Digidesign Digi 002
Serial no: TB2559600G

Event ASP8 Studio Monitors
Serial  no: ASP8N01018827
Serial no: ASP8N01019043

Police report information is coming.

Please follow us at twitter.com/gearsecure, myspace.com/gearsecure or facebook for updates.

This equipment has been reported stolen. If you see these items, think of your safety first. We advise you not to purchase the item from anyone claiming to be the owner. If you feel safe with pursuing it further, contact your local law enforcement, referencing the above case number.

From Gearsecurewiki

This information and much more can be found at our gear wiki. Please contribute your knowledge.

The serial numbers for Rickenbacker guitars and basses can be found engraved on the output jack, neck plate, or bridge. It usually has two separate numbers: a date code consisting of two digits which may be letters or numbers, and a number. The number is a serial number for the year.

1960-1996

First letter denotes year. Second letter denotes month.

After 1986, Rickenbacker serial numbers go to a numerical year indicator; the first number indicates year. The same letter system is used for the month.

1997-1999

It appears that for 1997-1999 and perhaps into 2000, a different format was used. The month code started coming first, followed by a number for the year. The numbers are shown in the table below.

1999-Present

Sometime in 1999, Rickenbacker started switching to a slightly different system. In the new system, the lone number represents the last two digits of the year. 1999 becomes 99, 2004 becomes 04, and so on. The first two numbers of the number part represent the week of the year that the instrument was made.

For example, take the number 99 28926. The 99 indicates that the instrument was made in 1999 and the 28926 tells us that it was made during the 28th week of that year.

External Links

• Rickenbacker serial number decoder
• Vintage Guitar Pro

The following information is from our Gearwiki. Please contribute your knowledge.

Marshall has used three serial number systems since 1969.

Marshall amps began featuring aluminum back panels in 1969. Serial numbers began appearing stamped on the back panels in July 1969.

Note that some models produced from 1979-81 had serial numbers stamped on the front panel (to the left of the power switch).

1969-1992

Marshall used a coding system that provided (a) model, (b) serial number, and (c) manufacture date. This sequence of (a)(b)(c) began in 1969 and was valid through 1983.

In 1984, the order of the serial number components changed to (a)(c)(b), but the method used to determine the values for (a) and (c) remains the same.

The first part of the serial number grouping determines the model of the chassis.

(b) Serial number – The second part of the serial number is the five-digit serial number itself.

(c) Manufacture date – The last character determines the date of manufacture. Since A was used in both 1969 and 1970, Marshall decided that 1971 would start with C. To avoid confusion with the numerals 1 and 0, Marshall elected to skip the letters I and O. Also, for reasons not explained, there are no Q-dated amps. Z was used for two years. Here are the date codes:

1992-Present

After 1992, a bar code system was introduced.

The Following information is from our Gearwiki. Please contribute your own knowledge.

Fender has had several serial number schemes over the years. On top of that, the schemes are different depending on where the instrument was made.

Fender serial numbers are not strictly sequential. The only definitive way to date a Fender is to look at the dates on the neck, body, and pots.

1950-1964

For Esquires, Broadcasters, and Telecasters, a unique numbering scheme was used until 1954, when Fender switched to a universal numbering system. The number is shown on the bridge plate.

For Precision Basses, a different system was used until 1955, overlapping some with the universal system. These numbers also appeared on the bridge plate.

In 1954, Fender adopted a universal serial number system. These serial numbers appear on the neck plate of the instrument. In 1957/1958 some serial numbers started with a minus sign (“-”), or had a “0″ prefix before the number. Also in 1959/1960 some serial numbers were at the bottom of the neck plate instead of the usual top. Double stamped serial number plates were also produced (number on both front and back of the neck plate) in late 1957 to early 1959.

In late 1962 – late 1965, Fender produced instruments with an “L” prefix. These numbers were found on the neck plate.

In late 1965 the scheme changed yet again. The serial number was still located on the neck plate and a large script “F” could be found below the serial number.

In mid-1976, Fender moved the location of the serial number to the headstock.

1977-Present

Finally, in mid-1977, Fender decided on a serial number scheme that carries on to today. The serial number can be found on the headstock. The decade can generally be determined by the serial number prefix. “S” means 1970′s, “E” means 1980′s, “N” means 1990′s, and “Z” means 2000. Note that Japanese Fenders can also carry the “N” and “E” prefixes, but their country of origin should be clearly marked on the headstock.

Since 1990, the serial numbers have generally been kept consistent. There is the decade prefix, followed by the last number in the year. For example, 2004 would be Z4; 1998 would be N8. The American Deluxe series adds a “D” before the year prefix, so the previous examples would come out as DZ4 and DN8, respectively.

The Fender American Vintage Series forgoes the year prefix altogether and just has “V” plus five or six digits.

Additionally, some instruments made in 1990 were (presumably by mistake) given N9XXXXX serial numbers.

Mexican-Made Fenders

The first Mexican Fenders were made in 1990. They follow the same number scheme as American-made Fenders, except that they are prefixed with an “M”.

Japanese-Made Fenders

The first Japanese Fenders were made in 1982. All Fenders made in Japan are marked on the headstock as “Made in Japan” or (since 1997) “Created in Japan”.

Sometime during 1997, all Japanese-made Fenders say “Crafted in Japan” on the headstock instead of “Made in Japan.” There is some overlap between serial numbers on these instruments, but the newer ones can be distinguished from the older ones based on the text.

