^ 'MBT: Musicorp parent acquires Hondo Guitar.Player instruments which replaced Hondo in 2005. Hondo celebrated their 25th year of manufacturing electric guitars in 1997. The Hondo product line was revamped for improved quality while maintaining student-friendly prices. The Hondo Guitar Company was purchased by the MBT International (now Musicorp) in 1995. In 1993, the revamped company was relocated to Stuart, Florida. Freed began distribution of a new line of Hondo guitars produced in India, China and Taiwan. However, Jerry Freed started the Jerry Freed International Company in 1989, and acquired the rights to the Hondo trademark in 1991. The Hondo trademark went into mothballs around 1989. In 1985, IMC acquired major interest in the Charvel/Jackson Company, and began dedicating more time and interest in the higher end guitar market. At that point, the product line consisted of 485 different models.

These models were sold until 1983, alongside the Korean lineup (which became the Deluxe Series in 1981). In 1980, the Professional Series was introduced, featuring higher-end Japanese-made models, produced by Tokai and Matsumoku (Only the Professional Series models were made in Japan, all other Hondos were made in Korea). In 1979, over 790,000 Hondo instruments were sold worldwide. By this year, a number of Hondo II models featured designs based on classic American favorites. Hondo was one of the first overseas guitar builders to feature American-built DiMarzio pickups on the import instruments beginning in 1978. The company also made improvements to the finish quality on their products, introduced scalloped bracing on acoustics, and began using a higher quality brand of tuning machines. In 1976, over 22,000 of the Bi-Centennialbanjos were sold. For example, a guitar made in 1978 might have the first two digits of 78 or the first digit of 8.īy 1975, Hondo had distributors in 70 countries worldwide, and had expanded to producing stringed instruments at the time. Through 1987, Aria guitars serial numbers represented the year of manufacturer as either the first one or first two digits of the serial number. Look at the first number of your serial number if one exists.

How to Date your Fender (By Serial Number) in 60 seconds Novem0. The idea was thought up by Jerry Freed and Tommy Moore. Hondo Guitars were originally made by a joint venture of the International Music Company and Akai.

Hondo guitar serial number lookup