I know not everybody has access to the wide variety of books I do, but that is why libraries exist, and if you can afford an order at B&N, any guitar junkie will appreciate some good guitar literature. The two best resources in my opinion are books and (gasp!) the Internet. Unless it is a guitar built from parts, a build-it-yourself kit, or a blatant fake, a manufacturer name exists – you may just have to do some research to find it. Also, many fakes or copies will have all the features of a popular brand, but they don’t have a name (probably due to the fact the faker couldn’t come up with a creative name).

If there is nothing on your guitar in question, chances are the original label or logo has fallen off. The most common place to find identification is on the headstock or on a label inside of the guitar, if applicable. Guitar builders affix their guitars with names so people know what they are playing.

All guitars should have some kind of logo, label, or identification that makes it unique (think the Flying F for Fender, or the K for Kay). When you walk into that garage sale, pawn shop, or guitar show this spring, the first thing you need to figure out is what it is. You’re probably thinking that this is why the Trash or Treasure column exists, but I promise most of you will find that researching guitars (or any musical instruments) can be very interesting – you never know what you may learn! My first installment focuses on determining the make and model of a guitar. It may seem like I have a magic wand that instantly finds the answers to your many questions, but I spend quite a bit of time researching each guitar before I respond. Since I can’t include everybody’s guitar in my column, I’m going to help you properly identify, date, and evaluate guitars. What kind of guitar is it? How old is it? What’s it worth? What is this stupid thing? I know I hear questions like this several times a day, and I’m sure many of you who are enthusiastic about guitars have found yourself asking these questions as well.

Lotus guitar serial number