Something's puzzling me here... My Stick's from 2003 and it's number 1868 (I know they did a 'reset' when the design changed)... But every other Stick I see listed here, even some from like 2005, seem to be in the 5000s.

When and why did the numbering jump? (Or did they just hire a bunch of elves to do a huge production run in 2004?)

Dan

Hi Dan,

This is one question on the FAQ that could use an update:

faq/doku.php?id=serial_numbers

In 2003, Emmett decided to "reconcile" the serial numbers to more accurately reflect the total number of instruments made, adding up both the ironwood->polycarb numbers (101-low 3000s) and the hardwood instruments made since 1989 (which started over at #001). As such, there was a big gap between the low 3000s where the last polycarbonate instrument had been made, and the high 4000s where the newly reconciled series resumed.

My 10-string is 4965 (hence the improv video piece "Big Bang 4965" which was the first performance I made with that instrument) and I received it in late 2003.

One last note, the instruments are numbered not based on when they are finished, but when the numbers are applied to the blanks. This would mean that someone who has, for example, a tarara 12-string finished in May of this year might have a lower number than someone whose wenge Grand was finished last year.

Or is that not too much "inside baseball" for this thread....