1980 ES100R - no label ?

[Billbass]

I have an early 1980 ES100R that I bought from Mike`s Guitar Bar in July 2024 in excellent condition and 100% originalI. It does not have a label and I`m wondering if any other members have similar guitars without labels. I asked Mike at Mike`s Guitar Bar about it and he said the early ones did not have labels and that he was able to determine that it is an R model by measuring the output from the pickups. It seems like the ES100 did not appeared in catalogues until 1981. It is a fine instrument although do I find the 1 5/8 inch nut a bit narrow.

 

[Sigmania]

Just looking through the ones I had logged in the ES100 Gallery, it looks like somewhere between serial numbers 1011824 and 1012971 there was a change.

No label
0010449
0010655
0011188
1011641
1011806
1011824

Yes label
1012971
1013236
1013407
1013446
1013539
101391x
1014171
2011471

 

[Sigmania]

Looks like this came up about a year ago and jselect was able to log a bunch of examples with and without labels as well as with and without a headstock inlay.


The earliest vintage ES models originally didn't have an orange label?

The earliest vintage ES models originally didn't have an orange label?
I've been worried about this for a long time, so I searched on the Internet and extracted the data.

[ES100]
serial number / label/ inlay

1011029 no no
1011054 no no
1011093 no no
101162x (mine) no no
1011639 no no
1011641 no no
1011734 no no
1011824 no no

1013289 yes no
1013388 yes no
1013502 yes no

1013776 yes flower
1013892 yes flower
1014080 yes flower

[ES150]
1011762 no no
1011891 no no

1013022 yes no
1013048 yes no
1013492 yes no

From these results, it can be inferred that the engraved serial number on the back of the head, last four digits of1000s did not have an orange label and no inlay on the head.

There was no data in the 2000 series, but when entering the 3000 series, there is an orange label, and there is no inlay on the head.

And after about 3700S, there is an orange label, and there is a flower inlay on the head.

 

[Johnny Sylvester]

May I contribute...
My '81 Es 100R no label, no inlay

 

[Emiel]

@Johnny Sylvester , your label could have fallen out of the guitar. The one in my '81 is slowly getting loose...

 

[Sigmania]

@Johnny Sylvester , your label could have fallen out of the guitar. The one in my '81 is slowly getting loose...

Seems like it’s well within the range where we wouldn’t expect it to have a label.

 

[duff]

May I contribute...
My '81 Es 100R no label, no inlay
View attachment 89408
View attachment 89409View attachment 89410View attachment 89411

Cool, i used to own that one. Pretty sure it had a label when I sold it, but it was already loose.

 

[Sigmania]

duff, do you have any pics of it with a label? Based on our running tally it was made in a period before they had labels.