The following is from our Gearwiki. Please contribute your own knowledge.

Warwick has had a consistent serial number scheme since its foundation in 1982.

A Warwick bass’s serial number can be found on its headstock. Until 1988, it could be found on top of the headstock. Between 1989 and 2007, it was placed between the machine heads on the back of the headstock. Since the end of 2007 it has been placed below the machine heads.

The serial number is a letter followed by a six-digit number and then a two-digit number. The letter represents the month the bass was made.

The last two digits represent the year the bass was made. 1994 becomes 94, 2003 becomes 03, and so on.

External Links

• Warwick Serial Numbers

When you place an order with a small, high end luthier, you can often expect a long wait. Two years or more are not uncommon. But you do expect to get what you ordered in the end.

A follower alerted us to some forum posts about Henneken Guitars. Their site is very attractive, but hasn’t been updated since 2005. It is hard to call this definitively as a scam or a maybe the luthier is just a flake. Who knows, really? From these posts, it is hard to tell if anything has ever been delivered, but Markku, after much chasing, is making right for at least the first forum poster, and many thanks must go out to the forum users who played detective and translator from a continent away.

We’d like to discourage you from making inquiries with this company until its reliability can be confirmed.

Here’s the biggest story:

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=412191

or this blog:

http://www.12review-henneken-guitar.blogspot.com/

The reviews on Harmony Central are all from one person, and while he is listed as an endorsee, the relationship has soured by the third review.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Henneken+Guitars/Royale+Delux/10/1

If you have had a similar experience, please let us know. We’d like to pread the word about scams or companies that are not living up to their word. You can send us an email at bryan@gearsecure.net

We have a report of a counterfeit Gibson Zakk Wylde Signature Green. While we have no photos, we have some very good description of the guitar.

In this particular instance, the things that tipped off the store that reported it were the fine details.

- The truss rod cover was “not right” but close.

- The Gibson Logo wasn’t slanted like an authentic Gibson.

- The neck and headstock didn’t have the same angle as an authentic Gibson.

In this case, two people were trying to sell this guitar to a store. If the store hadn’t noticed, it would have lost a lot of money buying a worthless guitar.

The following gear has been reported stolen from a retail store in the Highland Park, Illinois area.

Euphonic Audio iAmp 500 Head

Serial number: 10234

Ampeg SVT3Pro Bass Head

Serial number:  EEZDU50086

Police Report  – 09-11052

Highland Park Illinois Police Department (847) 432-7730

This gear has been reported stolen. If you see these pieces, think of your safety first. We advise you not to purchase the items from anyone claiming to be the owner. If you feel safe with pursuing it further, contact your local law enforcement, referencing the above case number.

Our goal at Gearsecure.net has always been to have a web site that serves both community and business, and gives greater functionality and exposure to our core purpose of loss prevention and recovery. The site as it exists now has been successful at developing community and awareness, but it is now time to take the next step and build our planned web application. We need your help in funding this, and our exposure in the industry. We’re asking for a small donation of only $5 towards our goal of $5,000. Click the “Donate” button to give via paypal.

This information is from our gearwiki. Please contribute your own knowledge.

G&L has had two primary serial number schemes throughout its life.

It is important to note that G&L’s serial numbers are non-sequential. Batches of bridges and neck plates are made and then tossed into a bin. When building instruments, builders just grab a part out of the bin and build with it. However, the serial number can still give you a rough idea of when your instrument was made. For example, GF0025 is most likely not the 25th George Fullerton Signature made; in fact, it may not even be from “early” Fullerton production. It is also important to note that not all serial numbers were used because some bridges were defective.

1980-1997

Originally, numbers of the form GXXXXXX were used for guitars and numbers of the form BXXXXXX were used for basses. The two notable exceptions to this are the “GF” and “BC” serial numbers, used for the George Fullerton Signature Model and the Broadcaster, respectively.

G&L’s website provides the first serial number used in each year up to 1992.^[1]

1997-Present

G&L’s current serial number scheme, begun in late 1997, is of the form CLXXXXX, where CL stands for “Clarence Leo” (note that Leo Fender‘s full name was “Clarence Leonidas Fender”). This was changed one year later to the most current scheme of CLFXXXXX.

Another good resource for finding out about your serial number is the G&L Registry, linked below.

Other Notes

The best way to date a G&L instrument is to take off the neck. There should be a date on the body in the neck cavity and a date on the neck itself. Note that even this is not a perfect method, as necks and bodies could have been made weeks or even months before their use on an instrument.

External Links

• G&L Registry

References

Just wanted to let you know we have a new feature to the a gearwiki. You can access it by links on the right, or at http://gearwiki.gearsecure.net. The gearwiki will become a reference site for knowledge for consumers and retailers looking for guidance on purchases.I know from experience that when a rare piece of gear comes into a store looking to sell a piece and the salespeople want it for it’s scarcity but don’t know what to price it at or buy it at, determining the right pricing can be near impossible.

Also, we’d like to get as much concrete and specific information to help authentication efforts. More and more, the public is asked to distinguish between the genuine article and a copy. I even saw counterfeit iPhones this week, so we know electronics are not immune to counterfeiting.

If you have any knowledge to contribute, please help make this as large a reference site as possible.