened.....
No, they definitely put Hoboken labels on Westerlys, then I think the "Made in USA" labels were used for a while.
hmmm... best I can find on short notice is Gardman's post #13 in this thread:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/showthread.php?157874-Labels/page2&highlight=correct+label
Also confirmed by Hans' post #11 in this thread:
http://www.letstalkguild.com/ltg/sh...o-old-Guilds-D4-D35-1969&highlight=made+label

Hey I'm getting my facts refreshed, myself, here.
:friendly_wink:
 

jedzep

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2010
Messages
1,017
Reaction score
691
Location
Cooperstown
OK, OK, so maybe I don't have the last Hoboken flat top, but there's a chance I have the last label.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
OK, OK, so maybe I don't have the last Hoboken flat top, but there's a chance I have the last label.

LOVE it.
I can actually relate because when I bought my F65ce it had a tag on it that said "Last of The Westerlys". (And yes at the time I thought that might enhance future value although I never buy a guitar for that purpose. It was just a rationalization to help justify the purchase)
In my naievete at the time, I took it literally.
It took a couple of years and an email to Fender to figure out they meant "The Last Westerly in Our Store".
:tongue-new:
I do know now that I have the next-to-the-last F65ce they (and Hans) has a record of, and that it was shipped in December of '01, so it's from pretty damn close to the end, at least.

I found out later for example, after being here for a while, that the very last guitar built in Westerly was an Artist Award completed in August '01 "IIRC", and that although the doors were "officially" closed and production had been shut down, they were obviously still shipping finished inventory all the way into December of '01.
Corona had already begun building electrics in '01 as well, so there may be parallels there to the Hoboken-Westerly transition.
The main difference appears to be that they didn't use leftover Westerly labels in Corona.
:tongue-new:
 
Last edited:

dreadnut

Gone But Not Forgotten
Gone But Not Forgotten
Joined
Jun 15, 2005
Messages
16,082
Reaction score
6,442
Location
Grand Rapids, MI
Guild Total
2
I turned my buddy on to a locally listed blue F-65CE, he scored it for $450.00, I'm still looking for that self-butt-kicking emoji. Oh yeah, I was broke at the time...

I'll have to check his serial number and see when it was produced.
 

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,791
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
I turned my buddy on to a locally listed blue F-65CE, he scored it for $450.00, I'm still looking for that self-butt-kicking emoji. Oh yeah, I was broke at the time...

I'll have to check his serial number and see when it was produced.

Last F65ce was AF651258.
I'm guessing it passed inspection about the same time mine did, 10/26/01.
They had heelblock date stamps up through '97 too, I think, I just can't remember when they stopped but I think it was '98 or '99.
 
Top