Waterstone Serial Number Stickers
Serial number sticker with Tom Petersson’s signature from a Blue Target TP-12/34 12-string bass built in 2007.
Serial number Stickers on Early Waterstone 12’s
From late 2004 into at least 2007, Waterstone 12-string basses are found with an oval orange sticker inside the sound hole that includes a handwritten serial number and Tom Petersson’s signature. All TP-1 and TP-2 model basses include these stickers as well as some of the later basses, but very few basses built after 2007 have been seen that include them.
A cherry red TP-2 with the serial number sticker peeking out through the sound hole.
The serial numbers are based upon a “month/year/bass number” system which resulted in 4-digit, 5-digit, and 6-digit numbers being found. For instance, for serial number 12042, “12” = December, “04” = 2004, and “2” = the second bass built. For the serial number “6078” displayed above, this equates to “6” = June, “07” = 2007, and “8” = the 8th bass built that year.
Serial number on a TP-1 12-string bass. 12042 means “December 2004, Bass #2”.
Serial number from a black TP-2 12-string bass. 120468 = “December 2004, Bass # 68”.
The serial numbers we have seen all follow this pattern although it’s possible exceptions may exist.
In a few rare instances when the buyer’s name was known to Petersson, he also hand wrote the buyer’s name (in this case “Hans Grimm”) on the sticker in addition to the serial number and his signature.