- Applause Aa 31 Guitar Serial Numbers Generator
- Model Numbers Applause Guitars
- Applause Guitar Serial Numbers
- Applause Aa 31 Guitar
- Applause Aa 31 Guitar Serial Numbers List
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The five digits of the serial number encode the day and order of manufacture for the guitar. The first group of three digits represent the days remaining in the year on the day the guitar was completed. The last two digits indicate the build order on that day. For example, a guitar with a serial number of B35012 can be decoded as follows. Blues2use wrote:I am looking at a very nice, older Predator.Can someone explain the serial number codes so that I can get an idea of this guitar's age? Thanks for the help. This an 1980's Applause Model AA-31 Deep Bowl acoustic steel string guitar. It includes an SKB style molded hardcase. Overall very good condition. This Applause model has a wood neck and fretboard. The frets themselves are in great condition, shiny and comfortable to play on.
| Random quote: 'Jazz... isn't that just a series of mistakes disguised as musical composition?” - David St. Hubbins of Spinal Tap |
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| Vintage Applause AA-31 | ||
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| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Haven't been in the forum for awhile but was looking at a 70's Applause AA-31 SN185786 - had the ugle headstock and have not been able to find specs for it. Can anyone tell me its nut width and solid or laminate top? Does it have a standard neck or is it aluminum? What might value be for one in good shape with case? Thanks very much. (Hi Tweeter!) | |
| ksdaddy |
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Joined: April 2003 Posts: 605 Location: Caribou, ME | The AA-31s were made in Korea beginning about 1983. There were no US made AA-31s to my knowledge. They have 'real wood' necks and fingerboards as opposed to aluminum. The nut width on my AA-31 is 1-11/16'. All AA-31s have laminated tops. From a marketing standpoint they were meant to replace the Moosup AA-14s (Hi Alison!). | |
| ksdaddy |
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Joined: April 2003 Posts: 605 Location: Caribou, ME | As to value, I've bought them as cheaply as ten bucks on ebay (a fluke). They hover around the $100 mark for the most part. Now if you're talking THIS pimped out '31, well, now, that's altogether different! | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Thanks for the response ksdaddy. I bought the one I was looking at although I paid more - $200 w/shipping. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I think the guitar is beautiful even though not the pimped up version - your pimpdaddy applesause is gorgeous! Do you have any videos in youtube or anything that would help me hear how she sounds? Also is it a deep bowl? Appears so in photos - which I prefer for deeper tone. The one I bought looks just likes yours except it is plain. Is your pimpdaddy applesause original like that? Amazing! | |
| seesquare |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3233 Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Nice get, Skip. I think you will be pleased with the instrument. Get a good set-up done on it, and it will truly talk to you! Oh yeah, and your favorite flavor in acoustic strings. | |
| ksdaddy |
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Joined: April 2003 Posts: 605 Location: Caribou, ME | No idea who was *cough* responsible for the paint job. No idea what they were thinking either. It's a regular deep bowl. I have one AA24 which has a little shallower bowl. I don't hear much difference to be honest. | |
| seesquare |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3233 Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Seen a lot worse. Frankly, I'm too old to understand those DJ Ashba critters. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | thanks for the comments guys (I see you Tweeter :) | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Well friends it seems I got burned this time in ebay. Seller had lots of photos interestingly all of them avoided the areas where things are wrong. Guitar and case were described to be in 'very good condition' and nothinig is further from the truth. The damages were obviously present when the guitar was listed and did not happen during shipping because the guitar was safe and secure inside the case. Please check the video link at end of this note. The upper bout on back is cracked in several places and top has delaminated on that whole area. Can this guitar be salvaged or is it over? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dw8yUNhhm00 | |
| Mark in Boise |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12700 Location: Boise, Idaho | Since a new Applause can be had for $200 anywhere, anytime, and ksdaddy correctly told you that he regularly buys used ones for $100, I think you know your answer. It would cost more to salvage it than it's worth. I'm always suspect of any ebay ad that starts with 'vintage'. My wife would say that means 'old, worn out and worthless', kind of like me. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | thanks mark - if repaired i would attempt it myself thus the interest - a learning dummy is how i look at it. ive bought plenty of used and vintage gits on the bay over past 10 yrs and this is first time burned. like riding a motorcycle - you ride long enough - you will be involved in an accident. | |
| Mark in Boise |
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Joined: March 2005 Posts: 12700 Location: Boise, Idaho | A DIY attempt would be the only way to go. I have only tried the basic stuff with guitars. Some glue, clamps and time could do a lot. | |
| sycamore |
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Joined: March 2007 Posts: 672 Location: Cork, Ireland | Originally posted by ksdaddy: Mine says both 'AA-31' and 'Made in USA' on the label. Neck is plasticky - possible aluminium inside. The fretboard is dark hardwood. The AA-31s were made in Korea beginning about 1983. There were no US made AA-31s to my knowledge. They have 'real wood' necks and fingerboards as opposed to aluminum. The nut width on my AA-31 is 1-11/16'. All AA-31s have laminated tops. From a marketing standpoint they were meant to replace the Moosup AA-14s (Hi Alison!). Sorry to hear yours didn't work out though. They are a great budget guitar. Mine is often admired by people who haven't been told that plastic guitars are no good. Worth repairing if you can. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Thanks Mark and Sycamore - good information. A question - my SN 185786 seems to suggest 1979 according to the SN record in Reference here at the site. Can anyone positively tell me the year this guitar was made. It was definitely made in Korea (small black print under larger white text on label. Also a little red tag is sewn into case liner under place where neck rests saying Made in Korea. I'm posting a 6 part video series showing what I did to this guitar in the other thread titled Ovation Sting in the Bay or something like that. | |
