Serial Number Inside Guitar?
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Serial Number Inside Guitar?
I am wondering if RIC has ever considered having the serial number placed inside of their instruments as well. While people who wish to be fradulent will always find away to eliminate all formal attempts by a manufacturer to date an instrument, a serial number protected on the inside would be helpful for many in dating an instrument in the legitimate cases where modifications have taken place over the years or excessive wear has made serial identification impossible.
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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This was talked about when I worked there.
In a Jeff "Skunk" Baxter article on 'Purchasing A Guitar',he asked the same question.At the time Jeff was playing in the 'Steeley Dan' band and was on his way to the 'Doobie Brothers'.
He was tired of getting his own gear stolen and posed the question of some kind of hidden plate that when X-rayed at the airport ,you would see the factory 'hidden' ID .
At the time it was a nice thought but the how to do it and the cost of it ...
Well with todays scanning devices the cost and method would be considerably less,but the same question is posed....if you know where the ID is ,then so does the criminal ans if it can be installed ,then it can be removed.
So having two serial numbers in an instrument also get to be a headache as far as tracking .
If in the wood shop the 'hidden' number is installed ,then after all the work is completed and you end at the assembly bench and now you must find the matching jack plate,and this is for the 45 to 100 instruments per day ,scan the guitars and make sure you have all the correct ones ,and what if one the guitars has a neck problem and it needs to be cut up ?
More headache ...tracking the now unused number .
In an amplifier or a car you could install all the numbers at once and it would be easy ....but on a guitar ,it might be more of a hassle than it is worth.
In a Jeff "Skunk" Baxter article on 'Purchasing A Guitar',he asked the same question.At the time Jeff was playing in the 'Steeley Dan' band and was on his way to the 'Doobie Brothers'.
He was tired of getting his own gear stolen and posed the question of some kind of hidden plate that when X-rayed at the airport ,you would see the factory 'hidden' ID .
At the time it was a nice thought but the how to do it and the cost of it ...
Well with todays scanning devices the cost and method would be considerably less,but the same question is posed....if you know where the ID is ,then so does the criminal ans if it can be installed ,then it can be removed.
So having two serial numbers in an instrument also get to be a headache as far as tracking .
If in the wood shop the 'hidden' number is installed ,then after all the work is completed and you end at the assembly bench and now you must find the matching jack plate,and this is for the 45 to 100 instruments per day ,scan the guitars and make sure you have all the correct ones ,and what if one the guitars has a neck problem and it needs to be cut up ?
More headache ...tracking the now unused number .
In an amplifier or a car you could install all the numbers at once and it would be easy ....but on a guitar ,it might be more of a hassle than it is worth.
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
I can see, given all the pitfalls you have described, that such an ID installation is not as easy as meets the eye. I was thinking, however, that simply writing this number on the inside would help future owners of instruments in cases where fraud is not an issue. It is such an easy thing to do, I am wondering how it could hurt?
Life, as with music, often requires one to let go of the melody and listen to the rhythm
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Please join the Official RickResource Forum Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/379271585440277
I think that anyone who owns an instrument should indeed write the serial number in the guitar someplace that is not stock.
For lots of customers ,i have taken a long dental bit and scribed the number in a place that to remove it might cause someone to go through the structure and cause considerable damage.That is ...in the bottom of a route (the switch are of a Fender)
In a Rick I would remove the bridge pickup and write it on the back of the body inside (360 or 325 type body) and in the basses under the bridge pickup .
All of these work great.
David Axt should get involved in this discussion and talk of the recovery of a bass that has happened in my shop.
This involved the original owners business card under the pickguard.
For lots of customers ,i have taken a long dental bit and scribed the number in a place that to remove it might cause someone to go through the structure and cause considerable damage.That is ...in the bottom of a route (the switch are of a Fender)
In a Rick I would remove the bridge pickup and write it on the back of the body inside (360 or 325 type body) and in the basses under the bridge pickup .
All of these work great.
David Axt should get involved in this discussion and talk of the recovery of a bass that has happened in my shop.
This involved the original owners business card under the pickguard.
So you too want yours "ALAPWOB"?!?!
For a few years now, the serial number has appeared on each of our electric guitars in four places: the jackplate, the barcode sticker inside, printed inside with a special indelible ink, and finally in an electronic format which I won't discuss.
The barcode sticker, by the way, is considered to be for our own use up to the point of shipment, so we don't lose any sleep if it detaches itself over time as ve haf our vays to get the serial number later.
Our acoustic guitars omit the jackplate number, obviously, and the inked version has some special security features, to make it more secure.
The barcode sticker, by the way, is considered to be for our own use up to the point of shipment, so we don't lose any sleep if it detaches itself over time as ve haf our vays to get the serial number later.
Our acoustic guitars omit the jackplate number, obviously, and the inked version has some special security features, to make it more secure.