Hoboken Serial Numbers

[Carrolton Wagner]

I have had a couple of Guild Hoboken guitars that I have had for a very long time (seems like yesterday though). One is a T-100-B S/N 16504 and the other is an M-20 S/N AH 725. Does anyone have any idea when they were made? Thanks

 

[adorshki]

Hi Carrolton:
According to this chart:
https://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf
Your T-100 is a '61, BUt your M-20' a had-scratcher.

We do know there are some flaws and omissions in the charts besides being a bit difficult to "interpret" at times. butI seem to reall that bcause the M20 was very popular as a student guiar, literally having some runs made specifically for music education orders, they got some funky s/n's.

Our member @hansmoust might be able to give more insight. He's got copies of production records.

 

[Carrolton Wagner]

Hi Carrolton:
According to this chart:
https://guildguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/history_of_your_guild.pdf
Your T-100 is a '61, BUt your M-20' a had-scratcher.

We do know there are some flaws and omissions in the charts besides being a bit difficult to "interpret" at times. butI seem to reall that bcause the M20 was very popular as a student guiar, literally having some runs made specifically for music education orders, they got some funky s/n's.

Our member @hansmoust might be able to give more insight. He's got copies of production records.

 

[Carrolton Wagner]

Thanks much. The M-20 seems to be a 3/4 size and very easy to play. I Purchased it new from a small music store in San Leandro, Ca in 1970 and took it all over the world. From the chart is indicates that the AH numbers were made in 1965. That make sense. Thanks again

 

[AcornHouse]

This is my go to dating page. Barring word differently from Hans, it agrees that the M20 is likely a ‘65.

Westerly Guild Guitars - Dating Your Guild Guitar

Are you sure the M20 is 3/4 size? They are small in general. The key is the scale length. If it measures 12-3/8” from the nut to the 12th fret it’s full size. I wasn’t aware of any 3/4 size for those.

 

[AcornHouse]

Just checked The Bible. Hans talks about M-20s with AH prefixes as being from ‘65 to ‘69 during the period when they were training the new Westerly workers and the serial numbers for the M20s weren’t recorded. But no mention of any 3/4 size M20s.

 

[Carrolton Wagner]

This is my go to dating page. Barring word differently from Hans, it agrees that the M20 is likely a ‘65.

Westerly Guild Guitars - Dating Your Guild Guitar

Are you sure the M20 is 3/4 size? They are small in general. The key is the scale length. If it measures 12-3/8” from the nut to the 12th fret it’s full size. I wasn’t aware of any 3/4 size for those.

My bad. It is full size. Thanks for all of the help.

 

[adorshki]

My bad. It is full size. Thanks for all of the help.

And I screwed up missing the "AH"prefix for the M20, although that "M20 3/4" line DID throw me off, thought they just somehow missed the M20's. Acornhouse's explanation rang a bell, though.

The chart from Westerly Guild Guitars is the same as the one found on Guild's website, but we still frequently rely on Hans for answers in some of the more confusing situations, or just, "to be sure".

Interesting life for your M20.