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Hello,

A somewhat random question.

How do you folks decide on model numbers for your instruments? For example, I'm nearing the finish of my first couple builds and my wife helped me put together the label to be put inside the box. We searched online and many of the images had Company name, Model, Date and Luthier Name / Signature on the label. So we put together a label with these items. It looks pretty good, but what to put for the model number? What I game up with was a hybrid model number / serial number combination. Something like [Plan vendor] - [size] - [unit]. So for these first guitars I built from a plan from Georgia Luthier Supply. The style was a 0028vs. The unit is the first.

So we ended up with GLS-00-001

Is that ridiculous? What are other folks doing for this problem?

Thanks!
Brad

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I just use the year followed by a 2-digit serial number. First guitar of 2016 would be 201601. That way I can easily find my notes on that particular instrument if I need to refer back at some point. I don't differentiate between whether it is a guitar or mandolin.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I kind of like 1, 2, 3, 4...

Yes, I go for the 1, 2, 3, 4 etc as well. I've never really understood why companies create serial numbers that require a secret decoder ring to tell what they mean. My labels have a completion date (approx) and the number of the guitar. No mystery.

My convention is [guitar number in order of build] [model] [number of model built]

So for example a classical guitar would be 53C13 That means that over all it's the 53rd guitar I built and the 13th classical.

Never been a problem for me. I always gave the instrument a name. Sometimes the client doesn't use it, or forgets it - but I know it , and don't forget it.

Most of my builds have been to client wishes and needs. I don't think I've ever built similar instruments - they are always unique from one another.

For instance: I sprayed a Jackson-like guitar bright red w/ black accents, and gold hardware for a local shredder. That was "The Ferrari". A local jazzer commissioned a chambered solidbody in Ford Taurus blue. Since he was kind of a mystic that was "Indigo Spirit". Of course, one local jazz bassist wanted a large custom bass in black, with a maple neck. He wanted the name to be sexy.... I called it "The Fat Girlfriend". He was delighted... Still is all these decades later. Now he calls it "My Wife".

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Only my humble opinion, but, since you asked.....

First question, yes.

Second question, if you consider this a "problem", seems a bit anal.

Again, just my opinion FWIW.

Grant

Model designation - # of that model built - # of guitars built
Example: SMG - 003 - 040
SMG is my parlor guitar - 003 would be the third guitar of that model - 42 would be the total number of guitars built
I also sign and date each label - Mike

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

I can totally agree. To be honest I didn't give it any thought until I looked up what other labels look like. Then I realized I hadn't even looked at all the labels for the guitars I actually own. So I did that.

Problem might be the wrong word, but I've never been upset when someone reminds me that I'm anal.

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Hey Brad: What ever you wanna do is fine and that's what I did. You do want to give some thought to serialization and continuity but beyond this I don't think that a guitar by any other model name would sound as sweet.

I always approached naming conventions and model numbers with a sense of humor, sick as it can be at times... I called some of my dr*eads D-19s thinking that I'll one up Martin. Then a month or so ago I found a real Martin D-19 on my bench, who knew that they actually made some D-19s....

Anyway what ever you want to do that does not infringe on another's trademarked names should be fine. As for me my D-19s are going to have to be D-19.5s now.....

I do wood abbreviations, body style and number.

So, a rosewood lutz OM would read

rw/lz OM #155

I like the idea of tracking the overall number of builds right in the model number. Since this is the first one for me, the fact that it ends in 001 might just work out better than I thought.

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Probably too complex but I use a name for the model and a year and 4 digit serial # composed of total build number and number of that particular model..

ie

Parlour 2015-1501 so 15th instrument built and the first Parlour Guitar..

Kerry

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My Website http://klw-strings.com
My Luthier's Blog...http://klwstrings.blogspot.com

I would recommend putting the year in there somewhere. It's fun to see an old guitar that you made and you can look in there to see exactly how old it is.
I do "model name" followed by two digit year "16" followed by the overall number of guitar it is. That pretty much gives me all the info I need. Then I have all the specs of each guitar in an excel spreadsheet. That's nice when someone buys one second hand then contacts me with questions. I ask for the serial # then can look it up quickly and then know what the heck guitar they are talking about.

C.F.Martin (the first) didn't put serial numbers in his guitars, sometimes only style numbers in the case. I do one better, and don't even use labels.

For models, I use a name that is meaningful to the guitar or style of music played. I have a model that is a copy of a 1940s French acoustic jazz guitar by Joseph DiMaurao with a sound hole known as a Heart Hole, so my model is Corazón.

My S/N is just the month and year of completion. I build around six a year, so this works. I keep track of the guitars I have built by number (1, 2, 3....) and the original owner's name. Most of my work is custom order, so associating the owner with the guitar is easy.

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Craig Bumgarner

Bumgarner Guitar Blog

I prefer names instead of model number unlike d-18 or J-45. As for serials I started with 0000001 and just moved on to the next number 0000002 and so on. Have to be enthusiastic you know. Just based on the serial number I know what it is from my records. When you produce millions of instruments like Martin or Gibson you need to come up with a code system. For us average folk that's not necessary.

Sent from my HTC Desire 626s using Tapatalk

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Another day, another dollar.

I created a code that required a secret decoder ring. Then, I lost the ring. So I adopted 001, 002, 003, ...

The number of zeros is an ego thing

Clearly, Shaw has a bigger ego than me. I'll be working on this. :p

Just starting out, but I'm going to go with #1, #2, #3, etc. Unless #1 ends up in the fireplace, then it will be #1b, #2, #3, etc.

Alex

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"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

As far as serial/production number goes, I think part of the attraction of a hand made instrument is it's limited, non mass produced vibe. I like just a small sequential number. Although too small a number shows your inexperience, it prompts you to work on your marketing. (don't go overboard) or lower your price (also don't go overboard).

I'm labeling all my instruments sequentially. I'm thinking that if I reach #100, and say 53 were guitars my next guitar would be g54. If 35 were ukulele, the next would be u36. etc

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Pat