Will a Vintage CA say so on the label?

[gloeben]

Am considering buying a CA Performer series. The label does not say Vintage on it, but the owner says he was told it is.

It says "Performer Series", then below that "Series-8", then below that "Composite Acoustics", then the serial # 8D008156-4.

I believe this makes it a 2008 model, and I'm inclined to think it is not the Vintage model, but I'm uncertain about that. Can anyone confirm one way or another?

Thanks.
Greg

[mchalebk]

Can you provide all the info from the label (a photo would be great)?

CA used a number of different naming and serial number conventions. I think this might be when they were using a letter/number convention instead of model names. I do think this was probably made on the 156th day of 2008 (June 4, since that would have been a leap year). I think the model number would likely have been 8L.

[gloeben]

Here it is. Thanks.

[mchalebk]

It's interesting that it simply says SERIES-8, but doesn't have any letters. For the dread, I would have expected 8L (with possibly some other letters). I'm going to guess there would have been a V in there, at the very least, if it was vintage voiced. Here's some info I found in an old thread on the Series 8 models:

CA Guitars 2008 Line-up:
The Cargo is the travel sized guitar. The 5-8 series represent "quality/price" so-to-speak and not size. Within each series you can order 3 different sizes:
L size("large") = dreadnaught
M size ("medium") = Grand Auditorium cutaway
S size ("Small") = Tin Body Cutaway
XS size = extra small body
C = cutaway
E = electronics
*On the 8 series the dreadnaught can also be ordered in "Vintage" or "Bluegrass"

Series 8
Bracing: Performance Tuned bracing
Tuners: Gotoh 503
Finish: Gloss finish with Carbon Burst and Carbon Reveal Binding
Inlay: Aluminum Side Dots, shell top dots, shell soundhole ring
Electronics: LR Baggs Imix
Case: hard case
Scale length: 25 1/2
Nut width: 1 3/4
frets: stainless medium

8S-CE (X). 8M-CE (GX), 8L-E (dread)
also:
8LV-E (vintage) and 8LB (bluegrass)

[gloeben]

Yes, I found that info as well. Thank you Brian. It doesn't actually match up correctly though. As you say, it says 8D which seems to mean dread, rather than 8L. Also, the first number is supposed to signify finish with 1 being gloss, but this starts with 0.

I found a previous sale (of this guitar) and it was described as a 2006 Bluegrass model. The current seller stated he had been told it was a Vintage model. I'm just trying to confirm one way or another.

Perhaps the lack of anything after the D signifying vintage or bluegrass is the most reliable indication that it is probably just a standard performer series.

Any additional thoughts are appreciated.

[mchalebk]

I would expect the serial to have a D, which is what they used to annotate a dreadnought. However, when they were using the numbered series model designations, L was used in the model number to indicate Large. When it simply says SERIES-8, I think they're saying it's the basic Series-8, as opposed to Bluegrass or Vintage. If it was vintage, I would have expected the model to be 8LV or 8LV-E.

I have no idea if the serial number ever gave an indication of vintage vs. standard voicing, but I would bet that the label would have given some indication (I really would have expected 8LV or the word Vintage). I would be pretty surprised if this was a vintage voiced model.