Dillon Guitar Serial Numbers

On-stage with the Red Special at in London in 2017ManufacturerBrian May, Harold MayPeriod1963–1965ConstructionBody typeSemi-hollowNeck jointStraight through/bolt-onScale24'WoodsBodyOak, blockboard with mahogany veneerNeckMahoganyFretboardOakHardwareBridgeCustom made with separate string adjustmentThe Red Special is the designed and built by 's guitarist and his father, Harold, when Brian was a teenager in the early 1960s. Sometimes, the Red Special is referred to, by May and by others, as the Fireplace or the Old Lady. The name Red Special came from the reddish-brown colour the guitar attained after being stained and painted with numerous layers of Rustins Plastic Coating. The name Fireplace is a reference to the fact that the wood used to make the neck came from a.A guitar that would define May's signature style, it was intentionally designed to after he saw playing live and making different sounds just by moving the guitar in front of the. He wanted an instrument that would be alive and interact with him and the air around him. May has used the Red Special almost exclusively, including on Queen albums and in live performances since the band's advent in the early 1970s.In celebration of the instrument's 50th anniversary, a book about its construction and history, Brian May’s Red Special: The Story of the Home-Made Guitar that Rocked Queen and the World, was written by Brian May with Simon Bradley. Contents.Construction Unlike the primary instruments of most musicians, the Red Special was built by its player, May, along with his father.

They began to work on the guitar in August 1963, with the project taking two years to complete. The neck was constructed from wood from a 'hundred-year-old-ish' fireplace mantel that a friend of the family was about to throw away. The neck was hand-shaped into the desired form, a job that was made more difficult by the age and quality of the wood. According to May, there are worm holes in the neck of the guitar that he filled in with matchsticks.The neck was finished with a 24- oak. Each of the was hand shaped from a button. May decided to position them in a personal way: two dots at the 7th and 19th fret and three at the 12th and 24th.The body was made from blockboard (strips of softwood sandwiched between two plywood skins) with inserts in the top and bottom layers sourced from an old table.

It was covered with marquetry veneer on the top, bottom and side to give it the appearance of a solid-body guitar. The final result was technically a.

Ok, so Ive been searching for a new guitar. I came across a company called Dillion. I read some reviews that people really think this a great quality.

It was originally intended that the guitar would have but this was never done.White plastic shelf edging was then applied to the top and bottom edges to protect them from damage. The guitar features three single-coil and a custom-made aluminium. May purchased a set of pick-ups and covered the coils of two with to reduce. The middle pickup remained uncoated and this is understood to have been modified in the early 1980s when examined the Red Special when designing pickups for the first Guild replica. The magnet was turned over to change its polarity and the wires on the solder posts swapped (to mimic a reverse wound coil) which made his favoured pickup combination of bridge and middle in phase. He originally wound his own pick-ups, as he had for his first guitar, but he did not like the resulting sound because of the polarity of these pick-ups: alternating North-South instead of all North.The is made from an old hardened-steel knife-edge shaped into a V and two motorbike springs to counter the 79 lbs string tension.

The tension of the springs can be adjusted by screwing the bolts, which run through the middle of the springs, in or out via two small access holes next to the rear strap button. To reduce friction, the bridge was completed with rollers to allow the strings to return perfectly in tune after using the tremolo arm (the arm itself was from a bicycle saddlebag holder with a plastic knitting needle tip). For the same reason, at the other end of the neck the strings pass over a and through a string guide.Originally the guitar had a built-in distortion circuit, adapted from a mid-1960s distortion. The switch for this was in front of the phase switches. May soon discovered that he preferred the sound of a distorting at full power, so the circuit was removed. The switch hole is now covered by a mother-of-pearl star inlay, but was originally covered by insulation tape.Appearances. Brian May playing the Red Special in on 19 April 2005, during theMay still uses the original but he has used replicas in some performances.

Two notable occasions on which the original guitar was not used were in the videos ', and ', using his John-Birch-made Red Special copy (see Replicas section below) which differs from the original in its all-maple construction and natural maple color, since he did not want to expose the Red Special to snow. The Birch was also used live as a back-up for the Red Special until it was destroyed by May.

He also opted not to use the Red Special for the ' video, instead using a budget Satellite-badged replica of a, since at one point in the video, Queen singer would snatch the guitar from May and 'throw' it back to him. Another video that did not feature the Red Special was ', where May used a white (for reasons unknown, and this guitar is often mistaken for a ). He also recorded the original of ' on Queen drummer 's but performed the accompanying video and live performances of the song until 1992 with a. Replicas. Brian May performing with the Greg Fryer Red Special 'John' Replica (note the Fryer logo on the headstock) in, 1998. Official replicas The first official copy of the Red Special was made by British and was used as a back-up for live performances until it was accidentally destroyed by May during a concert in August 1982.

