Regal Guitar Serial Numbers

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  1. Vintage Regal Guitar Models
  2. Regal Guitar Serial Numbers Dating
  3. Regal Guitars Serial Numbers
  4. Regal Resonator Guitar Serial Number
  5. Vintage Regal Guitar
  6. Regal Guitar Serial Numbers Identification
  7. Regal Resonator Guitar Serial Numbers

The number would be the last two digits of the year the guitar was made, such as 1964 and 1956 in this example. If the date stamped is before 1975, it is most likely an American-made guitar. If it is after 1975, it is an Asian guitar. Look at the shape of the guitar. National attempted to duplicate the Dopyeras' guitar designs during the Depression as Dobro instruments rose in popularity, but Dobro acquired National and gave the Regal Instrument Company of Chicago a license to manufacture and distribute Dobros. I also had a Regal resonator I got maybe 30 years ago. It doesn’t have a serial number, but I think it’s an RD-40. I used it to play slide. Did you use any amps? The rules were “entirely acoustic.” So, nothing is electric except for a pump organ. Otherwise, it’s acoustic guitars, Bob Glaub’s ’60s Kay f-hole bass, and a.

SERIAL NUMBERS LEGENDA

Unfortunally ESP didn't keep good records of old serial numbers. Many records have been lost during years and most of all were destroyed in a fire accident on late '90s in ESP Japan factory. For old guitars we can only know the exact data reading the ESP warranty card (when there is), or unscrewing the neck (if the neck is bolt on) and read under it becuse probably theres the data write on pencil). I keep record of this data in order to try to deduce other correspondences. ESP Guitar Company says: 'Unfortunately the factories at ESP Japan have not kept a consistent and sensible serial number tracking system in place over the years. This has resulted in alot of confusion, and ... you may still come across the occasional serial number that may conflict with, or doesn't fall under any of the listed categories. For this we apologize, and we are working to maintain a more consistent system going forward. The PRE-2015 system doesn't apply to early ESP's, some of which had no serial number tracking system at all and used random numbers. Thanks for your understanding.'

Vintage Regal Guitar Models


NOTES ON SERIAL NUMBERS:

- Many custom orders or first new model made did not have any serial number.
- The circle logo 'ESP CUSTOM GUITARS' on the back of the headstock is not a typical feature on ESP guitars made for the Japanese market and custom order.
- Serials from 1990 to 1996 are written in a sort of 'Times New Roman' font, otherwise are in a sort of 'Arial' font.
NOTES FOR MY WEBSITE:
- For the special/custom order guitars the description on this website are based on the 'standard set' (specs, color, construction and hardware can vary).
- The truss rod cover change from rectangular with white edges and bell with white edges to black bullet style in 1993.
- some of the ESPs have black hardware in North America and Black Nickel hardware elsewhere. It all began a few years ago with the EU and a thing called the RoHS (Regulation of Hazardous Materials) and Gotoh in Japan basically changed their production to ensure they didn’t lose the European market, and that being manufacturers who shipped to Europe, which is most everyone. They changed pretty much everything for the “export” market, and export to most makers means anything but US. Kind of a long story. They have a way of producing black again now so expect it to all go back to the way most of us prefer over time.
---------- Before year 2000 ----------
(esp
Regal Guitar Serial Numbers


7 or 8 DIGITS stamped in the back of the headstock:
(D)DMMYNNN
DD= day of the month (01 to 31)
MM= month (01 to 12)
Y= last digit of the year (ex: 1992 = 2)
NNN = production number 000 to 999 resetted every year

EXAMPLE: the code of my MX-250 25023072 means the manufacturing date is 25.02.1993 and it was the 72nd guitar producted that year.

NOTES:

- year '7' can be 1987 or 1997, '8' can be 1988 or 1998, '9' can be 1989 or 1999! You have to look at the models in production that year.

- sometimes in old guitars (80s early 90s) 1st and/or 3rd digit is missing when is '0' and the result is serials with 6 or 7 digits (ex. 3038467 or 338467 → means 03.03.1988 number 467)

- lot of old esp's does not have any serial on the back of the headstock. If you are lucky you can find a serial written on pencil where the body is bolted to the neck (or in the neck also) or in one of the pickup cavities.


SERIAL UNDER PICKUPS:

MM= month (01 to 12)

For example my MX-220 have serial '#80129' that means was made the 08-1991 number 29)


5 DIGITS punched in the bolt plate (for the bolt on versions).
NOTE:Follow this reference may not be accurate because probably they printed a certain number of plates and then put on guitars in a random manner, without noticing consecutive numeration. This is the reason why we can easilu find guitars with the bolt plate referring to a year or two before or after respect the serial printed on the back of the headstock. To have an exact dating of this guitars you have to unscrew the neck and look at the date could be written below.

