Does the factory work over the weekend?

[Teeky]

I thought it was about time to create some small logbooks for the Heritages to track string changes, luthier visits, mods and so on. On the first page I note the important facts - the model, pickup details, serial number, vendor, purchase price and date.

 

I thought I would decode the manufactured date and include that alongside the serial number, W21001. This works out as (365 - 210 = 155) June 4th 2006 (and the first completed that day).

 

This day turns out to be a Sunday.

 

Is this correct? Or have I worked it out incorrectly?

 

Has anyone else ever discovered a manufacture day of Sunday (or Saturday) upon decoding their serial number?

 

[HANGAR18]

No. Must be an error in the algorithm or elsewhere.

[Teeky]

Right, that's encouraging if Sunday is wrong.

 

But where's it gone wrong? The algorithm is straightforward enough. I even thought ah it would be different for a Leap Year, but 2006 wasn't.

 

I'm baffled. Could it have been worked out wrong at the factory?

[Kuz]

They work 7AM-3:30PM M-TR EST

 

They are closed Fri, Sat, Sun.

[Teeky]

That proves that they are real artisans and not like robots! I wonder what the work ethic is in G land?

[Kuz]

About 7 years ago they stopped working on Fridays to reduce costs and because the demand just didn't justify it. But yes, they get their early coffee and get a cracking.

[HANGAR18]

I hear that sometimes they don't even work on weekdays if it is deer season.

[Kuz]

I hear that sometimes they don't even work on weekdays if it is deer season.

 

Not during "shotgun" deer season, and off for two week correlating with July 4. A man (and a woman) need to fish as well!!!

[Guest HRB853370]

 

Not during "shotgun" deer season, and off for two week correlating with July 4. A man (and a woman) need to fish as well!!!

Wow, how do they keep the "union" out!!!

[DetroitBlues]

I think it's more or less a human error... Worst things have happened I'm sure.....

[Kuz]

I think it's more or less a human error... Worst things have happened I'm sure.....

 

Huh????

[Kuz]

Wow, how do they keep the "union" out!!!

A union for 10 people??? I think they are just glad they have a job for now.

[Beagle216]

 

I think it's more or less a human error... Worst things have happened I'm sure.....

 

 

Huh????

 

I think he was referring to the original question about the serial number. Probably just an error. Yours was either made that Friday or that Monday. Somebody just forgot what day it was or didn't advance the stamp far enough when they came to work Monday. =)

[HANGAR18]

I thought it was about time to create some small logbooks for the Heritages to track string changes, luthier visits, mods and so on. On the first page I note the important facts - the model, pickup details, serial number, vendor, purchase price and date.

 

I thought I would decode the manufactured date and include that alongside the serial number, W21001. This works out as (365 - 210 = 155) June 4th 2006 (and the first completed that day).

 

This day turns out to be a Sunday.

 

Is this correct? Or have I worked it out incorrectly?

 

Has anyone else ever discovered a manufacture day of Sunday (or Saturday) upon decoding their serial number?

 

Can you upload a very good photo of the back of the headstock so we can get a good look at the actual serial number as it appears there?

I seem to remember buying a Heritage guitar one time where it was listed as being really old but then upon re-examining the serial number more closely, it turned out that the first letter character was actually a different letter than what we originally thought it was. As a result, the guitar I bought turned out to be a lot newer than what I thought it was. (I don't remember which guitar.) The stamps they used at the factory would get a slittle smudgy and hard to read at times so if we all get to look at the S# for ourselves, perhaps we will interpret the number differently. (I'd also like to see the back of the neck at the 3rd fret area too.)

[Teeky]

I think he was referring to the original question about the serial number. Probably just an error. Yours was either made that Friday or that Monday. Somebody just forgot what day it was or didn't advance the stamp far enough when they came to work Monday. =)

Thanks Beagle216, that's a good logical argument about the stamp being not set correctly.

 

Hangar18, yup I'll get some pics up soon. (I did check against the inside label as well).

[MartyGrass]

There are some folks at Heritage on Fridays working. It's not an official factory day though.

 

I'd check the label SN with the headstock to see if there is a discrepancy. I would be more surprised if the headstock was wrong than the label.

 

Isn't there a Heritage policy that if your SN is incorrect, you get a free guitar of your choosing?

[PunkKitty]

I used to have a H170 that supposedly was finished on December 31, 1985. I can't see the factory working on NYE. I had another one that traced back to being finished on a Sunday. Serial number anomalies happen.

[Teeky]

Can you upload a very good photo of the back of the headstock so we can get a good look at the actual serial number as it appears there?

I seem to remember buying a Heritage guitar one time where it was listed as being really old but then upon re-examining the serial number more closely, it turned out that the first letter character was actually a different letter than what we originally thought it was. As a result, the guitar I bought turned out to be a lot newer than what I thought it was. (I don't remember which guitar.) The stamps they used at the factory would get a slittle smudgy and hard to read at times so if we all get to look at the S# for ourselves, perhaps we will interpret the number differently. (I'd also like to see the back of the neck at the 3rd fret area too.)

Here you go.

 

Photos of back of headstock,

back of neck at 3rd fret???,

and inside label.

[rockabilly69]

A union for 10 people??? I think they are just glad they have a job for now.

That's how I feel all the time!!!

[HANGAR18]

Here you go.

 

Photos of back of headstock, IMAG0678.jpg

back of neck at 3rd fret???,IMAG0684.jpg

and inside label. Image2.jpg

Hmm, that's interesting. I know the sticker says W for the year but what if the first character on the headstock is actually a V (2005) instead of a W (2006)? What day does the date of manufacture fall on if the year V is used? Maybe the person who wrote the serial number by hand made a mistake when looking at the squishy stamp on the headstock. That first character looks more like a V to me than a W.

[Teeky]

Right, for year V, the 155th day is June 4, 2005 which is a Saturday. So that's not a solution.

I have another Heritage with a W year and that is clearer but still pretty squished up. It must just be the way the stamp is made.

 

OK, I give up. What gives with the back of the neck around the 3rd fret?

[H]

 

OK, I give up. What gives with the back of the neck around the 3rd fret?

Three is a magic number. Yes it is, yes it is

[LK155]

Here's what a 'W' looks like when you can actually read it....

 

 

 

Any chance that serial number starts with an 'N'?

 

 

Edit....OK, sorry, just looked at pic of the label serial number....definitely a 'W'.

[TalismanRich]

I doubt that they would mistakenly do a W on the label during the year V. Its not like they alternate. 210 days would be months into a year, and they would know they would be doing all Ws.

 

I'm guessing a mistake in the numbering. That could be done very easily... just look at the wrong day on the calendar.

[StephenK]

Come on, does it really matter? How it plays and feels is all that counts?