The Birch was used in place of the Red Special in the music videos for 'We Will Rock You' however it was not used to record the song, and 'Spread Your Wings'. The guitar differs from the original in its all-maple construction and natural finish except for the back which is gold finished. After its destruction May sent the guitar to American luthier John Page, who kept the remains for over 20 years before sending them back to May. May then had the guitar glued back together by Andrew Guyton and still owns it, however it hardly functions anymore.Other official replicas of the Red Special have been manufactured in varying numbers and in multiple models (i.e.

A higher-end full-featured model, and a lower-cost one lacking some of the intricacies of the former) several times during the 1980s and '90s, most often by the from 1983–85 and again from 1993–95, and by Burns Guitars from 2001 (mass-produced models made in Korea). The Burns model, produced with guidance from May, was awarded 'Best Electric Guitar of the Year 2001'. Currently, only Brian May Guitars (taking over manufacture from Burns) manufacture authorised replicas, the Special at a budget price point and the Super Mk2 at a higher price point aimed at enthusiasts.KZ Guitar Works manufactured the original Red Special Super model which was hand-made in Japan by master luthier Kazutaka Ijuin. This model has been discontinued and production of the revised Super model taken up in the Czech Republic for Brian May Guitars.The Brian May Guitars version differs from the Burns original in several ways; for example, the tremolo was a two-point synchronised tremolo with rear access plate.

These models also feature a half-moon scratch plate behind the bridge to emulate the original. The switches were also changed from black to white to match May's guitar. They still use the Burns Tri-Sonic pick-ups. 24 guitars were made in a rare baby blue color with a pearloid pickguard and gold hardware. The guitars come in Antique Cherry (a similar color to that of the Red Special), White and 3-Tone Sunburst with chrome hardware. They also have Honey Sunburst, Black and Gold with gold hardware and other various finishes.Greg Fryer, of Fryer Guitars an Australian luthier, produced three replicas of the Red Special in 1996/97, and with permission from May, made exhaustive measurements of the original guitar. Fryer named his three replicas, and (after two members of and the famous American comedian).

May has two of these guitars, John and George Burns; Fryer kept Paul for some years and used it for testing modified Vox AC30 amplifiers and his range of treble boosters until he sold it to a Japanese collector for an undisclosed sum. While the woods used in John and Paul are more faithful to the original, George Burns was built with for a 'more aggressive edge' tonally. John is May's main back-up Red Special, and is tuned to standard.

His green Guyton has replaced George Burns for duties to play ' live.In 2004, Andrew Guyton of Guyton Guitars, a luthier in the UK, manufactured 50 authorised, limited edition replicas of the Red Special: 40 in red to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the guitar, and ten in green, as he had previously seen a green Guild copy that he liked. Pete Malandrone, May's suggested having X-ray images made of the original guitar to allow more accurate reproduction of the internal chambers. This was done in 2003 at in London. May has since commissioned Guyton to make several other Red Special variants, e.g. With a, a and an.Unofficial replicas In the 1970s, Japanese guitar manufacturer was the first company to market a line of mass produced Red Special copies, albeit unofficial and unlicensed.

They did, however, send one to May himself, which he used in various mimed performances the most famous being the music video for 'Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy'.CQuadro Guitar Works (now Carpinteri Guitars) in Italy makes Red Special replicas (the Bohemian and the Extreme).Dansan Guitars makes Red Special replicas hand built in France.Dillion Guitars (prior to 2014 were built in Korea) making 'Tribute Guitars' in two models. Dillion Guitars are currently made in Vietnam by Inyen Vina CO. LTD of Hochimenh City Vietnam.RS Custom Guitars run by Everett Wood makes a variety of Red Special style replicas hand-built in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.RS Guitars which were hand-built in Arizona, U.S.

By Steve Turpin discontinued production of their models in January 2011.Harley Benton Guitars make replicas of the Red Special, however, their model has a single five-way switch in place of the three individual pickup switches, as well as having a 25 inch scale rather than 24 inches.Variations In 2006, Brian May Guitars introduced a 'Mini May' guitar, based on a 3/4 sized Red Special body shape with a 24 fret, 19” scale (but with no zero fret) featuring a single pick-up, no switches and a maple neck. In 2017, the 'Mini May' was upsized with a 22 3/4' scale neck.An acoustic guitar, featuring a 24-fret neck and the body outline of the Red Special went into production in 2007. This model is named the 'Rhapsody', after the Queen song '.A bass guitar called the Bri-Bass was announced on May's website and is available. It looks like his normal guitar but with four bass strings. It features a bound mahogany body and 31.5' scale neck, topped with a 20-fret ebony fingerboard. Pickups are a type chrome-covered humbucking neck pick-up and a rear-position single coil pick-up hooked up to a passive volume/volume/tone circuit.The Guild models of the early 1990s featured three major configurations.