| Waskel |
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Joined: February 2005 Posts: 11834 Location: closely held secret | You can't determine dates from S/N on imports. If you bought this on ebay I would definitely file a SNAD and at least get some of your money back. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Waskel - seller refunded me 100% and also asked me to keep the guitar because it was not worth the cost for them to cover return shipping. | |
| stonebobbo |
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Joined: August 2002 Posts: 8302 Location: California | Nice ending. Congrats. | |
| sycamore |
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Joined: March 2007 Posts: 672 Location: Cork, Ireland | Even better if you can get it to a working condition. Had mine over 20 years and woudl be very slow to part with it, hope my kids will use it to learn on when old enough. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | I have it repaired enough to play and am watching to see if the repairs hold. There was evidence that previous owner had left the guitar a long time under full string tension because the neck was slightly bellied down and low E was unwound and stretched out at top near tuner post. There was just enough adjustment left in trussrod to bring the neck ever so slightly belly up before restring and now it is perfectly flat at full string tension. Bad news is action is very high, 1/4' or more at 14th fret and saddle is already as low as it should go because the angle to bridge is less than 45° and should not be lowered further. In other words this gutiar has reached the end of its useful or playable life. Time will continue to pull neck belly down and there is no adjustment left to stop it and action is high enough to make the guitar difficult to play and will only get worse with time. I will probably keep it because I admire the relic and also because I cant imaging trying to sell it unless all the above is explained - and who would but it then? | |
| seesquare |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3233 Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | bowl-bend. not for the faint-of-heart, though. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Chris - are you saying the action can be recovered by something called 'bowl-bend'? I'm listening! | |
| seesquare |
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Joined: November 2002 Posts: 3233 Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | You heat up the bowl, where the neck meets the bowl, and judiciously apply force, to 'reset' the neck angle. Had mixed results with the procedure, though. | |
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | ||
| skip77 |
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Joined: June 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Delaware | Interesting - only you would try such a thing! I guess I'll just leave this one be. Might test a replacement saddle to lower action and see if the decreased back angle to bridge hurts tone noticably. Intonation on 6th is off too so I'll compensate that at same time. Tell you what, this old Applause with lam top has pretty good tone and volume - impressive. | |
| ksdaddy |
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Joined: April 2003 Posts: 605 Location: Caribou, ME | Can a bowl bend be performed on a shiny bowl? |
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Applause Aa 31 Guitar Serial Numbers Generator
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It may seem like I have a magic wand that instantly finds the answers to your many questions, but I spend quite a bit of time researching each guitar before I respond. You’re probably thinking that this is why the Trash or Treasure column exists, but I promise most of you will find that researching guitars (or any musical instruments) can be very interesting – you never know what you may learn! My first installment focuses on determining the make and model of a guitar.
When you walk into that garage sale, pawn shop, or guitar show this spring, the first thing you need to figure out is what it is. All guitars should have some kind of logo, label, or identification that makes it unique (think the Flying F for Fender, or the K for Kay). Guitar builders affix their guitars with names so people know what they are playing. The most common place to find identification is on the headstock or on a label inside of the guitar, if applicable.
If there is nothing on your guitar in question, chances are the original label or logo has fallen off. Also, many fakes or copies will have all the features of a popular brand, but they don’t have a name (probably due to the fact the faker couldn’t come up with a creative name). Unless it is a guitar built from parts, a build-it-yourself kit, or a blatant fake, a manufacturer name exists – you may just have to do some research to find it. The two best resources in my opinion are books and (gasp!) the Internet. I know not everybody has access to the wide variety of books I do, but that is why libraries exist, and if you can afford an order at B&N, any guitar junkie will appreciate some good guitar literature.
| Once you have determined what brand you have, you need to know what model it is. This is similar to taking your Chevrolet one step further and determining that it is a mid-‘80s Citation. |
Thanks to Al Gore, the World Wide Web gives us unlimited resources at our fingertips. But remember, there is a reason most college papers do not accept websites as a source – not everything you read is factual. Make sure when you are searching that you check a number of sources. Ebay can be extremely helpful but since so many people have no idea what they are listing, information can be misleading.
Once you have determined what brand you have, you need to know what model it is. This is similar to taking your Chevrolet one step further and determining that it is a mid-‘80s Citation. Many guitars will have a model name next to the brand name, or it will be placed somewhere else on the guitar. Check the entire guitar as model names can be put just about anywhere (truss rod cover, neckplate, tailpiece, etc.).
Remember that many guitar books focus on individual brands as well as individual models. If you can find any old catalogs, you can compare what you have to them. There are many photos on the Internet as well. Another helpful way to narrow down popular models such as Stratocasters and Les Pauls is to find out what features make your guitar unique (pickups, woods, construction, hardware, etc.). Once again, make sure you cross-reference your sources, as facts are never taken from just one example but from numerous occurrences.
Next month I’ll dive into dating your guitar, which also includes serialization – a daunting task to say the least!
Zachary R. Fjestad
Zachary R. Fjestad is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue Book of Guitar Amplifiers.Guitar Trash or Treasure Questions can be submitted to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
Model Numbers Applause Guitars
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
800-877-4867
www.bluebookinc.com