Le Grande Serial numbers ?

Larry Petree · Post by **Larry Petree** » 27 Nov 2020 6:29 am

I would like to know the year built. It is a D-10 serial # 2018. Thanks.
Larry Petree
Lpetree@bak.rr.com

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 27 Nov 2020 7:08 am

My guess is late 99 or 2000. Don't think I'm far off.

b.

Larry Petree · Post by **Larry Petree** » 27 Nov 2020 8:01 am

Many thanks Bobby

Chris Caruso · Post by **Chris Caruso** » 27 Nov 2020 2:52 pm

Any ideas on this one

Tom Vollmer · Post by **Tom Vollmer** » 27 Nov 2020 4:30 pm

I got my Le Grande III in June 2011. It is a Single Neck Double Body # 2431 L. I was suppling Lashley with machined end plates, necks and keyheads and traded parts for this guitar, I think I might have made some of the last parts before the end. I would make the end plates for a single double and if he needed a D 10 we would cut out the C neck and ship to Lashley. It is a shame they could not continue business as they Le Grande is such a fine guitar.
Good engineers and mechanics are not always the best business people.

Larry Hopkins · Post by **Larry Hopkins** » 27 Nov 2020 5:20 pm

Hi Tom, do you know about how many were built after yours,thanks
Larry

Tom Vollmer · Post by **Tom Vollmer** » 27 Nov 2020 6:21 pm

Larry,
It could not have been many because I sold the shop and retired in 2013 and had been renting a corner of the shop for storage. Anyway the present owner who I am very good friends with needed my rented space so I am in process of cleaning out and uncovered the last run of end plates which
was one tuning end and four key end plates that Lashley never took delivery of. I just sold most of them, However I still have the pattern for the key head.

Jeff Neal · Post by **Jeff Neal** » 27 Nov 2020 8:07 pm

My SD-10 Emmons Legrande 11 is serial number 2442 l. It was made on the last from what info I have been able to collect. Donâ€™t know the exact year but 2013 2014 maybe? Tom May be able to give more info.

Jeff Neal · Post by **Jeff Neal** » 27 Nov 2020 11:46 pm

Tom , sent you a PM

Tom Vollmer · Post by **Tom Vollmer** » 28 Nov 2020 7:10 am

Jeff, did not get your PM, Call me 484 877 2783

Norman Evans · Post by **Norman Evans** » 28 Nov 2020 7:22 am

I have a D10 Legrande II I bought new in '99. #1937L

Larry Hopkins · Post by **Larry Hopkins** » 28 Nov 2020 1:52 pm

Maybe Tom can answer this ,I noticed your serial no for your LE GRANDE lll ,2431 L,and Jeff Neal ,LE GRANDE ll is,2442L,was wondering if they were building,the LEGRANDE ll,at the same time they were building LE GRANDE lll.big difference in serial numbers.I have a SD-10 ,LE GRANDE lll,serial #2180 L. had it about 3 years.thanks just curious!
Larry

Jeff Neal · Post by **Jeff Neal** » 28 Nov 2020 11:33 pm

Not to Shure about the consistency about Emmons serial numbers.

Chris Caruso · Post by **Chris Caruso** » 29 Nov 2020 5:16 am

My guitar has 4 hole bellcranks, black pedal rod ends and these keyheads, I've been trying to see what year this might be. Seems to be some sort of frakenstein. See attached pictures

Bill Sutton · Post by **Bill Sutton** » 29 Nov 2020 8:09 am

The decale on my Emmons says "Lashley Legrande"...It doesn't
say I or II...Just Lashley Legrande. It does have the 14 hole bell cranks. The serial # is 1050L. Anyone have info on this Guitar.

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 29 Nov 2020 8:21 am

Same guitar as the LII. It may have the small fret markers Which I prefer. And the pedal rods ends may be the natural aluminum color. Either way it's the same guitar as the LII.I think they started the LII decals in late 92. It's been a long time. I could be off by 6 months or so.

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 29 Nov 2020 8:43 am

Bobby, good to see you're still with us! My understanding is they went to 14 hole bellcranks around 1990 (serial nbr 800-900?). They started calling them Legrande IIs when they released the counterforce system as Legrande III.I think this was around '94 , though I defer to Bobby and his enviable Emmons knowledge.
My '93 14 hole D10 is # L1153. Lashley Legrande decal, black mica.
Chris, I think we've seen this Emmons before and believed it's # 582 that maybe Bobbe SeySeymour or other "upgraded" with Klusons and altered the serial nbr.
Bill, your Legrande I'd probably '91 or '92. Hope you're doing well!

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 29 Nov 2020 10:56 am

John in the 800's and 900's I've seen both 4 and 14 hole bellcranks as we know them today. Hal Rugg got the first 14 hole crank guitar. serial # 6xx. I have the 2nd. Serial# 6xx and Jeff Peterson has a 6xx or 7xx with 14 hole cranks. Both Hals, mine and likely Jeff Peterson have the thicker machined 14 hole bellcranks. Mine was delivered in late Oct 1990. But was held up because Ron wanted to go with the 14 hole cranks due to the amount of 1/2 tone stops I had and I load my pedals and knee's heaver than most. Especially for that time period. Otherwise mine would have arrived earlier with 4 hole bellcranks.

Edited to say I'm sure their were a few more machined 14 hole bellcrank guitars than the above mentioned. But I have no idea how many. Also I seem to remember seeing several Lashley Legrande guitars with the counterforce that were branded Lashley Legrandes. This was in the very early days of the counterforce. And they may have even been Labeled LII's. Again, this was a long time ago.

James W Smith · Post by **James W Smith** » 29 Nov 2020 12:38 pm

I have SD10 LLII with serial 1933L. I purchased it at the Smokey Mountain Jamboree in Knoxville in early 1999. The man I purchased it from was Jim Aycoth to best of my memory. I think Jim had been involved in some way, perhaps a vendor for Emmons. Good instruments. I wish someone would use the counterforce that came on the LLIII's. Don't know for sure but it may be protected by a patent.

Bill Sutton · Post by **Bill Sutton** » 30 Nov 2020 12:27 pm

Thanks for the info John and Bobby. My Emmons Guitar plays and sounds great...but I've had some bad issues with tuners striping out. They get to the point of falling off when i change the string. I try to tighten them up...but it doesn't
help much...they wont stay tight..

John Swain · Post by **John Swain** » 30 Nov 2020 1:07 pm

Bill, I swapped the washers on the tuners until I got the best fit. 1+10 on both necks were problems. I think I added some nylon washers from Tractor Supply.

Boo Bernstein · Post by **Boo Bernstein** » 1 Dec 2020 8:42 am

I bought my LeGrande III in 1997 directly from Emmons and the serial number is 1652L.

Mike DiAlesandro · Post by **Mike DiAlesandro** » 1 Dec 2020 6:02 pm

What year might this early LeGrande be? Thanks

Ronald Korza · Post by **Ronald Korza** » 2 Dec 2020 6:12 am

My D-10 Le Grande is #796L with 14 hole Bellcranks and is estimated to have been made late fall of 91

Bobby Boggs · Post by **Bobby Boggs** » 3 Dec 2020 8:42 am

Mike on #216 I'll guess late 83 or early 84. I have #250 something and was told here on the Forum it was likely an 84. The early LeGrandes are hard to call because Emmons was still building P/p's. And in the very first years, 79 to around 81 not many were built. Also, in those years I was still a die hard p/p fan. And had no interest or reason to keep up with LeGrande serial #'s.

b.

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