Tacoma Baritone Guitar with Unique Markers

wallylowman · #1 06-08-2015, 10:31 PM

I bought a Tacoma Baritone Guitar today. It has some finish issues. No big deal. The thing I am trying to figure out is this:

In the middle of the lower bout there is a tortise shell looking circle stuck to the guitar. It looks like there is no finish underneath it. I popped part of it off. Around the underneath of the dot, there is a burn mark. Its a complete circle. I'm wondering if it is something that someone did the the guitar after they bought it or if it was something that Tacoma did.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104916.../shares/pf7B2R
https://www.flickr.com/photos/104916.../shares/ytL1GE

Serial is H2395060. It is the 6th guitar made on August 26, 2004 and it is tagged a First Quality Instrument. I got this info from this site:

http://www.edroman.com/guitars/tacoma/faq.htm

Also interesting is the case. Its a Brown vinyl case with black interior. On the top of the case there is a circle and a number 2 cut into the vinyl. Makes me wonder if there is something more to this guitar.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/104916.../shares/gU399s

Anyone have any idea what might be up?

Brucebubs · #2 06-08-2015, 10:47 PM

The circle on the case appears to have a number 2 in the middle and matches the circle on the guitar, could this be the Tacoma way of marking a factory second?
Guild stamp 'used' on the back of the headstock of their factory seconds.
Seconds are usually structurally sound guitars with cosmetic blemishes sold without warranty.

wallylowman · #3 06-08-2015, 10:55 PM

I guess it's possible. But that would not explain the 0 in the last digit slot of the serial number, which signifies a First Quality Instrument. I looked as best I could under the dot...no #2 under there as best I can tell without pealing/chipping it off the guitar. Maybe they put the dot on after it was stickered and so on.

No other blemishes on the guitar other than the finish issues....

Brucebubs · #4 06-08-2015, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallylowman

I guess it's possible. But that would not explain the 0 in the last digit slot of the serial number, which signifies a First Quality Instrument. I looked as best I could under the dot...no #2 under there as best I can tell without pealing/chipping it off the guitar. Maybe they put the dot on after it was stickered and so on.

No other blemishes on the guitar other than the finish issues....

Guild also glue a machine-printed serial number on a bright strip of paper over the top of the original hand-written serial number on their factory seconds.
You mentioned it has 'some finish issues' so I'm guessing that's it.

Wade Hampton · #5 06-09-2015, 12:56 AM

Wally, I've never seen any factory-original Tacoma guitar with the sort of tortoiseshell plastic oval glued to the top as what's on your guitar. I would wager that that's somebody's little add-on, my guess being that perhaps some finish problems started manifesting themselves there and whoever owned the guitar at the time has some pickguard material on hand and decided to use a piece to cover the blemish.

As for the number 2 in a circle branded on the case, again, I've never seen that. But maybe it's something Tacoma did after Fender bought them.

The strange thing is, though, that it's on the case, not the guitar. Maybe the case was a second, I don't know.

whm

Brucebubs · #6 06-09-2015, 01:09 AM

Is the circle on the case the exact same size as the circle on the guitar?
Looks like both are deliberate branding iron marks to me.
The guitar 'branding' caused the top coat inside that circle to blister and burn and go brittle.

AZLiberty · #7 06-09-2015, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brucebubs

Guild also glue a machine-printed serial number on a bright strip of paper over the top of the original hand-written serial number on their factory seconds.

Actually they did not. The "Used" stamp and machine printed serial numbers you see on some guitars (primarily Guilds) were done by a 2nd party. Guild never sold their factory seconds directly. Fender sold them to a refurbishment operation.

For Guilds this was done by MIRC, the largest operation in the industry.
http://www.mircweb.com/

As for this Tacoma, I've never seen anything like that.

Brucebubs · #8 06-09-2015, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZLiberty

Actually they did not. The "Used" stamp and machine printed serial numbers you see on some guitars (primarily Guilds) were done by a 2nd party. Guild never sold their factory seconds directly. Fender sold them to a refurbishment operation.

For Guilds this was done by MIRC, the largest operation in the industry.
http://www.mircweb.com/

As for this Tacoma, I've never seen anything like that.

Good information, I didn't know that. My Guild F-412 is a 'second' I bought unseen from ebay. The seller was totally upfront and the guitar was priced accordingly. Poor topcoat but structurally perfect, a bargain.

wallylowman · #9 06-09-2015, 01:50 PM

Case had two Sam Ash 90 year anniversary stickers on it. I figure the original purchaser bought it from sam ash.

Cyclops eye seems to be the same size as the burned circle on the guitar. Under the tortise shell circle, I don't fully see a branded 2, but that's not to say its there.

Finish issues, I guess could have been caused by the brand/burning. But, there are finish issues all over this guitar...some on the lower bout, some on the headstock. They are all along one of the bindings. Tacoma is known for these types of issues.

The bridge is branded BARITONE inside the guitar. Inside of the guitar looks perfect. Checked that before I purchased it.

Whatever the circle/2 branding/burning is, at least both the guitar and the case have been marked.

roylor4 · #10 06-09-2015, 03:04 PM

Odd, I have never seen this on any second ( I used to sell refurbs from MIRC, this ain't their work) and never on a Tacoma. I would believe that one of the previous owners did it - for what reason, I wouldn't have a clue.

Tacomas are great instruments - I had a DR12 that was as good as any dread I have ever picked up. Congrats.