L&H serial numbers

[karen]

I have seen previous posts from Carl Swenson explaining L&H serial numbers starting in 1910 with 1000 or 1100 digits—-serial numbers were 4 digits, and understand that they made about a 100 per year for many decades so you could calculate approx harp age based on this formula. However, when did they switch to 5 digits, and when they did, what was the base from which they began the 5 digits?
Lastly, is there a way to contact L&H and have them give a date of manufacture for a particular serial number?
Wish it did not seem so random. Appreciate any help.

[harpist123]

Hello! One of my students owns a very old L&H Troubadour. I called Chicago L&H and the person who answered took the serial # and model and had someone knowledgeable in that area call me back. It was the first model Troubadour built so he was able to get me the year built, which could have been late one year or very early the next. Very helpful!

[Donna O]

Definitely contact L&H they can tell you when the harp was made and may even have some history on the harp.

[karen]

I am not necessarily talking about wanting to know about a specific harp at this moment. More trying to understand the numbers/formula for giving serial numbers to L&H harps.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

I don’t think it was a formula, just a sequence. My 23 was finished in 1979 and has the serial number 8079, so harps with numbers in the 8000s are from 1979 and the early 1980s.

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