Of the three, the 'Signature' model was closest to May's guitar, although it was made of mahogany (body and neck) and ebony (fingerboard) and sported Trisonic-styled 'Brian May' pick-ups made by Seymour Duncan and hardware (including the unique bridge) from Schaller. The 'Special' model featured a stop-tailpiece rather than a vibrato, the middle pick-up was moved back next to the bridge pick-up for a humbucking look, and the back of the guitar had no binding. The 'Standard' model featured a more common Strat-style 5-way pick-up selector switch, a longer scale neck, and a deeper headstock angle. Andrew Guyton made May a double-neck version, which has never been a production model.Restoration After viewing the replicas and taking note of the wear and tear the Red Special had suffered during nearly 30 years of constant touring, May had Fryer restore the original Red Special in 1998 using as much original and time-period specific material as possible. Damaged veneer on the back of the guitar was removed and new pieces scarfed in. The binding was removed and various nicks and dents in the top were repaired.

Fryer re-finished the neck and body in the original Rustin's Plastic Coating used in the creation over the existing finish, and fretboard wear was repaired and dot-markers replaced. The original electrics were also re-wired and overhauled, and cosmetic work was done, such as filling in holes and worn areas on access panels, pick-up covers (worn by May's use of a as opposed to a standard ) and the front scratchplate.The restored Red Special is prominently featured during a series of video interviews with in 1999, in which May also demonstrated its delay capabilities. At the end of the tour in 2005, May had several revisions made to the original Red Special, including having the replaced for the first time (this had been judged unnecessary at the time of the 1998 restoration) and making a larger opening for a new, modern 1/4' jack socket. Despite all of this work, the original frets (other than the zero fret) have never been replaced.Andrew Guyton of Guyton Guitars, carried out a limited restoration in April 2016.

This work involved making good all the cracks in the Rustins Plastic Coating lacquer finish, repairing damage to the end and edge, and touching in of the fretboard and replacing one of the mother-of-pearl marker dots. Various parts, including the tremolo and bridge assembly were removed, serviced, cleaned and lubricated then refitted. The zero fret was also replaced again.Unusual features Series wiring The pick-ups are wired in series rather than the more usual parallel configuration. The output is also added together when wired in series, meaning that with all three pick-ups turned on, the output is tripled.On/Off switches Each pick-up has its own dedicated on/off switch. This allows for the additional pick-up combinations of 'all three on' and 'neck and bridge on', combinations not commonly available on three pick-up guitars.Phase switches Each pick-up has a phase switch which reverses the pick-up wiring, therefore reversing the phase of the signal from the pick-up. This means that when more than one pick-up is active and one has the phase reversed, the resultant tone is what remains after the signal common to the two pick-ups is cancelled out, and only the differences from pick-up position remain.Controls The position of the volume and tone controls is transposed compared to most guitars, with the tone being nearest the pick-ups and the volume furthest away.Tremolo The tremolo (known as a knife-edge tremolo) is unique and was designed by May and his father.

The knife-edge acts as a fulcrum on which the tremolo block, or tailpiece, pivots. Specifications Body. Oak from an old table and blockboard (with a mahogany veneer), semi-solid body. Depth: 1 9/16' (40 mm)Neck.

Bolt on, one large bolt which sits beneath the fingerboard and goes through a hole in the body then a nut is then attached; it is also screwed down by two wood screws at the tenon end which ends just before the bridge pick-up.

Is p-tik open source tool. Find the date your guitar (or bass) was made!These links will take you farther down in the document to the manufacturers covered here:-(NEW!)-(UPDATED!) -You can leave comments and see a short FAQ. If you enjoyed this content-!DeanEvery Dean guitar made in United States comes with a seven digit serial number that is printed on the back of the headstock (some 90s models may be stamped on the fretboard). First two numbers in the sequence will tell you when your guitar was produced. If you see a seven digit serial number on the back of a Dean guitar, you can be sure that it was produced in United States.Dean's more affordable line made outside the US will indicate the country of manufacture, but production year requires looking at features and hardware and some knowledge of the line.EpiphoneBelow appear some of the serial schemes that an Epiphone serial can use.

Happy hunting!YYMMFFRRRRRYY = year of manufactureMM = month of manufatureFF = factory IDRRRRR = ranking numberExample: 3 = 2008 / December / factory 15 / unit 20333Note: Models from 2008 and onwards omit the factory ID letter prefix. Pre-1994 productions also frequently omit the factory letter codes and appeared as all digits, e.g.

3042779.-FYYMMRRRRF/FF = factory IDY/YY = year of manufactureMM = month of manufactureRRRR = ranking numberExample: 3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234Example: S3021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234Example: S93021234 = Samick Korea / 1993 / February / unit 1234Example: SI01021234 = Samick Indonesia / 2001 / February / unit 1234Example: SI010212345 = Samick Indonesia / 2001 / February / unit 12345Note: There may be no factory designator for some 1993 and earlier models. A single digit month of manufacture may occur for some 1997 and earlier models.