number which can be used to indicate an approximate date. Series A were built in New York City from approximately 1965-1971; series B in Grand Street, New York City from 1972-1973; series C in Hinsdale, New Hampshire from 1973-1979; and series D in West Swanzey, New Hampshire in 1980-1981, post- the 1979 fire in the Hinsdale factory, until the close of the company. For each series the starting serial number was reset to 1100, thus A1100 - A1471 cover the period approximately 1965-1971; B1100 - B1540 cover the period approximately 1972-1973; C1100 - C4156 cover the period approximately 1973-1979; and D1100 - D2518 cover the period approximately 1980-1981. Reputation Gurians were favored at one time by several well-known acoustic players including songwriters Paul Simon and Jackson Browne, also fingerstyle guitar players like Pierre Bensusan, John Renbourn and Ralf Illenberger used Gurian instruments at various times. Today, with the rise of a large number of alternative/more recent "boutique" brands, they are less frequently seen on stage. They had/have a reputation for good clarity and a distinctive sound, especially for fingerstyle playing. Gurian guitars are comparatively rare. Production totals from the "Gurian Guitars Identification & Registry" indicate that only around 5,000 reached the market (5,283 less approximately 231 lost in the fire), and those that were sold have something of a niche following in the present used guitar market, albeit without the high prices of some of today's top "boutique" brands. Gurian guitars have a reputation for being challenging with regard to neck resets. The pinned neck joint was designed to be less laborious to construct compared to a traditional dovetail joint, and ironically, thought to be easier to reset. Unfortunately the joint creates several challenges for a repair person; from the specific knowledge of how the joint was put together, the offset as well as a specialised tool. References Further reading Gurian Guitars Identification & Registry. Website Frets visits... Gurian Guitars. FRETS Magazine, May 1979, pp. 9–12. Achard, K. The History and Development of the American Guitar. Musical New Services, London, 1979. (section on Gurian Guitars: pp. 168–169). (Reprinted Bold Strummer, 1996). View on Google Books External links Video: "A Rare Bird: A portrait of luthier Michael Gurian" (Fretboard Journal) 1980's Gurian Guitar Catalogs (commercial site, free page previews) Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States Defunct manufacturing companies based in New Hampshire Defunct manufacturing companies based in New York City