Emmons PP ser #'s

Larry Behm · From: Mt Angel, Or 97362

What would #6400D tell you? When did they change the numbering system in the 80's and what did they start with?

Jack, are you there?

Larry Behm
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'70 D10 Black fatback Emmons PP, Hilton VP, BJS bars, Boss GE-7 for Dobro effect, Zoom MS50G, Planet Wave cables, Quilter 202 Toneblock, Telonics 15” speaker.

Phone: 971-219-8533

Herb Steiner · From: Spicewood TX 78669

It would tell me "very early 80's." My 1983 guitar is #6620.

I would like to know when the 6000 series took over from the 2000. Somewhere around LeGrande time I'd think, but the LeGrandes had a totally different numbering system.
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My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

This is a good subject.

For a long time the Emmons serial number chart that was posted on the Carter website was used to date D10 p/p's. But, even though such a listing can often be only approximate, that particular chart proved to be very inaccurate.

The problem, though, is that there isn't any printed source or help available (that I know of) to help date an Emmons D10, let alone S10's and other models. Yes, one can write the company and, time permitting, they often get back with you. But it would be nice if someone put forth a method or flow-chart that could assist an owner in reasonably dating their Emmons.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

I have posted on the forum the dates, or two month ballparks, for the five serial number schemes used on the 1960s.
Forum search.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Tom Palmer · From: East Wenatchee, WA USA (deceased)

I don't know if will help but my 1987 Push Pull was 6743 and my 1980 Push Pull is 2856-D.

I have edited this to the correct serial number. For some reason I copied an Invoice number by mistake. Sorry about that.

Eric Philippsen · From: Central Florida USA

Chris,

I'm sorry, I missed that posting of yours on the 60's s/n's.

Would you put a link to that here, please?

THanks.

Larry Nemec · From: Fulshear Texas, USA

Found this in another post.

I have been advised privately these numbers are not accurate.

Charlie Paterno · From: Westerly, Rhode Island, USA

I own #6461. I bought it new in March 1982

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

I still wonder what earthly reason Emmons company changed the numbers three different times. From invoice number to the D serial numbers and then to the 6000's. Just doesn't make sense to me.
When the Legrands started, they could have started over for them but I think they are all messed up too so really, all you can get is a vague idea of when your guitar was made.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

Emmons has had five or six different numbering schemes, not three.

The earliest is likely just for two prototypes that never left the factory and my Number 2 guitar, which is ES130002.

Then came the month-year-number scheme, where you have guitars like Billy Cooper's 464001 for April 1964 number 1, or 764005 for July 1964 #5 or 864003 and 864006 which are both August -- the first month with multiple guitars. Obviously, you can see that the number of the guitar for these first few does not mean which order they left the factory. This scheme lasted until probably May 1965 with guitar #23 -- still all Wraparounds.

Then you had invoice number guitars from the rest of 1965 until mid 1967.

Then the Ds started, although I have seen two guitars -- 1002 and I think 1003 that should have Ds but do not, so maybe the first day or so they did not think of using Ds?

then came the 6000 at the LeGrande era? I do not know much about Emmons after they narrowed the pedal spacing in 73 or so..

If you want an idea when your guitar was made, the features are more important than the serial number. The serial number is a number, the features are what makes the sound, and whether the guitar was built with jigs, has hollow necks, the kind of changer fingers and how the changer is attached, and the size of the D10 cabinet etc.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Henry Matthews · From: Texarkana, Ark USA

Thanks Chris, I was hoping you would chime in about the serial number scheme. Still don't see reason for changing schemes so much except for prototype which I understand and then the Legrand.
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Henry Matthews

D-10 Magnum, 8 &5, dark rose color
D-10 1974 Emmons cut tail, fat back,rosewood, 8&5
Nashville 112 amp, Fishman Loudbox Performer amp, Hilton pedal, Goodrich pedal,BJS bar, Kyser picks, Live steel Strings. No effects, doodads or stomp boxes.

Chris Lucker · From: Los Angeles, California USA

If you think about it, numbering your guitars with month and year and number is fine when your eighth month is the first with more than a single guitar ( August 1964 with both number 3 and number 6).
Invoice numbers are fine, maybe internally, but you cannot tell me if invoice number 2286 is a red belly black mica D10 Bolt-On built on. wraparound cabinet or if it is a single spare 0.054 string because a Terry Thomas ran out of dental floss on his eighty day trip around the world.
Then Norlin came into distribution, so you need some sensible way to track what leaves the Factory, in higher numbers than before.
I do not know much after the simple Ds.

Geeze in a few days I have made references to both Joanie aeration of the San Francisco Bay Bombers and Terry Thomas and no responses. Don't make me revive Lancelot Link Secret Chimp.
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Chris Lucker
Red Bellies, Bigsbys and a lot of other guitars.

Bob Hamilton · From: California Central Coast

For the record, Lance Link cracked me up every show..

Skip Edwards · From: LA,CA

Terry Thomas... I was told (by Jonathan Winters, no less) that the screwball character he played in "It's A Mad,Mad,Mad,Mad World" was taken from a real-life eccentric Brit who was a desert rat that went around in an old jeep collecting cacti.
Also enjoyed his vignette with Jayne Mansfield in "Guide For The Married Man".
Always brought a smile to my face.

How's that for getting off the original topic?

So, to get back on... I kinda wish that every p/p that gets posted for sale would include the serial # in the ad. These gtrs are most likely to be really collectible long after we're all gone, and provenance might be an important factor.

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