How to date a Ventura guitar

How to date a Ventura guitar

The Ventura Guitar Company has been around for over 100 years. It’s one of the most iconic guitar brands out there. So how to date a ventura guitar is discussed in this article. What are some tell-tale signs that you have an authentic model on your hands? And what if you want to buy one at auction or on eBay?

Luckily, this is just the ultimate guide to dating your Ventura guitar. We’re going to answer all your questions and more. From identifying the year of manufacture to discovering each type’s unique features, read on now for the ultimate guide to dating a Ventura guitar.

You may look at our other expert guide on How to make a acoustic guitar quieter

What Is A Ventura Guitar?

A Ventura guitar is a brand of acoustic guitars that are all hand-made in the United States. The company was founded in 1912 in Buffalo, New York by John Dopyera, the inventor of the resonator guitar.

The company quickly grew in popularity because of its high quality and low price point. From the 1920s to the 1940s, it became one of the best selling acoustic instruments in America.

The company was later purchased by Semie Moseley, who remained CEO until his death in 1988. His son Kevin took over as CEO but died just three years later. The company has been passed to various relatives since then, with no single person managing it for very long.

As a result, there are many different people making claims about when they’re “the real” owner of Ventura guitars today. Some say they own rights to the original designs and trademarks while others say they have exclusive access to production facilities or distribution channels.

How To Identify The Year Of Manufacture

If you want to date your Ventura guitar, the first thing you need to do is find out when it was manufactured. There are a few ways to go about this, but the easiest way is by looking at the serial number.

Ventura guitars have serial numbers that start with “A”. For example, “A14078” would be the serial number for a guitar that was made in 2014. The next step is to figure out what year preceded that. You can do this by subtracting the last two digits of the year from the last two digits of your serial number (minus one). For example, if your guitar’s serial number is “A14078”, then it was made in 2014 and there was no Ventura guitars made in 2013 or 2012 because those years’ last two digits are 07 and 08 respectively.

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Now that you know that your guitar’s manufactured date is October 25th, 2014, you also know that an earlier date was November 2nd, 2013.

Now all you have to do is compare your guitar to our list of known features – which we will cover next – and see if it matches up!

The Six Types Of Ventura Guitars

There are six basic types of Ventura guitars, each with their own distinct features. The first type is the classic dreadnought, the second type is the Auditorium, the third type is a Grand Concert, a fourth type is a Parlor, a fifth type is a Folk and lastly there’s an Artist model.

Each of these types has unique features that will help you date your guitar. However, if you can’t determine which type it is from any visual clues then there’s one way to find out for sure: take a look at the serial number.

The L-Series: A Legendary Type

The L-Series is a legendary type of guitar and the original design that the company created. It’s known for its unique stylings and sound, and it’s been used by some of the most famous musicians in the world. To identify an L-Series, you need to know that all of them have a “Ventura” engraving on the headstock. The earliest models date back to 1916, while more recent ones were made in the late 1940s. They also have 20 frets and a 24 ½ inch scale length. The only differences between newer models and older ones are in the finish, which can be a bit subdued with later models.

We hope this ultimate guide to dating your Ventura guitar has helped!

The S-Series

The S-series, which was introduced in 1984, is the most popular model of Ventura. It features a solid spruce top and rosewood back and sides. The S-Series has a retro sound that takes you back to the 1950’s.

The T-Series

The T-Series was the first Ventura guitar to be manufactured. This series lasted until 1883, at which point it was discontinued. The T-Series guitars are very similar to the R-series, except they have a curved top and back instead of a flat one. With this series, you can tell the year by looking at the serial number carved into the neck block. The serial number will indicate which year your guitar was made in – for example, if your guitar’s serial number says 923, then this means that your guitar is from 1923. Details like these are not just helpful for identifying your guitar; it also offers an insight into its history and past owners (if any).

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T-Series came in three models: The T-110, T120, and T130. They all had bodies made of mahogany with a spruce top. The necks are made of mahogany with 20 frets that are bound. There are two ¾” single coil pickups with one volume knob and one tone knob mounted on the scratch plate.

The cheaper models, the T-110 and T120, have just 22 frets instead of the more desired 24.

T-Series guitars were only produced from 1959 to 1965.

The X-Series

The Ventura Guitar Company has a signature look to them. But they also have a lot of different styles. From dreadnoughts to 12 strings, from classical guitars to basses, and more, Ventura has a lot going on. However, there is one type that’s harder than the rest to identify: the X-Series. Now, if you were born in the 80s or 90s, you might not even know what an X-Series guitar is! That’s because Ventura stopped manufacturing this style in 1985.

But how do you date an X-Series guitar?

The easiest way to tell is by looking at the headstock. If it doesn’t say “Ventura Guitar Co., Inc., Santa Ana, Calif., U.S.A.” then it was manufactured before 1985 and not an authentic X-Series model. If it does say “Ventura” then it’s likely that you’re looking at an authentic model and not just another brand with a similar look!

It can be hard when buying an older guitar online or at auction because often times people will try to pass off other brands as authentic Ventura models when they’re really not (the fake surfaces and lack of any writing or markings make these guitars pretty convincing). So make sure to check for authenticity before buying!

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The V-Series

The Ventura V-Series is the most popular series that Ventura makes. It’s made of solid wood, which is one of the key things to look for when trying to date a guitar. The most common woods used are mahogany, rosewood, and maple.

Ventura guitars are also known for their low action. This means that the strings are close to the fretboard, making it easy for players to press them down with less effort. The pickups are often single-coil or humbucking pickups, depending on what you prefer in your instrument.

How to date a ventura guitar FAQS

How do you date a Ventura guitar?

You can date the model of your Ventura guitar by looking for the year of manufacture. For more information on how to find this, please refer to question one.

What is the difference between a vintage and an old-stock guitar?

An old-stock Ventura guitar is not as old as a vintage. In general, they are from the 1970s and 1980s. However, some vintage guitars can be from these years as well.

How do you tell if a Ventura guitar is real or fake?

Check for a serial number on the back of the neck block. This number will give you crucial information about your instrument’s authenticity–including production details, year it was manufactured, country of origin, etc. If there’s no serial number on your guitar, that means it’s fake.

Conclusion

The Ventura Guitar Company was an American guitar company that produced guitars from 1970 to 1981. Dating a Ventura guitar can be difficult because the company began production in 1970, and guitars were made for only eight years before the company went out of business. The Ventura Guitar Company manufactured guitars in four different series: L, S, T, and X. The L Series instruments were the most expensive of the four, and had a higher quality construction than the other three series. The L-Series instruments had a solid mahogany body with a maple top. The S-Series had a laminated mahogany body with a maple top. The T-Series instruments had a laminated mahogany body with a spruce top. The X-Series guitars had a mahogany body with a spruce top. The V-Series were acoustic/electric models made of laminated mahogany with a maple top.

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