[Presuming Ed II]

I have a much loved but long-since played twelve string acoustic guitar.

It was my first guitar, bought from a second hand shop and it was the soundboard against which I learned my interpretation of folk/blues guitar playing.

It is a vintage Washburn D15-12 which, as far as I can establish from various on-line sites, because of its five (or six) digit serial number suggests that it was produced some time between the late 1970's and early 1980's.

Washburn apparently picked up its production in 1978 after a rather long hiatus due to a change of ownership etc, so the first year of their latter day production seems to have been 1978. On-line references suggest that the first digit of the serial number will designate the year of production.

My guitar however has two different serial numbers (of course it does… I would expect nothing less), six digits on the back of the neck block (803022), and five digits on the cover strip (945?0).

These serial numbers would then suggest either 1978 or 1979 as the year of production. (They could of course also mean 1988 or 1989, but these I have ruled out as I already had my guitar by 1984.

It is not a biggie, but it would be nice if I could get some clarity on its production year, country of origin and possibly the actual production house. Perhaps someone has been on a similar journey and can provide me with suggestions as to where I could look this up? Suffice to say that I have exhausted Google.

I have decided now to re-string it as a six string, so that it can be played and not just be left standing in the corner gathering dust.

I swapped out the original plastic (why plastic?) nut and bridge for a tusq (artificial ivory) nut and bridge which provides greater resonance and have had the action lowered for improved ease of playing.

This may be the start of a whole new relationship.