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Heritage, Know Your Heritage. AKA The End of an (another) Era


DavesNotHere

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I wanted to look up a Heritage serial number this morning and didn't want to do the mental gymnastics before I had my morning coffee. So, I went to the Heritage website to review the serial number table.

It appears that the serial number scheme has changed. 

However, the legacy information presented is not entirely accurate.

It shouldn't take any of the old timers here more than a few seconds to spot the error.

 

https://heritageguitars.com/pages/date-your-heritage?gclid=CjwKCAiA_Kz-BRAJEiwAhJNY79LlX3nalYnQyQKfIgNEGHrKr7h_YBQYUUwTshh1A4w846bUVtE69RoCCBEQAvD_BwE

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Curious... My 137 has an AK serial number which is on there for 2020.

But it's handwritten, not hard stamped...

Maybe the new serial number system starts in 2021?

HARD-STAMPED SERIAL NUMBERS

These Heritage guitars have a serial number that begins with an identifier.
Determine the age of your guitar by referencing its serial number here:

Standard Collection:
1 (identifier) YY (year) XXXX (numerical ID)

Custom Shop:
HC1 (identifier) YY (year) XXXX (numerical ID)

For example, a serial number of 1219876 or HC1214567 would mean that your guitar was built in 2021.

 

 

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They left out the 365 - formula. Seems to be still in place until hand stamped starts.

The latest one I received still has that formula in there. I just received this and date is right.

 

Serial Aged.jpg

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The mistake is, they have all serial numbers B through roughly AA listed under hand written serial numbers.

Heritage used stamped numbers from their inception until about ten years ago.

They started the hand written serial numbers around 2010.

It may be confusing to folks who are not familiar with Heritage if the official website indicates that stamped numbers were not used prior to 2021.

Perhaps it's a nit, but I do like to pick them.

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2 hours ago, DetroitBlues said:

How do you like the aged models?

I personally wouldn't buy one but they do a great job on them.  They will be a special order from now on including more money.

I just was never into guitar aging. I can do it myself eventually. 

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3 minutes ago, DavesNotHere said:

The mistake is, they have all serial numbers B through roughly AA listed under hand written serial numbers.

Heritage used stamped numbers from their inception until about ten years ago.

They started the hand written serial numbers around 2010.

It will be confusing to folks who are not familiar with Heritage if the official website indicates that stamped numbers were not used prior to 2021.

Perhaps it's a nit, but I do like to pick them.

I think they are going to Hard Stamping in the future. 

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Does "hard stamped" mean that the serial number will be pressed into the wood rather than just inked on? I agree with DetroitBlues about the legibility of some of the ink-stamped serial numbers, perhaps that why they started hand-writing them.

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13 hours ago, FredZepp said:

Marv talks about hand writing serial numbers....   ( and dig the Seafoam Green H-150 )

 

Hey that's me and my wife Caryn.  Good times! 

Thinking about this I remember Marv telling me they where going to do this earlier in the year.

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Someday someone will complain that the old serial numbers sound better than the hand written ones.   We guitar players are a bit crazy, y'know.

That would be interesting if they actually started hard stamping the serial numbers into the wood.    I wonder what the reasoning would be for the change.  

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Seems like an engineer should be able to figure this out. Lets see, A=

On 12/5/2020 at 3:52 PM, kbp810 said:

A year off? Wasn't B 1986? 

B is 1985. I guess A was for prototypes?

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On 12/5/2020 at 4:38 PM, skydog52 said:

They left out the 365 - formula. Seems to be still in place until hand stamped starts.

The latest one I received still has that formula in there. I just received this and date is right.

 

Serial Aged.jpg

Wow, is that headstock chewed up on top ?

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Just now, ElNumero said:

Wow, is that headstock chewed up on top ?

No. That is one of their Artisan Aged H-150s. You should buy it Will! : )

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19 hours ago, skydog52 said:

No. That is one of their Artisan Aged H-150s. You should buy it Will! : )

haha yeah, I figured Paul. No, I have a 150 that already looks kind of aged, it has checking all over the front and back. That is enough for me! 

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On 12/8/2020 at 2:16 PM, ElNumero said:

Seems like an engineer should be able to figure this out. Lets see, A=

B is 1985. I guess A was for prototypes?

Yup.  That is why A serial numbers are so rare.  I think Marv and Jim built those in their woodsheds. 

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