Serial numbers can be useful in determining the year of manufacture of a guitar or amp. But due to incomplete registrations and illogical serial numbers, its history is often unclear. With the help of the serial number decoder, tables and instructions are the year and location of the largest well-known brands.
Serial numbers can be useful in determining the year of manufacture of a guitar or amp. But due to incomplete registrations and illogical serial numbers, its history is often unclear. With the help of the serial number decoder, tables and instructions are the year and location of the largest well-known brands. My Ovation Celebrity CC057 has a 7 digit serial number and I can't seem to find it. If you can help me out to figure out it's year that would be great. I doubt the American branch reply which was based solely on the serial number - I didn't send a picture. Their reply was that it was made in 1979 but I doubt this as none of the Applause guitars I've seen in the catalogue around that era had oval inlays. Seeking information about my vintage Ovation Applause AA-31 acoustic guitar. Serial # 134919. Ovation date-finder says 1978 for this serial number but I've also been told that production in Korea did not occur until the early 1980's. Would love to clarify this and even find a print ad or brochure with this guitar.
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Serial Number Decoder - Rickenbacker
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| Older Applause Guitar - help ID model? Pics inside | ||
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| Forums Archive ->The Vault: 2007 | Message format | |
Serial Number Decoder
| dodgy haro |
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Joined: December 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Brisbane, Australia | Hi ppl, First post and I may be in danger of getting on everyone's wrong side as the guitar concerned is not an Ovation but an Applause. Sorry! Picked it up tonight off Ebay for about $60USD which is one of my better bargains yet. If anyone has hints on how to keep it from slipping when playing sitting down, I'm all ears. It has a low action and reminds me of my old Epiphone PR5e electro acoustic I gave to a mate before he went overseas on a Christian mission. Unfortunately one of the previous owners of this guitar has blotted the model number out ... the serial number is '073363' and the sticker inside says 'A Kaman product ~ Applause Model # ...' What gets me is that it does not say where it's made (I suspect Korea) and the head on the model is like the older AA-14 models however the fret board is certainly not aluminium but conventional rosewood with normal frets. Seems to be normal sized with a mid-depth bowl. If anyone can offer any input, it'd be greatly appreciated! | |
| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14069 Location: 6 String Ranch | It's one of the earlier Korean models, I don't remember the model number. Looks to be in pretty good shape | |
| cliff |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14836 Location: NJ | First of all, even though it's an Applause, it IS an Ovation . . . Secondly, while I personally can't help with 'I.D.ing' it, let me COMMEND you on your first post!! Concise, polite, and you EVEN posted clear, descriptive PHOTOS right off the bat!!! I think we should make you Member of the Week!!!! Welcome! | |
| brainslag |
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Joined: April 2006 Posts: 1138 Location: CT | A little dab of alcohol on a Q-tip may take the magic marker off. Dont scrub to hard, or it may start taking the blue dye off too. I can't come up with a reason why someone would want to cover up the model number. | |
| dodgy haro |
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Joined: December 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Brisbane, Australia | Thanks everyone for your useful comments ... I'm feeling a lot more welcome here! :) I have narrowed it down I think - it looks likely to be an AE-36 model I think from the mid 1980's. The oval inlays and blue label inside are the distinctive features I believe. Strangely enough, I also got a quick reply from Kaman which said 1979 from the serial number but I doubt this is correct because I understand the original Applauses (AA-14 etc) were still from the US but had the aluminium frets. Can't wait to fit some elixir strings and plug in this beauty tomorrow. I am hoping that the years have matured whatever pieces of wood are on the guitar ... Lol ... | |
| schroeder |
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Joined: November 2004 Posts: 4413 | Nice bikini. | |
| cliff |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14836 Location: NJ | & tissues nearby . . . | |
| Mark in Boise |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12700 Location: Boise, Idaho | I thought they changed the headstock by the early 80s. Can't help you on keeping it from slipping off your lap. I've never had the problem and I never use good form. Just keep your leg parallel to the ground or raised a little. I think they are much more comfortable to play than flat guitars. | |
