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For those making several different sorts of instruments, do you number them 1, 2, 3, 4 as you build them or would you start again for each different sort? So if you'd built a few guitars and then a mandolin or ukulele or something, would you put that as number 1?
Really not an important question, but just thought I'd ask.

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"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

For me, each different model starts at 001, don't know why I picked the double zeros at the beginning , just seemed like a good idea at the time.

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Blue Ring Acoustics
blueringacoustics.ca

Built my first in 1982 (a walnut Les Paul clone). Since I've never numbered them, I have no idea how many I've built. I usually named them, but I don't remember any new owners who "kept" the name I gave the guitar. Sad to say, when my repair shop was balls to the wall busy - many of them were never photographed.

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

My serial number tells me the size, top wood, back and side, month and year finished and the series number. So a Dred with Adirondack top and back and sides of EIR finished in May 2015 that was my 100th guitar would have a serial number of - DAR0515-100.

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"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC

I too have a "serial number" that has a code for the model - top wood - back and side wood - number of that type of instrument (mandolin, guitar, uke. . .) - number of instruments overall.

It seems silly considering the small number of instruments I have made, but hopefully someday it will be less silly.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

I just put down the year followed by the number that instrument is that year. For example 3rd instrument in 2014 was 201403

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I have the actual number starting from 001 and then a prefix telling how many of that design the guitar represents.

Flat top #63 would just be 063

My fifth archtop which was my 65th guitar would be 65-005AT

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Mine was the same idea, but in my case, the number would be 1403 (since the 20 was understood)

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Dave
Milton, ON

On my mandolins a number like say 307125-R would have read March of 2007, #125, Red spruce. I stopped numbering when I started building guitars again. It's just a status thing anyway. They have my name and that's good enough.

I started at a random 4 digit number for no particular reason. After about 20 years we had a water pipe break in the shop and it destroyed my records (a ledger) so now the serial numbers mean nothing. I do keep a trimming from each top if I remember to do it that has the date and serial number but after 47 years of building even that has little meaning. Serial numbers are silly but customers seem to like seeing them. I must be the worst record keeper on earth and don't really care. I think we've built about 400-500 guitars and hope there aren't too many duplicate serial numbers.

I started at #1, and just finished #9. I make too many different things to keep track of separate counters for each of them.

I usually have multiple instruments in progress at any given time, so they don't always get started and finished in the same order. I don't actually assign numbers until box closing time, and then it's usually just whichever is next. But I may assign them by starting order rather than closing order, depending on timing and whatever feels right.

I also still have my first half-finished instrument, a violin, which I may make number 0 if I ever get it done. Particularly fitting because I was working as a programmer at the time I started it, and programmers always count from 0

I number sequentially even though I have built several types of flat top instruments: steel string guitar, acoustic bass, bouzouki . I would like to build a double bass one day and as it is largely a different form of construction I would number that one #1.

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Doug

Don't let fear or common sense stop you from trying to build something

Same here. I guess I have big plans to reach 999

The numbering thing I started not for status but so I could track each instrument to my build log and go back to see what I did if something turned out very good or very bad. Not sure if it is relevant anymore as I haven't made enough to have any problem finding them in the log

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

For me the first 2-3 digits indicate the model or shape and are usually letters. GA - grand Auditorium, OM - orchestra model, etc. The next 2 numbers are the month, followed by 2 more digits for the year. And the final 3 numbers indicate the number of the instrument.

So - #GA0515112

Would be my GA model completed May 2015 and the #112 instrument I've built.

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

I use a model number - number of those models built - and total number built. G45-006-041 is a slope shouldered dread - the 6th slope shouldered I've built - and the 41st instrument. I also have professional pictures taken of each guitar ( cost $75) add that to the price. My customers don't seem to mind the extra cost and really appreciate the nice pictures - which gives me a nice record as well, - Mike

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guitarsbygiltzow.com

My first ten were 1-10 .. then I switched to year and number., like 0804 for the 4th guitar of 2008 .. so that no one could tell how many I had really made ... I had a guy ask me at a show if my serial number had any meaning, so I told him Yes, then nothing else . he was waiting for me to explain and I said to him, does it really matter ???

anyway, now they are sequential again .. I am on 115 ...with some new ones to be done shortly, will be past 120 by years end.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I date the instruments. Example - If I finished a mahogany tenor ukulele today, I would write "Mahogany Tenor Ukulele, May 2015"

hmmmmmmmmmmm numbering them ..... guess i should consider that

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Almost same here, MMXV-1 is the first of 2015. They get a number when I sign and date the top.

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A man hears what he wants to hear, and disreguards the rest. Paul Simon