Advertising the year of the guitar.

[Tucson Thump]

I've noticed several ads on Reverb where the seller has said the guitar is a certain year but the date on the guitar starts with a year earlier, i.e. advertised as a 2013 but the s/n# had a 12 before it.

Normally I would think that a "12" would mean a 2012 build and expect it to be presented as such, but more than once I've seen the next year stated as the model year.

Am I missing something?

Thanks.

 

[AP515]

Nope. 12 on the headstock it left the factory before 1/1/13. Just a guess, but if they are the original owner they probably purchased it the following year and so they assume that was the year.

 

[bodia]

How about like cars. The new model year is out prior to the calendar year.

 

[seandesigner]

I think it happens with a lot of things. For example the 2017 SE range (noted by having the full prs signature on the headstock) came out at the end of 2016. My guitar (se exotic ltd edition) was announced march this year, however the serial number says it was made in 2016 (starts with Q). so mine is definitely a 2017 model, just made in 2016.