My 140 was built on a Sunday?

[PunkKitty]

This is my H-140.

 

 

The serial number is O17204. If I calculated that right, was the 4th guitar built on Sunday, July 12, 1998. That can't be right.

[blueox]

I calculate the same, but I can't imagine the factory opening up on a Sunday. In any case, that's a fine guitar that will be ready to rock after the refret.

[skydog52]

This is my H-140.

 

 

The serial number is O17204. If I calculated that right, was the 4th guitar built on Sunday, July 12, 1998. That can't be right.

They must have been busy that year!

[Guest HRB853370]

This is my H-140.

 

 

The serial number is O17204. If I calculated that right, was the 4th guitar built on Sunday, July 12, 1998. That can't be right.

 

Your guitar was the 17,204th made in 1998. I don't think the serial number provides day of the week info.

[PunkKitty]

 

Your guitar was the 17,204th made in 1998. I don't think the serial number provides day of the week info.

According to this, you can compute the day of the week. http://www.heritageownersclub.com/info_serials.htm#top

 

And does Heritage really produce 17,000 guitars in a year? I didn't think they made that many.

[Guest HRB853370]

According to this, you can compute the day of the week. http://www.heritageo...serials.htm#top

 

And does Heritage really produce 17,000 guitars in a year? I didn't think they made that many.

 

Probably not. I think its more like around 150 per year. Perhaps someone stamped yours incorrectly.

[DetroitBlues]

Must be a fake. I'll take it from you so it won't be an eyesore anymore to you.

[skydog52]

Hope this helps

 

Decoding Heritage Guitar, Inc. Serial Numbers

 

 

 

 

One of the areas that causes the most confusion for new members of the Heritage Owners Club is how to decipher and understand the serial numbering system employed by the factory. Essentially, each Heritage guitar is (ink) stamped with a six character serial number on the back of the headstock. The characters are comprised of a leading letter, denoting the year (see table below), followed by five digits.

 

The five digits of the serial number encode the day and order of manufacture for the guitar. The first group of three digits represent the days remaining in the year on the day the guitar was completed. The last two digits indicate the build order on that day.

 

For example, a guitar with a serial number of B35012 can be decoded as follows:

• B: Year built is 1985 (a rare find, indeed!)
  
• 350: Built on the fifteenth day of the year (365-350=15)
  
• 12: The twelfth guitar completed on this day
  

 

From this, we learn that the guitar in our example was the twelfth guitar finished on 15 JAN 1985. One of the interesting side effects of this numbering and encoding system is that guitars built later in a given year will actually have a seemingly "lower" serial number. For instance, the first guitar completed on 1 FEB 1985 would have a serial number of B33401.

 

This reverse dating scheme initially seems confusing and counterintuitive, but it is actually very effective. If you are pursuing older Heritage guitars, you would seek guitars with a low initial character, followed by a relatively high set of "date" digits, followed by low trailing "build order" digits.

[SouthpawGuy]

Just a thought ... was it produced in a leap year ?

[blueox]

"Just a thought ... was it produced in a leap year ?"

 

No leap year in 1998. Leap years were in 1996 and then 2000, etc. Using the serial number, as PunkKitty states, the build date is: Sunday, July 12, 1998. Maybe Marv was working overtime?

[FredZepp]

Yeah... there is another member here that has a 140 that shows a serial date on a Sunday... that one is a 2001 ...

 

It's a good question to bring up next week at PSP.

 

 

 

With the sometimes fuzzy serials that we see, you'll want to look close to see if any of the numbers might not be what they appear to be.....