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Hohner has been making moderately priced acoustic guitars since the 1970s. Beginning players favor them for their inexpensive pricing and solid construction. Playing a Hohner guitar has at least one major disadvantage, however--It's impossible for a Hohner owner to tell for certain when the guitar was made. Unlike other guitar makers that use specifically coded serial numbers to signify a guitar's month and date of production, no such system exists for Hohner guitars. Dating a Hohner guitar requires the owner to describe the instrument in detail and ask the company to estimate the date of manufacture.

Describe your guitar in writing. Note whether its strings are nylon or steel and note the body style. Dreadnaught acoustic guitars, for example, curve out from both sides of the neck, while a cutaway curves downward on one side. Write down the model name (this may be in a pamphlet, or even on the price tag from the store.) Also note whether the guitar contains a pickup for amplification.

Photograph key parts of your guitar. Guitars distinguish themselves in several areas: the headstock (where the tuners turn the strings), the bridge (which attaches the strings to the body), and the inlays (the dots, diamonds or other markings on the fretboard.) Make sure the photographs show as much detail as possible. Take several, and take them up close.

Mail the photos and written description to Hohner. If you hand-wrote your notes and took hard-copy pictures, enclose them in an envelope and address them to Hohner Inc., with a note saying you wish to determine how old your guitar is. The address is 1000 Technology Park Drive, Glen Allen, VA 23059-4500.

Send the photos and notes electronically. If you took the pictures digitally, attach them to the body of an email along with the written description of your guitar and a short note saying you would like to determine your guitar's date of manufacture. The email address is webinfo@hohnerusa.com