Serial-numbers of ARTWOODS from 1978 to 1983

[kwk]

Hello,

I found this forum and I would like to mention that I own a Artwood 70 LT.

I bought it in Novemnber 1980 in Stuttgart. It has the Serial Numbert 91101231 and it is the 119th from 120.

Last year I moved to the US for a several year assignment and the guitar has moved too. The dry air here didn't do well to it. The bottom broke. But thanks to Sam Ash's guitar worker it is fixed and the guitar sounds still great.

I hope this is something for the statistics. Pictures will follow if needed.

[chazmo]

Greetings, KWK!  Ah, an original owner of the AW-70 LT...  Cool!  It seems indeed like Meinl brought these specifically into Germany.

I'm sorry to hear about the cracking...  That is very common for our mahogany-backed guitars.  Where are you living in the US?  Certainly, dry winters in the northeast are a danger, as I'm sure is the normally dry weather in the southwest.  Be sure to humidify your guitar in the future.

I'd love to see some detailed pictures, KWK, particularly of the soundhole label and the neck brand, but also of the whole guitar.  Wolfgang's LT is on his site: http://www.kreativ-lab.de/artwood/originale.html

[chazmo]

ooops, repost.

[TAMA-FAN]

Hi, kwk!

Welcome here. Good to see another member from Germany

Of course we want to see some pictures of such a beautiful guitar.

We see you...............Manni

[kwk]

Hello,

I live close to new York City in Westchester County for the next couple of years.

I have to work on how I cann attache pictures.

Regards

kwk

[chazmo]

I'm just a bit north of you in Massachusetts KWK.  We definitely have a dry area in the winter months.  Most heating systems in the northeast do not humidify the air.  It is important for us to humidify our guitars, particularly the solid wood ones.  Again, welcome to ICW!

[jwilliams]

Just thought I would jump in here.  I have AW-60 number 90608025.  I'm the original owner.  Love the guitar.
- Regards

[florisbergstroom]

Hi

I own a Series I AW-70, serial number 90911191

I bought it in Amsterdam, I think in early 1980.

At the time I tried out this one and a couple of Tama guitars they had in the shop, and preferred the sound of this one. There was also an AW-90, but that was beyond my budget. I think I paid about 1000 dutch guilders for it, but can't remember exactly.

It sounds rich and warm. It's still nice to play, though the neck is in need of some adjustment. Sadly, or stupidly, I had a potimeter installed in the top shoulder to mix two pickups I had installed (one glued in above the sound hole, one located under the bone saddle, which had to be filed down for that). So the endpin also is no longer original. I remember the luthier asking if I was sure. I hesitated, told him to go ahead, and kind of regretted it ever since . . .

cheers,
floris

[chazmo]

Great stuff, folks!  Welcome to ICW, and thanks for the info on your guitar.  Floris, our theory on the 8-digit numbers would land your guitar in production in September of 1979, and, jwilliams, yours would be June.

Do your guitars say Owari Asahi on the soundhole label?  I assume so.  And I assume you are reading the serial numbers off the neck block and not from any label, correct?

Floris, many folks get pickups installed on their guitars, but (as you say) it's non-original.  I seriously doubt that would have any impact on the value of the guitar.  The original endpin on your AW-70 was boxwood.  My AW-75 has remained perfect neck-wise all these years.  That was after some serious dehydration, too, which cracked my mahogany body a bit  .

[florisbergstroom]

Yep, read it off the block where the neck joins the body. Yes, it says Owari Asahi.
When I get around to it, I'll upload a pic or two.

My other Ibanez is a J-542 12 string, which I bought in 1982 or so, but it was built somewhat earlier (79 perhaps?). That one has a great sound, even though it's got a laminated spruce top. The neck is mahogany, but the side and back of the body are maple (very nice patterning).

And then I enjoy playing my Ibanez-built Roland G-808 with which I drive a GR-300 synth.

But that's off topic . . .
cheers,
F

[Django]

Hello

I found this forum only recently.  I have an AW-60 I purchased in Syracuse NY in 1981.  The serial number is 90507020 - only 1 number before another # already posted.

The guitar sounds great and has held very nicely over the years.

Interesting Forum

[chazmo]

Fell behind here!

Added Django's AW-60, Floris' AW-70, kwk's AW-70LT, and jwilliams' AW-60 entries to the list (welcome to ICW, guys!):

First Series:

ARTWOOD AW-70DM  ( 0103119) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-95  - - ( 0103264) - Netherlands
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - ( 0305074) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-70  - - ( 0305127) - Japan
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - ( 0608045) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-75  - - ( 0810098) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - ( 0911070) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-160 - - ( 8010055) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-120 - - ( 8010060) - Germany
Tama TW07          - - (81001145) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - (90507020) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - (90507021) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-90  - - (90507269) - U.K.
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - (90608025) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-60  - - (90810100) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-70  - - (90911191) - Netherlands
ARTWOOD AW-60DM  (91012032) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70  - - (91012118) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-70LT -  18th of 120 (91101225) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70LT -  24th of 120 (91101228) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70LT -  119th of 120 (91101231) - Germany / U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-70LT -  29th of 120 (91101279) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70LT -  23rd of 120 (91101292) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70LT - 105th of 120 (91101300) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-70 (I think this is an AW-60) (91202049) - Netherlands

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Second Series:

ARTWOOD AW-30 (81090239D) - Germany
ARTWOOD AW-30 (81120151D) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-20 (82070008D) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-20 (82070029D) - U.S.A.
ARTWOOD AW-30 (83060168D) - Germany

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