Regal Guitar Serial Numbers Dating

1988 -
1989 - 592XX
1990 -
1991 -
1992 - 601XX --> 618XX
1993 - 619XX --> 912XX
1994 - 166XX --> 183XX
1995 - 191XX --> 244XX
1996 - 257XX --> 261XX
1997 - 273XX --> 294XX
1998 - 301XX --> 357XX
1999 - 339XX --> 369XX
2000 - 379XX --> 387XX
2001 - 388XX --> 416XX
2002 - 402XX
2003 - 4170X




8 DIGITS stamped in the back of the headstock:
PPYYWWDNN

Regal Guitars Serial Numbers

(stamped on the back of the headstock).

Regal Resonator Guitar Serial Number

PP = place of manufacture:

K = ESP Kiso Factory (Japan) / set-neck and neck-thru only;

S = ESP Sado Factory (Japan) / bolt-on only;

T = ESP Takada Factory (Japan) / ESP Custom Shop

SS = ESP Standard Factory / Signature Series or Standard Series

Regal resonator guitar serial numbers

CH = Craft House

CS = Craft House (used rarely)

TH = Technical House

N = Nagano Factory

YY = last two digits of the year
WW = week of the year (max.52)
D = day of that week: 1 = monday, 2 = tuesday,... (max.7)
NN = number off the line that day (max.99)
EXAMPLE: the code of my MX-250 K0604202 means the manufacturing date is 24.01.2006 and it was the 2nd guitar built that day.


Vintage Regal Guitar


8 DIGITS stamped in the back of the headstock:
BNNNNYYP
NNNN= production number
YY = last two digits of the year
1 - Custom Series
2 - Original Series and Signatures Series (i.e. guitars produced by the Custom Shop that are production models)

Many bluesmen started out on Regalresonator guitars, now you can get a great quality Regal again foramazinglylow prices.

Instruments currently produced inKorea. Distributed by Saga Musical Instruments of San Francisco,California. Original Regal instruments produced beginning 1896 inIndianapolis, Indiana. Regal reappeared in Chicago, Illinois in 1908,possibly tied to Lyon and Healy (WASHBURN). U.S. production wascentered in Chicago from 1908 through the late 1960s. Models from themid 1950s to the late 1960s produced in Chicago, Illinois by theHarmony company. Some Regal models licensed to Fender, and someappear with Fender logo during the late 1950s to mid 1960s (prior toFender´s own flat-top and Coronado series).

Emil Wulschner was a retailer andwholesaler in Indianapolis, Indiana during the 1880s. In the early1890s he added his stepson to the company, and changed the name to'Wulschner and Son'. They opened a factory around 1896 to buildguitars and mandolins under three different trademarks: Regal,University, and 20th Century. Though Wulschner passed away in 1900,the factory continued on through 1902 or 1903 under control of alarger corporation. The business end of the company let it go whenthe economy faltered during those final years. This is the end of theoriginal Regal trademarked instruments.

In 1904 Lyon & Healy (WASHBURN)purchased the rights to the Regal trademark, thousands of completedand works in progress instruments, and the company stockpile of rawmaterials. A new Regal company debuted in Chicago, Illinois in 1908(it is not certain what happened during those four years) and it issupposed that they were tied to Lyon & Healy. The new companymarketed ukuleles and tenor guitars, but not 6-stringguitars.

However, experts have agreed thatRegal built guitar models for other labels (Bruno, Weyman, Stahl, andLyon & Healy) during the 1910-1920 era. Regal eventuallyannounced that their six string models would be distributed through anumber of wholesalers.

In 1930, the Tonk Bros. Companyacquired the rights to the Washburn trademark when the then-currentholder (J. R. Stewart Co.) went bankrupt. Regal bought the rights tothe Stewart and LeDomino names from Tonk Bros., and was makingfretted instruments for all three trademarks. Also in the early1930s, Regal had licensed the use of Dobro resonators in a series ofguitars. In 1934 they acquired the rights to manufacture Dobro brandinstruments when National-Dobro moved to Chicago from California.Regal then announced that they would be joining the name brand guitarproducers that sold direct to dealers in 1938. Regal was, in effect,another producer of 'house brand' guitars prior to World WarII.

It has been estimated by one sourcethat Regal-built Dobros stopped in 1940, and were not built from thenon. During World War II, guitar production lines were converted tothe war effort. After the war, the Regal Musical Instrumentcompany´s production was not as great as the pre- war productionamounts. In 1954 the trademark and company fixtures were sold toHarmony. Harmony and Kay, were the other major producers of HouseBrand instruments. Regal guitars were licensed to Fender in the late1950s, and some of the Harmony built 'Regals' were rebranded with theFender logo. This agreement continued up until the mid 1960s, whenFender introduced their own flat-top guitars.

Regal Guitar Serial Numbers Identification

In 1987, Saga Musical Instrumentsreintroduced the Regal trademark to the U.S. market. Regal now offersa traditional resonator guitar in both a round neck and square neckversions. Saga, located in San Francisco, also offers the Blueridgeline of acoustic instruments, as well as mandolins, and stringedinstrument parts and replacement pieces.(Early Regal history courtesyJohn Teagle, Washburn: Over One Hundred Years of Fine StringedInstruments. This noteworthy book brilliantly unravels core historiesof Washburn, Regal, and Lyon & Healy and is a recommended mustread to guitar collectors.)

Regal Resonator Guitar Serial Numbers

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