Hello, new to boards. I own a Hohner HG-731 12 string. Macassa Ebony 3 piece back. A post dated 2018 described the same guitar with the same serial number as the one I own.
[quote=“BrownCoatYeti, post:3, topic:587”]
“I have recently purchased an Hohner HG-731 12-string Guitar and would like to know the date. It is a Jumbo Made in Japan by Hohner International. The serial number is 540708.”
A Hohner employee responded that it was built in 1985.
So here is the question. That is decidedly the same serial # as mine, problem is I purchase mine used in 1979 from the original owner. And I still own it never having sold it. Any thoughts to the duplicated number? Or suggested difference in manufacturing year?
Where are you getting the serial number from? Japanese Hohner acoustics of that vintage often have a number on the neck block, visible when you look though the soundhole towards the neck-body join. That’s not a serial number and could well be duplicated between guitars. If there is a serial number (and there isn’t always) it will be on the soundhole label. The label quite often has a month/year stamp on it as well which is obviously helpful for dating.
The number on the neck block is not a serial number, it’s probably to do with production tracking or the factory’s internal record keeping - nobody really knows. If anything the number on the brace (92794?) is more likely to be the serial number. There’s a spreadsheet of Japanese Hohner acoustic models put together by some collectors and one of the entries is an HG-730 with the neck block K540706 (which is what I think yours is, looks like a 6 rather than an 8 to me) and the serial number 92719. In fact there are quite a few HG-7xx and HG-8xx guitars with five digit serials starting 9.The other common pattern is seven digit starting with 80.
Hi Steve,
seems to me that philw may well be right, the number you quote isn’t the serial number. Is there a number on the soundhole label?
Hohner Service records say this model was produced from 1978 - 1985 in Japan, so if this one is from early in the series, that would tally with your description of owning the guitar since 1979.
Hope this helps
Steve
I see from your photo that there’s another number on the strut, but I can’t make it out clearly. If you give me that, I’ll run it by the Service Dept.
Steve
I’ve checked with the owner of 92719 (which is an HG-730) and he’s confirmed his guitar also has no soundhole label and the serial number is stamped on the brace.
According to Hohner Service, 92794 doesn’t appear to be a serial number either. At least, they have no records of it. Sorry not to be able to provide more info.
I’m curious if Hohner can provide a serial number for an HG-731 from 1978-1979 so I would have some idea of an appropriate number. Per philw above my number would be an appropriate number. There is another symbol in from of the 92794. Can’t quite make it out. Possibly an H or K or No.
Thanks so much in advance.
The 700 series fall into two main patterns. Those with the Limited Edition ‘movie ticket’ have a rectangular paper label with a seven digit serial number starting 80. Those without the movie ticket don’t have a paper label but have the five digit number starting 9 stamped on a brace. However there is an HG-701 which has a round paper label stamped 91193. So amongst collectors, the five digit number is accepted as a serial number.
Sorry Steve, the Service Dept. say they don’t have access that kind of info. Seems to me that philw is pretty well informed on the subject of vintage Hohner guitars.