| alan814 |
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Joined: May 2007 Posts: 166 Location: Veedersburg, Indiana | I can't help id the model either, but I bought my first roundback in 83 (it also was an Applause) and it had the same headstock. It was a nice guitar and gave me lots of enjoyment until I finally got a USA made model. Now I'm back to an Applause and a Celebrity. Nice grab by the way. | |
| fillhixx |
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Joined: November 2005 Posts: 4806 Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Definitely Member Of The Week! 'Course, it's half over. Somewhere in here one of us mentioned a stick on patch similar to the thing that used to come one the shiny-backs. Failing other choices I'd glue a patch of slip-not in place. You kind find it anyplace they sell carpet/rugs and hardware stores. The Applesauce can be a fine instrument. And you need never feel inclined to baby it by not taking it to the beach, camping, or drunken frat parties at that price. Is the top solid or plywood? | |
| Tupperware |
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Joined: January 2005 Posts: 4903 Location: Phoenix AZ | 3M stair tread tape. Comes in a 1' wide roll. Black color. It's got a rough, almost sand-like finish to it. Cut about a 6' piece and stick it on where the guitar rests on your knee. I've installed it on the steering wheel of my car and can navigate the busiest of roundabouts whilst still managing to eat a Big-Mac and complete the NY Times crossword. Dave | |
| cliff |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14836 Location: NJ | That's gotta be the most ABSURD thing you've EVER posted, Dave . . . | |
| cliff |
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Joined: March 2002 Posts: 14836 Location: NJ | . . . the way YOU spell, . . you've NEVER completed the NY Times Crossword. | |
| Mark in Boise |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12700 Location: Boise, Idaho | As usual, I disagree with Cliff. Dave has posted many more absurd things. I didn't notice any stair tread tape on Dave's steering wheel, though. Nor do I recall seeing any roundabouts in Arizona. | |
| Jérôme |
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Joined: March 2004 Posts: 1387 Location: Paris/France | If I'm right, it's an Applause AE-36-HS (Honey Sunburst). Acoustic electric, cutaway, no pickguard, 2 knobs pre-amp and oval inlay at the 12th fret. Not sure of the year of production but probably from the late 70's / mid 80's... :rolleyes: J :) | |
| Beal |
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Joined: January 2002 Posts: 14069 Location: 6 String Ranch | They didn't go to Koreah till the mid 80's. The first trip to korea looking for factories wasn't till April of 82, I remember it well. Production started in 83. I'd guess this is a 85-87 guitar. After this peghead was the Hollow-Point Solution pegheads and then they switched again to what they have now. The Hollow-Point was 89-90. | |
| dodgy haro |
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Joined: December 2007 Posts: 3 Location: Brisbane, Australia | Originally posted by schroeder: Nice bikini. Originally posted by cliff: Lol ... I sense an American Pie moment coming ... :o & tissues nearby . . . Just a quick update ... you wouldn't believe the response I got from both the Kaman American and Canadian divisions. Both replied within an hour of me emailing them making it the quickest customer response I've ever received from a business ever! I doubt the American branch reply which was based solely on the serial number - I didn't send a picture. Their reply was that it was made in 1979 but I doubt this as none of the Applause guitars I've seen in the catalogue around that era had oval inlays. The reply from the Canadian branch was better and I'll place more faith in it ... apparently it is an AE-28-1 model in factory SB sunburst colour. It came from Korea but is dated around the early to mid 1980's. I'm really happy as I originally thought this was a late 90's model from China. Whilst ppl used to look down on Japanese made guitars when they first came out, they are now just as well regarded as their counterparts. I am also beginning to see a similar response to Korean made guitars, particularly ones such as the Squier Protone strats etc. Thanks for your help everyone! Back to playing again ... and some tissues ... :eek: | |
| seesquare |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3233 Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | I just received an Applause AE-38, sans top, identical neck & electronics, only with a shallow cutaway bowl. No serial #, sorry. I'll probably post pictures of the reconstruction. Stay tuned. |
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Guitar Lookup By Serial Number
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