[Caroline64]

Picked up this all-original '64 MM D DC last November. Love her to death, she gets played every day. Weighs practically nothing (not even 7 pounds) and probably the most resonant solidbody I've played (probably due to the one-piece body and one-piece neck).

Serial number is 236862, for those who want to know.

But something's puzzled me ever since I bought it. On the back of the headstock, perpendicular to the serial number, there's another series of numbers hand-carved between the machine head plates. The number is *snip*(could also be *snip*, the first "1" is kinda sketchy).

Any idea what these numbers could mean? Possibly something only the carver would know? I'll include a pic of the numbers, and a crappy pic of the guitar as well.

Peace

-Ryan

(P.S. I'll answer any questions you have about the guitar!)

[L5Larry]

It's the Social Security number of a previous owner. Insurance companies and police departments used to tell us to engrave our SS# on all our valuables in order to deter selling/fencing/pawning of stolen goods, and to help ID recovered items.

Of course in retrospect it was a really bad idea to publish your SS# in such a way, but no one knew any better at the time. SS#'s were used in many ways for personal ID such as student ID numbers, and drivers license numbers.

And as we talk about serial number code systems and pot codes and such, your SS# is also a code. The first three digits are the office from which it was issued, the next two numbers are a code for the year issued, and the last four are the sequential number of cards issued from that office that year.

[Caroline64]

Never thought of that...I'll just go remove that picture and the number now... Thanks a lot.

-Ryan