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When you tell people how many guitars you've made, do you include the kit or two you started with? How about the experimental ones that didn't really turn out well?

I don't think it matters. I never did build from a kit but I sure have built some crappy experimental guitars. I count them none the less.

I don't count the kit guitar I started on. I'm not sure it really matters though. I'm sure you learned a lot from kit guitars, so that counts for something.

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-Marcus
http://www.bailieguitars.com
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Frankenstein, now I have a new model name to use when necessary.

It seems to me that numbering your guitars allows you to quantify, in some tangible term, the amount of experience you have attained. Whether that experience is due to a great success or an epic failure, it all counts towards your forward progression as a guitar maker.... IMHO. I number them all, even if they end up on the burn pile...

I am just finishing up my second guitar, both from 'kits' (a misnomer if there ever was one!). If I didn't count my kit guitars, I would have build zero guitars up until now.... If I told my friends and family that I hadn't built any guitars they would think I was on the funny weed.

Kits and experiments count. But if you make a prototyping body and retop it several times, does each top count as a new instrument? I'm thinking probably not.

Another thing I've been debating is... how do I number steel string, nylon string, archtop, electric, bass, harp guitar, violin, viola da gamba? I'm thinking I'll just number sequentially regardless of type, so they're all unique, and don't worry about numbers as an experience marker. But I have thought about a coding system, giving total instruments built plus number of the specific type. Say, 7SS4 for 7th instrument, 4th steel string guitar. Maybe work the year of completion in there as well. But I think I prefer a simple #7, and date separately on the label.

I started with my first kit as 001. What I don't like is labeling #1 as 101. I've seen that done. I've sub-classed for different types. My first reso was something like 030-R1 and my first archtop 043-AR1

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

i decided, don´t actually remember why, that my first 5 guitars will have letters instead of numbers, and afterwards i´ll start numbering them. that way my "first" guitar won´t be a complete piece of sh&te.

cheers,
Miguel.

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member of the guild of professional dilettantes

I number as such: 75C35; 76E23; 77S44

The first number is, my 75th guitar; Classical; 35th Classical

E = Electric
S = steal string

Now here is a problem for you, the guitar I am finishing up now for a customer is an electric guitar but the customer bought the through the body neck. So I'm just building the body and shaping the blank headstock.

I won't count that as a guitar I don't think.

LOL you'd think after all these years too. dang English!

Must be an activity I guess.

Number the guitars I built? Never occurred to me.
I did name a few, and I regret to say that I didn't photograph all of the ones I built once they were done. (had to get back to work on the next job)
I know I built bodies for necks, and I built necks for bodies, and sometimes I built necks and bodies for each other.
I can tell you all about the first one I built, and all about the last one - but I might not remember all the ones in the middle.
Did I number my guitars? Nope. Maybe I should have.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

How do you guys do numbering if you build other instruments in addition to guitars? Let's say you start out building 5 dulcimers, then 10 guitars, then bouzoukis and mandolins, then more guitars, or something.

I'm building dulcimers now but I wonder how to number when I start guitars. I may just keep it simple and go in consecutive numerical order and keep good notes on each instrument. Also, I want to include the dulcimers in the mix as I have learned alot from building them (and realize I still have alot to learn!).

The Larsons jsut numbered stuff .. no matter what he style or model .... my early ones had consequtive numbers, starting at one. But now I use year and number completed that year, like 0707 or 1006 .. with numbers like these, no one can tell how many I have made .. but now that i am getting known, and I am closing fast on one hundred, they dont care anyway ...

I did have a guy ask me a couple years back whether my serial numbers meant anything .. I told him yes ... and nothing else !!!! Maybe if he would have bought one, I would have explained it to him

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

for someone who can still count them on one hand I did spend way to much time thinking about this, but in the end settled on simple Number + date no matter what shape, style or type

So The first was

001-1108 (November 2008 completion), two was 002-0611 (yes its taken that long ) and so on... thankfully 3 and 4 will probably also get an '11 number