Debonnaire Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 I have an HG-00 that was described as 1936-7 and pretty much everything seems consistent with that (ie, Brass Grovers.) The FON is hard to make out. I can't get a decent picture at the moment. If I had to guess I would say the only clear numbers are 6 and 8 but that doesn't make any sense at all... Anyways, there is a red pencil 8 under the FON. I was looking around on the forum last night and it seems only wartime models had 2-digits red-pencil suffixes. But this is pre-war and one digit...does that make sense? Sorry if this is a common FAQ sort of thing. I am new and trying to put together the story of my guitar the best I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 I have an HG-00 that was described as 1936-7 and pretty much everything seems consistent with that (ie, Brass Grovers.) The FON is hard to make out. I can't get a decent picture at the moment. If I had to guess I would say the only clear numbers are 6 and 8 but that doesn't make any sense at all... Anyways, there is a red pencil 8 under the FON. I was looking around on the forum last night and it seems only wartime models had 2-digits red-pencil suffixes. But this is pre-war and one digit...does that make sense? Sorry if this is a common FAQ sort of thing. I am new and trying to put together the story of my guitar the best I can. It's a good question, and definitely not a common FAQ sort of thing. I too associate the red pencil with wartime instruments. At any rate, I would focus less on the red pencil, and more on figuring out the FON. Also, some photos of the guitar would be good. I'm not really a flat-top guy, but there are some experts around here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 The red pencil number is the rack number. Batches totalled from 1 to about 70 depending on how many guitars were in the batch. If your red pencil number is 8 then it was the 8th in that batch. There were 1 and 2 digit batch numbers in the ~20s through 1962 when they went to serial numbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 Thanks tvguit!! I have really been enjoying your blog, BTW. I will try to get some pictures together and get them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Thanks tvguit!! I have really been enjoying your blog, BTW. I will try to get some pictures together and get them up. Thanks D. Let's see some pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 So, here is the best shot I could manage of the FON with an iphone. This is pretty much how it looks to the eye. The flash has mostly washed out the red-pencil 8, but you can still see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 To me it looks like it says "682," but the FON guides online say that FON belongs to 1933 L-Century. Here are more pics that I hope are descriptive. I love this guitar. I have to admit I bought it pretty impulsively, but I have been looking at guitars like this for 15 years. Once I realized I could actually buy one, I sort of swooped in. It wasn't a bargain, per say, but the timing was right. I need to talk to the guys at the shop because in my excitement i didn't get much of the story except that they got it off ebay over a year ago and had been waiting for somebody to show some interest before fixing it up. Conversion was done before they got it. You can see the large repaired crack by the B string. The top has several hairline cracks, but the finish is in wonderful condition. My poor photos, the lighting in my kitchen and the smudges from playing it probably don't show it in the best light. Note the back. ZERO buckle rash. Really no wear on the neck, either. I know the tuners are of some interest, so I included a pic. Also, one pic of my two 1937s together. The uke is one of the less-desirable spruce-topped ones. I adore it. There should be a "how to photograph your guitar" FAQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 TVguit - i am in Nova Scotia. Were you dealing with Tom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tvguit Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 I didn't know they made Spruce top ukes. Cool! I have a ~1929 style 1 and I love it. Those tuners look like the Grovers of the period but they don't say Grover on them.... strange. This picture was taken before I got that tuning post replaced on my 1937 GIbson L-00. I'm not familiar with Tom. Should I be? I'm in Birmingham, AL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 They actually do say Grover, but the iphone resolution is crappy. You can just see the R on the one middle left (in the pic.)In real life it is clear as day. Tom is the guy I bought the guitar from and the most likely guy around here to have the part for a rare instrument. You said in the other thread it came from Nova Scotia. Any thoughts about the FON? I know these things aren't always consistent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debonnaire Posted August 2, 2013 Author Share Posted August 2, 2013 Also, RE: the spruce-topped ukes... I don't get it either, but in the 1937 catalogue, they describe the uke-3 as having the spruce top. Until then was mahogany. It is dyed a dark colour, but has that distinctive straight grain. It is also ladder braced, which is another reason people don't think much of them. i haven't had a chance for a side-by-side comparison with a mahogany one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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